Find the root cause of your digestive complaints

Restore & optimise gut health

Are you looking to

restore your gut health?

The majority of individuals who seek out advice from a registered Nutritional Therapist are looking to restore gut health. They have some combination of bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea. Or perhaps they’ve been diagnosed with IBD, IBS or SIBO.

Whatever the diagnosis, the gut isn’t functioning properly, and if the gut is off, then the immune system is off (70% of the immune system is in the gut), the mood is off (important neurotransmitters are produced in the gut) and brain function is off (the gut is considered the ‘second brain’).

You get ill more often, you might struggle with anxiety or depression and you can’t think clearly – you have brain fog and poor memory / concentration.

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Restoring gut health: Finding the root cause vs managing symptoms

There are endless ways of managing digestive symptoms – supplements to take and specific foods to eat or eliminate – to reduce the bloating and increase bowel movements for example. But many of these are only managing symptoms, rather than addressing the root cause. Even taking a pre/probiotic may help in the short-term by increasing good bacteria, but unless you find out what is causing the imbalance in the digestive system, you’ll only ever be managing symptoms.

Over time, I have found the combination of parasites and environmental toxins to be the root cause of many (but not all) digestive issues. By working to eliminate parasites, remove environmental toxins and add in the good stuff (nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits), the microbiome will naturally balance itself out. Remember, the body is self-healing. It is meant to be healthy and it constantly strives for equilibrium.

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Is it normal to have

parasites in your gut?

In short, yes. Parasitic infections are much more common in humans than we believe. Approximately 70% of the world’s population has parasites. They are an important part of our physical makeup, the same as bacteria, viruses and yeast. The goal is not to kill all parasites in the body, it’s to get the numbers back down to appropriate, manageable levels and restore your gut health.

When the body is healthy, it will take the info it needs from parasites and kill them, keeping their numbers in check. Parasites are opportunistic organisms; when our immune system is weakened, our body becomes the perfect environment for them to survive and thrive.

Parasites thrive being in the same environment as other toxins (heavy metals, mycotoxins, lyme) so they end up harbouring these hidden pathogens inside of them. They become the host.

Parasites can come from travel abroad as well as many other domestic sources such as animals whether pets, wild or farm, unwashed produce, undercooked meat and seafood, walking barefoot on contaminated soil, sexual transmission, from insect bites like ticks or fleas, swimming in natural water sources (lakes and rivers).

What are the symptoms of a parasite infection?

Brain fog

Chronic digestive issues

Bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion, trapped gas, wind

Insomnia

Nutrient deficiencies

They gobble up our nutrients before we can

Constipation, bloating, diarrhea

SIBO

Anxiety, depression, mood changes

Chronic fatigue

Joint aches and pains

Rashes or itching

Intense sugar cravings

Weight loss, increased appetite, or both

Restless legs

*Symptoms worse around a full moon or new moon

When parasites are most active

Parasite testing

What you need to know

There are some limitations to parasite testing. First, it is done as a stool test. Any stool test is only a one-time snapshot of what is being eliminated that one time, so it’s not a totally accurate representation of what’s inside the body.

Second, stool tests normally test for only a handful of the most common parasites, even though there are thousands of them. If the parasite you have isn’t being tested for, it won’t be detected.

And finally, a stool test may come up positive for a parasite, but as I mentioned earlier, some amount of parasites is normal in the body.

This is why it is so important to do parasite testing in conjunction with a very good case history.

Individual ‘A’ may feel awful with a small amount of parasite (because other factors like mould, heavy metals, toxins are at play) whereas Individual ‘B’ may not have any health problems from the presence of the same parasite.

How do I get

rid of parasites?

Before beginning any protocol, the drainage systems MUST BE OPEN. That means you should have 2-3 well-formed bowel movements per day, you should be sweating regularly and your liver and gall bladder should be supported. Supporting the mitochondria is also important, because your body needs ENERGY in order to carry out the work.

Mould illness should be addressed before a parasite killing protocol, as mould will dampen the effects of the protocol.

Once the body is supported and the elimination channels are working optimally, a parasite protocol is put into place. This should last at a minimum 3 months, and can be longer especially if you’ve had them for many years. Doing short parasite protocols around new moons or full moons, a few times a year, is great for general maintenance.

There are many anti-parasitic herbs and supplements available, but I always recommend working with an experience practitioner to eliminate parasites.

Taking these herbs without knowledge can lead to herxheimer reactions, unpleasant or painful ‘detox’ reactions, and also unnecessary damage to the microbiome. The goal is to safely kill and remove parasites and their die-off whilst supporting the body and restoring gut health.

If you have been struggling with your gut health for a while, book your nutrition consultation.

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