What an episode! You are all in for a TREAT! Unpacking long COVID and vaxx injury (aka side effects of the vaccine) was something else! I have wanted to dive into this for a while with someone, but finding the right expert was tricky… then by chance, I came across one of Tashs blogs & I was mind-blown! In this episode, we unpack:
Navigating expectations and client despair when so impacted by long COVID/vax injury
Classic symptoms of Long Covid/Covid Vax Injury and the first steps to healing
Summarising current hypotheses/explanations of spike protein damage
Working alongside an integrative GP if additional pharmaceuticals (eg LDN, Ivermectin) could be supportive
Dosing and complex scripts in sensitive clients
Integrating herbal medicine with clients who can tolerate it (e.g not MCAS early stages) and some favourite liquid herbs
Importance of EARLY symptom support when viral Sx begin (a much-suppressed narrative during Covid)
Key nutrient levels to maintain (Vit D, iron, B12, etc)
General wellbeing immune care during winter months

LINKS TO NATASHA: 
Website:  www.freedomwellness.com.au
Social links: 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/natashasidoti/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NatashaSidotiNaturopath
FLCCC.com - protocols with natural and integrative medicine 
https://covid19criticalcare.com/treatment-protocols/

LINKS TO SHERADYN:
Assess your gut health in 3min HERE
Follow me on Instagram HERE. 
Join my Private Facebook group HERE.
Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session HERE

What an episode! You are all in for a TREAT! Unpacking long COVID and vaxx injury (aka side effects of the vaccine) was something else! I have wanted to dive into this for a while with someone, but finding the right expert was tricky… then by chance, I came across one of Tashs blogs &amp; I was mind-blown! In this episode, we unpack:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Navigating expectations and client despair when so impacted by long COVID/vax injury</li>
<li aria-level="1">Classic symptoms of Long Covid/Covid Vax Injury and the first steps to healing</li>
<li aria-level="1">Summarising current hypotheses/explanations of spike protein damage</li>
<li aria-level="1">Working alongside an integrative GP if additional pharmaceuticals (eg LDN, Ivermectin) could be supportive</li>
<li aria-level="1">Dosing and complex scripts in sensitive clients</li>
<li aria-level="1">Integrating herbal medicine with clients who can tolerate it (e.g not MCAS early stages) and some favourite liquid herbs</li>
<li aria-level="1">Importance of EARLY symptom support when viral Sx begin (a much-suppressed narrative during Covid)</li>
<li aria-level="1">Key nutrient levels to maintain (Vit D, iron, B12, etc)</li>
<li aria-level="1">General wellbeing immune care during winter months</li>
</ul>
LINKS TO NATASHA: 
<ul>
<li>Website:  <a href="https://www.natashasidoti.com/">www.freedomwellness.com.au</a></li>
<li>Social links: Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/natashasidoti/">https://www.instagram.com/natashasidoti/</a> Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NatashaSidotiNaturopath">https://www.facebook.com/NatashaSidotiNaturopath</a></li>
<li>FLCCC.com - protocols with natural and integrative medicine  <a href="https://covid19criticalcare.com/treatment-protocols/">https://covid19criticalcare.com/treatment-protocols/</a></li>
</ul>
LINKS TO SHERADYN:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Assess your gut health in 3min <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-quiz/">HERE</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Follow me on Instagram<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheradyn_functionalnutrition/?hl=en"> HERE. </a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Join my Private Facebook group<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/412163273677745"> HERE.</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session<a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/contact-form/"> HERE</a></li>
</ul>

Living with IBS, digestive pain and hormonal imbalances are considered “normal” for many females. But as a former sufferer, I (Sheradyn) am here to break the trend and educate you on what is actually causing your symptoms. Leading you beyond pills, painful periods & parasites, I will be sharing interviews & conversations with women’s health experts as well as inspiring you with real-life stories. If you’re looking to use nutrition & a natural approach to heal your body and want real talk, with real women, hit that subscribe button now.

Living with IBS, digestive pain and hormonal imbalances are considered &ldquo;normal&rdquo; for many females. But as a former sufferer, I (Sheradyn) am here to break the trend and educate you on what is actually causing your symptoms. Leading you beyond pills, painful periods &amp; parasites, I will be sharing interviews &amp; conversations with women&rsquo;s health experts as well as inspiring you with real-life stories. If you&rsquo;re looking to use nutrition &amp; a natural approach to heal your body and want real talk, with real women, hit that subscribe button now.

