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The Functional Naturopath Naturopathy - Herbal & Nutritional Medicine - Epigenetics - Gut Health - Hormonal restoration - Immune Balance - Longevity - Ancestral Nutrition

30/10/2026

We hear so much about alkaline diets and alkaline water, but the colonic ecosystem (microbiome) is different.⁣
⁣
When beneficial bacteria ferment dietary fibre, they produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which help lower colonic pH.⁣
⁣
Your colon is also meant to be an extremely 𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐨𝐱𝐲𝐠𝐞𝐧 environment.⁣
⁣
Health promoting bacteria like Faecalibacterium and Roseburia are obligate anaerobes & they need oxygen-free conditions to thrive.⁣
⁣
But when the gut lining becomes dysfunctional, more oxygen can leak into the colon, giving oxygen-tolerant opportunistic bacteria a competitive advantage.⁣ Enter dysbiosis 🫨
⁣
BUTYRATE plays a crucial role here. Your colon cells use it for fuel, consuming oxygen in the process and helping maintain that low-oxygen environment.

So more prebiotic fibre > more short chain fatty acids > colonic PH goes down. You get me? This allows friendly microbes to thrive, and oxygen loving / alkaline microbes to starve. ⁣
⁣
𝐃𝐘𝐒𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐒 treatment plans do not need to involve prolonged anti-microbials. Change the PH - Change the dysbiosis! You’re welcome 🤓

Tag or send this to a friend who’s battling this. Would love to hear from you below 👇

Firstly...Fermented foods are awesome! I eat them all the time. But they’re not necessarily doing what a lot of folks st...
24/09/2026

Firstly...Fermented foods are awesome! I eat them all the time. But they’re not necessarily doing what a lot of folks still think. There’s a floating narrative that eating fermented foods means you’re “colonising” your gut with beneficial bacteria and that fermented foods can essentially do the same job as a probiotic.⁣
⁣
The reality is more nuanced.⁣..

Fermented foods can contain a diverse range of microorganisms, but these microbes are generally 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐭. The species and strains can also vary considerably depending on the food, fermentation process, environment and manufacturer.⁣
⁣
That doesn’t make fermented foods useless. In fact, regularly exposing the gut to a broader range of microorganisms helps build back poor microbial diversity and stimulate immune pathways. ⁣
⁣
But microbial exposure isn’t the same thing as permanently changing the ecosystem - for those with dysbiosis and depleted commensal families i.e. 𝐁𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦, 𝐀𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐚, 𝐅𝐚𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 and so on. ⁣
⁣
A probiotic generally contains specific, characterised strains at a defined dose, whereas the microbial composition of fermented foods is way less predictable. ⁣
⁣
Rather than continually introducing new microorganisms, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐬 provide substrates that existing members of your gut microbiome can utilise to “grow back”. ⁣
⁣
So I think it’s more useful to think about them as three different tools:⁣
⁣
🥬 Fermented foods → microbial exposure & dietary diversity⁣
⁣
💊 Probiotics → specific strains at defined doses for desired medicinal action 𝘪.𝘦. 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘢, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘵𝘤.⁣
⁣
🌱 Prebiotic fibres → substrates that fuel the growth of beneficial bacteria only to re-nurture them back into decent ranges.⁣
⁣
None of these automatically “fixes” the microbiome.⁣
⁣
And whether fermented foods, probiotics or particular prebiotic fibres are useful really depends on the individual gut ecosystem, symptoms, diet and clinical context.⁣

Catchya next time! 😎

08/09/2026

𝐄𝐁𝐕 (Epstein-Barr virus) is having a huge social media resurgence lately. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The association between EBV + the triggering of several autoimmune conditions is gaining research traction with a growing body of literature investigating EBV & immune dysregulation.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Today I’m mentioning something that strangely few people seem to be mentioning in this convo⁣ - 𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍 (LF)⁣
⁣⁣
Whenever I’ve combed the research looking for nutraceuticals with genuine relevance to EBV, lactoferrin continues to stand out & outperform others.⁣
⁣⁣
EBV gains entry into B-cells using the 𝐂𝐃𝟐𝟏 receptor. Research using human B-cells has shown that LF interfers with EBV binding to CD21 and creating subsequent infection.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
It doesn’t stop there. LF has also been shown to interfere with downstream inflammatory signalling activated by EBV, including TLR2/TLR9 + NF-κB pathways.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘦, 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘨, 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴, 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 — common w/ suspected EBV reactivation.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
That’s what makes lactoferrin so interesting: 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
To be clear. this isn’t an EBV eradication treatment. Once infected, EBV establishes lifelong latency. The goal is supporting immune control and the inflammatory environment surrounding it, whilst dampening autoimmunity. ⁣
⁣⁣
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬...⁣⁣
⁣⁣
LF is also one of my favourite tools for stubbornly low iron & ferritin.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Inflammation can drive 𝐈𝐋-𝟔 and 𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧, reducing ferroportin activity and effectively locking iron away. LF has been studied for its ability to influence this pathway and improve iron parameters; particularly interesting where inflammation and poor iron regulation co-exist.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So if you’ve struggled following EBV, experience suspecte

27/08/2026

Actor Jon Bernthal perfectly captures the social & living reality of coeliac disease here.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Take home - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Some coeliacs have severe GI reactions whilst others have predominantly non-GI symptoms. For example mine were brain fog, mouth ulcers, immune issues and malnutrition - which delayed diagnoses as was non-classical. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Once diagnosed, 100% gluten removal remains the foundation. From there, accelerating intestinal villi recovery is something I’m particularly interested in using emerging/researched tools such as :

* 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝⁣⁣
* 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘨𝘶𝘵-𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬⁣⁣
* 𝘊𝘰𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘤-𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 ⁣⁣
i.e 𝘉𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘮 (𝘌𝘚𝟷 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯). ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Know someone who’s recently been diagnosed? Send this to them. 👊⁣⁣

(For informational purposes only, not intended as medical advice)

14/08/2026

To be frank, I don’t love the “low tox” phrase - but I 💯 believe in having a healthy home that doesn’t kill you slowly.

