What is Gut Health?
Gut health is all the rage - but what is it & what does it mean for you?
We have discovered that we are 90% bacterial colonies. A good healthy robust bacterial colony is required to host a healthy human.
Without this the systems of our body will not be able to work to their optimal capacity and slowly but surely become undernourished and fatigued.
Gut Health Can Help:
Fermentation & Gut Health
As a passionate foodie, Belle believes in the power of fermentation in helping you to build a robust colony and improve your gut health.
It’s essential to get your gut health right - asap. Before conception, for your kids once they are eating solids, for your extended family, for your community, and most of all for you.
This is the gold we used to have passed down through the matriarchy of the family and community when women sat in circle and supported each other through every part of life.
This is THE most important journey for the health of the world. The joys of holding the family, community and world we live in is all run by women - and so the health of women is paramount to keeping our world progressing forward.
Joy Nethersole
Belle is true to her word when she says she has a very workable holistic approach in providing clients with support and direction to help overcome their individual health issues. For me I have found the GAPS diet and individual supplements highly beneficial...
How Belle Works
Belle will work with you so you can discover the ways to improve your colonies and the environment in which they prefer to thrive. You will be educated as to the hows and whys of your current health, and be guided with a map to see you back to your health space so that you can live your healthiest happiest life.
Belle does this by sharing recipes, food choices, teaching you how to cook and showing you the methods of preparing food to optimise your health. You will be helped along with meal plans and guides to make the transition easy.
Belle also runs 1:1 and group cooking classes on the basics and principles of cooking for gut health and therefore a healthy lifestyle so you will feel nourished and joyful about your food choices. Once you realise healthy living is about scrumptious and abundant food around you it becomes so easy to make good choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why is gut health important?The gut is the barometer of our health. It is the intake system for our nutrition or fuel, and the expulsion of our waste and as such gives us a clear picture of the current health of an individual. A malfunction in this system means the body is not receiving the fuel it needs to function, repair or replenish.
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What are common signs of poor gut health?Bloating, nausea, wind, loose stools, constipation, feeling full and heavy, vomiting, heartburn, aches and pains, brain fog, fatigue, lack of interest in life.
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What specific health issues is gut health relevant to?Any digestive disease ending in “‘itis” - which simply means inflammation, any inflammatory condition throughout the body, skin conditions, depression, anxiety, malnutrition, hormonal disturbances.
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What role do probiotics play in gut health?Anyone with a digestive system working below par will have an imbalance in their bacterial colony. Probiotics assist to increase the good bacteria going in which in turn will reduce the numbers of the opportunistic and pathogenic bacterias. It’s all about balance.
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How can I improve my gut health?Remove all inflammatory foods such as sugar, sweeteners, anything with fillers, numbers or processing, anything containing industrial seed oils such as canola, vegetable oil etc. Eat foods naturally grown and cooked at home.
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What services does My Gut Store offer?Belle has been an Herbalist for 23 years, a CGP (Certified GAPS Practitioner) for 8 years, and works individually with patients healing their gut and chronic health concerns, as well as current acute conditions. She offers assistance through herbal medicine, nutritional advice and assistance, cooking classes, fermenting workshops etc
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I want help with my health. where do I start?It’s best to book a Free 15 minute Consultation so you and Belle can discuss your health concerns and together work out a plan to address them.
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What are some signs that I need gut health support?Digestive symptoms such as bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, abdominal pains, body aches and pains, fatigue, brain fog, headaches, skin problems, allergies, depression, anxiety, overwhelm, food intolerances.
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What is My Gut StoreMy Gut Store is your one stop shop for any digestive symptoms, chronic inflammatory issues, hormonal problems, emotional disturbances or when you are feeling just so unwell and overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start. Working personally with Belle, who has 23 years clinic experience, feeling fully heard in your story and receiving a personalised solution which works within your current life picture is such a relief.
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What is your cancellation policy?48 hours notice required to cancel or reschedule an appointment, 24-48 hours a 50% consultation fee will be charged. Less than 24 hours and the full consultation fee is charged.
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How can herbal medicine support gut health?There is a range of herbs to support various digestive concerns, and also to assist with calming the nervous system, giving more energy, and supporting many other symptoms which may be the result of poor gut health.
