helping you with...
FUNCTIONAL DIGESTIVE DISORDERS
Fed up with digestive upset?
It’s time to enjoy a happy, healthy gut
Learn what, when, how to eat, and why this best suits you.
Resolving digestive disorders with personalised, targeted treatments.
Mind-body therapies for gut-brain healing and sustainable results.
Start enjoying the energy you deserve
An integrated, holistic approach
Constipation
Constipation refers to passing bowel motions infrequently, or stools that are too firm, hard, difficult to pass or feel incomplete. Normally bowel movements should occur at least once and even 2-3 per day.
Gut motility, the movement of food and waste through the digestive tract, plays a huge role in healthy bowel motions. Every time we eat, rhythmic contractions called peristalsis moves food through our digestive tract and eventually stool moves out the other end. In between meals, our Migrating Motor Complex, sweeps away all the waste, toxins and debris, keeping our gut cleansed and healthy.
Mild constipation is usually relieved by increasing fibre and prebiotic foods, water, physical movement (exercise) and correct toilet posture.
As a highly trained gut-health practitioner, with experience treating long-term, chronic constipation you will be relieved. Together we can make changes that will support healthy bowel movements for your long-term health.
Bloating
Distension is what you see, bloating is what you feel, often it’s painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing. Some amount of bloating after eating is normal, especially if you’re eating too fast, too much, are too stressed or with high fibre meals or fizzy drinks. When bloating is persistent and excessive it’s usually related to excess gas, or disturbances in the muscle movement or stretch receptors of your digestive system or abdomen.
Our gut bacteria ferment our food which naturally creates gas. With the wrong type of foods, or an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast the amount of gas produced becomes problematic. Low hydrochloric acid increases food fermentation, gas and bloating as the food isn’t broken down properly which ferments and feeds bacteria faster.
We dig deep for causes, ruling out adrenal or hormonal issues which can produce lower abdomen bloating. Personalised diet and lifestyle interventions are given to reduce the bloating address causes for full recovery. Bloating is usually caused by SIBO.
Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea, loose, runny stools and urgency can cause a lot of discomfort and impact on your quality of life, leaving you feeling stressed about bathroom visits.
Diarrhoea can be caused by bacterial infections, food or water poisoning, viruses, antibiotic use, medications, food intolerances particularly lactose, fructose, sugar alcohols, high fat foods from bile issue and fat malabsorption. Celiac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases can cause diarrhea and need to be ruled out.
Functional testing to accurately assess bacterial, parasite, fructose, lactose intolerance, IBS and SIBO deliver precision treatments.
Reflux
Reflux (indigestion) symptoms can include upper digestive pain, discomfort, burning, bloating, nausea, burping, regurgitating occurring after eating or drinking.
Low levels of hydrochloric acid (HCL) and digestive enzymes means food isn’t broken down properly, increasing fermentation and gas. The excess gas can put pressure on the upper digestion sometimes pushing food back up. Conventional medications can make the situation worse in some people by lowering HCL and perpetuating the cycle.
Helicobacter pylori, a common bacteria that lives in the upper digestive tract can overgrow (with low HCL) causing gastric lining damage, pain, inflammation (gastritis) and reflux. Left untreated can cause serious damage such as ulcers.
I specialise in natural treatments to eradicate Helicobacter. I work with you to correct underlying causes and imbalances and restore upper digestive function.
Food Allergies
Food reactions can be super frustrating. You know something is making you feel unwell but can’t figure out what. Is it an allergy, intolerance or something else? How do you tell the difference?
Food allergies occur when the immune system over-responds to a food. It’s an instant reaction in response to only specific foods that the body has made antibodies to. Symptoms occurring (more than once) directly after eating certain foods is a true allergic response.
The most common food allergies are dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and wheat. Allergic responses release histamine causing symptoms like hives, eczema, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, sneezing, coughing, dizziness, vomiting, or asthma. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that needs urgent medical attention.
Food allergies can start as a baby or develop as an adult, and be due to genetics, immune or severe gut dysfunction or histamine intolerance.
Food intolerances are generally due to gut dysfunction, SIBO, leaky gut or inability to break down foods especially foods that are reactive or harder to digest. Reaction’s can trigger symptoms like bloating, gas, pain, discomfort. Often small amounts can be consumed without causing symptoms. In leaky gut, foods can sneak out into the bloodstream causing immune antibody reactions, not considered true allergies. With the proper use of elimination diets, addressing root causes, healing leaky gut and other gut dysfunction you can start enjoying a wide range of foods again.
Learn more about functional testing for food allergies or intolerance and other functional digestive disorder.
Gut-Brain Therapies
The new understanding of how the gut, brain and nervous system are connected and communicate with each other offers new treatment approaches for gut healing. To get better outcomes for you, I offer Neurofeedback, PEMF, Hypnotherapy, Polyvagal (vagus nerve) healing, Butekyo breathing, mindfulness, positive mindset and behaviour change and emotional and trauma release healing techniques.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a well-validated treatment helping with all digestive complaints. It combines relaxation techniques with suggestions and guided imagery to help reset communication between the gut and the brain.
Take the first step to healing your GUT.
Carolyn offers in person and online consults.