CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST · CAIRNS & TELEHEALTH AUSTRALIA-WIDE
I’m Anne-Marie McKinnon
I work one-on-one with adults across Australia, by telehealth, to address chronic health conditions through personalised nutrition — with a strong focus on the Metabolic Balance® program.
My Story
I’ve lived with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis since my early twenties, so I understand what it’s like to feel let down by your own body. For years, I tried one fad diet after another, hoping something would finally help me feel like myself again — and more often than not, they left me feeling worse. What actually changed things for me was clinical nutrition and the knowledge about the right foods for my condition, not another quick fix. It’s what has helped bring my condition into remission, and it’s a big part of why I do what I do today.
My personal experience shapes how I work with every client. I see you as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms — so I ask plenty of questions and take the time to understand your diet, lifestyle, medication, stress and environment, rather than reaching for a one-size-fits-all plan.
I’ll always be upfront with you — about what results realistically look like, what a program involves, and what it costs. You won’t find miracle promises here, and you’ll never be judged for your body or your food history. There’s no pressure to commit before you feel ready. What I really want is for you to walk out of your first consult feeling heard and equipped with a clear path forward, not overwhelmed.
How I Got Here
Before starting Star Nutrition in early 2026, I completed my Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Nutrition, including a final year of supervised student clinic experience — covering everything from nutritional assessment and pathology review, to meal planning, supplement prescribing and client coaching.
My path here wasn’t entirely linear. My earlier academic background was actually in science and research — I completed a science degree followed by postgraduate research in entomology. While it’s a world away from clinical nutrition, it’s where my evidence-based approach comes from: I like to research to properly understand what’s going on before recommending anything.
I’m also currently doing the Metabolic Balance® program myself, working from my own blood test results just like my clients do. So when I ask you to commit to this process, I genuinely know what that feels like.
Qualifications and Credentials
- Bachelor of Science (Botany and Zoology).
- Graduate Diploma of Research Methods (Entomology).
- Master of Philosophy (Entomology).
- Bachelor of Health Science (Clinical Nutrition).
- ANTA member (Australian Natural Therapists Association, clinical nutrition discipline).
- Metabolic Balance® certified coach.
- Private health fund provider number (rebates may apply, depending on your fund and level of cover).
- iScreen pathology partner.
- Vital.ly practitioner supplement dispensary.
- NutriPath functional testing partner.
What’s Different About Working With a Clinical Nutritionist?
A GP appointment is usually where a chronic health issue gets diagnosed — it’s rarely where you get an actual dietary plan to go with it. A five-minute appointment doesn’t leave room for a full nutrient analysis, a supplement protocol calibrated to your blood results, or a plan that accounts for gut absorption and medication interactions. That’s the gap I work in.
It’s also different from a generic online meal plan or asking AI, which can’t account for your specific blood test results or the rest of your health picture, and different from seeing a dietitian within a larger practice — Star Nutrition is a personal practice, not a multi-practitioner clinic. When you book with me, you work with me, from your first discovery call through to your last follow-up.
I work alongside your GP and any existing medication or treatment — including MHT, bisphosphonates, statins or thyroid medication — rather than positioning nutrition as a replacement for it.
How I Work
Every client is assessed as a whole person — diet, lifestyle, medication, stress and environment — not a single complaint. Where most practitioners avoid it, I use pre- and post-program blood tests to demonstrate real results, because I think transparency matters more than a tidy sales story.
I believe food is one of the most powerful tools most people have never properly used against chronic illness — but I’m not anti-medicine. I’ll refer you onward when that’s the right call, and I’ll always be clear about what nutrition can and can’t realistically address for your situation.
Why Star Nutrition?
Star Nutrition is a personal brand, not a clinic brand as I work as a solo practitioner. “Personalised nutrition to help you shine” is the idea underneath everything I do here.
Ready to talk it through?
Start with a free 20-minute discovery call — no obligation, no pressure.