DIGESTION

Digestive disorders are the most common complaint treated in clinical practice. There are three phases of digestion (cephalic, gastric and intestinal), the first phase, cephalic, being the look, smell and very thought of food, is when our digestive fire is ignited with the production of digestive enzymes - that help us break down and properly digest our meals. Modern life often has us skipping this step completely, by ordering in, eating on the run, skipping meals, constant snacking or mindless eating, when combined with poor diet, dehydration and potential unknown food intolerances this may lead to a myriad of digestive disorders.

LOWER DIGESTION

  • Bloating below the belly button

  • Flatulence

  • Constipation

  • Loose or “mushy” stools

  • Diarrhoea

  • Coeliac management

  • Chrons Disease

  • IBS/IBD

  • Diverticulitis management

  • Correcting microbiome imbalance from frequent antibiotic use (past or present)

UPPER DIGESTION

  • Reflux management

  • Heartburn

  • Excessive burping

  • Bloating under the ribs

  • Feeling of constant fullness

  • Constant nausea

  • Food aversions

  • Lack of appetite

  • Recurring mouth ulcers

  • Swollen and painful tongue

HRP_4273.jpg

FOOD INTOLERANCES

Bloating, cramping, gas, nausea, headaches, heartburn, loose stool, constipation, skin rashes and brain fog are just a few of the ways food intolerances can manifest. Common food intolerances include dairy, gluten, wheat, salicylates, FODMAPS, sulfites and histamines. Diagnosing food intolerances can be done with diagnostic questioning, observance, elimination diets or with functional testing. With committed treatment focusing on inflammation and gut health, many food intolerances can be overcome and eventually reintroduced into the diet.

GUT/BRAIN CONNECTION

There is a mounting body of evidence showing the direct connection between the gut microbiome and anxiety disorders. Prolonged and repeated antibiotic use, processed and pesticide laden foods, stress, recreational drugs and alcohol all effect the balace of good and bad bacteria in the gut and, by the way of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis), your headspace.

Gut dysbiosis may manifest as

  • anxiety

  • feelings of overwhelm

  • irritability

  • fatigue

Making dietary and lifestyle modifications to improve gut dysbioss is an extremely effective way to reducing these feelings, allowing you to focus on life with a clearer and happier headspace