Bloating and pain, constipation and diarrhoea, and lethargy after meals can shape or even ruin your whole day. You may find yourself planning your life around meals, worrying about how you’ll feel afterwards, or cutting out more and more foods without getting any clearer answers.
After more than two decades of supporting people with digestive concerns, I know how frustrating it can be when a symptom is given a name but you still don’t understand what the hell is happening in your own body.
We start with your story
I want to hear when your symptoms began, what a difficult day looks like, which foods or situations seem to affect you most, and what you have already tried. We’ll look at your eating patterns, bowel habits, stress, sleep and wider health history together. If you have previous results or a diagnosis, we will bring those into the conversation too.
My approach is to look for patterns, possible contributors and underlying problems that may need to be referred for testing, then work with you on practical steps. That might involve changing how you eat, finding ways to nourish yourself more comfortably, or making sense of habits that affect your digestion. We’ll take care not to add restrictions simply because something ‘might’ be a problem.
You don’t need to arrive with a perfect food diary or all the answers. We can begin with what you’re experiencing and work from there.
Getting closer to the reason
Bloating is a symptom, not a complete explanation. Constipation, food intolerance, changes in gut bacteria, an infection or a problem with digestion can sometimes look similar from the outside. We will gather the right tools to investigate why you are struggling, rather than assume the answer from a list of foods.
First, we will look at the pattern: whether symptoms follow meals, particular foods or portions, your menstrual cycle, a change in bowel habits, medicines, travel or an earlier illness. What you have already tried and what happened afterwards can be just as useful as a new test.
Testing when it can help answer a question
Depending on your history and symptoms, we may discuss:
- SIBO testing: a breath test may help investigate small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, including hydrogen and methane patterns, especially when bloating and bowel changes persist.
- H. pylori testing: a breath or stool test may be appropriate when upper digestive symptoms or your history suggest this stomach infection.
- Food intolerances and sensitivities: we can review a food and symptom record, consider targeted tests for concerns such as lactose or fructose malabsorption, and assess whether a careful food trial or an allergy referral is more useful. The aim is to identify personal triggers without cutting out foods unnecessarily.
- Comprehensive stool analysis: a selected panel may offer a more detailed look at aspects of your gut environment, such as digestive markers, inflammation markers, infection markers and the organisms measured by that particular test. We will interpret its findings alongside your symptoms and other results, rather than treating one report as the whole answer.
- Blood tests: where indicated, these may help check for contributors such as coeliac disease, anaemia or low nutrient levels, inflammation, thyroid concerns or other issues that need medical attention.
You will not need every test on this list. We will choose the next step according to what it could clarify, the limits and cost of the test, and what we would do with the result. If a symptom calls for medical investigation, I can help you prepare the relevant questions for your doctor.
Support for the digestive process
Once we have a clearer picture of the areas that need attention, we may consider targeted support for digestion. Depending on your findings, this could include betaine HCl, digestive enzymes or bile acid support for fat digestion. If slow gut movement is part of the picture, a prokinetic approach may also be considered. These options have different purposes and are not things to start simply because you feel bloated. Betaine HCl in particular may be unsuitable when there is irritation or disease in the upper digestive tract; bile acid products and prokinetics also require an individual review of symptoms, medical history and medicines. We would choose and monitor any support with appropriate professional guidance.
What happens after that?
We will bring your history, results and everyday experience together, then take it from there. Your plan may involve food choices you can actually tolerate, support for regular bowel habits, attention to meal timing and digestion, or further assessment and treatment with the appropriate clinician. As we learn more, we can adjust the plan instead of leaving you with a long list of restrictions and no clear direction.
Would you like more individual support?
I offer a comprehensive, individualised programme shaped around your needs and circumstances. We can explore food, lifestyle, supplements and herbs, and I can recommend testing when appropriate. Email lisa@evolvefemalewellness.com to enquire about working together.