AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Stress & BURNOUT
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Overwhelm, exhaustion or poor concentration, perhaps with an over-dependence on caffeine
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Instability or no resilience/ poor stress tolerance
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Mood changes or poor mental health
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Insomnia or nightmares
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Food cravings
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Flare of skin conditions or general inflammation
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Low libido
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Run-down and recurrent infections
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Difficulty conceiving
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Hair loss
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Low/high blood pressure
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Aches & pains including chronic headaches
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Weight won’t shift
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Hormonal, fertility issues or chronic digestive issues.
Let’s face it - modern life is increasingly stressful with our fast pace of life, intense pressures, constant multi-tasking, over-stimulation from tech, insufficient down-time and of course recently a global pandemic. It's estimated that 60-90 percent of all doctors’ visits are about stress-related issues.
Stress depletes nutrients needed for a healthy stress response, energy production and brain function. And being stuck in ‘fight or flight’ is very detrimental to health (our gut, immunity and endocrine system take second place so we can flee from the perceived threat/work deadline).
Unbalanced blood sugar levels also upset our equilibrium, causing further stress on the body. Fatigue and cravings lead to poor dietary choices which also create a vicious circle.
BRAIN, MENTAL HEALTH & NEUROLOGICAL
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Poor concentration or memory
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Brain fog
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Feeling down, low, anxious, obsessive, irritable, angry outbursts, impulsive, on edge, or hyper
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ADHD, ADD
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Low motivation/apathy
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Hypervigilance, noise or light sensitive, emotionally sensitive
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Neuro-inflammation
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Mental illness such as anxiety, including general anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar, PTSD, OCD, PMDD, phobias, panic disorder, psychosis
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Postnatal depression or postpartum psychosis
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Cognitive decline- dementia e.g., Alzheimer’s, aphasia, neurodegeneration- Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease
Sadly, rates of depression, anxiety and mental health disorders (bipolar, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, PMDD- a severe form of premenstrual tension) and neurodegeneration (dementia) are sky rocketing and many people experience anxiety, mood swings, poor concentration and memory, irritability and brain fog on a daily basis. 10-20 percent of mothers experience postnatal depression (women with bipolar are alternatively at risk of postpartum psychosis). Unfortunately, there is a huge mental health crisis, which the NHS is sadly neither equipped to deal with nor does it have adequate funds. (I know this first hand, as I’ve experienced, like many others sadly, the lack of adequate care and provisions).
However, Nutritional Psychiatry (balancing the mind with nutritional measures, nutrigenomics, supplementation & lifestyle interventions) is a growing field with an increasing evidence base and recognition. So is the functional medicine approach to cognitive decline. They both seek to determine the underlying causes in order for health recovery or health stabilisation.
HORMONE IMBALANCE OR SENSITIVITY TO HORMONE FLUCTUATIONS
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PMS (premenstrual syndrome) or its more severe form- PMDD (premenstrual dysmorphic disorder)
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PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which often involves oestrogen dominance/ raised testosterone
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Fluid retention, tender breasts, heavy/painful periods
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Fibroids or endometriosis (in part linked to oestrogen dominance)
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Perimenopause & menopause - which cause a huge recalibration of the brain & nervous system. PMS & PMDD & mood disorders often worsen during this time
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Meno belly (fat around the middle linked to perimenopause & menopause)
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Underactive thyroid, e.g., Hashimoto's
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Fertility issues (including failed IVF & recurrent miscarriage)
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In males- low libido, low muscle mass, fat around the middle, low motivation
When our hormones are in balance (our stress hormone- cortisol, our fat storage hormone- insulin, ghrelin - appetite, our sex hormones and melatonin for sleep) we feel relaxed and there is improvement in our weight, less cravings, less problematic menstrual cycle, reproductive health and better sleep.
Balancing hormones entails getting blood sugar levels right to reduce circulating insulin, supporting our stress response as excess cortisol via our brain (and adrenals) blocks progesterone causing a female hormone balance. We need to support our liver which detoxes our hormones, our gut which has to break down the hormones, stopping them being reabsorbed into the body.
Perimenopause and menopause are phases of life that can cause huge range of unpleasant symptoms, and nutritional therapy can assist with this tumultuous period of fluctuating hormones, or work alongside conventional treatments.
Unfortunately, NHS tests are not always cut out to detect hormone imbalance, so private testing may be suggested. See Lab Tests.
