Gut Health
We are more than just what we eat. We are what we metabolise, absorb and utilise.
There are many hoops to jump through, before food is broken down into its’ parts and successfully transported into circulation and delivered into our cells. How efficient and capable our digestive capacity is, dictates which nutrients and how many of them reach their target.
Most of us have had a few too many courses of antibiotics during our life, which has left its’ mark on reducing our microbiome diversity. This diversity is reduced further by our rather narrow diet diversity, due to the limited number of produce varieties chosen for commercial farming. Not to mention our celebration of carbohydrates like a celebrity of the food world causing excess fermentation of our microbiome, known as candida overgrowth. The accumulative effect of all these factors together have established a welcome environment for intestinal permeability known as ‘leaky gut’. Something most of us have not been able to avoid.
So, it is quite easy to appreciate that our opportunity to match the nutritional needs of our busy modern lifestyle with diet alone is a slim chance, at best. Oh, did I mention that all the stress also down-regulates nutrient absorption, too?
Fortunately, nutritional technology in the form of supplementation has surfaced as the hero of our dilemma. Consider it a biohack to help us close the gap between our compromised nutrient bioavailability and our super human expectations of our daily performance.
Undoubtedly, gut health is one of the most complex & also most crucial aspects of health … after all, it is the engine of the body. It’s also played a big part of my healing journey, and inspired my passion to understand your unique digestive behaviour & every detail impacting the way your body functions.
To make a booking, or if you’d like to get a test done in preparation for your consult, click below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I bloated all the time?
The primary cause of persistent bloating is off-gassing from excessive fermentation. Possible contributors include; low stomach acid, Helicobacter Pylori, candida/yeast overgrowth, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), vagus nerve disruption, and bile malabsorption. Symptoms often include; food intolerances, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, altered gut motility and cramping.
The important question is not simply “What supplement should I take for bloating?” but “Why is my digestive system producing persistent symptoms?”
A comprehensive digestive health assessment can help identify factors relevant to your individual case.
Why does my SIBO keep coming back?
Recurrent SIBO can be frustrating, particularly when treatment temporarily improves symptoms but they later return.
Recurrence may involve underlying factors such as low stomach acid, delayed intestinal motility, mycotoxins, histamine intolerance, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), liver function, alcohol consumption, carbohydrate overindulgence, constant snacking, dietary patterns that reinforce the cycle of overgrowth, such as PMS and social triggers. For this reason, repeatedly treating bacterial overgrowth without investigating why it is recurring may not address the whole picture.
Can gut health affect metabolic health?
Digestive health and metabolic health are closely interconnected.
Digestion influences nutrient availability, appetite, food tolerance and the gut microbiome, while metabolic health can influence gastrointestinal function.
Factors such as dietary quality, intestinal motility, gut microbiome composition, inflammation and blood sugar regulation can interact in complex ways.
Can gut problems contribute to fatigue and brain fog?
Digestive problems can coexist with fatigue and brain fog for many reasons, including inadequate nutrient intake or absorption, sleep disruption, lymphatic congestion, histamine overload and chronic inflammation.
Persistent fatigue or cognitive symptoms should not automatically be attributed to the gut, but digestive health may warrant investigation when gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms occur together.
Why do probiotics make me feel worse?
Probiotics have a hierarchy: genus > species > strains. Millions of individual strains have specifically different interactions with the microbiome. If the strains of the probiotic therapy don’t match the deficiency or imbalance, they can aggravate the preexisting dysbiosis and associated symptoms.
For the same reason, you can face similar challenges when introducing supplemental fibres, prebiotics, and fermented foods and drinks. As the probiotic strains within these products are often unknown.