Empowered Hormones with Sheradyn Dekker

#168 Symptoms of Long Covid/Covid Vax Injury and the first steps to healing with Natasha Sidoti

IBS or IBD? What’s the difference & how do you test?

You’ve been told it’s IBS. Maybe you’ve had tests done. Maybe you’ve even had a colonoscopy that came back “clear.” And then… you’re sent home and told to manage it. But if you’re still dealing with bloating, urgency, diarrhea, constipation, or pain — and no one has properly explained what’s going on — something isn’t adding up.

Because IBS and IBD get confused all the time. And when that happens, women either get over-medicalised… or completely dismissed. Same symptoms. Completely different problems. And that’s where things start to fall apart.

Because here’s the reality. The symptoms overlap — cramping, bloating, bowel changes, food reactions, fatigue. So it’s easy to assume it’s “just IBS,” especially when nothing serious shows up on initial testing. But let’s be clear.

IBS is not a diagnosis.
IBD is.

One is a structural, inflammatory disease. The other is a label for symptoms when no one has found the cause. Big difference.

Today’s episode breaks down what IBS actually means, what IBD actually is, why they get confused, and what testing should be done if you actually want answers — not just another label.

In this episode, we cover:


IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease): What conditions like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis actually involve, how inflammation damages the gut lining, and why proper diagnosis requires colonoscopy and biopsy.


Key Inflammatory Markers: How tools like faecal calprotectin, CRP, ESR, and blood markers help identify inflammation and distinguish IBD from IBS.


The IBS Label Problem: Why IBS tells you what is happening — your gut is irritated — but tells you nothing about why.


What Gets Missed in Standard Testing: Why colonoscopies don’t show bacterial overgrowth, parasites, stomach acid issues, or microbiome imbalances.


SIBO and IMO: How bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine drives bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhoea — and why it requires specific breath testing.


Parasites and H. pylori: Why these are more common than you think, often missed, and can quietly drive chronic gut symptoms.


Dysbiosis and the Microbiome: How imbalances in your gut bacteria affect digestion, immunity, and overall health — and why you need proper mapping to see it.


What to Test Next: The functional tests that actually give you answers — not guesses.

You’re not confused because this is complicated. You’re confused because the explanation you were given was incomplete. You don’t need to keep guessing whether it’s IBS or something more serious. You need to understand what has been ruled out — and what hasn’t even been looked at yet. Your symptoms are not random. This isn’t “just your gut being sensitive.”

And it’s not something you have to manage forever.

Your gut isn’t broken. It just hasn’t been properly investigated.

LINKS TO SHERADYN:
Assess your gut health in 3min HERE
Follow me on Instagram HERE. 
Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group HERE.
Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session HERE.