GUT HEALTH
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Irritable bowel syndrome, gas, bloating, diarrhoea & constipation
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Acid reflux, GERD, heart burn, nausea or gastritis
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Inflammatory bowel disease
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Dysbiosis, SIBO, intestinal permeability (leaky gut)- the latter 3 can all cause/ exacerbate chronical inflammation & skin/mood issues etc.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a very common complaint- second to the common cold as the main reason for having time off from work. 30-50% of all referrals to gastro-enterologists are as a result of IBS and unfortunately there is little conventional medicine can do to address it. I also regularly see clients with acid reflux, heart burn, SIBO, GERD, gastritis, dysbiosis, IBD and other digestive issues. Skin conditions and mood disorders can all be linked to poor gut health too. My job is to work out the underlying reasons for poor gut issues to treat them successfully. And poor gut health affects all our body systems especially the brain via the gut brain axis so attention to gut health is always key to any successful health outcome.
CHRONIC FATigue & Pain, IMMUNE IMBALANCE
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Exhaustion, tired & wired, weakness
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Chronic fatigue syndrome, long covid or post viral fatigue
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Pain syndromes- headaches & migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, recurrent UTIs & interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, endometriosis
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Histamine intolerance, inflammation, hives, allergies.
As a clinician who has treated many people with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia & post-viral fatigue during my 17 years in practice, I have learnt valuable lessons from both my clinical experiences, as well as from my own personal experience. In my 30’s, I was bedridden with post-viral fatigue for some weeks, after I succumbed to a nasty virus during a very traumatic period. So, as you can imagine, I have devoted significant time to keeping up to date with the research on Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and in more recent times to Long COVID, having now seen a number of people with long COVID who have responded well.
Potential commonalities include brain inflammation, adrenal imbalance from chronic stress and trauma, neurotransmitter imbalances, gut & immune dysfunction, mitochondrial imbalances (our energy factories in each cell), histamine imbalances and so on. And with a tailored, integrated approach, I hope to significantly improve your well-being.
WEIGHT, MEtabolism & FOOD CRAVINGS
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Poor thyroid health and/or slow metabolism and belly fat
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Yo-yo-dieting, food cravings, emotional eating & food addiction
Weight is a very emotive issue, as society judges us on our weight and favours the slim. Remember, weight-loss is a billion-pound industry. And we are marketed highly palatable, addictive food which activate our reward centres of our brains, and we are lied to about their health benefits.
Whilst some people know to some degree where they are going wrong, they still need the right support to sustain them, others find when they try on their own, weight loss soon grinds to a halt and they lose momentum and all motivation.
Others suffer with stubborn, and unexplained weight gain, maybe fluid retention, or perhaps abdominal bloating, intense cravings, sugar addiction and whatever they try, the number on the scales goes up every year with an expanding waist line. My plan will be practical, keep you satiated, reduce food cravings and get to the underlying reasons for your metabolic issues and empower you to take back control. I can also offer nutrigenomics testing where appropriate, which can determine genetic reasons why you are struggling to lose weight/struggle with your appetite and then suggest powerful, personalised, evidence-based & targeted modifications.
BLOOD SUGAR, DIABETES & BIological Ageing
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Blood sugar & energy crashes, insulin resistance or (pre)diabetes
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Feeling hangry with uncontrollable cravings
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Chronic thrush
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Inflammation, fat around the belly, high blood pressure & cholesterol, fatty liver
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Poor brain function & metabolic health
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Accelerated brain (& cellular) ageing
SShockingly around one in four adults in the UK have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms which often occur together which significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Tell-tale signs may include a large waist, unhealthy cholesterol levels, raised blood pressure, insulin resistance and blood glucose markers in the prediabetic or diabetic range. One is then more prone to excess clotting & chronic inflammation and it can increase the risk of dementia & other neurological issues, mood disturbances, stroke, fatty liver, and certain cancers & so on.
This is very much a Western condition that may be caused by chronic stress, a sedentary lifestyle, a diet too high in processed foods, refined carbs, as well as excess alcohol consumption, gut bacteria imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and so on. Women can become equally prone to this after the menopause and there are genetic factors involved (there is more prevalence in certain ethnicities for example.)
VEGAN & VEGETARIAN
I also have expertise in creating bespoke plans for vegans and vegetarians who are ever increasing in number due to ethical, environmental, religious and health considerations. And I have even devised a unique nutritional lab test for vegans, to ensure they don’t have any nutritional deficiencies, which is not uncommon. See lab tests
OTHER CONDITIONS
I have a lot of clinical experience of helping clients with a wide range of different health issues. Please contact me if you wish to know if I could help you with your unique health concerns not covered above.
Please note there are illnesses that I don't have experience of (but can refer on if needed). These include lupus, Lyme disease, eating disorders, children with autism and nutritional support for cancer.
It is always best to get a proper diagnosis from a medical doctor and advise them of any additional therapies you are having. My plans take into account any medication you are currently taking.
Contact me if you would like further information on how nutritional therapy might support your particular health concerns.