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Digestion and Gut Health – Jasmine Fitzgibbon
Digestion & Gut Health
Jasmine Fitzgibbon, the De-Bloating Queen from The Wholesome Heart will be sharing all of her best gut health and digestion tips!
If you are suffering from digestive issues and unsure where to start, this is a great place.
Jasmine will be chatting all things digestion and gut health. Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut”, the gut truly is the epicentre of our health! Learn what ways your gut could be sending you messages that something is out of wack.
She will also be breaking down a ‘healthy poo’, what is a healthy poo, how many times should you be going a day, along with all the tips she shares with her clients suffering from constipation or diarrhoea. Of course she has her best de-bloating tips, so you can walk away and start implementing these tips ASAP.

Jasmine
My name is Jasmine, and I am the founder of The Wholesome Heart. I am a Women’s Health & Nutrition Coach, specialising in Digestion & Gut Health! Which means I love chatting all things poo, periods, gas, bloating, breakouts and everything in between – I lived a life of ALL the symptoms you can think of, and now I want to make sure other women see that it’s NOT normal and you don’t need to put up with them.
But ‘work stuff aside’ I am a dog-mum to a beautiful choccie lab named Winnie, she takes up most of my time as she needs more love than I do ha-ha I would happily live on a deserted island of puppies, coffee and chocolate… 😀 (ok there might be a couple of other things I’d take but these would be my non-negotiables
Casey-Lee shares easy-to-understand nutrition advice and healthy lifestyle inspiration to help you embrace your best life via her website and Online Program ’Nourish From The Inside Out.’
To download her free recipe e-book or to browse through hundreds of delicious recipes visit www.livelovenourish.com.au or follow Live Love Nourish on social media.
Why it is important to be tested and diagnosed with coeliac disease – Georgia Hexter
Why it is important to be tested and diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Georgia Hexter @oftengood
Georgia Hexter @oftengood

You’re experiencing a lot of symptoms that sound (and feel!) like coeliac disease, and you usually feel your best when you’re avoiding gluten-containing foods, so it must be celiac disease, right?
It is common that people confuse symptoms in response to fructan malabsorption for coeliac disease, and vice versa! Fructans are a carbohydrate structure made up of chains of fructose, that are poorly digested and absorbed by some people, particularly those with IBS. Fructans are found in rye, barley, oats and wheat, and which are also gluten-containing foods.
Symptoms of fructan malabsorption include increased flatulence, bloating, and diarrhea, similar symptoms to that of coeliac disease. It is common for people to cut out gluten, and begin to feel better as the fructan load of their diet has reduced, and therefore come to the conclusion that is must be coeliac disease..
Part of the low FODMAP diet often includes choosing gluten free breads, biscuits and pasta, but it is important that your GP has tested for coeliac disease before your commence a low FODMAP diet in order to ensure we aren’t confusing coeliac disease of IBS.
When testing for coeliac disease your gastroenterologist will be looking for the damage caused to your body when you are eating a gluten including diet. If you have stopped eating gluten containing foods your body may begin to heal, resulting in unreliable, and falsely negative results. This might mean you continue to include small amounts of gluten, or not consider cross contamination, and therefore have improvements in symptoms but still be exposed to gluten, and still be damaging your gastrointestinal tract.
If you have begun a gluten free diet before testing it isn’t the end of the world! It just means that a normal, gluten containing diet much be resumed for at least 6 weeks before your tests. This usually includes a gluten challenge, in which a minimum equivalent of four slices of wheat-based breads should be consumed each day. Speaking to a dietitian to receive support and guidance on your gluten challenge can be really helpful!
A clear diagnosis is important! If it is IBS then cross contamination with gluten containing products, and inclusion of small amounts of wheat-containing products is typically ok. Fructans are part of the FODMAP family, and management of fructan malabsorption often involved a low FODMAP diet and structured reintroduction in order to understand what other foods may trigger symptoms, and how much of each of the FODMAP groups, and the overall FODMAP load you can tolerate.
On the other hand, a strict gluten free diet must be adhered to if coeliac disease is the reason behind the symptoms and discomfort. Either way, the help and support of an accredited practicing dietitian can be incredibly helpful!

