Where health is understood, and care is personalised

ABOUT LEAH
Director

Leah is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Director of Balance Nutrition, with over 10 years of private practice experience. She is a trusted dietitian in Toowoomba, specialising in complex women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, and weight management.

Leah completed her Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetics) at Queensland University of Technology in 2014 and has undertaken advanced training as a certified fertility and pregnancy dietitian through the Early Life Nutrition Alliance. She is known locally as a leading women’s health dietitian, with particular expertise in:

• PCOS nutrition

• Endometriosis support

• Thyroid and metabolic health

• Fertility nutrition

• Pregnancy and postpartum care

Leah works collaboratively with GPs, endocrinologists, and fertility specialists to provide coordinated, evidence-based care tailored to each stage of a woman’s life.

She also provides specialised support for weight loss surgery, assisting clients before and after weight loss surgery. Leah has a particular interest in supporting women through fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum following bariatric surgery, with a focus on nutrient optimisation, muscle preservation, and long-term metabolic health.

As a mum herself, Leah understands the demands of busy family life. She takes a practical, food-first approach, helping clients build sustainable habits without restrictive dieting. Her focus is on realistic strategies that support hormone balance, energy, and a confident relationship with food.

Having grown up locally, Leah returned to practise as a Toowoomba dietitian, building Balance Nutrition into a respected women’s health clinic within the community she calls home.

ABOUT SHANNA
Accredited Sports Dietitian
& Bariatric Dietitian

Shanna is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Sports Dietitian (ASD) with over eight years of experience in private practice. She supports clients across Toowoomba with evidence-based nutrition for sports performance, bariatric surgery, women’s health, and metabolic health.

Originally from Brisbane, Shanna moved to Toowoomba in 2019 to raise her young family and now proudly serves the local community through Balance Nutrition. She completed advanced training with Sports Dietitians Australia in 2017, specialising in sports nutrition and performance fuelling. She works with recreational exercisers, strength trainers, endurance athletes, and active individuals wanting to improve energy, recovery, body composition, and performance.

Shanna also provides specialised bariatric surgery nutrition support, working with clients before and after weight loss surgery, including gastric sleeve and gastric bypass procedures. She focuses on nutritional optimisation, muscle preservation, deficiency prevention, and supporting a safe return to exercise after bariatric surgery.

Shanna has particular interest and experience in:

• Sports nutrition and performance fuelling

• Strength training and body composition

• Bariatric surgery (pre- and post-operative nutrition)

• Return to exercise after weight loss surgery

• Perimenopause nutrition and midlife metabolic health

• Sustainable weight management

Shanna also supports women navigating hormonal changes during perimenopause and midlife. She collaborates closely with GPs and allied health professionals to ensure coordinated, evidence-based care.

Prior to becoming a dietitian, Shanna spent eight years as a Personal Trainer and co-owned a personal training studio, Phoenix Physique. This background gives her a practical understanding of the powerful relationship between nutrition, exercise, and long-term health outcomes.

Shanna takes a personalised, realistic approach, helping clients move away from restrictive dieting and towards sustainable strategies that fit their lifestyle and goals.

Outside of the clinic, she enjoys staying active with her family and exploring the outdoors around Toowoomba.

ABOUT MADISON
Women’s Health Dietitian

Madison is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with a focused interest in women’s health, fertility, and gut health support. She completed her Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Dietetic Studies at the University of Queensland in 2023 and consults via telehealth dietitian appointments across Australia.

Madison has a particular passion for endometriosis nutrition, shaped by her own experience improving symptoms through evidence-based dietary strategies. She supports women with hormonal conditions using practical, realistic guidance tailored to each life stage.

Her clinical interests include:

• Endometriosis and women’s health nutrition

• Fertility and preconception nutrition

• IBS and Monash Low FODMAP diet

• Gut health and digestive conditions

• Breast cancer nutrition support

Madison takes a compassionate, non-restrictive approach, helping clients build sustainable habits without overwhelm.

A qualified yoga instructor, Madison values whole-person care and integrates this perspective into her work.

Madison provides telehealth consultations and is currently unable to accept GP Chronic Condition Management Plans.

ABOUT REBECCA
Accredited Practising Dietitian

Rebecca (Bec) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with dual degrees in Dietetics and Holistic Nutrition. She brings an energetic, practical approach to women’s health, family nutrition, and sustainable metabolic health.

Based in Toowoomba, Bec understands the demands of busy family life. As a mum of three, she works with women and families to develop realistic, structured nutrition strategies that fit into everyday routines. Her approach is collaborative and solutions-focused, helping clients move forward with clarity and confidence.

Bec has a strong interest in women’s health nutrition, supporting clients with hormonal concerns, energy fluctuations, digestive symptoms, and long-term wellbeing. She looks beyond isolated symptoms to understand each client within the context of their lifestyle, stress load, family dynamics, and broader environment.

Bec has particular interest in:

• Women’s health and hormonal nutrition

• Family and household nutrition planning

• Digestive health and gut function

• Sustainable weight management

• Building practical, achievable food routines

Known for her upbeat and engaging style, Bec brings momentum and encouragement to her consultations. She believes nutrition should feel doable and not overwhelming, and works alongside clients to create structured plans that feel achievable in real life.

At home, Bec values simple, nourishing meals that work for the whole family. She is passionate about helping clients build confidence in everyday cooking without complexity, perfectionism, or restrictive rules.

Rebecca is committed to delivering evidence-based, personalised care that supports long-term health and sustainable change.

ABOUT BALANCE NUTRITION 

Balance Nutrition is a specialised dietetic clinic in Toowoomba, founded in 2019 by Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) Leah Stjernqvist.

Our clinic was established to provide focused, evidence-based nutrition care for individuals managing complex medical and metabolic conditions. Rather than offering broad generalised dietetic services, Balance Nutrition operates as a specialist-aligned practice, working closely with medical and allied health professionals to deliver coordinated, clinically robust care.

Our areas of expertise include:

• Endocrine and metabolic health

• Sports Nutrition for all ages, including adolescents

• PCOS and hormonal conditions

• Thyroid disorders

• Fertility and pregnancy nutrition

• Gastrointestinal conditions including IBS and IBD

• Complex weight and metabolic management, including weight loss surgery

Our Approach

We believe complexity deserves to be understood, not simplified.

Our clinicians prioritise:

• Safety, dignity, and long-term wellbeing over trends or quick fixes

• Collaborative, respectful communication within medical care teams

• Sustainable change grounded in biology, lived experience, and context

• Evidence-based practice delivered with empathy and clarity

We recognise that food, weight, and health are influenced by physiology, environment, culture, and personal history. Rather than rigid plans or prescriptive rules, we provide structured, individualised strategies designed to support long-term metabolic health and confident decision-making.

Our Commitment

At Balance Nutrition, trust is built through consistency, integrity, and transparency. We practise within scope, seek supervision when needed, and refer early to ensure clients receive the right care at the right time.

Our vision is to reshape how nutrition care feels, ensuring complexity is respected, collaboration is standard, and clients feel genuinely supported in their health journey.

Located within Toowoomba Endocrine & Diabetes alongside Dr Sheila Cook and her team, we support integrated care where communication and clinical reasoning matter.

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