Help Yourself – Nutrition & Dietetics are now sending reports and accepting electronic referrals via HealthLink (EDI – hlpyself).

Dr Georgina Williams has experience in public and private practice dietetics. She completed a PhD investigating wholegrains and fibre in gastrointestinal health and diseases. Georgina bring expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) and metabolic syndrome from her research into these conditions. Her other interest area is using whole foods for improving gut health. Georgina is available for gastro dietetics video consultations.

Dr Kerith Duncanson brings 30 years of dietetics experience and extensive digestive health research to our team. She specialises in functional gut conditions (irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia) and using dietary approaches to resolve complex, longstanding gut symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, wind and pain. Kerith has published extensively and is the author of these peer-reviewed publications. Kerith is available for gastro dietetics video consultations

HELPING YOU TO IMPROVED GUT HEALTH

Our gastro dietitians are all about helping you to set and strive towards your food and nutrition goals. We want food to help you improve your quality of life – not to be a stress or hindrance. We focus on gut symptoms and conditions and specialise in translating the latest evidence and research into practical, personalised dietary advice and strategies.

 

We conduct our appointments face-to-face at Newcastle Gastroenterology (Charlestown, NSW) which is the practice of Dr. Magnus Halland, an internationally recognised gastroenterologist with sub-speciality expertise in esophageal and motility disorders.

 

We also provide video consultations for people who ay be unable to attend face-to-face appointments in Charlestown.

The low FODMAP diet is a short-term exclusion diet, designed as a 3-step tool to determine which (if any) FODMAPs you may be sensitive to. 

Symptom response is usually seen within 2 weeks. 

Your dietitian can then work with you to tailor your long-term diet for symptom management with a focus on the least restriction possible. 

If you do not respond to a low FODMAP diet, your dietitian can work with you to consider other dietary components that may be involved in your gut symptoms.

#gastrodietitian #lowfodmapdiet

The low FODMAP diet is a short-term exclusion diet, designed as a 3-step tool to determine which (if any) FODMAPs you may be sensitive to.

Symptom response is usually seen within 2 weeks.

Your dietitian can then work with you to tailor your long-term diet for symptom management with a focus on the least restriction possible.

If you do not respond to a low FODMAP diet, your dietitian can work with you to consider other dietary components that may be involved in your gut symptoms.

#gastrodietitian #lowfodmapdiet

Some people with reflux notice symptoms after spicy foods, but it not always the spicy foods that are the main culprit. 

Often these foods are eaten at night (before laying down), as part of a large meal, often with lots of ‘hard to digest’ protein and fats.

If spicy food were eaten as part of a smaller, less rich meal earlier in the day, they may be much better tolerated.

Also, herbs and spices are rich in plant chemicals that feed our health gut bacteria, so limiting them can actually be unhelpful for our gut.

An interesting fact about spices is that the natural chemical in chilli (capsaicin) actually desensitization pain receptors in the gut, so is actually helpful in conditions like functional dyspepsia.

#reflux #GORD #gastrodietitian

Some people with reflux notice symptoms after spicy foods, but it not always the spicy foods that are the main culprit.

Often these foods are eaten at night (before laying down), as part of a large meal, often with lots of ‘hard to digest’ protein and fats.

If spicy food were eaten as part of a smaller, less rich meal earlier in the day, they may be much better tolerated.

Also, herbs and spices are rich in plant chemicals that feed our health gut bacteria, so limiting them can actually be unhelpful for our gut.

An interesting fact about spices is that the natural chemical in chilli (capsaicin) actually desensitization pain receptors in the gut, so is actually helpful in conditions like functional dyspepsia.

#reflux #GORD #gastrodietitian

The release of histamine by mast cells is a normal and healthy immune system response.

Histamine in the body can also come from food and gut bacterial fermentation. Each person's tolerance for histamine is different and may relate to levels of enzymes that break down histamine.
 
There is considerable debate in scientific, health and medical circles about histamine intolerance, including how it relates to gastro- and extra-intestinal symptoms, how to treat it and whether diet or enzyme therapy can help.

Our dietitians are experienced in assessing whether modifying your dietary histamine (and associated strategies) could reduce your gut symptoms, and how this could be implemented if agreed as your dietary management approach.

#guthealthdietitian #gastrodietitian

The release of histamine by mast cells is a normal and healthy immune system response.

Histamine in the body can also come from food and gut bacterial fermentation. Each person`s tolerance for histamine is different and may relate to levels of enzymes that break down histamine.

There is considerable debate in scientific, health and medical circles about histamine intolerance, including how it relates to gastro- and extra-intestinal symptoms, how to treat it and whether diet or enzyme therapy can help.

Our dietitians are experienced in assessing whether modifying your dietary histamine (and associated strategies) could reduce your gut symptoms, and how this could be implemented if agreed as your dietary management approach.

#guthealthdietitian #gastrodietitian

Recent Blogs

By cutting through the overwhelming food, diet and nutrition information that has confused you for so long, we help you focus whatever energy and time you have on your ‘best bets’ – what is most likely to work well for you, now and into the future.

 

Our gastro dietitians are experienced in working with clients to manage gut symptoms and conditions. Our gastro dietetic services range from helping you improve fibre and prebiotics intake through to supporting people with IBD, coeliac disease or IBS and functional dyspepsia to reduce symptoms, achieve dietary balance and improve quality of life. Help Yourself – Nutrition & Dietetics is managed by Rick Naylor.

 

This gastro dietetic consulting work complements Dr Kerith Duncanson’s and Dr Georgina William’s research work in gastrointestinal nutrition and functional gut disorders.