'What do you do?' Nutritionist and Naturopath, Olivia Smart tells us how healing begins in the gut

“What do you do?” I often find this simple question difficult to answer. “I’m a naturopath” is the reply, but will the enquirer know what that is? Typically not.

A naturopath can help with a wide range of chronic issues, either in a primary or secondary capacity ie their recommendations can either be used alone or alongside conventional medical treatment. Better still, seeing one now can help you to prevent, or reduce, health issues in the future. We dive deeply into your health and look at it from a comprehensive holistic perspective. It may often seem like a symptom has just suddenly appeared, but usually they have been building up for some time beneath the surface. Furthermore, while symptoms may be showing up in one particular area of the body, we look at the whole of you, because everything in the body is connected, including the mind, and sometimes the cause of a symptom in one place is actually due to an imbalance somewhere else entirely. For example, a rash on your skin may be due to gut imbalances; similarly if over 95% of serotonin is made in the gut, surely it’s worth checking how well the gut is functioning before starting anti-depressant medication?

Someone once said to me: so you’re a detective! As well as addressing the symptoms that are presenting, I also look for the cause. I take a very detailed case history and I also do testing. The most common tests I find myself ordering are for the gut, which we are increasingly finding is at the root of so many issues, not just gastrointestinal ones.

Once the detective work is done, I then use a variety of natural options to support the person towards better health. The main one is diet. “You are what you eat”. Every time we eat we are either fighting disease or feeding it. For example, an anti-inflammatory diet may reduce the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. I also use supplements where necessary, though I do try to keep them to a minimum. These can include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, prebiotics etc as well as herbs, which I find very beneficial. I also offer recommendations in connection with the person's environment and lifestyle, where I believe it may be affecting their health. For example, mould exposure, tick-borne diseases, environmental toxins and stress resilience.

If you would like to find out more about what I do or if you have any questions, I offer a free 15 minute no-obligation telephone call.

Please contact me on olivia@natrolive.com.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Olivia

Olivia Smart, MA Cantab Dip CNM mANP mGNC

Registered Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist

www.natrolive.com @natrolive