Welcome back to "Guts and Girl Bits!" In this episode, I delve into a topic that affects so many of us: acne. Acne is not just a cosmetic concern; it can impact your self-esteem and even cause physical discomfort. Join me as I explore various approaches to understanding and treating acne from a naturopathic perspective. I’ll discuss the interconnectedness of the skin with other body systems, such as the nervous, endocrine, and digestive systems, and how imbalances in these areas can lead to skin problems. Learn about the theory of emunctories, a foundational concept in naturopathic medicine, and how ensuring efficient waste elimination can improve skin health. I’ll share insights into how gut health, stress, and hormonal imbalances can contribute to acne and offer practical tips for addressing these underlying issues. I’ll also touch on the importance of diet and the potential impact of inflammatory foods on your skin. Plus, hear answers to some common questions about acne, including how to manage acne after coming off the pill, the timeline for seeing improvements, and whether probiotics can help. And if stress is playing a role in your skin health, consider joining my Beat Burnout Program to support your nervous system and overall well-being.

In this episode I share the rest of Brooke Blair's journey to conception, her pregnancy and we discuss her home birth. We touch on some of the difficulties she faced with endometriosis, her miscarriage, and her home birth. We also mentioned the documentary Birth Time which you can view via this link with a 20% discount (use this link and enter discount code CICADA20) https://www.birthtime.world/a/2147503089/XDFWnAKo (this is an affiliate link which provides me a small comission at no extra cost to you).

In this podcast I’ve asked a clinical aromatherapist to join me to chat about essential oils. But it might not be the sort of discussion you’d expect – we’re not talking about different remedies for conditions or anything like that, but rather, I’ve asked her onto the show to chat about essential oil safety and sustainability. Do you use essential oils? I would expect the majority of those listening to this show do use them to some extent, given how popular they are becoming amongst those people who are interested in natural medicines. There’s a lot of awesomeness about essential oils, but there is a lot of people using them that haven’t been given the full story about their potential side effects, and how to use them safely. Given that the amount of essential oil poisonings has been increasing each year, and the majority of cases of harm are in those under 15 years of age, I really feel it’s important to share the importance of knowing how to use essential oils safely to keep yourself and your children safe. In this episode, I am joined with The Alternative Mumma aka Raine. She is a clinical aromatherapist and student naturopath with a bachelor of environmental science. Raine is passionate about sharing essential oil safety information and is a wealth of knowledge about this. Her Instagram is full of great information about this, so head over to her page after this and check it out. https://thealternativemumma.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thealternativemumma/ https://www.instagram.com/gutsandgirlbits/

I interview Women's Health Physiotherapist Brooke Blair (previously Hile) about her health journey. We discuss how naturopathy and women's health physiotherapy can work alongside each other. This episode was recorded in early 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak had just begun in Australia.

As we reach the end of Endometriosis Awareness Month i wanted to release a little recording I made a while ago for women's health week, in which I spoke about Endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition that can significantly affect a woman's quality of life, however there is a lack of awareness and understanding of this condition. It is estimated that 1 in 7-10 women may have this condition, however it can take many years to receive a diagnosis. I discuss some considerations of addressing this condition with naturopathic medicine, addressing the root causes of immune imbalance.

Have you ever wondered what you might say to yourself as a younger person? This episode is a collection of words of wisdom and snippets of advice from a collection of naturopaths, other health practitioners and wise women. Topics include Awareness of different body types, loving your cycle, being in tune with nature and more. Featuring Kira Sutherland (Naturopath and Sports Nutritionist), Renee Lynch (Naturopath), Brooke Blair (Women's Physiotherapist), Justine Curran (Family photographer) and Laura Harrison (Naturopath). Find the transcript here: https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/dear-daughters

You’d be surprised at not only how common worm infestations are in kids, but also how much something like worms can do to your kids. It can affect their behaviour, sleep, energy levels and more. And by the way, you don’t have to have an itchy bum to have worms. If you suspect that your kid (or yourself) might have worms, then you need to have a look. I find gastro-intestinal infections to be a key driver for many symptoms in children, but especially so in mental and behavioural health. In this episode I talk about the common signs and symptoms of worms, how to tell if your kids have worms and what can be done about it. https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/kids-worms

