Naturopath Shailer Park
Why you should work with me
The gut is the seat of good health. Through it you nourish your body. It’s where your neurotransmitters are made and it accounts for over 70% of your immune system. Poor digestive health not only leads to gastrointestinal disorders, but also mental health disturbances such as anxiety and depression.
As a degree qualified Naturopath and Nutritionist, I am passionate about restoring optimal health through the use of evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle changes and where necessary through the use of nutritional supplements and herbal medicine.
I believe in finding and treating the root cause of chronic illness and treating the whole person, not just masking the symptoms, in order to restore vitality and return to good health.
Consultations
Initial consultations last for an hour. During this time, I ask you lots of questions regarding each body system such as the digestive system, the nervous system, the immune system and so on. I do this so that I can gain an understanding of how you experience your condition. Next, I take a brief family medical history to see if there is a family link to your current health concern. Finally, we take a look at your diet and physical activity.
Face to face consultations are available at my clinic, which is conveniently located at the KP Centre, 373 Chatswood Rd Shailer Park. Alternatively, video conferencing is available via Zoom, or if you prefer, we can simply talk over the phone.
Services offered
Food sensitivity testing
Food sensitivities can cause a wide range of symptoms and disorders. The foods that cause these delayed reactions are often hard to diagnose because of the time between consumption and the physical reaction. The IgG food allergy test offers a useful tool for detecting the foods causing this response. The results are patient specific and provide an easy, precise and effective starting point for dietary manipulation.
This test screens for 96 common foods that you are likely to be consuming on a regular basis. Some of those foods are listed below.
- 5 dairy products including cow’s milk, cheddar cheese and goat’s milk
- 25 different grains including wheat, gluten, gliadin and oats
- 18 different vegetables including garlic and onion
- 11 different fish and crustaceans such as prawns, crab, tuna and cod
- 8 different egg and meats such as chicken eggs (yolk, white and whole), beef, chicken and pork
- 17 different fruits such as apples, apricots, pineapples and strawberry’s
- 12 miscellaneous foods such as chocolate, coffee, honey and cane sugar
This is an at home test consisting of a finger prick blood spot collected on a card. Once the test card is returned to the lab, the results are usually available in 12-14 days.
Microbiome testing
The Complete Microbiome Mapping Test is designed to assess a patient’s microbiome from a single stool sample, with particular attention to microbes that cause disease or that disrupt normal microbial balance.
The panel is a comprehensive collection of microbial targets as well as immune and digestive markers. It screens for pathogenic bacteria, commensal bacteria, opportunistic pathogens, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
This test is particularly useful for anyone suffering from the following symptoms.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Abdominal cramps or pain
- Leaky gut
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Allergies
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- weakness
This is an at home stool test and once the sample is received at the lab, the results will be available after 12-14 days.
Mood appraisal
Most of us will experience some level of anxiety or depression throughout our lives. For most, it will pass, but for some it haunts us for decades. Studies have found that nutritional deficiencies are common place in mental health disorders. This may be due to diet, but could also be due to the malabsorption of nutrients due to a poorly functioning gut. These nutritional deficiencies can lead to the poor synthesis of neurotransmitters such ad serotonin, dopamine and GABA to name a few.
The Mood Appraisal questionnaire is a tool designed to identify which neurotransmitter pathways need support. A mood appraisal questionnaire comprising 66 questions is e-mailed to you and takes around 10 minutes to complete. Each question is linked to one or several neurotransmitters and provides an insight into the status of each neurotransmitter.
It tests a range of neurotransmitters such as Serotonin, Melatonin, Dopamine, Phenylethylamine, GABA, Adrenaline and Endogenous Opioids. When completed, the questionnaire provides an understanding of which neurotransmitter precursors and co-factors can best suit the client’s needs. These can include amino acids, along with certain vitamins and herbs that can improve biochemical pathways and support the HPA axis.
MTHFR testing
Up to 40% of the population have a polymorphism on the MTHFR gene. This can adversely affect the methylation cycle, the regulator of gene expression. You can inherit a gene mutation from either one parent or both. A single or “heterozygous” mutation can result in the loss of methylation function by 40%, whereas a double or “homozygous” mutation can result in a 70% loss of function.
Some common signs of an MTHFR mutation include the following.
- A family history of heart attacks, strokes or blood clots
- A family history of multiple miscarriages in women
- A family history of anxiety or depression
Testing for MTHFR polymorphisms is done through a saliva sample, a swab of the inside of the cheek. We provide a Wellbeing Bundle which identifies the key MTHFR polymorphisms and how they impact various processes in the body, including the following
- Methylation
- Neurotransmitter production and function
- Hormone metabolism
- Detoxification pathway status
- Antioxidant status
- Nutrient metabolism, transport, absorption
- Energy metabolism
- Cardiovascular disease risk
- DNA expression
If you’re based in Shailer Park and would like my help to resolve your chronic health condition, you can book an appointment with me here.