We are a group of health professionals passionate about metabolic health

In July 2023, the Australasian Metabolic Health Society (AMHS) was incorporated. This is a sister organisation to the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners, which is based in America. It has been created with their full support, as we share the same mission: education, training, and support for evidence-based nutritional approaches, including carbohydrate restriction and ketogenic therapies, as valid therapeutic options or interventions.

Metabolic health is defined as having optimal:

blood sugar
blood insulin
waist circumference
blood pressure
triglycerides and HDL cholesterol

Ideally, the above is achieved with minimal or no medications.

The AMHS is an independent Australian entity, run by local practitioners for the benefit of local health practitioners. Its primary purpose is to develop consensus guidelines and provide education and training for health practitioners in Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific region. It also aims to provide advocacy at the local, state, and national levels for metabolic health practitioners.

AMHS is the first organisation in Australia to incorporate the full spectrum of therapeutic low-carbohydrate diets for application across a range of disease processes as well as for optimising metabolic health. It is also proudly free of corporate sponsorship from pharmaceutical, supplement and commercial food companies.

Board of Directors

Dr Deepa Mahananda

GP – New South Wales

Prof. Karen Dwyer, Chairperson

Professor of Nephrology – Victoria

Dr Laureen Lawlor-Smith

GP – South Australia

Prof. Caryn Zinn

New Zealand

Dr Alex Petrushevski

GP – New South Wales

Alex McDonald

Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ), and Director of a private family office

Eder Guerra

Treasurer

Chief Executive Officer

Claire McDonnell

Advisory Board

Dr James Muecke

Ophthalmologist and Australian of the Year 2020 – South Australia

Dr Rod Tayler

Melbourne anaesthetist and expert in weight loss research and low carbohydrate diets.

Dr Gary Fettke

Tasmania-based orthopaedic surgeon.

Dr Peter Brukner

Peter Brukner is a specialist sports and Founder of Defeat Diabetes.

Scientific Committee

In August 2023 the scientific committee was appointed by the Board of Directors after careful consideration of a large number of experienced applicants.