💜 If you’re still bloated after cutting gluten, dairy and “all the bad stuff”… It might not be the food. 🧡 Digestive symptoms often flare under pressure. Busy weeks. Emotional strain. Hormonal shifts. When the nervous system is overloaded, digestion becomes secondary. 💜 I’ve written a new blog on stress-fed digestive issues — including the role of stress, trauma and grief in gut regulation. And I’ve created a 5-minute self-assessment to help you identify whether stress may be driving your symptoms. Both are now live on my website. Humble Gut – supporting your gut Are you managing your diet… when your nervous system is what actually needs support? #humblegut #guthealth #stressanddigestion #ibshelp #nervoussystemhealth functionalnutrition

💜 I’m quietly proud of this one. 🧡 QQI Level 6 in Training & Development — awarded with Distinction - times 2 💪🏼💪🏼 💜 I’ve always cared deeply about how I teach, not just what I teach. 🧡 If I’m guiding someone through stress, hormones and trauma-informed digestion — or building workshops for women in business — it needs to be structured properly. Thought through. Measurable. Supportive. 💜 This qualification formalises that: training needs analysis, programme design, delivery and evaluation. 🧡 Everything I build at Humblegut is grounded in evidence — and now strengthened with formal training methodology too. 💜 We’re growing steadily over here… 🧡 What do you think this opens up next? Humble Gut – supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #TrainingAndDevelopment #WomenInBusiness #QQI #CorporateWellness ExecutiveHealth ProfessionalGrowth

💜 My morning hydration station. Before caffeine. Before decisions. Before output. 🧡 Warm water, lemon, and a splash of organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother). This isn’t about detox culture. It’s about signalling. Hydration + mild acidity on waking helps: • Prime gastric function • Support blood sugar stability • Encourage bile flow • Reduce the 11am energy crash cycle 💜 I was gifted this Natural Umber Organic Apple Cider Vinegar — and I only share products I would confidently use in clinic. It has a deeper, richer profile than most ACVs, but without the aggressive throat burn. Smooth. Balanced. Easy to drink daily. @naturalumber 💜🧡 This one has officially replaced my previous favourite. 🧡 Executive energy starts with stable physiology — not stimulants. Small inputs. Consistent rhythm. Strong foundation. 💜 Are you building your mornings around stability… or stimulation? — Humble Gut – supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #guthealth #nervoussystemregulation #executiveenergy #gifted

💜 Think those stomach twinges before a meeting are “just nerves”? They’re not imagined. Your gut is physically reacting before you even speak. That twisted, fluttery feeling isn’t necessarily from breakfast. It’s your nervous system switching into alert mode under social or work pressure. 💜 What’s happening physiologically? As stress hormones rise, blood flow shifts away from digestion. Gut motility changes. For some, things speed up. For others, they stall. If you have IBS, that shift can trigger cramping, bloating or urgency within minutes — even without a food trigger. It’s not random. It’s a stress–gut reflex. 🧡 How to interrupt the loop: 🧡 Notice the timing If symptoms appear before a Zoom call rather than after a meal, that’s useful data. 🧡 Create a two-minute buffer Before pressure ramps up, pause. Slow your breathing. Sit still. Even slowing your eating pace signals safety to the gut. 🧡 Track your bandwidth Late nights, emotional strain, overstimulation — when these stack up, flares become more likely. Repeated small resets teach the nervous system that pressure doesn’t equal danger. And the gut follows. 💜 This isn’t vague “stress management.” It’s targeting the exact nerves that control gut movement and sensitivity. Before your next high-pressure moment, pause for two minutes. Let your system settle before it escalates. Because if your gut tightens before you even speak… Is it really food — or is it your nervous system asking for support? Comment HEAL and I’ll send you the link to take the first steps to where we map your stress-digestion patterns and retrain the flare cycle properly… Humble Gut — supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #guthealth #ibsrelief #gutmindconnection #stressresponse

