The Gut Health Clinic
We specialise in working with gut health conditions and issues. Our expert integrated approach will get to the root cause of the condition.
What is Gut Health?
Gut health refers to the wellbeing and balance of a multitude of factors which can influence the overall functioning of various aspects of digestion and absorption and may when imbalanced, result in a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms. Common symptoms of digestive ill health include IBS-type pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, discomfort after eating and acid reflux or heartburn sensations. These symptoms will affect nearly 50% of the population at some point.
Many people present with the same or similar symptoms, however, the underlying cause will be different in each person, and a targeted and personalised approach to supporting gut health is essential. This approach is at the heart of how the Gut Health Clinic at the Surrey Centre For Nutrition works.
Poor gut health or gastrointestinal imbalance may also result in systemic symptoms and disease profiles. Good gut health is essential to wellbeing! Whilst poor gut health is often a trigger of disease states.
As Hippocrates said “All disease begins in the gut”
Factors influencing ‘gut health’ include the ecology of beneficial bacteria within the gut, the presence of pathogenic bacteria, yeasts and parasites, digestive enzyme insufficiency, increased intestinal permeability and elevated gastrointestinal inflammation.
Your symptoms may vary
These may be so severe and disruptive that they affect the enjoyment of your daily life.
The underlying causes may include:
* Imbalance in the ‘beneficial commensal' bacteria in the gut (Dysbiosis)
* Reduced integrity of the gut lining (Leaky Gut or Intestinal Permeability)
* Inflammation
* Digestive enzyme insufficiency
* Colonisation of the gut with pathogenic bacteria, yeasts and parasites
Together, we will unpick these complex factors using assessment and testing where necessary, and address these with targeted and individualised nutritional protocols, returning clients to a point of full health and a life symptom free.
Gut Health doesn’t just affect the Gut
Many clients presenting with digestive symptoms will also suffer from symptoms that affect other parts of their body, these may include, FATIGUE, HEADACHES and MIGRAINES, ANXIETY, LOW MOOD and DEPRESSION.
Similarly, due to the impact of the gut on immune health and inflammatory processes within the body, people may suffer also from conditions of autoimmunity including ECZEMA, ASTHMA, HAYFEVER, ARTHRITIS and inflammatory diseases of the gut. Food ALLERGY and INTOLERANCE may also be present.
Symptoms you may be experiencing
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Gut
Bloating, Bowel issues, Malabsorption, Leaky gut, Gas, Reflux, Heartburn, IBS, Constipation, Food intolorences, Distension, Flatulence, Sensation of fullness and more.
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Energy
Brain fog, memory loss, cognitive decline, headaches, migraines, extreme mental fatigue and more.
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Mental
Anxiety, depression, stress, low mood, worry, overwhelm, SAD and more.
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Physical
Pain, stiffness, inflammation, deconditioning, muscular skeletal tension, lack of mobility, abdominal pain, heartburn/acid reflux, asthma, eczema, hayfever, arthritis, and more.
Surrey Centre for Nutrition’s
approach to Gut health
When we work with clients with gut health complaints, the first part of the process is to unpick through a number of nutritional therapy and functional medicine questionnaires and identify any possible underlying imbalances in the various aspects of gastrointestinal functioning. We will also look in detail at the progression of the disorder of gastrointestinal health over time and the health of the gut over the client’s lifetime. This will help us to understand possible triggers and mediators of the client’s symptoms. The next phase of the process is to undertake comprehensive diagnostic testing which may involve stool testing, food reactivity testing, and gastrointestinal autoimmunity screening example.
Once we have collected all this data we can be much more targeted in the approaches and protocols that we apply to address the client’s health complaints. People often ask if food exclusion or elimination diets are necessary and the answer is sometimes yes, but our approach is to limit exclusion as far as possible and when necessary only apply exclusion diets for the shortest possible period of time. The truth is the unnecessary exclusion of foods can be counterproductive to overall gut health and can result in further complications for example.
Practitioners that work with
Gut Health
Our prices and packages for gut health conditions
With gut health clients we tend to look at the following:
Remove (removal of problematic foods and pathogens)
Rest/Replace (allow the gut to rest and replace enzymes for example where insufficient)
Reinoculate (with beneficial bacteria)
Repair (repair of the gut lining)
Rebalance (with nutrients, lifestyles habits etc)
All of these form a fundamental part of any successful gut health protocol and are carried out in a staged manner with overlaps between the stages and greatest focus placed on those areas of imbalance as identified through questionnaires, consultation and testing.
At the Surrey Centre for Nutrition we offer comprehensive assessments, packages and functional diagnostic testing to address your digestive health issues.
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We invite you to book a FREE discovery call with us so that we can answer any questions you might have about working together.
Our free discovery calls last roughly 15 minutes.
During this time we will discuss your current health concerns and your goals. We will then talk you through how we work, some likely areas of investigation, and the process of working with us.
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You may wish to book an initial health assessment, where we can assess your current state of health, past medical records and symptoms. You will leave this assessment with a clear idea of how we work together during a 3 or 6 month package and the key issues which need to be addressed in order to improve your health.
A health assessment costs £325
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A six month programme is a typical treatment journey for a client with chronic gastrointestinal health concerns, however a 3 month package is available. During this time we will work together to investigate the root cause of your symptoms using;
consultations
review of previous medical notes, diagnoses and tests
comprehensive health history and functional medicine timeline analysis
food and lifestyle journals
full functional medicine case analysis
targeted nutritional and functional testing & analysis (frequently we will use comprehensive diagnostic stool testing as a starting point but other tests may be recommended as required)
We will then apply targeted protocols to address any underlying imbalances identified through our investigations, following the protocols of the 5R (Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair and Rebalance) approach to gut health. This will include;
dietary and nutritional protocols
lifestyle protocols
collaboration with your primary healthcare team where necessary
collaborative work with our pharmacist to evaluate and address any drug nutrient interactions and contraindications if you have a pharmaceutical medical profile
You will be supported through the process with monthly consultations and bi-weekly check in support calls.
It is really important to us that our clients can get the support they need when they need it so we also offer ongoing online support via email or through our client portal messaging app.
A 3 Month programme starts from £1495 and may be split into three equal monthly instalments if requested.
A 6 Month programme starts from £2495 and may be split into three equal monthly instalments if requested.
At times it may be appropriate for multiple practitioners to work on getting you back to optimal health.
Interested in working on your health with us?
If you would like to find out more about becoming a client at Surrey Centre for Nutrition, you can book a free 15-minute consultation.
Our approach to functional medicine and nutrition at Surrey Centre for Nutrition
Using a functional medicine and holistic whole health approach to understand the true root cause of your symptoms, we will work with you to identify underlying nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, whilst offering a full range of the latest nutritional and functional testing. You will receive a fully bespoke and tailored nutritional, dietary and lifestyle protocol and the support and empowerment to make changes that are sustainable for a healthy future.
Working with practitioners at the Surrey Centre for Nutrition allows you to tap into their nutritional expertise alongside their functional medicine approach. Commonly functional medicine will identify underlying nutritional imbalances and then refer you onto other professionals to address these, however Libby and her team can attend to all aspects of your health within one treatment protocol.