IBS or IBD? What&rsquo;s the difference &amp; how do you test?
You&rsquo;ve been told it&rsquo;s IBS. Maybe you&rsquo;ve had tests done. Maybe you&rsquo;ve even had a colonoscopy that came back &ldquo;clear.&rdquo; And then&hellip; you&rsquo;re sent home and told to manage it. But if you&rsquo;re still dealing with bloating, urgency, diarrhea, constipation, or pain &mdash; and no one has properly explained what&rsquo;s going on &mdash; something isn&rsquo;t adding up.
Because IBS and IBD get confused all the time. And when that happens, women either get over-medicalised&hellip; or completely dismissed. Same symptoms. Completely different problems. And that&rsquo;s where things start to fall apart.
Because here&rsquo;s the reality. The symptoms overlap &mdash; cramping, bloating, bowel changes, food reactions, fatigue. So it&rsquo;s easy to assume it&rsquo;s &ldquo;just IBS,&rdquo; especially when nothing serious shows up on initial testing. But let&rsquo;s be clear.
IBS is not a diagnosis. IBD is.
One is a structural, inflammatory disease. The other is a label for symptoms when no one has found the cause. Big difference.
Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down what IBS actually means, what IBD actually is, why they get confused, and what testing should be done if you actually want answers &mdash; not just another label.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul data-editing-info="{&quot;applyListStyleFromLevel&quot;:true,&quot;unorderedStyleType&quot;:1}">
<li>
IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease): What conditions like Crohn&rsquo;s and ulcerative colitis actually involve, how inflammation damages the gut lining, and why proper diagnosis requires colonoscopy and biopsy.
</li>
<li>
Key Inflammatory Markers: How tools like faecal calprotectin, CRP, ESR, and blood markers help identify inflammation and distinguish IBD from IBS.
</li>
<li>
The IBS Label Problem:&nbsp;Why IBS tells you what is happening &mdash; your gut is irritated &mdash; but tells you nothing about why.
</li>
<li>
What Gets Missed in Standard Testing: Why colonoscopies don&rsquo;t show bacterial overgrowth, parasites, stomach acid issues, or microbiome imbalances.
</li>
<li>
SIBO and IMO: How bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine drives bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhoea &mdash; and why it requires specific breath testing.
</li>
<li>
Parasites and H. pylori: Why these are more common than you think, often missed, and can quietly drive chronic gut symptoms.
</li>
<li>
Dysbiosis and the Microbiome: How imbalances in your gut bacteria affect digestion, immunity, and overall health &mdash; and why you need proper mapping to see it.
</li>
<li>
What to Test Next: The functional tests that actually give you answers &mdash; not guesses.
</li>
</ul>
You&rsquo;re not confused because this is complicated. You&rsquo;re confused because the explanation you were given was incomplete. You don&rsquo;t need to keep guessing whether it&rsquo;s IBS or something more serious. You need to understand what has been ruled out &mdash; and what hasn&rsquo;t even been looked at yet. Your symptoms are not random. This isn&rsquo;t &ldquo;just your gut being sensitive.&rdquo;
And it&rsquo;s not something you have to manage forever.
Your gut isn&rsquo;t broken. It just hasn&rsquo;t been properly investigated.
<hr>
LINKS TO SHERADYN:
<ul>
<li>Assess your gut&nbsp;health in 3min <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-quiz/" data-outlook-id="3eb53866-7033-42fd-989b-d37f70dd749d">HERE</a></li>
<li>Follow me on Instagram<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheradyn_functionalnutrition/?hl=en" data-outlook-id="77c6c035-eea0-4f05-b656-bc9ca9c5cbce">&nbsp;HERE.&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/412163273677745" data-outlook-id="50f42e02-21fd-4221-992d-57fce0bbb379">&nbsp;HERE.</a></li>
<li>Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-session/" data-outlook-id="c419fad2-3b43-428f-81aa-ad211e6b64ab">HERE.</a></li>
</ul>

201 IBS or IBD? What's the difference & how do I test

EP#201 IBS or IBD? What's the difference & how do I test

IBS is BS (A personal battle & 4 easy fixes)

You’ve been told it’s IBS. Eat more fibre. Drink more water. Try low FODMAP. Manage your stress. And just… manage it.

But if you’re still bloated, constipated, gassy, and uncomfortable — despite doing everything “right” — something isn’t adding up.
Because the women I see are not unhealthy. They’re active, they’re eating well, they’re tracking their food, and they are still dealing with symptoms that don’t make sense. So at some point, you start thinking this is just how your body is.
But let’s be clear. IBS is not a diagnosis — it’s a label. It simply means your symptoms don’t have a structural cause that can be found on standard testing, not that nothing is wrong. It doesn’t explain what is actually driving your gut issues.
Today’s episode breaks down why IBS is one of the biggest dead-ends in the medical system, what is actually causing your symptoms underneath, and what you can start doing differently.
In this episode, we cover:
Low Stomach Acid: Why digestion breaking down at the very first step leads to fermentation, bloating, and bacteria feeding where they shouldn’t.
SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): How bacteria in the wrong place create gas, constipation or diarrhoea, and why low FODMAP only reduces symptoms without fixing the problem.
Parasites: Why they are more common than you think, often missed on standard testing, and can drive ongoing bloating, fatigue, and gut disruption.
Dysbiosis: How an imbalanced microbiome affects digestion, immunity, and even your mood, and why restrictive diets can make it worse over time.
The IBS Label Problem: Why being told “everything is normal” doesn’t mean nothing is wrong — it just means no one has looked in the right place.
What You Can Start Now: Four practical ways to support stomach acid, digestion, motility, and your microbiome while you investigate properly.

