There’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.

We 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.

Everyone’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?

If 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.

Symptoms 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.

If 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

‘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?

Healing 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.

Australia’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.

I 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.

I 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.

A 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.