8 Pillars for an Exceptional Life Continued: Nutrition

In Marcus Pearce’s 8 Pillars for an Exceptional Life, nutrition isn’t about perfection or restriction—it’s about building the fuel plan that supports the life you want to live. What (and when) we eat has a direct impact on our energy, sleep quality, stress response, concentration, and recovery. The aim of this pillar is simple: make the healthy choice the easy choice, most of the time.

What this pillar looks like in real life

Anchor your day with protein and colour: include a quality protein source plus at least one fruit/veg at breakfast and lunch to stabilise energy and reduce afternoon cravings.
Hydrate on purpose: start with a glass of water early, then use a simple cue (e.g., every time you refill your coffee/tea, you refill your water too).
Plan one decision in advance: choose your “default” snack (e.g., yoghurt, nuts, fruit) so busy days don’t become vending-machine days.
Build your plate, don’t ban foods: aim for half vegetables/salad, a quarter protein, a quarter quality carbs (or extra veg), plus healthy fats as needed.
Eat for the next 3–4 hours: notice whether a meal leaves you energised and clear-headed—or sluggish and snacky—and adjust next time.

Nutrition Myth: “Carbs are bad and should be avoided.” Reality: Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred fuel for the brain and for higher-intensity activity. The goal isn’t to fear carbs—it’s to choose the right type and portion. Prioritise high-fibre options (fruit, oats, brown rice, wholegrain bread, legumes, starchy veg like potato/sweet potato) and pair them with protein and healthy fats to stay fuller for longer and keep energy more stable.

This week’s small win challenge

Pick one meal you repeat most weeks (often lunch).
Upgrade it by adding two colours (two different vegetables or fruit).
Add a protein anchor (eggs, tuna, chicken, beans/lentils, tofu, Greek yoghurt).
Make it easy: prep the add-ons once (wash/chop, portion, or buy ready-to-go) so the better choice is the fastest choice.

If you want to keep it simple, track just one thing for seven days: Did I include protein + colour at two meals today? That’s it. Tiny, consistent actions compound—and this pillar is about building habits you can sustain when life gets busy.

A great nutrient-dense, easy option for older people (especially if appetite is smaller or chewing is harder) is a high-protein banana smoothie (soft texture, quick to make, good energy + protein).

Maintainence Fee Increase

Just a reminder that due to the pension indexation as of March 20 there will be an increase in the maintenance fee as of April billing. The new fees are as follows:

Scoullar St Houses – increase from $577.53 to $588.38 Per month.
Hamilton St Units – Increase from $288.76 to $294.19 Per month.

Raising a maintenance request

There are several ways in which you can submit a maintenance request for Alumuna:

Use a maintenance form that you have been provided in your Welcome Pack. These are a simple way to lodge your request by filling out the form and lodging it at FRC administration. Additional copies of the form can be requested through administration.

Phone call to FRC administration or to Zoe on 03 5883 9600.

Click this link to take you to the maintenance request page and you can fill in the details and press submit. This request will come straight to Zoe and can then be delegated to the correct person.

Please use one of these methods for submitting a maintenance request as we need to keep a track of all works occurring at the village.

It is not the responsibility of the maintenance team members to submit a request so if you do mention the issue to the team, please make sure you also submit a request through one of the above methods.

The 2026 Preventative Maintenance Program will commence soon and letters with dates and times will be sent out shortly. If the allocated date and time does not suit you, please contact Zoe asap so your timeslot can be changed to a more suitable time.

2025 – 2026 Satisfaction Survey

You should have received your copy of the latest Satisfaction Survey and thank you to all who have submitted their completed copy. If you have not received a copy or have not submitted yours yet, please do so and return it in the provided stamped envelope.

We use the information as a way to continually improve our service to you and I look forward to collating the information to present to you all in the coming months.

See you next month.

(Zoe Stringer, Alumuna Community Manager)