Jenny McDonald is a Melbourne nutritionist who specialises in working with people with HIV. Her work began in 1987, when she was a hospital dietician. Now she does more community-based work through the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and visiting GPs with HIV caseloads. She runs the Nutrition for Life program.

Jenny’s work starts with the impact of seroconversion. ‘People should see someone when they seroconvert because they go through different processes. They may have lost weight, be eating inadequately or had poor diet before. We check to ensure they’re having three meals a day and enough fruit and vegies. Then extra things like protein and vitamin intake, increasing B complex and C vitamins, and antioxidants.’

Countering the potential harm from HIV drugs is now more a part of Jenny’s work. ‘We’re now aware of the potential for ARVs to influence cardiovascular disease. We look at modifying fat intake and better fats, without compromising overall nutrition. Someone with HIV may already be underweight. It’s a fine balance.’

Jenny stresses the difference vitamins make. ‘People with HIV require more vitamin B complex, which can affect your mood and energy levels. People start on B complex and come back saying they’ve got more energy, which stimulates more exercise, which stimulates more muscle mass. So their basal metabolic rate may increase and overall sense of wellbeing improves.’

‘There’s a free Nutrition for Life CD I did with Vanessa Wagner. It covers nutrition and HIV, eating well, supplements, diabetes, cholesterol, exercise, common side-effects and maintaining weight, as well as shopping and meal preparation for people on limited budgets. It’s available through GPs, AIDS Councils and Treatment Officers’. The Nutrition for Life project is in Victoria, Queensland, NSW, Tasmania and ACT. It provides free access to a dietician.