I’ll let you in on a secret. Until recently, I had almost exclusively stopped using food sensitivity testing in clinical practice. I will explain the reasons for this in this article, but more importantly, I will explain why I now see the value of food sensitivity testing in 2024. It all starts with cognitive bias. We’re all guilty of it. My political party is … [Read more...]
Bloated, Full, and Tired?
Imagine waking up in the morning with a flat stomach, wondering if today was the day you don’t get bloated after your first meal. As time goes on, the bloating develops, the fullness and distension appear, and just as 11 a.m. rolls around, your eyes start to get heavy in the last meeting before lunch. “How did things get like this?” The rest of the day becomes a matter of survival as you have to second guess each task after your lunch, which briefly elevates your energy levels but makes the beach ball in your tummy worse.
For some, that isn’t a matter of imagination; it’s happening every day, and the thought that it may not get better is too regular. For most of my patients, this was their day before they found me. Their situation is why I named this section bloated, full and tired. Every article and podcast episode focuses on those who experience these symptoms regularly, who want to understand why things aren’t changing, and some potential natural solutions for solving it.
FIR Episode 59: What are spore-based probiotics, and how can they help?
In this episode, we look at a standalone category of digestive intervention and ask what spore-based probiotics are and how they can help. Find out what gives them their name. Spore-based bacteria are better thought of as spore-forming bacteria. Spores are dormant life forms that can germinate or seed bacteria. Spore-based probiotics have risen in popularity because of … [Read more...]
Article: What are spore-based probiotics, and how can they help?
Spore-based probiotics are genuinely a new category of their own, and they have multiple applications in helping people solve their digestive and gut issues. But what gives spore-based probiotics their name? Spore-based bacteria are better thought of as spore-forming bacteria. Spores are dormant life forms that have the ability to germinate or seed bacteria.[1] When … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 56: Three Ways to use nutrition to Help IBD
In this episode of Free and Inspired Radio, discover two fundamental dietary changes to consider and the first supplement to look into to help with IBD. Hong Kong and Macau are among the top three regions in Asia with the highest prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Find out more about Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis and what sets them apart. Crohn’s … [Read more...]
Three natural ways to help with IBD
Hong Kong and Macau are among the top three regions in Asia with the highest prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).[1] What is IBD? Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Its primary characteristics include repetitive episodes of inflammation of the digestive tract.[2] Other symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 55: Mild Fatty Liver? Natural medicine solutions to help.
In this episode, discover one of the most common problems people over forty encounter – mild fatty liver. Click here to read the full article, or scroll down to listen to the podcast on your favourite platform! Currently, around a third of the world’s population is thought to have some fatty liver. In Asia, the prevalence of fatty liver is also significantly … [Read more...]
Mild fatty liver? Natural medicine has some answers.
Most of my male patients over forty reports a diagnosis of mild fatty liver. The prevalence of Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NALFD) has been significantly underestimated. Currently, around a third of the world’s population is thought to have some fatty liver.[1] In Asia, the prevalence of fatty liver is also significantly rising. One study from 2022 stated that NAFLD is a … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 50: The Gut and Hashimoto’s disease connection
Learn about the gut and the brain’s contribution in sustaining and perhaps even triggering Hashimoto’s disease and some possible things to look into if you haven’t already. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common autoimmune condition globally. Discover how autoimmunity works and how it relates to the thyroid and the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease. For example, when the … [Read more...]
The connection between the gut and Hashimoto’s disease
Hashimoto’s disease is the most common autoimmune condition globally.[1] It entangles both the gut and the brain symptomatically. Common examples of these symptoms are constipation and brain fog. But what about the gut when it comes to the triggers of Hashimoto’s disease? In this article, we will look at the gut's contribution in sustaining and perhaps even … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 47: A Beginner’s Guide to Probiotics – Part 2
Welcome to part two of one of the most downloaded Free and Inspired radio episodes – A Beginner’s Guide to probiotics. In part one of the guide, which you can listen to here, find out what a probiotic is and some tips and tricks to get started if you’ve never taken them. In this episode, discover some of the conditions where probiotics have evidence behind them and where … [Read more...]
How to choose the right probiotic for you.
Is there a way to choose the right probiotic for you? The value of the global probiotics market in 2021 was just under sixty billion US dollars.[1] That’s a lot of options when it comes to choosing the right probiotic for you. A basic search for probiotics on iHerb, the popular online supplement retailer, can deliver up to five hundred confusing options. For example, … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 44: Three steps to get your IBS under control.
IBS can take over your day and hijack your mind in such a short time. I did a radio spot on RTHK national radio here in Hong Kong, where we introduced how it can affect people. To explain the context of how it affects people, consider the following question: Can you imagine feeling progressively more unwell with every meal you eat, every day, for months or years? It … [Read more...]
Article: What steps to take when your IBS is out of control?
IBS can get out of control, take over your day and hijack your mind in such a short time. I did a radio spot on RTHK national radio here in Hong Kong, where we introduced how IBS can affect people. To explain the context of how it affects people, I asked the following question: Can you imagine feeling progressively more unwell with every meal you eat, every day, for … [Read more...]
Article: Hydrogen Sulfide and SIBO – Why hasn’t your treatment worked yet?
Hydrogen sulfide can often be the missing link for people who have treated their SIBO but haven't seen their symptoms resolve. This article will help you understand this gas a little better and what steps to take to see if it's appropriate to you. So you’ve been through the biphasic diet to fix your IBS, SIBO and gut health issues and have worked hard to get to the … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 42: Hydrogen sulphide and SIBO symptoms that won’t budge
In this Free and Inspired radio episode, find out if hydrogen sulphide is the missing link if your SIBO breath test comes back clear, but you still have IBS symptoms. You’ve been through the biphasic diet to fix your SIBO and gut health issues and have worked hard to get to the retest to see how things have gone. You feel better than you did when you started. However, the … [Read more...]