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I thought that January is the perfect time to celebrate our livers and show it some love as our livers really do work overtime especially during the holiday season and throughout the year.

There are many health conditions that are liver related that I treat on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Fatty liver disease, hormonal imbalances, weight gain, constipation, diarrhoea, tummy issues, insomnia, brain fog, itchy skin, acne, PCOS viral flare ups and cardiovascular health are some of the conditions that I work with in clinic.

Life is so busy and it can feel like a constant battle to find the energy to function when you are tired, stressed, overwhelmed or exhausted! I know it's so easy to grab a quick energy fix when you are feeling rundown, exhausted or burnt out. Most of these 'quick energy fixes' are full of sugar and are highly processed which isn't good for your digestive health, weight or your adrenals. It's important to eat a balanced whole food diet, whether you are a meat eater or a plant based diet.

Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition that affects up to 1 in 10 girls and women in their reproductive years. PCOS is an endocrine disorder. There are four types of PCOS - Insulin Resistance, Post Pill PCOS, Inflammatory PCOS and Androgen PCOS. If you have symptoms of PCOS and it's not PCOS this can be due to Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea due to undereating.

While anxiety is usually a natural and short-lived reaction to a stressful situation, for some people anxious thoughts, feelings, or physical symptoms can become chronic, severe and upsetting, and interrupt daily life. Anxiety can affect both women, men and children and has increased over the past 2 years due to all the uncertainty that we have gone through. What is 2022 going to be like?

There are many reasons as to why we suffer from bloating. Digestive dysfunction (dyspepsia or indigestion) is one of the main reasons as to why this is occurring. 

For some people, this is an all-day problem that starts the moment they wake up (with a nice flat tummy) and gradually gets worse throughout the day and for others, it comes and goes. What could be causing this? Maybe it's related to a food trigger, maybe low stomach acid or low amounts of digestive enzymes are to blame. But there is definitely an imbalance of good gut bacteria within your digestive tract!

Stress is everywhere in our society, especially with snap lock downs and boarder closures along with the pressure to be vaccinated (I'm not anti vax) but I am seeing so much stress in regards to this with my clients and people that I meet. This is triggering so many emotions - sadness, grief, anxiety and anger.

Our skin is our largest organ and protects our internal organs from environmental toxins. The appearance of our skin is important especially for our self esteem, if you are suffering from acne, eczema or dermatitis this can cause added stress and can make these conditions worse.  Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition of the skin.

The cooler months can cause these conditions to worsen as the dry winds outside combined with warm rooms and/or electric blankets aren't kind to our skin. We also need to be mindful about what we apply to our skin as it is absorbed into our lymphatic system, blood stream and digestive system. Our endocrine system and hormones can be affected by what we put on our skin too. 

The food that we eat and what we drink also affects our skin. Have you noticed a link to what you are eating and how your skin reacts? 

I have experienced digestive health issues since birth and through out my childhood, teenage years, my 20s, 30s and 40s. I was finally diagnosed with SIBO in my late 40s - what a relief it was to finally have some answers as to why I didn't 'feel quite right!' 

Due to my previous digestive health issues I love working with Women, Men and Children who are experiencing all types of digestive health issues. 

Digestive health issues such as SIBO or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) can flare at any stage through out our lives due to hormonal changes, chronic stress, abdominal surgery (C-sections, Hysterectomies, Cholecystectomy, Gastric Sleeve (Gastric Bypass Surgery etc) and taking medications such as birth control, antibiotics, pain killers, anti-depressants, PPIs and many more.

I think it's important to work with a Naturopath that knows what its like to feel 'not quite right' and has tried many treatment options and diets over the years. I know what works and what doesn't, as a lot of diets and treatments relieve your symptoms but they don't treat the root cause which is so necessary for successful treatment and healing. It feels so good to have great gut health - finally!!!

There are many common presenting symptoms that both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) have. These include - abdominal pain or cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea or both, burping, flatulence, reflux and food sensitivities.

As a SIBO Naturopath I work with many people who have these symptoms as they have digestive issues. I find that it is important to be tested for SIBO, so that you are on the correct treatment plan as these symptoms are very common. Research has shown that 84% of people who have IBS and who do the SIBO Lactulose Breath Test (the most common one) test positive to SIBO.