Madeleine Quitadamo Naturopath

Madeleine Quitadamo Naturopath Madeleine is a women’s health naturopath. Hormones, fertility, PCOS, Endo, pregnancy and more.

For bookings please contact me via Facebook, my website or you can call on 0419387884.

19/09/2026

PMDD isn't simply a "hormone imbalance."
Here's something really interesting about PMDD...
Your hormones can be completely normal, but your brain can respond very differently to the hormonal changes that happen throughout your cycle.
One of the key players is allopregnanolone (ALLO) — a neurosteroid made from progesterone.
Here's the simple version:
💮 After ovulation, progesterone rises.
🧠 Progesterone is converted into ALLO.
🧠 ALLO interacts with GABA-A receptors in the brain, which are involved in regulating things like anxiety, stress and emotional responses.
Then your period approaches...
📈 Progesterone falls.
📈 ALLO falls
And your brain needs to adapt to that change. For most women, this happens without much trouble. But in PMDD, research suggests that the brain's GABA-A receptor system may not adapt normally to these hormonal fluctuations.
And this may contribute to:
😡 Irritability
😭 Mood swings
😵 Anxiety
🧠 Brain fog
😔 Low mood
🔥 Feeling completely overwhelmed
And here's the really important bit...
It may not be that your hormones are "too high" or "too low."
It may be that your brain is unusually sensitive to the change in hormones.
Think of it like this:
Your hormones are changing the volume 🔊
But in PMDD, the brain's sound system may be more sensitive to the volume change. This is why someone can have completely "normal" hormone levels and still experience severe, cyclical symptoms. And it helps explain why PMDD is so much more complicated than simply testing your hormones and saying: "Your results are normal."
We're looking at the interaction between:
🌸 Reproductive hormones
🧠 Neurosteroids
🧠 GABA-A receptors
🔥 Stress response
🧠 Nervous system sensitivity
PMDD isn't imaginary. And it's not simply "being more emotional before your period."
There are real biological mechanisms being investigated—and we're learning more about them all the time. 🤍

17/09/2026

ADENO - WHAT A BITCH. 😒
She causes your ovulation to suck and then makes you bleed your soul out of your va**na once a month. 😂🩸
And yep...
While I would LOVE to have this life-giving organ whipped out of my body... that's not happening anytime soon.
So what do I actually do to support my body while living with adenomyosis?
These are some of my key strategies:
🥦 Keep my nutrient levels optimal
Because losing a lot of blood every month makes staying on top of nutrients particularly important.
🌸 Support ovulation with good nutrition
Adequate energy, protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and micronutrients — I'm not interested in under-fuelling my body.
🌿 Turmeric + saffron + LOTS of antioxidant-rich foods
I'm using food and herbal support as part of my overall strategy to support inflammation and wellbeing.
🏃 Exercise regularly
Not because exercise "fixes" adenomyosis, but because movement supports my physical health, mood and nervous system.
😴 Prioritise sleep + stress reduction
Because my nervous system doesn't need me adding another layer of chaos to an already chaotic situation.
BUT... And this bit is important.
I do ALL of this and I still need conventional medicine.
I use medical treatment because sometimes lifestyle and naturopathic strategies aren't enough on their own.
And that's okay.
You can be doing everything "right"...
Eating well.
Exercising.
Taking your supplements.
Sleeping.
Managing stress.
And still need medical treatment.
That's not failure.
That's living with a chronic condition.
Adenomyosis is a progressive condition, and symptoms can change over time as you continue to ovulate.
So my goal isn't to pretend I can cure it with turmeric and a green smoothie.
It's to support my body as much as I can while using whatever conventional treatment I need.
Because sometimes the most holistic approach is:
ALL OF THE TOOLS.🤝
Naturopathy + nutrition + lifestyle + conventional medicine.
I'll take whatever helps me function and live my life. ❤

