My Personal Health Journey - how it helps you
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)My gut symptoms began when I was 25 years old - mostly bloating and abdominal cramps with occasional pain. I was in disbelief when my doctor and specialists told me I had IBS and there wasn’t much I could do about it (IBS was not as well understood back then). For the following 10 years I struggled not knowing what was upsetting my gut so much. It was affecting my mood, self-confidence, desire to do certain hobbies and overall quality of life. I became determined to learn everything I could about IBS and heal myself because I could not accept this was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life. In 10 years I had done A LOT of experimentation and learnt about a range of functional gut issues and potential causes, including dysbiosis, gut infections such as parasites, yeast overgrowth and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), gut permeability ('leaky gut'), and gut-brain connection (i.e. the impact stress has on gut function and the microbiome and vice versa). I also learnt a lot about foods that can worsen IBS (such as FODMAPs) and of the different tests that are available to investigate potential root causes of your symptoms.
I have been fortunate to learn from some amazing practitioners and now with years of cumulative knowledge and tips, I love helping other people troubled by this frustrating condition. Do not let anyone tell you that there is nothing you can do, or that you have to follow a restricted diet forever! |
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Click to learn about how I can help your Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or digestive issues
Food Intolerances (FODMAPs & chemicals)
During and after my Nutrition & Dietetic studies I was fortunate to work at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) Allergy Unit. With the wonderful team of dietitians and doctors, I was trained in the RPAH Elimination Diet as a method of investigating food chemical intolerance. What a fantastic opportunity for me to investigate my digestive symptoms too! This experience opened my eyes to the complex relationship between food, our digestive system, immune system, nervous system, environmental factors and other parts of the body that can be impacted by food chemical intolerances.
After completing the elimination diet and food challenges, I identified a couple of preservatives were responsible for triggering my gut pain, irritability and low mood. Glutamate, a natural chemical found in a range of healthy wholefoods was also a trigger for cramping and bloating. Some FODMAPs were also problematic for my bloating. It was interesting to find that for many years I had thought that I had issues with sugar, dairy and wheat – only to find I was wrong. Finding this out was only possible with a systematic challenge approach. The next step to my learning was then how to manage my diet as to keep my trigger foods out, something that is particularly difficult when eating out! With this knowledge I became empowered to make informed decisions on whether to strictly avoid my trigger foods, or eat them on occasion knowing the symptoms that they will bring. The next part of the journey was to resolve the intolerances and relied on improving gut health and better supporting other health issues I had (including autoimmune).
Click to learn more about how I can help you with Food Intolerances
After completing the elimination diet and food challenges, I identified a couple of preservatives were responsible for triggering my gut pain, irritability and low mood. Glutamate, a natural chemical found in a range of healthy wholefoods was also a trigger for cramping and bloating. Some FODMAPs were also problematic for my bloating. It was interesting to find that for many years I had thought that I had issues with sugar, dairy and wheat – only to find I was wrong. Finding this out was only possible with a systematic challenge approach. The next step to my learning was then how to manage my diet as to keep my trigger foods out, something that is particularly difficult when eating out! With this knowledge I became empowered to make informed decisions on whether to strictly avoid my trigger foods, or eat them on occasion knowing the symptoms that they will bring. The next part of the journey was to resolve the intolerances and relied on improving gut health and better supporting other health issues I had (including autoimmune).
Click to learn more about how I can help you with Food Intolerances
Non-hungry eating (emotional, comfort, boredom, habit etc.)
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For 5 years I sought help for binge eating disorder. It was an epiphany for me that when I started treating my IBS and my body began to feel better, my binge eating also reduced. Prior to that It had not occurred to me that I had been turning to comfort food to escape my physical and emotional IBS-related discomfort.
Fortunately for my clients, my experiences with comfort eating and binge eating disorder, combined with my learnings from my support networks mean that I have a ‘tool box’ of strategies to help you improve your relationship with food and yourself. Mindful and intuitive eating strategies can be a valuable starting point to understanding and changing non-hungry eating habits, which help us to identify the reasons for desiring to eat. It's then important to address the underlying drivers. Regardless of now having my IBS and food intolerances under control, the occasional desire to eat for emotional comfort (especially leading up to menstruation) is part of a normal month for me. I spent many years resisting comfort eating because I felt bad about myself when I did this. However, I learned that being negative to myself is not helpful, and on the contrary, exacerbates the desire to comfort eat. I have learnt to speak to myself with compassion and understanding and trust in what my body is trying to communicate to me. I have perspective to know that if I eat a bit more on some days this is fine because I will likely eat less on others through the ordinary course of events and life balances itself out. In addition, I have found great assistance in the inclusion of stress-relieving practices during the week such as meditation, mindfulness, spiritual exploration and doing more things that bring me true joy. |
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Click to learn more about mindful and intuitive eating
Mood and Energy Support
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My interest in foods for mood, mental health and combating fatigue has come from the mood fluctuations and low energy that resulted from my underlying gut issues and autoimmune thyroid condition. A holistic approach to both mood and energy conditions is important, and listening to your body in response to different dietary changes is very helpful.
Click to learn more about how I can help your energy |
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Plant-Based, Vegan and Vegetarian nutrition
Early 2016 my husband and I decided to cut back on our animal protein and learn how to cook with more plant proteins. My initial motivator was for gut health after learning the benefits of feeding legumes, lentils and a wider variety of high-fibre foods to our healthful residential gut bacteria. We loved our new way of eating and over time with new motivators, we decided to try a plant-based / Vegan diet. Unfortunately, as at this time I was still struggling with my IBS, this dietary change did not last long for me - the increase in fiber negatively impacted my symptoms and having the MTHFR gene variant meant I was susceptible to a variety of nutrient deficiencies without eating meat. My husband on the other hand felt great. This lead me to investigate how to meet nutritional requirements of Vegetarian and Vegan diets and why many people can thrive, while others can have health consequences. Like with any diet, what works for some do not always work for others and it is important to listen to your body.
With the increasing number of people converting to plant-based diets, I feel passionate about teaching how to do this safely for health. There are a number of nutrients that are difficult (even impossible) to obtain at healthy levels on a strict Vegan diet, so learning about this is really important.
Click to learn more about seeking professional advice for Pant-Based, Vegan and Vegetarian nutrition
With the increasing number of people converting to plant-based diets, I feel passionate about teaching how to do this safely for health. There are a number of nutrients that are difficult (even impossible) to obtain at healthy levels on a strict Vegan diet, so learning about this is really important.
Click to learn more about seeking professional advice for Pant-Based, Vegan and Vegetarian nutrition
Click to read about all my specialty areas of practice, interest and experience
Pictures thanks to Treat Yourself Well
