food intolerances and gut health

Gut health became an issue for me in my 30s and it took even longer to link it to food intolerances, but I now know that things probably hadn’t been right for many years before.  As a teenager I was a bit overweight, with bad skin and had developed blinding migraines. I got psoriasis when I was about 20 which continued to worsen over the years. In my 30s IBS became a problem and I suffered regularly with abdominal pain, cramps and bloating often waking me in the middle of the night, but I just learned to live with this.  On top of this, I was increasingly tired and lacking the energy I should have had for my age.

Eventually concerned that there might be something else causing the problem, I went to the doctors which resulted in a trip to the hospital for tests - which showed nothing. Conventional relief medications, using steroid creams for psoriasis, or taking tablets to dampen migraine symptoms seemed not to be fixing the problem, just putting a plaster over it. And the plasters were mounting up. I always seemed to be trying to find a way to fix myself - like banana skins help psoriasis (not for me) or eat more fibre for IBS (not quite as simple as that) but I never really followed a structured long-term approach that got to the root of the problem.

I wanted to learn more, and came across a Nutrition course in Canada which sounded perfect. It was somewhere I always wanted to go, and here was a chance to live and study there. We sold our small business, and moved there with our dog so I could study. I have to say it will always be one of the best choices I made in life, not only did we get the chance to fully experience the country and embrace a different way of life, but my course was so interesting, engaging and full of ‘a-ha’ moments as the pieces began to slot into place. 

Over time my symptoms vanished.  Although my diet is by no means perfect, I never have to worry about symptoms any more, and there just aren't enough hours in the day for the amount of energy I have.

Now we’re all back in the UK and I am a holistic nutritionist and IBS specialist with a special interest in Gut Health, helping other women with IBS get to the root cause of their symptoms, showing them how to feel great again.