15/09/2026

If I wanted to support my gut and get it back on track, these are the things I’d do
1. Eat mostly plants 🌱
I wouldn’t cut meat out completely, but I’d aim for 70–80% plants — fruit, veg, legumes, wholegrains, nuts & seeds.
2. Choose mostly wholefoods 🥕
Less chippies, biscuits & ultra-processed foods. More plants, fibre and variety.
3. SLOW DOWN & CHEW YOUR FOOD 😂
No scoffing your face at your desk. Sit down, breathe, chew. Your gut will thank you.
4. EAT MF RAINBOW 🌈
Especially those gorgeous reds, purples, blues & pinks. Think berries, beetroot, red cabbage, tomatoes, pomegranate.
5. MOVE YOUR BODY🚶
Yep, your gut likes exercise too. Walk, lift, run, cycle — just move regularly.
6. DRINK YOUR WATER 💧
Around 2–3L a day for many adults, adjusting for your individual needs — especially if you’re increasing fibre.
STILL NOT HAPPY?
Stop throwing random supplements at it and start investigating WHY.
💩 Stool diary
🥗 Food + symptom diary
⏱ Transit time
🦠 Microbiome testing
💨 SIBO breath testing
🧪 Relevant blood tests
Because sometimes your gut doesn’t need another probiotic.
It needs us to figure out what the actual problem is.



🪴 Madeleine Quitadamo Naturopathy
🥥 315 Main St, Bairnsdale, VIC 3875
🏵️ [email protected]
🌿 https://f.mtr.cool/lwt93yys3i

14/09/2026

My checklist of what I’d investigate when you’re feeling TIRED 👇
Tired all the time?
Before you’re told to “just get more sleep”…
Let’s actually look at WHY.
🩸 IRON
Not just ferritin. I want to see the full iron picture — especially if you have heavy periods.
☀ VITAMIN D
Low levels can be associated with fatigue, muscle symptoms and feeling generally pretty sh*t.
🧠 B12 + FOLATE
Both are important for red blood cell production and neurological function.
🌅 MORNING CORTISOL
Context matters here — cortisol follows a daily rhythm, so timing and interpretation are important.
🦋 THYROID PANEL
Don’t always stop at TSH. Depending on your symptoms, a broader thyroid assessment may be appropriate.
🔥 CRP + ESR
Markers that can help identify whether inflammation may be part of the picture.
♀ S*X HORMONES
Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can be relevant depending on your age, cycle and symptoms.
Because “your bloods are normal” doesn’t always mean we’ve answered the question:
WHY THE F**K AM I SO TIRED? 😂
Your symptoms are clues. Sometimes we just need to look a little deeper.

13/09/2026

Why tracking your gut symptoms - AND WHEN they happen - matters
If your gut is constantly giving you s**t, one of the simplest things you can do is start tracking it.
Not just what symptoms you have…
But WHEN they happen.
Because timing can give us clues about what might be going on.
For example, if you get:
💨 Bloating 20–30 minutes after eating
We might think about what’s happening around the stomach/upper digestive tract, the meal itself and the gastrocolic response.
💨 Bloating, pain or gas several hours after eating
We might start thinking more about what’s happening further down the digestive tract — including fermentation and transit.
💩 Diarrhoea or urgency shortly after eating
That doesn't necessarily mean the food you JUST ate has travelled straight through you 😂. The meal can trigger the gastrocolic reflex, which stimulates movement of what was already further along in the bowel.
And then there’s transit time.
Everyone is different. Some people move food through their digestive tract faster, others much slower.
So I don't use timing as a perfect map.
I use it as a clue. 🕵
What I’d track:
🥗 What you ate
⏰ What time you ate
💨 When symptoms started
💩 Bowel movement timing + consistency
🤢 What the symptom actually felt like
😴 Sleep
🧠 Stress
💊 Supplements/medications
🩸 Cycle day (if relevant)
After a couple of weeks, you can sometimes start seeing patterns that you simply can't see when you're relying on memory.
And those patterns can help guide what we investigate next — rather than randomly cutting out foods or throwing another probiotic at the problem.
Your symptoms are data.
Start collecting it.