You’re not bloated because your body is “just like this.” You’re bloated because something in your gut isn’t functioning properly — big difference.
You don’t need to keep managing symptoms or guessing your way through this. You need to understand what is actually driving your gut issues and fix it properly.
Your gut isn’t broken. It just hasn’t been properly investigated.

LINKS TO SHERADYN:
Assess your gut health in 3min HERE
Follow me on Instagram HERE. 
Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group HERE.
Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session HERE.

IBS is BS (A personal battle &amp; 4 easy fixes) You&rsquo;ve been told it&rsquo;s IBS. Eat more fibre. Drink more water. Try low FODMAP. Manage your stress. And just&hellip; manage it.
But if you&rsquo;re still bloated, constipated, gassy, and uncomfortable &mdash; despite doing everything &ldquo;right&rdquo; &mdash; something isn&rsquo;t adding up. Because the women I see are not unhealthy. They&rsquo;re active, they&rsquo;re eating well, they&rsquo;re tracking their food, and they are still dealing with symptoms that don&rsquo;t make sense. So at some point, you start thinking this is just how your body is. But let&rsquo;s be clear. IBS is not a diagnosis &mdash; it&rsquo;s a label. It simply means your symptoms don&rsquo;t have a structural cause that can be found on standard testing, not that nothing is wrong. It doesn&rsquo;t explain what is actually driving your gut issues. Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down why IBS is one of the biggest dead-ends in the medical system, what is actually causing your symptoms underneath, and what you can start doing differently. In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li>Low Stomach Acid: Why digestion breaking down at the very first step leads to fermentation, bloating, and bacteria feeding where they shouldn&rsquo;t.</li>
<li>SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): How bacteria in the wrong place create gas, constipation or diarrhoea, and why low FODMAP only reduces symptoms without fixing the problem.</li>
<li>Parasites: Why they are more common than you think, often missed on standard testing, and can drive ongoing bloating, fatigue, and gut disruption.</li>
<li>Dysbiosis: How an imbalanced microbiome affects digestion, immunity, and even your mood, and why restrictive diets can make it worse over time.</li>
<li>The IBS Label Problem: Why being told &ldquo;everything is normal&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t mean nothing is wrong &mdash; it just means no one has looked in the right place.</li>
<li>What You Can Start Now: Four practical ways to support stomach acid, digestion, motility, and your microbiome while you investigate properly.</li>
</ul>
You&rsquo;re not bloated because your body is &ldquo;just like this.&rdquo; You&rsquo;re bloated because something in your gut isn&rsquo;t functioning properly &mdash; big difference. You don&rsquo;t need to keep managing symptoms or guessing your way through this. You need to understand what is actually driving your gut issues and fix it properly. Your gut isn&rsquo;t broken. It just hasn&rsquo;t been properly investigated.
<hr>
LINKS TO SHERADYN:
<ul>
<li>Assess your gut&nbsp;health in 3min <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-quiz/">HERE</a></li>
<li>Follow me on Instagram<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheradyn_functionalnutrition/?hl=en">&nbsp;HERE.&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/412163273677745">&nbsp;HERE.</a></li>
<li>Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-session/">HERE.</a></li>
</ul>

IBS is BS (A personal battle & 4 easy fixes)

EP#200 IBS is BS (A personal battle & 4 easy fixes)

Post Bali Belly — Why your gut has never quite healed

You had an infection. You recovered. And yet… your gut has never been the same.

The bloating. The gas. The constipation or urgency. The foods that suddenly don’t sit right.

And no matter how “clean” you eat or how much you try to fix it… it never fully resolves.

Because when your symptoms started after a gut infection — Bali Belly, food poisoning, traveller’s diarrhoea — it’s easy to assume your body just needs time.

But let’s be clear.

The infection being gone does not mean your gut recovered.

Those are two completely different things.

Today’s episode breaks down what actually happens after a gut infection, why your symptoms don’t just “go away”, and what is really driving post-infectious gut dysfunction.

