Do you live with any of the following symptoms?

Or struggle with any of the following conditions:

If so, then you are not alone. One of the most common reasons for visiting a GP is for digestive or gastrointestinal symptoms. A digestive wellness consultation might help you get back on your path to digestive wellness.

Why do so many people have digestive issues?

Our diet has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and in conjunction with certain medications, foreign travel, stress and even the way we were born (caesarian or vaginally) or if we were breastfed, our gut microbiome may not be as robust as it should be. In clinic I aim to tackle the root cause of your digestive problems rather than simply dealing with the symptoms.

How our diet affects gut helath?

Our diet is lower in fibre than ever before. Where a hunter-gatherer may have eaten around 75g fibre daily, the average British citizen hovers around 19-20g daily. It is the fibre in our foods that feed our gut microbes and ensures that we have not only sufficient numbers of bacteria, but also an adequate diversity of different strains.

Out gut bacteria have a number of different functions really does matter. Different bacteria have different jobs to do. It is a little like a business that has differnet departments responsible for accounting, marketing, sales, production etc), except our gut bacteria may be responsible for:

Having a health microbiome makes us more robust as ill health can easily stem from the gut. Inflammation, damage to the villi or gut membrane can lead to a host of other condtions and symptoms.

Autoimmune gut conditions

Some gut conditions are caused by autoimmunity, such as inflammatory bowel disease or coeliac disease. While diet is not the cause of these conditions, it plays an important role in managing them.

Do I have IBS?

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is not a condtion in its own right, but rather an umbrella term used to describe clusters of gut realted symptoms that have different causes. It is therefore inappropropriate to group all these symptoms together and presume that there is one therapy that would solve all of them at the same time. Peppermint capsules or probiotics might help some people, but could make others infinitatly worse. This can lead people to think that they are incurable, becuse their first attempt to improve their conditon failed.

Nutritional Therapy and Digestive problems/ IBS

We therefore need to understand the root cause before we can devise a protocol of support. Acid reflux, gas and bloating, severe diarrhoea or constipation might therefore be caused by one or more underlying conditions. A blanket, on size fits all approach is therefore likely to work for everyone.

Identifying triggers such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), parasitic infections, food intolerance or allergy, fermentation, inflammation, poor bacterial diversity, histamone intolerance, yeast overgrowth may help to reduce symptoms and restore normal bowel function. Nutritional Therapy aims to restore the balance in the microbiome to build strength from the inside out.

I am trained in functional testing, should your health issues be more complex. I can offer food allergy and intolerance testing, comprehensive stool testing, histamine intolerance testing as well as SIBO testing. I am also able to offer the most advanced testing for Gluten and Wheat Sensitivity Testing with Cyrex Laboratories if required.

My approach looks at your symptoms as well as your current diet and lifestyle. If required I can also work with the Monash FODMAP diet, which can be beneficial as a first line approach for IBS as a diagnostic tool as opposed to a treatment. I am not saying digestive health is an easy area for a nutritionist to work in,  as the gut is complex and can be unpredictable, however when we start to break down the symptoms and understand potential root causes, a targeted approach can be extrememly beneficial at improving the quality of people’s lives considerably.

Can Nutrition help with acid reflux?

There a multiple reasons why someone might have acid reflux or even silent reflux (known as Barret’s oesophagus). From my experience acid reflux can often be improved by making changes not only to what we eat, but also a number of lifestyle factors, such as how we eat – meal spacing, timing etc. While certain foods are known to trigger acid reflux, some of the culprets are not found on list of foods to avoid. This is a condition that I see almost weekly in clinic, however from experience I see many of my clients imrove considerably following changes to their diet. Many categorically telling me that they no longer suffer with acid reflux after working with me.

What is the FODMAP Diet?

The FODMAP diet is an acronym for Fermentable – Oligosaccharides –Disaccharides- Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are specific carbohydrates that occur naturally in foods that may lead to fermentation in the intestines. This can lead to gas, wind, pain as well as constipation or diarrhoea. The FODMAP diet was developed at the Monash University in Melbourne and has helped many people suffering with IBS to identify their food triggers. This protocol involves an elimination diet followed by reintroduction. To work successfully, the diet is best used alongside measures to rebalance the gut microbiome and help repair any damage the gut wall.