🪴 Madeleine Quitadamo Naturopathy
🥥 315 Main St, Bairnsdale, VIC 3875
🏵️ [email protected]
🌿 https://f.mtr.cool/d9jw7o6n9p

Newly diagnosed with endometriosis or adenomyosis?The diagnosis is only the beginning.There are some additional areas I ...
11/09/2026

Newly diagnosed with endometriosis or adenomyosis?
The diagnosis is only the beginning.
There are some additional areas I may consider investigating - beyond your general blood work - depending on your symptoms, history and what we’re trying to understand.
🧬 Oestrogen SNP panel
Can provide additional information about genetic variations involved in oestrogen production and metabolism, which may help inform an individualised approach to hormone support.
🦠 Gut microbiome
There is growing research exploring the relationship between the gut microbiome, inflammation and endometriosis. Looking at your gut can give us more information about microbial diversity, inflammatory pathways and how your gut may be influencing hormone metabolism.
🌸 Vaginal microbiome
A more accessible way of assessing the reproductive tract microbiome. There is emerging evidence of an association between va**nal microbiome disruption and endometriosis/adenomyosis, particularly when symptoms such as recurrent infections, discharge or irritation are also present.
🩸 Menstrual blood microbiome
An emerging area of research looking at the microbiome of the upper reproductive tract. Early research suggests there may be associations between uterine microbiome changes and endometriosis/adenomyosis — although this is still an evolving area of science.
💨 SIBO breath testing
There is significant overlap between endometriosis and gastrointestinal symptoms, and research suggests SIBO may be more common in people with endometriosis. Particularly worth considering if bloating, abdominal distension, gas or upper GI pain are major symptoms.
🦋 Full thyroid panel + thyroid antibodies
Thyroid disorders can coexist with other autoimmune and reproductive conditions, so depending on your symptoms and history, a more comprehensive thyroid assessment may be appropriate.
🌾 Coeliac screening / genetic testing
Coeliac disease can coexist with endometriosis and may be particularly relevant if you have digestive symptoms, nutrient deficiencies or a family history.
Now, before you go ordering every test under the sun😂
You don't necessarily need ALL of these.
Testing should be individualised and done for a reason - based on your symptoms, history and what we are actually trying to find out.
Because managing endometriosis or adenomyosis isn't just about managing the pain.
Let's look at the whole picture. ❤

10/09/2026

Come with me as I fuel to train 🏃🍌
🍌 PRE-RUN
I'm having a banana about 30 minutes before I run. Because it's only a short run, technically I probably don't need additional fuel — I've got enough stored energy to get me through it. BUT... I'm trying to support my recovery and avoid digging myself into another hole, so I'm choosing to fuel anyway.
Other easy options:
🍯 Dates
🍘 Rice cakes + honey
🍌 Banana
The key here is easy-to-digest, carbohydrate-rich foods that aren't going to sit heavily in your stomach.
🏋 PRE-WORKOUT
This is a longer training session, so I'm aiming for at least ~30 g of carbohydrate beforehand.
I've been loving (although not pictured in this video!):
🍘 Rice cakes
🍯 Honey
🍌 Banana
🥜 A tiny amount of peanut butter
I keep the peanut butter small because fat slows gastric emptying, and before training I want those carbohydrates to be readily available rather than sitting in my stomach.
Other options:
🍞 Toast + honey/jam
🍌 Banana + kiwi
🧁 Muffin
🍣 Sushi
🥪 Jam sandwich
🧃 Juice
Fast, easy-to-digest carbs are your friend before training.
And here's the thing...
You don't need to earn your food by exercising. And you don't need to be training for a marathon to benefit from fuelling properly. You need to ask yourself:- "How can I train, recover and come back tomorrow without breaking myself again?" 😂
Especially when you're coming back from injury, under-fuelling is not the flex you think it is.🤝

09/09/2026

I nourish myself now.
But there was a time when…
I was low fat.
I was low carb.
I intermittent fasted.
I was gluten free.
I was paleo.
I’ve tried a LOT of ways of eating.
And here’s what I learnt:
Diets that rely heavily on restriction will eventually fail you. ⤵️
Because every time I restricted something, I was also taking something away.
🥦 Fibre
🫘 Variety
🧠 Nutrients
🍞 Carbohydrates
🥑 Healthy fats
🍫 Fun
🍷 Social occasions
❤ And sometimes… just the joy of f**king eating.
And eventually I’d “break my diet”.
Then came the guilt.
I’ve ruined it.
I’ve been bad.
I’ll start again Monday.
And round and round we go.
So now, when I work with patients, I don’t take food away lightly.
You are much more likely to get a list of things I want you to ADD than a list of things I want you to remove.
More plants.
More fibre.
More protein.
More colour.
More variety.
More wholefoods.
More food that you actually fu***ng enjoy.
Because my goal isn't to help you become really good at dieting.
It’s to help you learn how to nourish yourself for life. ❤