PCOS, also known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a complex condition that can significantly affect a woman’s quality of life. One of the biggest ways it does this is by impacting on a women's ability to conceive and maintain a pregnancy, but it can also impact a woman's self-esteem by making it difficult to lose weight, it causes acne and hair issues, such as too much hair where a woman doesn't want it to be, and potentially thinning of scalp hair. Of course, there is more to it than that, but those are the major things that women report as the issues they're most upset by. In this article and podcast, I will discuss the lack of awareness and poor understanding surrounding PCOS, how it is often misunderstood and why its name has a role in this. I discuss the common, and not so common signs and symptoms of PCOS and talk about the driving factors that can cause PCOS to develop. I talk about how PCOS is often diagnosed and discuss some of the key ways PCOS can be addressed naturally.

Naturopaths Lisa Costa-Bir and Alison Mitchell talk about thyroid nodules in this episode. Thyroid nodules are typically identified thyroid an ultrasound and indicate the presence of a growth of abnormal cells within the thyroid gland. Nodules vary in their sizes and impact, and while some may wish to manage this, many people may be told they have a nodule yet can observe no negative impact from it. It can be a diagnosis that brings uncertainty and confusion, and so we would like to share information about what thyroid nodules can mean, as well as how to help manage them naturally. Alison - https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au Lisa - https://www.lisacostabirnaturopath.com/ https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/how-to-manage-thyroid-nodules-naturally

In this episode I chat with the lovely Kirsten Greene (previously Swales) all about SIBO and she shares her wealth of knowledge about what this condition is, and the process of overcoming it. If you have difficulty with bloating or other tummy problems you should definitely listen to this episode. The health of our gut is so important in all aspects of our wellbeing and you deserve to be free from gut discomfort. Kirsten Swales has been a practicing Naturopath, Nutritionist and Western Medical Herbalist for the past seven years, and specialises in working with clients who have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth). Kirsten has worked in Australia, South Africa and Europe and consults with clients worldwide online. Originally from South Africa, trained and qualified in Australia, Kirsten is a practising member of Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia and now calls Bali, Indonesia home. Her primary focus is helping women heal their digestive issues so they can enjoy a loving relationship with their body and food, and for some, so that they may feel “normal”, sometimes for the first time in their lives. Having been through SIBO and suffering digestion issues herself for years, Kirsten is super passionate in this area and can relate to what her clients are going through. SIBO free to this day, Kirsten has gone from living with an extreme fear of food due to bloating, weight gain and discomfort, to having a healthy, functioning digestive system and sound relationship with all food. This is what she wants this for all other SIBO sufferers too. SIBO, also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is a condition that can contribute to a wide variety of symptoms, but some of the classic signs that this may be something to consider include: Bloating, especially soon after eating Diarrhoea, or Constipation Wind (Farting, Burping) Stomach pain Food sensitivities – especially the fodmap group other inflammatory conditions that you can’t pinpoint the cause In this episode Kirsten shares information about: What is SIBO Her personal journey with SIBO How to test for SIBO How to treat SIBO, and how to target treatment based on whether you have a dominance of methane or hydrogen bacteria How to support digestive health while healing from SIBO What is hydrogen sulphide SIBO? Other forms of microbial imbalance: LIBO, and SIFO Strep infections and SIBO, and how your dental health can impact SIBO Biofilms and SIBO https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/natural-guide-to-sibo Connect with Kirsten: http://www.kirstenswales.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirsten.greene.nd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirstenswalesnaturopath/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjgjfDxqujHARmLtuf3Dpug Kirsten's Online Course: https://www.kirstenswales.com/online-course/

While PMS may be common is is not 'normal' and can be a sign of deeper hormonal imbalances. PMS can express in different ways (there are 150 different type of signs and symptoms that can be attributed to PMS)and one of the more severe forms of this is PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder). While up to 80% of women experience symptoms of PMS, 8% of women experience a more severe type of PMS called PMDD, and usually starts occurring straight after ovulation (yep, these women often experience 14 days of severe mood symptoms such as aggression, hostility, paranoia, anxiety and depression ). Naturopath Lisa Costa Bir shares her knowledge on how to nourish your hormones and to address the driving factors that cause PMS and we dive deep into PMDD. Read more here: https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/category/podcast Get in touch with LISA https://www.lisacostabirnaturopath.com/