From Hormone Chaos to Hormone Harmony… Reiki & Functional Hormone Expert Melissa Perna unpacks her experience with PCOS, living with half a thyroid and the transition into Perimenopause. We explore how nutrition and nervous system support are the key to balanced, happy hormones.. listen now on the Empowered Hormones Podcast

GUEST LINKS

Website: www.melissaperna.com.au

Social links: https://www.instagram.com/melissapernahormonehealth/, https://www.facebook.com/melissapernahormonehealth

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

From Hormone Chaos to Hormone Harmony&hellip; Reiki &amp; Functional Hormone Expert Melissa Perna unpacks her experience with PCOS, living with half a thyroid and the transition into Perimenopause. We explore how nutrition and nervous system support are the key to balanced, happy hormones.. listen now on the Empowered Hormones Podcast
GUEST LINKS
Website: <a href="http://www.melissaperna.com.au">www.melissaperna.com.au</a>
Social links: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melissapernahormonehealth/">https://www.instagram.com/melissapernahormonehealth/</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/melissapernahormonehealth">https://www.facebook.com/melissapernahormonehealth</a>
LINKS TO SHERADYN:
<ul>
<li>Assess your gut 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"> </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheradyn_functionalnutrition/?hl=en"> </a></li>
<li>Join my Private Gut Health Facebook group<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/412163273677745"></a></li>
<li>Book a Free Gut Health Planning Session<a href="http://www.sheradyndekker.com"> </a><a href="http://www.sheradyndekker.com">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

EP #187 - PCOS, Underactive Thyroid and Navigating Perimenopause (Functionally) with Melissa Perna 

How to heal your gut after antibiotics (prevent thrush, IBS & bloating)

If you’ve ever finished a course of antibiotics and thought, my gut has never been the same since… this is for you.

Because I know what you’ve probably been told. Finish the antibiotics. Maybe take a probiotic. Give it time. And while the infection clears… the bloating starts. Your digestion changes. You develop thrush. Your bowel habits aren’t the same. Food suddenly doesn’t agree with you anymore.

So you assume that’s just part of taking antibiotics. But let’s be clear. Antibiotics save lives. Sometimes they’re exactly what you need.

The problem isn’t the antibiotics.The problem is nobody tells you how to rebuild your gut afterwards.

Because antibiotics don’t just kill the bacteria causing the infection. They also wipe out many of the beneficial bacteria that support digestion, hormone metabolism, immune function, and a resilient microbiome.

Research shows that a single course of antibiotics can reduce microbiome diversity by up to 30%. Some bacteria recover within weeks. Others take months. And some may never fully return without the right support.

Today’s episode breaks down what antibiotics actually do to your gut, why symptoms like bloating and thrush happen afterwards, and how to rebuild your microbiome properly instead of simply hoping it recovers on its own.

In this episode, we cover:
What Antibiotics Really Do: Why antibiotics reduce beneficial bacteria alongside harmful ones, and how that impacts digestion, immunity, hormones, and recovery.
Why Thrush Happens: How wiping out protective bacteria allows Candida to overgrow, why this is so common after antibiotics, and what you can do to prevent it.
The Gut-Brain Connection: How antibiotic use affects communication between your gut and brain, influencing digestion, mood, and overall recovery.
The Five R Framework: How removing ongoing stressors, replacing depleted nutrients, repairing the gut lining, reinoculating beneficial bacteria, and rotating foods helps rebuild a healthy microbiome.
Choosing the Right Probiotics: Which probiotic strains actually support recovery after antibiotics, when Saccharomyces boulardii is helpful, and why more probiotics aren’t always better.
Feeding Your Microbiome: The role of fermented foods, prebiotic foods, and dietary diversity in helping your microbiome recover instead of simply masking symptoms.

Antibiotics aren’t the enemy.

But assuming your gut will automatically bounce back can leave you dealing with bloating, thrush, IBS symptoms, and hormone issues long after the infection has gone.

You don’t need to fear antibiotics.

You need to understand how to rebuild your gut afterwards—and give your microbiome the support it actually needs to recover.

Your gut isn’t broken. It just needs the right environment to heal.

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.

