Finding out you’re harbouring a parasite in your GI tract can be a little scary. And whether it got there after food poisoning, overseas travel or drinking contaminated water, you want to get rid of it ASAP before it does anymore damage. If you’re not keen on antibiotics or have tried them unsuccessfully already, then let me show you how to treat intestinal parasites naturally.

Clearing chronic constipation and healing a damaged gut is a journey full of trial and error, and lots of HARD work. After writing a similar post for gut mistakes more generally, I thought it was important to address those specific to chronic constipation.

Studies have shown that as many as half of those with IBS, also suffer from psychological disorders including anxiety and depression. And while many sufferers have been told their gut symptoms are ‘all in their head’ (including me at one point), science has recently discovered the relationship might actually be the other way around. What’s happening in your gut, directly affects what’s happening in the brain, your mood and how you respond to stress.

Last week I spoke with Stephen Anderson from The Holistic Practitioner Podcast about the connection between travel health & chronic digestive issues.

There’s something particularly frustrating (and dangerous) about belly fat. It’s the type of fat we notice and the one we stereotypically associate with “being fat”. It’s also commonly the result of visceral fat, the kind that surrounds your internal organs and increases your risk of a whole range of unwanted health problems. And as any belly fat sufferer will find, it can be extremely difficult to shift if you’re still following old dietary advice commonly found in mainstream media.

We see a lot of clients in our clinical practice that have finally decided to beat constipation. Many have been labelled years ago as having IBS-C or Functional Constipation and encouraged not to look any further. For those that don’t take that advice, we almost always find an underlying (and treatable!) condition. Here are the three most common constipation root causes we see everyday.

Everyone’s tired these days. And while we know that a lack of good quality sleep isn’t the only culprit, it’s certainly one that needs improvement for most of us. The restorative and healing benefits of sleep are so great that it’s one of the five foundational pillars of any of my clients’ treatment protocols. But what can we do to improve the amount and quality of sleep we get each night?

If you’re the type of person who tries to maintain a perfectly healthy diet and regularly exercises but still struggles with digestive issues, then this post is for you. What we eat and how it makes us feel can be huge indicators for our underlying level of health. And it’s not just junk food that might make you feel terrible. For anyone with a gut infection, foods we all think of as ‘healthy’ can exacerbate symptoms, letting you know your digestive system is out of balance and that something more is required to heal your gut.

Symptoms of a compromised digestive system go far beyond irritable bowel syndrome and its best friends; constipation, diarrhoea, gas and bloating. And if it’s true that all disease begins in the gut, what are the less obvious warning signs that yours is out of balance? Realising that poor gut health might be the root cause of a whole bunch of conditions you thought were unrelated can be a breakthrough moment for most people.

If you’ve ever opened the fridge at 10 p.m. looking for that sweet treat, you’ve probably asked yourself, maybe even out loud, " Why do I crave sugar? ” And because it’s a common side effect of digestive and hormonal dysfunction (more on that later), it’s a question I regularly get asked by clients. I remember it all too well when I was struggling with gut health issues and an incessant need to eat another brownie

‘Losing weight’, or as I prefer to call it - ‘losing body fat’, is by far the most popular resolution made every New Year’s day. But it’s also undoubtedly one of the least successful. And, contrary to popular belief, the reason might not be your lack of willpower after all. The real reason might actually be hidden in the health, or otherwise, of the colony of microbes residing in your intestines - your microbiome. So what is the connection between gut bacteria and weight loss?

Healing your damaged gut is a journey full of trial and error, and lots of HARD work. I know that right now you are probably experiencing countless overlapping symptoms, and there are countless healing modalities and approaches out there, all competing for your attention. And they all seem to work so differently for different people. Not to mention the complete minefield presented by forums, Facebook groups  and random online success stories.

Australia’s first SIBO Summit was held in chilly Melbourne on 8th October 2016. I had the absolute pleasure of attending and rubbing shoulders (well, almost!) with Dr Alison Siebecker, my favourite SIBO guru from the USA, Dr Nirala Jacobi, Naturopath and creator of SIBOTest, and Dr Jason Hawrelak, our very own Aussie probiotics advisor. As an added bonus to my recent 3-part SIBO blog series, here are my top 20 takeaways from the day that I hope can help you with your healing journey.