The more info out there the better, as it’s still on of the top 3 drivers of my patient’s ill health. Do the best you can with what you’ve got and keep chippin’ away when you can afford to! It’s a work in progress for us all! Big love 🖤




13/08/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐅 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥.⁣
⁣
Some recent coeliac research makes this considerably more interesting. A 2025 study followed newly diagnosed coeliac patients for 12 months after going GF and compared them with non-GF controls.⁣
⁣
The biome result? 𝐁𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝!⁣
⁣
The researchers also found changes in microbial carb-degrading enzymes involved in starch and arabinoxylan (AX) metabolism, associating the reduction in Bifidobacteria with reduced intake of resistant starch, fructans and AX from wheat grains.⁣
⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘤 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘴 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵.⁣
⁣
𝐁𝐔𝐓, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧!⁣
⁣
If wheat is replaced predominantly with refined GF products based around rice, tapioca, corn and potato starch, you’ve potentially removed a significant portion of the microbial substrate that our friendly bacteria depend on.⁣
⁣
So when I work with someone on a GF diet, I’m also asking:⁣
**What microbial substrates did we just remove, and what are we replacing them with?*⁣
⁣
After all, healthy native commensal species → high SCFA production → which actually helps protect AGAINST autoimmunity (𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯!)⁣

Continued below…

13/08/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐅 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥.⁣
⁣
Some recent coeliac research makes this considerably more interesting. A 2025 study followed newly diagnosed coeliac patients for 12 months after going GF and compared them with non-GF controls.⁣
⁣
The biome result? 𝐁𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝!⁣
⁣
The researchers also found changes in microbial carb-degrading enzymes involved in starch and arabinoxylan (AX) metabolism, associating the reduction in Bifidobacteria with reduced intake of resistant starch, fructans and AX from wheat grains.⁣
⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘤 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘴 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵.⁣
⁣
𝐁𝐔𝐓, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧!⁣
⁣
If wheat is replaced predominantly with refined GF products based around rice, tapioca, corn and potato starch, you’ve potentially removed a significant portion of the microbial substrate that our friendly bacteria depend on.⁣
⁣
So when I work with someone on a GF diet, I’m also asking:⁣
**What microbial substrates did we just remove, and what are we replacing them with?*⁣
⁣
After all, healthy native commensal species → high SCFA production → which actually helps protect AGAINST autoimmunity (𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯!)⁣
⁣
Cheat sheet:⁣
- GF oats : beta glucan + AX⁣
- sorghum/millet : complex polysaccharides⁣
- legumes : GOS + resis

Your food is dialed in. Gut lining & biome are tip-top. Deficiencies recovered. Toxin load is gone. Sleep & stress are m...
03/07/2026

Your food is dialed in. Gut lining & biome are tip-top. Deficiencies recovered. Toxin load is gone. Sleep & stress are managed … Yet you still flare and antibodies are sky high. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘵⁉️
⁣⁣
🦷 The oral microbiome is one of the most overlooked drivers of chronic immune activation. Certain oral pathogens can trigger molecular mimicry, where the immune system mistakes your own tissues for microbial proteins because they share similar peptide structures. ⁣
⁣
➖We know about this for food and that’s why so many of us improve w/ removal of dairy and gluten. But what about hidden oral pathogens? ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Research has linked organisms such as 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴, 𝘈𝘨𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘍𝘶𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘶𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 with autoimmune conditions including 𝐑𝐡𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬, 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐒𝐋𝐄, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐁𝐃.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
If you’ve addressed everything you can and are still battling, it might be time to get the oral biome mapped!

Patients - ask me about this in our next consult if it resonates ⁣✌️

02/07/2026

Natures multivitamins fam!
ZINC ~ B vitamins ~ Copper ~ Retinol ~ Trace Mins & more.
Support our Australian brands 🇦🇺💪

Stoked to try this new Cranberry juice from .wilderberries 🫐More than a urinary tract herb, cranberry contains powerful ...
01/05/2026

Stoked to try this new Cranberry juice from .wilderberries 🫐

More than a urinary tract herb, cranberry contains powerful polyphenols to level-up the gut biome too 🍒

These polyphenols have been shown to support Akkermansia muciniphila, one of the VIPs in mucosal integrity, gut barrier function and metabolic health.

Cranberry is also Bifidogenic, helping encourage the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria ; key players in SCFA production & immune regulation.

Gets better too.. Microbes metabolise these polyphenols into compounds that can support urolithin pathways (including Urolithin A production in the right microbial terrain), linking cranberry intake to mitochondrial health, cellular repair and anti-ageing.

Love me a good product label and bottle too. Beats the s**t out of supermarket cranberry juice ! 🤡🤷🏽‍♂️

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