Transform your clinical practice with nutrition and lifestyle
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Australia and New Zealand. Yet, many health professionals report limited training and low confidence in providing structured nutrition and lifestyle counselling for CVD risk reduction. This course has been designed to help close that gap.
Tackling Heart Disease in Clinical Practice is an on‑demand, RACGP and ACRRM–approved activity designed for doctors and other healthcare practitioners who want to integrate practical, evidence‑based lifestyle advice into routine care. Whether you are supporting primary prevention, secondary prevention after an event, or complex, multi‑morbid patients, this course will help you communicate dietary and lifestyle strategies via brief, effective conversations. Earn CPD points through short end-of-section quizzes and mini-reflections—no large assignments required.
What to expect from Tackling Heart Disease in Clinical Practice
This first-in-kind program is designed for health professionals who see cardiovascular risk and disease every day in practice and want practical tools—not just theory—to support behaviour change. It combines condition‑specific education with communication strategies that fit into real‑world consultations.
- Benefit from content created by experienced healthcare professionals and medical doctors who are experts in whole food plant-based nutrition.
- Access a mix of comprehensive educational content and actionable strategies, from over a dozen inspiring video lessons, along with many other resources.
- Access tools for behaviour change, including goal‑setting, habit‑building, mindset shifts, and tracking—alongside training in the teach‑back method to strengthen patient understanding and follow‑up.
- Flexible on-demand learning – complete the activity at your own pace while earning RACGP and ACRRM CPD hours through end-of-section quizzes and mini-reflections.
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Expert insights from trusted healthcare professionals
Tackling Heart Disease in Clinical Practice has been developed by a team of doctors and healthcare professionals with expertise in cardiovascular prevention, whole food plant‑based nutrition, and health communication. The course draws on current evidence and frontline clinical experience to show how dietary and lifestyle interventions can help prevent, stabilise and even reverse cardiovascular disease.
Dr Luke Wilson
MBChB, BA, MSc
General Practitioner / Lifestyle Medicine Physician
DFN Board Director
Amy Leahy
Degree-qualified Nutritionist
Master of Public Health
DFN Education Lead
Dr Malcolm Mackay
BMBS, ASMF/RACGP, GradDipHumNut
General Practitioner / Lifestyle Medicine Physician
DFN Advisory Council
Access 12+ on-demand video lessons and other resources
Unlike generic nutrition courses, this CPD activity is condition‑specific and built around common CVD presentations in primary care. It blends in‑depth education with practical, clinic‑ready tools you can start using immediately.
Learning outcomes:
- Learn how to explain cardiovascular risk—and the pivotal role of diet and lifestyle—in plain language, using visuals and simple analogies that support patients.
- Understand how low‑fat, whole food plant‑based dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep, and alcohol modification can be used alongside pharmacotherapy to prevent and manage CVD.
- Build skills in taking a brief lifestyle history and giving focused advice using structured tools such as traffic‑light food categories and whole‑food swaps.
- Gain confidence using teach‑back and other behaviour change techniques so your advice is more likely to be understood, remembered, and acted on.
** Healthcare Professional members log in to your dashboard to access for free **
Why Tackling Heart Disease is for you
Build confidence in providing brief, evidence‑based dietary and lifestyle counselling for CVD in time‑limited consultations.
Improve your ability to explain what causes CVD and the role nutrition and lifestyle play in ways patients understand and remember.
Access ready‑to‑use tools and frameworks that support sustainable behaviour change and complement guideline‑based medical care.
Continuing Professional Development
This activity is RACGP approved and ACRRM accredited for 4 CPD hours (Educational Activity) You may be able to self claim with other CPD providers. Upon completion, a certificate of completion is automatically available for your records. The course is also IBLM approved for CME for the Lifestyle Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
What did previous DFN course participants learn?
Your investment to gain valuable nutrition knowledge
** Healthcare Professional members log in to your dashboard to access for free **
Given the digital nature and immediate accessibility of our on-demand activities, all associated fees are non-refundable. Please see our refund policy here.
All proceeds support Doctors For Nutrition’s independent charitable work so we can continue to provide education and advocacy, alleviate suffering, and save lives.
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Not currently a member? Join us today as a paid Healthcare Professional member of DFN and access Tackling Heart Disease in Clinical Practice for free.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The course is on-demand, meaning you can start whenever you’re ready. There’s no start date, and you can move through the content at your own pace based on your schedule and goals.
You will receive progress emails starting from the time you first access or purchase the course however, you’re free to start the course whenever it suits you. While you’re welcome to complete the course multiple times, the email journey will only be sent during your first attempt.
Tackling Heart Disease in Clinical Practice is designed for medical and healthcare professionals—GPs, registrars, nurses, and allied health practitioners—who want to integrate practical, evidence‑based nutrition and lifestyle advice into routine cardiovascular care.
This activity is RACGP approved and ACRRM accredited for <strong>4 CPD hours</strong> (Educational Activity) You may be able to self claim with other CPD providers. Upon completion, a certificate of completion is automatically available for your records. The course is also IBLM approved for CME for the Lifestyle Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
All required tasks are integrated into the course as brief quizzes and short reflections, plus one concise mini‑reflection submitted at the end to support RACGP/ACRRM CPD requirements.
DFN members will have lifetime access to the course materials for as long as they remain members. Non-members will have access for 12 months from the date of purchase. Within these timeframes, you can revisit the content as often as you like, whenever it suits you.
The course features more than 12 video lessons, mini‑reflections, summary quizzes, printable tools for behaviour change, and links to patient‑friendly resources you can use in consultations.
Rather than prescriptive meal plans, the course links to a curated collection of whole food plant‑based recipe websites suitable for heart‑healthy diets. These can be shared with patients or adapted to dietary restrictions such as gluten‑free needs
No prior nutrition qualifications are required. The course assumes a general healthcare background and focuses on applying evidence-based dietary principles in a clinical setting.
The course offers a range of resources to access from the comfort of your home, in a time that suits you. These include video lessons, text lessons, downloads and demonstrations. If you have questions, you can contact our DFN team for assistance, or ask questions directly within the course.
Yes! A free preview is available so you can explore selected course materials before enrolling.
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