In this episode, we cover:
Post-Infectious Gut Dysfunction: Why your gut not recovering after an infection has a name — and why it’s massively under-recognised in conventional medicine.
Gut Lining Damage & Inflammation: How infections disrupt your intestinal lining, increase permeability, and leave your gut more reactive long after the pathogen is gone.
Microbiome Disruption: How infections and antibiotics wipe out protective bacteria, allowing opportunistic species to take over and drive ongoing symptoms.
The Motility Breakdown: How damage to your gut’s nervous system (the migrating motor complex) allows bacteria to build up in the small intestine — leading to SIBO.
The IBS Label Problem: Why IBS is not a diagnosis, but a description — and why it gives you no answers on what to actually treat.
The Testing Gap: Why standard GP testing often misses what actually matters, and how SIBO breath testing and microbiome mapping give you real data.

You didn’t just “get sick and recover.”

Your gut changed.

And until you understand what changed — and where the problem is — you’ll stay stuck managing symptoms instead of fixing them.

You don’t need another diet.
You don’t need another generic protocol.

You need data.
And a strategy that actually matches what’s happening in your body.

Your gut isn’t broken. It just hasn’t been properly investigated.

LINKS TO SHERADYN:
Assess your gut health in 3min HERE
Follow me on Instagram HERE. 
Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group HERE.
Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session HERE.

Post Bali Belly &mdash; Why your gut has never quite healed
You had an infection. You recovered. And yet&hellip; your gut has never been the same.
The bloating. The gas. The constipation or urgency. The foods that suddenly don&rsquo;t sit right.
And no matter how &ldquo;clean&rdquo; you eat or how much you try to fix it&hellip; it never fully resolves.
Because when your symptoms started after a gut infection &mdash; Bali Belly, food poisoning, traveller&rsquo;s diarrhoea &mdash; it&rsquo;s easy to assume your body just needs time.
But let&rsquo;s be clear.
The infection being gone does not mean your gut recovered.
Those are two completely different things.
Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down what actually happens after a gut infection, why your symptoms don&rsquo;t just &ldquo;go away&rdquo;, and what is really driving post-infectious gut dysfunction.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">Post-Infectious Gut Dysfunction: Why your gut not recovering after an infection has a name &mdash; and why it&rsquo;s massively under-recognised in conventional medicine.</li>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">Gut Lining Damage &amp; Inflammation: How infections disrupt your intestinal lining, increase permeability, and leave your gut more reactive long after the pathogen is gone.</li>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">Microbiome Disruption: How infections and antibiotics wipe out protective bacteria, allowing opportunistic species to take over and drive ongoing symptoms.</li>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">The Motility Breakdown: How damage to your gut&rsquo;s nervous system (the migrating motor complex) allows bacteria to build up in the small intestine &mdash; leading to SIBO.</li>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">The IBS Label Problem: Why IBS is not a diagnosis, but a description &mdash; and why it gives you no answers on what to actually treat.</li>
<li data-start="991" data-end="1929">The Testing Gap: Why standard GP testing often misses what actually matters, and how SIBO breath testing and microbiome mapping give you real data.</li>
</ul>
You didn&rsquo;t just &ldquo;get sick and recover.&rdquo;
Your gut changed.
And until you understand what changed &mdash; and where the problem is &mdash; you&rsquo;ll stay stuck managing symptoms instead of fixing them.
You don&rsquo;t need another diet. You don&rsquo;t need another generic protocol.
You need data. And a strategy that actually matches what&rsquo;s happening in your body.
Your gut isn&rsquo;t broken. It just hasn&rsquo;t been properly investigated.
<hr>
LINKS TO SHERADYN:
<ul>
<li>Assess your gut&nbsp;health in 3min <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-quiz/" data-outlook-id="6c001ccc-3695-4d71-aa5e-7e1732b03352" data-ogsc="">HERE</a></li>
<li>Follow me on Instagram<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheradyn_functionalnutrition/?hl=en" data-outlook-id="6627524f-6d9a-4618-819c-9b7b09544fcf" data-ogsc="">&nbsp;HERE.&nbsp;</a></li>
<li>Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/412163273677745" data-outlook-id="723f2e6e-3ff9-47ec-aad1-cedbfdc99f20" data-ogsc="">&nbsp;HERE.</a></li>
<li>Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session <a href="https://sheradyndekker.com/gut-health-session/" data-outlook-id="076fd48e-a31c-4177-8603-d393a05ce896" data-ogsc="">HERE.</a></li>
</ul>

Post Bali Belly - Why you've never quite healed

#168 Symptoms of Long Covid/Covid Vax Injury and the first steps to healing with Natasha Sidoti

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