Georgia Hexter
Georgia is a Melbourne based private practice dietitian, nutritionist and recipe creator, and the face behind @oftengood on Instagram!
She is passionate about making healthy eating fun, accessible and achievable for all people. Georgia follows an ‘all foods fit’ approach to nutrition, and promotes mindfulness, intuitive eating and joyful movement.
Georgia is committed to empowering and inspiring her clients to improve their health and wellbeing through sustainable nutrition and lifestyle changes. She specialises in Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating, and improving food and body relationships, and follows a non-diet approach.
Georgia also assists clients in managing gut issues including Coeliac disease and IBS, and Chronic Disease Management. Georgia is committed to providing evidence based, collaborative, nurturing and client-centred care, and her skills lie in building client confidence and capacity to take charge of their health.
Free From + Allergy Community
Welcome to the Free From + Allergy Community
As Australians are prioritising their health and wellbeing, they are turning to new products to suit their changing needs. This is having a profound influence on their daily life choices as they start to make conscious decisions that will better their life.

Discovering new intolerances, allergies and dietary requirements can be overwhelming and scary. Obtaining the right information can be time consuming as you search through the misleading information and try find what is right for you. Australians were longing for a community where they could connect with like-minded people to share, engage, inspire and learn about all things free from and allergy related.
We decided to create a digital platform for our community to come together and support one another on their health journeys. This is a one stop shop where you can go to connect and source information to help you on your journey and remove the isolation that you may be experiencing.
Introducing the Free From + Allergy Community!
This platform was created to bring together like-minded people together to share, engage, inspire and learn about all things free from and allergy related. We believe that by building a strong community, it will offer support and guidance to people who may be experiencing similar challenges in everyday life.
The Free From + Allergy Community Facebook group brings together industry professionals and everyday people that will share their knowledge and experience about allergies and intolerance’s. We encourage our community to ask questions and be active to help one another overcome food challenges that may make them feel isolated or alone.
Are you ready to join the community? We are ready to welcome you!
Everyone is welcomed, even if you’re not from Australia 😉
Join the community here and be apart of a supportive community.

Free From + Allergy Shows
Due to the significant impact corona has had within various industries, the Free From + Allergy team have had to postpone this show until 2021. We welcome you to join us for our virtual show on the 25/26 September.
Check out the content library where you can learn about various allergies and intolerances from health experts.
Probiotics Successfully Used For Allergy Treatment
Probiotics Successfully Used For Allergy Treatment

