Introducing Tamara Howarth, Fortem Executive assistant.
First responders across Australia including regional, rural and remote areas will soon have greater access to practical, evidence-informed nutrition support, with Fortem Australia launching a new nutrition series as part of its expanded outreach program.
The outreach program has been designed to ensure first responders and their families, no matter where they are located, have equitable access to Fortem’s wellbeing services. Recognising that geography should not be a barrier to support, the program is focused on delivering practical, preventative wellbeing initiatives directly into communities that may otherwise face limited access.
The new nutrition series responds to a critical need within the first responder community.
Police, paramedics, firefighters, emergency service workers and their families often live and work in a constant state of readiness. Shift work, disrupted sleep, high cognitive load, physical demands and ongoing responsibility for others can leave many operating in a heightened or dysregulated nervous system state for extended periods of time.
The series explores how this sustained stress impacts eating patterns, energy regulation, digestion, sleep and emotional wellbeing and, importantly, how simple, realistic nutrition strategies can support recovery and stability over time.
Rather than promoting rigid routines or restrictive diets, the program focuses on practical, low-effort habits that fit into busy and unpredictable schedules. Participants will gain a better understanding of how stress physiology influences food choices and mood, learn strategies to stabilise energy and reduce fatigue, and build sustainable habits that support long-term wellbeing for themselves and their families.
The sessions are facilitated by Maggie Walton and Kieren Pettit, health and wellbeing practitioners with backgrounds in health sciences and nutrition. Both facilitators take a preventative, holistic approach to care, focusing on accessible strategies that reduce overwhelm and build confidence.
The series also aligns with Fortem’s commitment to the 5 Ways of Wellbeing framework, encouraging participants to learn, connect, give, move and be, while creating safe spaces for shared experience and reflection.
Although newly developed specifically for Fortem’s audience, similar workshops delivered by the facilitators in other settings have received strong feedback. Participants have reported improved energy levels, reduced guilt around food choices, greater understanding of the link between nutrition and mental wellbeing, and increased confidence in supporting their own health.
By bringing this series onto a virtual platform Fortem continues to strengthen its commitment to preventative wellbeing ensuring first responders and their families have access to meaningful, practical support wherever they are.
For many first responders, caring for others is second nature. Through the virtual wellbeing program, Fortem is helping ensure they have the tools and support to care for themselves too.
For more information or to register for a nutrition workshop, visit the wellbeing activity calendar.