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Can I combine herbal medicine with other treatments?It’s always best to discuss this with your practitioner as there are so many treatments available which will complement your remedy and offer further support to your healing journey. But it’s important for all the practitioners working with you to be informed of all the other modalities to make sure there will be no overlap of supplements which may not work well together.
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What is herbal medicine?Herbal Medicine is the art of prescribing concentrated nutrition from the plant kingdom for particular health conditions. It’s been used for over 4000 years to support health in many different cultures. Herbs are preserved in a mild alcohol solution and presented in a liquid form to be prescribed for various symptoms and circumstances.
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Are herbal supplements safe to use?Most herbal remedies are safe to use in most situations. Herbs can react with medications however, or exacerbate certain conditions so it’s important to work with an experienced practitioner for your remedy.
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Is Herbal Medicine safe for children?Yes. The dosage is of course adjusted and Belle usually boils out the alcohol for children and depending on the age of the child can add some honey to make the medicine go down more easily.
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Are herbal tonics personalised to my health?Absolutely! When you work with an experienced practitioner who truly hears your story the blend made for you can be life changing. Belle also uses Bach Flowers in her herbal formulas to support emotions, circumstances and trauma etc. So your bottle of herbs is made specifically for your current whole health picture.
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How long should I follow the GAPS diet?The more the more the more. The more you do the more you heal. The longer you follow the protocol the more you heal. This becomes a lifestyle choice of eating according to the wisdom of traditional cultures and feeding your body what it needs to be the healthiest it can be. But as you heal more, you will be able to test reintroducing foods according to listening to your body’s wisdom.
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What are the main phases of the GAPS diet?I usually work to personalise the Full GAPS Diet as a starting poin, to help the transition and increase compliance for the commencement of the healing journey. Progression to the Introduction Diet and its stages includes minimising most reactive foods and mainly eating the most healing foods for the gut lining, and may be necessary to move into depending on the individual.
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What is the GAPS diet?GAPS is the acronym for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, or Gut at Physiology Syndrome. The diet is a protocol for utilising foods and supplements to heal and seal the gut lining, to recolonise the bacterial colony, and to provide the building blocks for the body to heal itself from many acute and chronic disorders including depression, anxiety and overwhelm.
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What foods are suitable for the GAPS diet?Most naturally grown foods from fruits, vegetables, meats and fish are included in the GAPS Diet, lots of saturated fats from animal sources, nuts and seeds, fermented dairy and vegetables. Grains are however avoided as they break down to sugar and feed the pathogenic bacterias whose numbers we are trying to reduce.
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Will the GAPS diet help with auto-immunity?Absolutely. Autoimmunity begins with a leaky gut, so following the protocol to heal and seal the gut lining, reduce inflammation and improve your bacterial colony can halt auto-immune conditions. Depending on how far along they are however will depend whether or not the damage already done can be healed.
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What's included in the workshop?1. Information and discussion about gut health and how to implement nourishing alternatives into your daily diet. 2. You'll leave with a goodie bag including: - Your own Sauerkraut that you've made during the day - Samples of fermented sour cream - Samples of fermented drinks - Recipe booklet - All the tools you'll need to get fermented in your own kitchen 3. Lunch and a shared morning tea providing you with the opportunity to sample the fermented goodies 4. Learn to make sauerkraut 5. Learn to make sour cream 6. Observation and learning of how to make fermented drinks
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What is the group size?The group are limited to a 12 people to enable Belle to spend personalised time and attention with each participant ensuring they get the most out of their experience.
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How long does the workshop go for?Belle's workshops start at 10am and finish at around 3pm. These workshops will also include a shared morning tea and lunch of gut nourishing foods, providing you with the perfect opportunity to taste some of the delicious goodies you are learning to ferment.
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How often are the workshops run?Workshops are run on an at least quarterly basis. Exact dates will be provided on the booking page and updated as new dates are added.
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Who is this workshop for?This workshop is for anyone who is interesting in learning more about food and their health. It is beginner friendly and people who are curious about gut health are encouraged to book for a sample of how they can begin to bring these practices into their kitchen. This workshop is also for existing patients of Belle's who would like some additional hands on information on how they can implement gut healthy practices into their day to day lives. Friends and family are encouraged to join!
"The healer you have been looking for is your own courage to know and love yourself completely"
Yung Pueblo