In our Facebook Community last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sharon Selby from Deliciously Allergy Free.
She spoke about Gut Health and the importance this plays when dealing with allergies or intolerances.
She has shared some insight below on Probiotics that can help to restore the gut and help with allergies and intolerances.
Peanut allergies have increased by over 350% in the last 20 years. It’s the most common cause of fatality due to food-induced anaphylaxis. (1)
Other food allergies are also massively on the rise. Recent statistics show that 10% of children under one have a proven food allergy (2). These stats don’t even include all those suffering from food intolerances and their related health conditions of eczema, asthma, behavioural and digestive disorders.
There are many theories regarding this rise, from poor gut health, the Standard Australian/American diet (SAD), genetically modified foods (GMO’s), chemical toxins and even vaccines. But everybody is in agreement on one thing:
Up until about 50 years ago, allergies were RARE, and now they are RAMPANT.
While the rise in allergies is very concerning, as a parent there is a level of comfort here. These stats tell me we can’t blame genes entirely and that we‘re powerless to do anything. Genetics don’t work that way or evolve that quickly.
It does suggest that external factors such as diet, the environment and lifestyle choices can have an influential role to play on whether your child has an allergy and if they can reverse it.
PEANUT ALLERGIES REVERSED, USING PROBIOTIC TREATMENT (STUDY)
In a fascinating study, researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute have been able to drastically reduce allergic responses to peanuts by administering probiotic therapy.
Over 60 peanut-allergic children in the study were either given a dose of a probiotic, (Lactobacillus rhamnosus), together with peanut protein in increasing amounts, or a placebo over 18 months to assess whether children would become tolerant to peanut.
A fixed daily dose of probiotic was used while the peanut oral immunotherapy included a daily dose of peanut protein starting at very low doses and increasing every 2 weeks (capped at 2 grams of peanut protein).
At the end of the treatment, a peanut challenge was conducted on all the children two to five weeks after stopping the treatment.
Incredibly, researchers found over 80% of children who received the oral immunotherapy treatment using the probiotic strain were able to tolerate peanut at the end of the trial, compared to less than 4% of the placebo group.
This is 20 times higher than the natural rate of resolution for peanut allergy. WOW!
23 of 28 (82.1%) probiotic treated children and one of 28 (3.6%) placebo-treated children were able to include peanut in their diet at the end of the trial.
In summary, the likelihood of success was high – if nine children were given probiotic and peanut therapy, seven would benefit.
By supporting the immune system and building up the gut health of allergy children, there seems to be a higher chance for the immune system to produce protective responses to peanut protein, rather than developing a harmful response.
QUICK WINS TO GET PROBIOTICS INTO YOUR KIDS DIET
I’m a huge fan of probiotic supplements and also making your own probiotic dairy-free yoghurts at home which are so easy to do.
Get your buying guide to probiotics by clicking HERE.
If you’d like to make your own probiotic-rich cultured yoghurt I have the recipe here. This yoghurt is full of incredible gut-healing probiotics that are ideal for allergies, eczema and digestive disorders.
Get the recipes HERE.
Sources:
1. https://allergyfacts.org.au/allergy-anaphylaxis/food-allergy
2. https://www.mcri.edu.au/media/5224
3. https://deliciouslyallergyfree.com/

Bloating? Stomach pain? Does it seem like you’re reacting to wheat/gluten?
Bloating? Stomach pain? Does it seem like you're reacting to wheat/gluten?
Is it Coeliac Disease or IBS (or both)? In this video, gut health dietitian and nutritionist, Rebecca Ponsford from FODMAP Nutrition & Dietetics breaks down what Coeliac Disease and IBS are- the differences and similarities between them. She describes the process of testing and diagnosis for coeliac disease and the importance of the “Gluten Challenge”. Finally, she explains the FODMAP component of wheat which can trigger IBS-type symptoms.

Rebecca Ponsford
Rebecca is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). She completed her Bachelor Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons) from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Rebecca supports her clients with individualised nutrition advice to find relief from digestive health issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), SIBO and coeliac disease, so they can get back to enjoying life again! Rebecca has additional training in the low FODMAP diet, and healthy body image for adolescence. She has a passion for environmental sustainability and much experience in plant-based nutrition. She also has a strong interest in the connection between mental health and gastrointestinal health, environmental sustainability and women’s health. When working with clients she uses evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle approaches to nourish their bodies and achieve sustainable results. Rebecca strives to educate her clients by translating evidence into practical real-life strategies for her clients to implement.
She works with an individualised client-centred focus, providing clients with tools to enjoy food, take ownership of their food choices and fit food into their lives around other priorities. Rebecca is available for one-on-one nutrition and dietetics consultations at FODMAP Nutrition & Dietetics.
Eating For A Healthy Gut – Alice Bleathman
Eating For A Healthy Gut
In this video, you will learn the ins and outs of gut health. Alice will run you through what it actually means to have a healthy gut and how to find out whether yours is healthy or not. She will provide you with practical strategies to improve gut health and her top tips when it comes to optimising your gut microbiome.

Alice Bleathman
Alice is an early bird, sun chaser and energiser bunny all wrapped in one. Never one to sit back and watch the world go by, Alice jumped in her car one day and ended up in the beautiful coastal town of Cronulla where she joined forces with the highly renowned Marika Day.
Alice’s passion for nutrition began from her own experiences of feeling completely lost, alone and confused after being personally diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). She now works with people on their own journey to health through a supportive, comprehensive and inclusive approach infusing elements of wellbeing including stress management, movement and overcoming challenging habits.