What is the digestive system?
The digestive system is made up of our digestive tract plus all the additional organs that play a role in breaking down the food we eat. It helps us to absorb what we need, and to eliminate what we don’t. It is also home to the ‘good’ bacteria that aid the digestive process and support immune function.
A healthy and functioning digestive system is vital for our wellbeing, and for making use of the nutrients we put into our body. Even the most nutritious of diets are not so great if the body cannot absorb them.
For the digestive system to function properly, we need to pay attention to how we are eating and how we are living. For some of us, eating certain types of food, or suddenly introducing foods that we’re not used to, can cause problems with digestion. For others, eating at the wrong times, or during times of acute stress, can cause problems too.
Digestive problems can eventually lead to symptoms:
- Bloating / gas
- Pain
- Constipation / diarrhoea
- Nausea
- Unexplained fatigue
Newly presenting symptoms such as these should always be investigated by your GP in the first instance. But sometimes, no ‘real’ cause is found even after investigation, which causes understandable frustration.
Nonspecific digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), can be immensely difficult to live with. I understand just how frustrating this can be. I also understand the powerful role that nutrition and lifestyle can play in improving the symptoms.
How does nutrition support the digestive system?
If you suffer from any of the following, nutritional and lifestyle interventions (in conjunction with any necessary ongoing medical treatment) may make an important difference to your day to day health and wellbeing:
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Constipation / diarrhoea / gas / bloating
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Irritable bowel syndrome
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Other functional bowel disorders
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Coeliac disease
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Inflammatory bowel disease (alongside medical management)
Functional nutrition for the digestive system
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Step 1: Understand the root cause
In addition to discussing your current symptoms and concerns, I will take a detailed medical and lifestyle history that incorporates a full analysis of your diet, exercise, stress exposure and sleep quality, as well as interpretation of any previous test results. You may also be asked to complete a three-day food diary.
I will use this to create a timeline of your health concerns to date, mapping these to any significant life events that you may have encountered so far.
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Step 2: Undertake further testing
If necessary, I may recommend further testing in order to better understand the cause of your current symptoms.
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Step 3: Create a personalised wellness plan
I will use the information we have gathered during our initial session, combined with any further results, to design a personalised nutritional programme for you. The aim will be to address your current symptoms as well as optimising your long-term health and wellbeing going forward.
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