💜 This morning felt special. A room full of women in business, honest conversations, big vision — and the Mayor of Dublin @ray.mcadam in the room reminding us that what we’re building matters. 🧡 There’s something powerful about gathering on Brigid’s Day. Leadership. Creativity. Resilience. The quiet strength women carry every day in their work and in their lives. 💜 I left feeling steadier. More certain. More connected. 🧡 Grateful for the courage in that room — and for the reminder that showing up, even when it feels vulnerable, is part of the work. What would shift if you fully owned the space you’re already stepping into…? Thank you @leodcwomeninbusiness Humble Gut – supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #womeninbusiness #brigidday #dublinbusiness #femaleleadership steadyenergy

💜 Why you quit before your body catches up Most women don’t abandon a plan because they’re lazy. What actually happens? The brain starts to expect disappointment. After trying plan after plan that promised everything, your nervous system adapts. It protects you from another letdown. Psychologists call it learned helplessness. I call it a tired brain that no longer trusts effort equals reward. 🧡 What keeps progress stuck? 🧡 Expecting it won’t work When the effort feels bigger than the likely payoff, your brain reduces investment. Energy drops. Habits wobble. Motivation fades before results appear. 🧡 Making it personal When you label the struggle as a character flaw, your brain retreats further. Self-blame lowers resilience and makes restarting harder. 🧡 Fearing the plateau Plateaus aren’t failure. They’re recalibration. Biology adjusting. The women who stay steady are the ones who expect this phase — not panic in it. 💜 A small shift that changes everything: Before your next workout or food shop, name one win from this week. Better sleep. Clearer skin. More stable mood. That tiny piece of evidence tells your nervous system: effort creates movement. And trust begins to rebuild. 💜 Consistency doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from designing support that makes progress feel safe. If you’ve ever stopped just before things could actually shift… What if your body wasn’t failing — it was waiting for you to stay? Comment HEAL and I’ll send you the link to the Feel Fantastic Programme (12 Weeks) — structured support, steady check-ins, and coaching that helps your nervous system believe again… Humble Gut — supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #habitchange #womeninhealth #learnedhelplessness #healthsupport

💜 When your bloods say “a bit high”… It sounds harmless. But a mildly raised fasting glucose or HbA1c can signal early insulin resistance — long before anyone mentions diabetes. You’re told the number. Not what it means. So it gets filed under not urgent… and life carries on. 🧡 Here’s the reframe: A “borderline” result isn’t random. It often reflects blood sugar working harder than it should. And early is powerful — this is where small, steady changes actually work. 💜 The clue most people miss? That slightly raised glucose often shows up as: 🧡 Afternoon crashes 🧡 Strong snack cravings 🧡 Post-meal slumps that feel “normal” You don’t need a glucose monitor to notice those patterns. Your body is already giving feedback. 💜 This isn’t about panic. It’s about understanding what your numbers are quietly pointing toward. If your last blood test said “a bit high”… What if that was your body asking for attention — not reassurance? DM HEAL and I’ll send you the link to book a One-Off Consultation, where we translate your results properly and decide what actually needs adjusting… Humble Gut — supporting your gut so it can support you #humblegut #bloodsugarbalance #metabolichealth #insulinresistance #glucosecontrol

💜 “Your cholesterol looks fine”… but is it? If you’ve ever been told everything is “normal” — yet something still feels off — you’re not imagining it. Standard lab ranges show population averages. They don’t always show how your body is handling fats. 🧡 Most women are reassured when LDL sits “within range.” But what’s rarely explained is this: LDL and non-HDL are among the strongest predictors of cardiovascular risk. Even a modest 10% reduction can lower disease risk significantly. The issue? Your printout isn’t a story. It’s just numbers. No context. No translation. No link back to your habits. So you either panic… or park it. 💜 Here’s where the shift happens: 🧡 Interpretation, not comparison A result inside the reference range can still signal sluggish fat metabolism when viewed through a nutrition lens. This is often where early patterns show up — long before symptoms. 🧡 Anchoring it to your real life When bloodwork connects to your diet, gut health, stress load and hormones, it stops feeling abstract. You can see what’s driving what. 🧡 Adjusting one lever at a time If LDL is edging upward, sometimes it’s as simple as increasing soluble fibre or rebalancing fats. Clear, targeted changes — not overwhelm. 🧡 It’s rarely about more testing. It’s about understanding what you already have. I see this often — capable, health-aware women walking around with “normal” results that quietly deserve a second look. And once those numbers are translated properly, everything changes… 💜 Ready for clarity — without the fear spiral? Comment HEAL and I’ll send you the link to the One-Off Consultation. Because sometimes the difference isn’t in the lab range… it’s in how you read it. #humblegut #cholesterolhealth #womenshearthealth #ldlcholesterol #nutritionaltherapy functionalnutrition bloodworkanalysis

