So far, Janella has loved the experience. “It’s been incredible,” she affirms. “I’ll be honest, before we started filming I read all the info on the contestants and I just started crying and was so upset because I’ve been struggling with my weight my whole life. It’s the biggest issue of my life.”

Having struggled with her weight in the past, Janella first became a whole foods chef and then studied naturopathy, Chinese medicine and kinesiology to find the tools to fit the pieces of her own personal puzzle together.

Understanding the different physical and emotional factors underlying weight issues is knowledge Janella is only too happy to share with the clients of her personal practice, and now The Biggest Loser contestants of 2010.

“I’ve been there myself and I completely empathise with them,” says Janella of the contestants. “I just felt so privileged to be in there and teaching them how to eat because if you don’t know how to eat, you’re not going to maintain your weight, you’re just not - ever.”

For The Biggest Loser contestants, Janella has been focussing on opening up their minds (and tastebuds) to foods they might not have considered eating before, and teaching them how to prepare it.

“I get them to try different herbs and different flavours because different flavours stimulate different parts of your taste buds and that will also stimulate different emotions,” says Janella. “Usually people who have got addictions, food is a nasty one, they’re not that open-minded to other things but through exercise and eating better, they’re way more open minded. It’s really satisfying watching them.”

Of course, making better food at home means being prepared and with her practice clients, Janella spends a lot of time opening them up to healthier choices and ingredients in the supermarket.

“It’s all about shopping,” she states simply. “It’s about having pride when you look at your fridge and pantry – that’s a really good feeling. I just make that a priority, it’s not a chore. If the food’s there, there’s no way I’m going to stop and buy crap, and that’s all you can get, really, in lots of places.”

Janella is keen to emphasis that a healthy shop is worth it. “People say, ‘Oh, it’s expensive’ to not buy fast food and actually make your own burger, but if you buy whole foods [unprocessed and unrefined foods, or foods that have been as little as possible], you’ll eat less of it because your body doesn’t need as much,” Janella explains.

When she talks about “how to eat”, Janella is also practically addressing how people actually consume their food. “For me it’s not about restricting people with quantity, but teaching them to know when they’re full and when they need to eat. Chew; put their knife and fork down between each mouthful; don’t run around in the car having a ciggie/on the phone/watching TV/feeding the kids while you’re eating – all that kind of stuff we always do. It’s about empowering people to know what their body needs.”

Janella makes it sound easy but she’s the first to observe sometimes nourishing yourself can be a challenge. “If you get your fundamentals in order, if you exercise, eat well, sleep well and express yourself appropriately, you’re all good! Easy! Those things seem to be hard, though, and that’s where I come in. It’s the most satisfying job in the world.”