Established in Orange sporting circles through coaching rugby union and further afield for his work in injury and cardiac rehabilitation, Turnbull has added nutritional science to his credentials after studying a number of courses in the field during the isolation forced by the pandemic.

Awarded a fellowship with National body Exercise and Sports Science Australia in 2020, Turnbull is still involved in that industry but is also exploring metabolic health and its implication on the control of diabetes with a view to offering science-based advice.

"I think diabetes is becoming a major concern globally," Turnbull said.

"From the diabetes association stats, 280 people are diagnosed with diabetes every day in Australia. Both types [one and two] although 94 per cent of diabetics are type two and type two diabetes occurs when the body either doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body's cells don't respond to insulin correctly.

"Type two Diabetes is often mistakenly regarded as progressive which means it a can only be managed. However, multiple trials have shown that type two diabetes can be reversed.

"Importantly diabetes two is a lifestyle issue and therefore it can be prevented and if you've developed it, it is possible to put it into remission.

"That's the big thing and many people don't know that."

At 70, Turnbull has given himself leave to work less in exercise rehabilitation, where he has a successful partnership with son Matthew and the brand Body Dynamics Health.

Currently, he has concentrated on research, mostly the science behind metabolic health, and how it can be applied to controlling and reversing diabetes and other metabolic lifestyle health issues.

"I've recently taken a bit of a backseat and doing lots of study, keeping up to date effectively with non-vested evidence-based science as it applies now, which seems to be not well utilised, particularly for diabetes and metabolic disease," Turnbull said.

"Many of these issues are related to lifestyle factors such as poor nutrition and lack of exercise."

In an effort to prove to himself the science is right, Turnbull did his own case study with one of those clients and the results speak for themselves.

"I wanted to prove to myself that this intervention is actually correct so I did a case study on one client, who weighed 107 kilograms, had had a triple cardiac bypass, was hypertensive and had diabetes two. Due to a change he choose to his lifestyle, particularly diet and exercise, he now weighs 67kg, takes no diabetic, heart or blood pressure medication," he said.

"Two others have also put type two diabetes into remission. It is important to realise that remission does not mean a cure. If one reverts back to eating processed foods, sugar, industrial seed oils and refined carbohydrates then one simply goes back to full blown diabetes two."

Undergoing surgery and a trip back to South Africa to visit family will occupy the remainder of this year but next year, Turnbull is planning on offering science-based advice to more clients adjacent to his expertise and experience built up over 40 years.

"I'm very much involved in the fitness industry still because the two (nutrition and exercise) go together," he said.

"I'll provide the science in the space of nutrition and exercise and clients can make up their own mind and follow the lifestyle change they choose."

Turnbull says he is not a dietician and won't prescribe diets. He also stresses a client's doctor and medical specialists must be involved to oversee medication as their patient changes their lifestyle, to ensure that blood sugar levels remain in a safe range.

"Unless you're whole person-centred with your intervention, you're not going to get anywhere.

"You've got to work in a team environment. It's very important to do that.

"I picked that up years ago with sport, in terms of volume, intensity and duration. I'm very much still an exercise physiologist, but I've done many courses now in nutrition, with the permission of our National body [Exercise and Sport Science Australia] and support from the Rural Doctors Network."

Turnbull believes the concept of lifestyle intervention in the treatment of diabetes is only just seeping into universities.

"In other words the exact food-type intervention has never been talked about at university. It will from now on," he said.

"The reason I say that, even the Diabetic Association in their position statement in 2021 October have fully acknowledged that type two diabetes can be put into remission."

Turnbull said studies show that the three clear paths to diabetes two remission are bariatric surgery, a low calorie diet; or a diet of low carbohydrate intake, moderate protein and healthy higher fats, which is sustainable in the long term.

"Bariatric surgery is expensive and there may only be a very few who qualify for the procedure, which is yet to be proven sustainable, while low calorie diet is also not sustainable in the longer term," he said.

"Eating local food, seasonal real food is key. The lifestyle change program has to be planned around the individual. It's as simple as that," he said.

"Nutritional recommendations are based around the current food guidelines which have been devised for a healthy population and for those who do not present with insulin resistance and the healthy population are in the minority."

"So we need to focus on evidenced-based good science and provide information to raise awareness that not everything that's been published is always scientifically based. And i's sometimes skewed towards vested interests such as sponsorships."

Richard Turnbull and his family migrated from Natal in South Africa in 1997 after he visited Orange in 1993 as the fitness coach for the Springboks, who were touring Australia.

He continued to work within rugby union as the trainer for NSW Country side and also linked with Kinross Wolaroi School as technical coach for its rugby program.

It's through coaching Orange Emus to four first grade consecutive central west premierships, from 1999 to 2003 most people would be familiar with the Turnbull name. He also co-coached Emus second grade side to a premiership in 2002, Wagga Aggies first grade to a premiership in 2012 as well as the Southern Inland Rugby Union side to two premiership wins.

Turnbull was inducted into the South African Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame during 2016 in recognition for his athletic coaching successes during the 1980s and 1990s having coached many National athletes including Mathews Temane to a world half marathon record and Willie Mtolo to winning the New York Marathon.

He also coached local runner Veronica Wallington to third place in the junior world mountain road race championships in Switzerland 2007. Wallington also won the Australian Schools cross-country in 2008.

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