💜 Why your gut keeps flaring — even after cutting all the “right” foods You’ve removed onion, garlic, wheat, maybe dairy too. Yet the flares still show up. Now your safe-food list is shrinking. Meals feel more anxious than nourishing. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just missing the second half of the strategy. 💜 What many gut plans leave out: Low-FODMAP was never meant to be forever. But most DIY approaches stop at elimination and never move into structured reintroduction. When that happens: 🧡 Microbial diversity can decline 🧡 Tolerance drops instead of improving 🧡 Food fear quietly increases 🧡 Confidence around eating shrinks Restriction alone doesn’t build resilience. 💜 The structure your gut actually needs: 🧡 A steady low-FODMAP base Balanced meals with protein, micronutrients and digestive calm. This isn’t about starving symptoms — it’s about supporting the terrain. 🧡 Matching your IBS pattern IBS-C, IBS-D or mixed? Each pattern responds differently to fibre types, fat balance and timing. Without that match, symptoms stay unpredictable. 🧡 Methodical reintroductions One FODMAP group at a time. Clear portions. Clear tracking. Clear windows. This is how tolerance rebuilds — gradually and steadily. 🧡 Something to try this week: Pick one food you’ve avoided for 3+ months. Track your baseline for two days. Then reintroduce a small portion within a balanced meal. Observe for 24 hours. We’re not testing bravery. We’re restoring data and rebuilding trust. 💜 When structure returns, variety returns. Healing doesn’t come from endless eliminating. It comes from rebuilding capacity. Ready for a calmer, guided way forward? DM HEAL and I’ll send you the link to the Feel Wonderful Programme (8 Weeks) — where we personalise your IBS pattern, rebuild your base and support each reintroduction step-by-step toward steadier digestion. #humblegut #ibsrelief #lowfodmap #guthealth #digestivehealth

💜 That post–fried dinner regret? You know the one. You finally lie down after your “well-earned treat” and suddenly you’re bolt upright. Throat burning. Chest tight. Wondering why this always happens. It’s not that your body suddenly can’t cope. It’s doing exactly what it’s designed to do. Fat naturally slows stomach emptying and relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES). That combination means food — and acid — sit in the stomach longer. Then you lie down. Gravity changes. And acid has an easier path upward. Uncomfortable, yes. Predictable, also yes. 🧡 You wanted comfort… and ended up with heartburn. Sleep gets disrupted. The next morning feels off. And the guilt creeps in. But this isn’t about willpower. It’s physiology. 💜 Your body isn’t broken. A heavier, high-fat meal simply lingers longer. When we understand the mechanism, we can shift the pattern — without the shame spiral. 🧡 Start here: • Balance fat with lighter structure Pair richer foods with fibre-containing vegetables, lentils, or a lean protein. This helps regulate stomach emptying and reduces the pressure build-up that drives reflux. • Stay upright after eating Give digestion a head start before lying down. Even 20–30 minutes can make a difference. • Watch late timing A heavy meal very close to bed increases that reflux window. Earlier is usually gentler. 💜 Reflux relief doesn’t have to mean restriction. It’s about working with digestion, not fighting it. When your gut moves more steadily, your nights feel steadier too. 🧡 Want support that fits your real life? Comment HEAL and I’ll send you the link to the Feel Great Program (4 Weeks) — where we personalise timing, food structure and rhythm so comfort meals don’t turn into 2 a.m. regret. #humblegut #acidreflux #heartburnrelief #guthealth #digestivehealth nutritiontherapy refluxsupport womensnutrition clinicalnutrition steadyenergy

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