08/09/2026

How I “do it anyway” 👇🏼

Some days are easier than others.
Sometimes you can feel like you’re absolutely on top of everything…
And then suddenly you’re in a heap, wondering what the f**k happened. 😂
And I think that’s actually the point.
Because at the end of the day, it’s the things we do consistently that make the biggest difference to our health.
Not the things we do perfectly for two weeks and then completely abandon.
So, here’s what I’m doing anyway:

MOVING MY BODY.
Some days I CBF.
But I get in and do 30 minutes anyway.
Or I walk the dogs.
Or I garden.
It doesn’t have to be a workout every time. I just know that when I move my body, I feel better afterwards.
So I do it anyway.

EATING MORE PLANTS.
There are absolutely days when I CBF making a proper lunch.
So I’ll scramble some eggs, have some toast and cut up a whole bunch of fruit and veggies to eat alongside it.
Is it fancy? No.
Is it better than takeaway? Usually.
Does it hit the spot? Yep.
So I do it anyway.

TAKING MY SUPPLEMENTS.
It annoys me that sometimes my diet and lifestyle aren't quite enough to give my body what it needs.
But I know I feel better when I take them consistently.
So I take the bloody things anyway.

COOKING THE GOOD FOOD.
Wouldn’t it be fu***ng wonderful if we all had a live-in chef instead of being the live-in chef?!
There are days when I absolutely CBF cooking.
But I get in there and do it anyway.
Because future me is always happier when there’s decent food in the fridge.

LISTENING TO MY BODY.
She can be a crazy bitch sometimes and needs to calm the f**k down about a lot of things. 😂
But the more I actually listen to her — when I’m tired, hungry, stressed or need to slow down — the better I feel.
So I listen anyway.
And I think that’s what “do it anyway” really means.
Not forcing yourself to be perfect.
Not pushing through everything.
Not doing ALL the things, ALL the time.
It’s knowing what makes you feel better…
And coming back to those things again and again.
Even when you CBF.

That’s the stuff that actually counts. ❤️

07/09/2026

Small health wins you can make TODAY to help you feel better TOMORROW 👇🏼

For Women’s Health Week, the theme is DO IT ANYWAY.
And I bloody love this because looking after your health doesn’t always mean making huge changes.
Sometimes it means doing the small things even when you don’t really feel like it.

💧 Drink the water anyway.
Start AND finish your day with a big glass.
🥦 Eat the veggies anyway.
Add an extra serve of vegetables or salad to your plate. Better yet, eat them first.
😴 Go to bed 30 minutes earlier anyway.
Even when you’re tempted to watch “just one more episode”.
🚶🏼‍♀️ Move your body anyway.
You don’t need a 60-minute workout. Start with 10–30 minutes of walking, stretching or gentle movement.
🍽️ Slow the f**k down and eat anyway.
Sit down. Put your phone away. Chew your food. Your digestive system is not a f**king race car.
☀️ Get outside anyway.
Even 5–10 minutes of morning light can be a simple way to support your body clock and sleep-wake rhythm.

And that’s the point.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life.
You don’t need perfect motivation.
You don’t need to start again on Monday.
Sometimes you just need to do the small thing anyway.
Because the little things you do consistently will always beat the perfect health routine you manage to stick to for four days. 😂

Pick ONE.
Do it anyway. ❤️

🪴 Madeleine Quitadamo Naturopathy
🥥 315 Main St, Bairnsdale, VIC 3875
🏵️ [email protected]
🌿 https://f.mtr.cool/1uwrne1tlo

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315 Main Street
Bairnsdale, VIC
3875

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Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 12:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm

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+61419387884

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