Eradicating SIBO and healing your damaged gut is a journey full of trial and error, and lots of hard, HARD work. With our scientific and clinical understanding of the condition continuing to grow, protocols and recommendations are constantly evolving and as with any gut condition, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for the next. This means a lot of SIBO sufferers are struggling to keep up with the most up-to-date and effective treatment approaches.
Read MoreThere’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.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreEveryone’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?
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreSymptoms 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.
Read MoreIf 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
Read More‘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?
Read MoreThere ARE natural IBS treatments beyond just diet. While diet is a great place to start your IBS healing journey, anyone who has been down this path will know that diet alone is not generally enough to achieve the lasting healing you deserve. Yes, diet is exceptionally important for short-term symptom management, but a more comprehensive protocol that also covers lifestyle factors and targeted supplementation is where the big gains are made.
Read MoreFood and IBS can be a love-hate relationship. Or, if your symptoms are particularly bad, it’s mostly just hate-hate. But you’ll be glad to know that foods can heal as well as harm and figuring out which is which is key to getting your IBS symptoms under control and giving your body the space to heal. If you’re new to the world of gut-healing diets for IBS, unsure of what you should be eating for IBS and don’t yet know your polyols from your paleo, then this is the blog for you!
Read MoreLast week we talked about why you should never settle for an IBS diagnosis and how IBS is not a single disease with a single cause. We now know that it’s a whole host of diagnosable health issues, which is why we must look further for complete healing. And while the exact root cause, or combination of causes, is unique to each person, this week I want to share with you the five that I most commonly see in my ‘IBS’ clients.
Read MoreIBS is a BS diagnosis. There, I said it. But I say it from a place of genuine compassion because I want to help you understand what it really is. The symptoms you experience as someone diagnosed with IBS are very real and have a massive impact on your quality of everyday life. It can stop you from feeling comfortable with leaving the house, looking after your family, going to work, seeing friends or doing that exercise class you used to love.
Read MoreHealing 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.
Read MoreWhen a Brisbanite heads to Melbourne, she is excited about two things: the food and the shopping! I’m going to focus on the food here because that’s what us gut-health peeps really care about (maybe even more than Chapel Street and Chadstone?) and share all of the places that I sampled and can recommend.
Read MoreAustralia’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.
Read MoreWe know that SIBO is hugely underdiagnosed and potentially responsible for up to 85% of IBS cases (1); people who are told that there is nothing identifiably wrong with them. But how can this be? Why is SIBO so commonly missed or overlooked? A big part of the problem has to do with SIBO testing; who to test, when to test, how to test and most importantly how to interpret the SIBO breath test results.
Read MoreThis post is personal. As a SIBO sufferer I am pretty passionate about getting the word out about this under-diagnosed IBS condition. It wrecked my life for 2 years, so I’m dedicating a three-part series to it, to give you the most up-to-date science and everything you need to know about what it is, and how to get started with testing and treatment so it doesn’t wreck yours.
Read MoreI talk about gut health a LOT... So you might be wondering just how healthy yours is. Especially because it has such a big impact on almost every aspect of our overall health, including our immune system, allergies and sensitivities, autoimmunity and even our weight. And while we can do proper functional lab tests to identify conditions like SIBO, Leaky Gut, dysbiosis and infections like parasites, candida and bad bacteria, there are a few DIY Gut Health Tests you can do at home to get an idea of the state of your gut health and see if there are clues about whether you need proper testing.
Read MoreI don’t eat dairy. I don’t hate dairy either. It just doesn’t agree with me. But that wasn’t always the case. Six years ago I was drinking milk for breakfast, eating yoghurt for a morning snack and munching my way through multiple serves of cheese every day. But, I was also chronically constipated, had horrible skin and a constantly running nose.
Read MoreA Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) sucks. They are uncomfortable, painful and make it hard to keep up with everyday life. BUT, they are beatable and the good news is you can successfully get rid of a UTI without the gut-destroying antibiotics I once thought were my only option. And, I am going to share with you my approach to UTI treatment without antibiotics that actually works. It's an all natural protocol that I use with myself and my clients with great results.
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