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...]
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 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...]
Article: H.pylori affects half the world, how about you?
H.pylori infection has affected up to 4.4 billion individuals worldwide, based on a study in 2015.[1] Regionally, prevalence is around forty-five per cent in China[2] and over fifty per cent in South Korea. Estimates in Hong Kong have one in two people infected acutely or previously as a child.[3] This prevalence rate differs globally, with rates around forty per … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 39: Half the world has H.pylori, do you?
Based on a study in 2015, H.pylori infection has affected up to 4.4 billion individuals worldwide. How come so many people have had this, and I’ve never heard of it? There are a few reasons. Most of the time, the higher prevalence rates are in developing countries, with the African continent estimated to have up to an eighty per cent infection … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 31: A Beginner’s Guide to SIBO
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO as an acronym, is one of many modern ways of handling and, in some cases, explaining irritable bowel syndrome and its symptoms. In this Free and Inspired radio episode, get a beginner’s look at small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Some estimates have SIBO positive in up to seventy per cent of IBS cases. One study … [Read more...]
Article: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) – A Beginner’s Guide
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO as an acronym, is one of many modern ways of handling and, in some cases, explaining irritable bowel syndrome and its symptoms. A meta-analysis and systematic review (where researchers combine studies for better conclusions) brought together twenty-five separate studies confirming the link between IBS and SIBO.[1] Some … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 27: Constipation 101 – Solutions to help if nothing works.
In this episode, we will tackle solutions for the most common digestive symptoms - constipation. We’ll be looking at common causes of constipation, solutions, where you can start, and your options if you have tried the most straightforward solutions. Are you constipated or just having a challenging bowel experience? Most people living with constipation describe the … [Read more...]
Article: Can the gut/brain link be the answer to your acne and skin issues?
In this article, I’m here to tell you that the brain and digestion can be the answer to your acne and skin issues. Would you believe two dermatologists first spoke about the brain, gut, and skin connection in 1930?[1] I’ve been excited to write this article. I feel that this relationship has been in the literature for a while; it’s only recently that the brain-digestion-skin … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 20: Is fibre the missing link in your diet?
In this week’s episode, Philip looks at fibre - one of the most common blind spots in the western diet and asks the following important question: Is this the missing link to improving your diet? Fibre seems almost ubiquitously low across all regions, bar a few, and this makes this episode appropriate wherever you’re listening to this. “The recommendation is the same, … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 10: “By 3 pm, I’m ready to sleep.” Discover the 3 pm slump
Ever get an hour in after lunch and feel like it's time to sleep? Learn more about the 3 pm slump in this episode! The 3 pm slump is a common symptom for a lot of people. You just have to see the queues forming at your local coffee spot to see how many people are silently going through the same thing. We've all been there. Lunch is over, the afternoon workload is looming, … [Read more...]
Article: Can the digestive system make your fatigue worse?
In this article, we will be looking at how your digestive system can make your fatigue feel worse and how probiotics can make a difference. Fatigue is a funny word coming to the end of 2021. There’s the somewhat obvious pandemic fatigue, then end of year fatigue, end of school year fatigue, and the list continues. What if it’s none of those things, and your fatigue has … [Read more...]