How to heal your gut after antibiotics (prevent thrush, IBS &amp; bloating)
If you&rsquo;ve ever finished a course of antibiotics and thought, my gut has never been the same since&hellip; this is for you.
Because I know what you&rsquo;ve probably been told. Finish the antibiotics. Maybe take a probiotic. Give it time.&nbsp;And while the infection clears&hellip; the bloating starts. Your digestion changes. You develop thrush. Your bowel habits aren&rsquo;t the same. Food suddenly doesn&rsquo;t agree with you anymore.
So you assume that&rsquo;s just part of taking antibiotics.&nbsp;But let&rsquo;s be clear.&nbsp;Antibiotics save lives. Sometimes they&rsquo;re exactly what you need.
The problem isn&rsquo;t the antibiotics.The problem is nobody tells you how to rebuild your gut afterwards.
Because antibiotics don&rsquo;t just kill the bacteria causing the infection. They also wipe out many of the beneficial bacteria that support digestion, hormone metabolism, immune function, and a resilient microbiome.
Research shows that a single course of antibiotics can reduce microbiome diversity by up to 30%. Some bacteria recover within weeks. Others take months. And some may never fully return without the right support.
Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down what antibiotics actually do to your gut, why symptoms like bloating and thrush happen afterwards, and how to rebuild your microbiome properly instead of simply hoping it recovers on its own.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li>What Antibiotics Really Do: Why antibiotics reduce beneficial bacteria alongside harmful ones, and how that impacts digestion, immunity, hormones, and recovery.</li>
<li>Why Thrush Happens: How wiping out protective bacteria allows Candida to overgrow, why this is so common after antibiotics, and what you can do to prevent it.</li>
<li>The Gut-Brain Connection: How antibiotic use affects communication between your gut and brain, influencing digestion, mood, and overall recovery.</li>
<li>The Five R Framework: How removing ongoing stressors, replacing depleted nutrients, repairing the gut lining, reinoculating beneficial bacteria, and rotating foods helps rebuild a healthy microbiome.</li>
<li>Choosing the Right Probiotics: Which probiotic strains actually support recovery after antibiotics, when Saccharomyces boulardii is helpful, and why more probiotics aren&rsquo;t always better.</li>
<li>Feeding Your Microbiome: The role of fermented foods, prebiotic foods, and dietary diversity in helping your microbiome recover instead of simply masking symptoms.</li>
</ul>
Antibiotics aren&rsquo;t the enemy.
But assuming your gut will automatically bounce back can leave you dealing with bloating, thrush, IBS symptoms, and hormone issues long after the infection has gone.
You don&rsquo;t need to fear antibiotics.
You need to understand how to rebuild your gut afterwards&mdash;and give your microbiome the support it actually needs to recover.
Your gut isn&rsquo;t broken. It just needs the right environment to heal.
<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>

How to heal your gut after antibiotics (prevent thrush, IBS & bloating)

EP #204 How to heal your gut after antibiotics (prevent thrush, IBS & bloating)

The top 10 causes of IBS (that your GP hasn’t told you about)

You’ve been told it’s IBS. Maybe you were given a low FODMAP handout, told to manage your stress, eat more fibre, or “just avoid trigger foods.” And maybe some of that helped for a bit.

But if you are still bloated, constipated, gassy, reacting to foods, or thinking about your gut all day — something has been missed. Because IBS is not a root cause.

It’s a label doctors use when your gut symptoms are real, but no one has properly figured out why they’re happening.

And that’s where women get stuck.

They spend years cutting foods, trying supplements, managing symptoms, and blaming themselves. Thinking they need more discipline. More restriction. More probiotics. But there is always a reason your gut is struggling.

And no — it is not “just stress.”

Today’s episode breaks down the most common root causes I see driving IBS symptoms in clinic, why generic IBS advice keeps women stuck, and what actually needs to be investigated if you want to fix your gut properly.

In this episode, we cover:
SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): Why bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine causes bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, and food reactions — and why low FODMAP only masks symptoms.
Methane-Dominant IMO: How methane-producing organisms slow gut motility and drive chronic constipation.
Low Stomach Acid: Why poor digestion leads to fermentation, bloating, reflux, and bacteria thriving where they shouldn’t.
Parasites & Infections: Why hidden infections are more common than women realise and can quietly drive symptoms for years.
Dysbiosis: How imbalances in your microbiome affect digestion, hormones, inflammation, immunity, and overall gut function.
H. pylori: Why this common infection contributes to reflux, nausea, bloating, and poor digestion.
The Nervous System Connection: How chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation directly affect gut motility and digestion.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Why some women are not dealing with a gut issue at all — but a muscular coordination issue affecting bowel movements.
Food Fear & Restriction: How years of cutting foods and under-eating can make gut function worse over time.
The Testing Gap: Why standard testing often misses the real drivers behind IBS symptoms — and why proper testing changes the whole treatment approach.

You are not failing because you ate broccoli, and you are not “bad” at gut health because another probiotic didn’t work.

If you’ve been stuck bloated for years, reacting to foods, planning your day around your gut, and feeling like nothing is helping… that is not something you just ignore and manage forever.

Something underneath is driving it, and until you figure out what that is, you’ll keep going in circles trying random diets and supplements hoping one finally fixes it.

You don’t need more guessing. You need proper investigation, proper testing, and a plan that actually matches what is going on in your body.

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.

The top 10 causes of IBS (that your GP hasn&rsquo;t told you about)
You&rsquo;ve been told it&rsquo;s IBS. Maybe you were given a low FODMAP handout, told to manage your stress, eat more fibre, or &ldquo;just avoid trigger foods.&rdquo;&nbsp;And maybe some of that helped for a bit.
But if you are still bloated, constipated, gassy, reacting to foods, or thinking about your gut all day &mdash; something has been missed.&nbsp;Because IBS is not a root cause.
It&rsquo;s a label doctors use when your gut symptoms are real, but no one has properly figured out why they&rsquo;re happening.
And that&rsquo;s where women get stuck.
They spend years cutting foods, trying supplements, managing symptoms, and blaming themselves. Thinking they need more discipline. More restriction. More probiotics.&nbsp;But there is always a reason your gut is struggling.
And no &mdash; it is not &ldquo;just stress.&rdquo;
Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down the most common root causes I see driving IBS symptoms in clinic, why generic IBS advice keeps women stuck, and what actually needs to be investigated if you want to fix your gut properly.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li data-start="1081" data-end="1282">SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): Why bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine causes bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, and food reactions &mdash; and why low FODMAP only masks symptoms.</li>
<li data-start="1284" data-end="1387">Methane-Dominant IMO: How methane-producing organisms slow gut motility and drive chronic constipation.</li>
<li data-start="1389" data-end="1510">Low Stomach Acid: Why poor digestion leads to fermentation, bloating, reflux, and bacteria thriving where they shouldn&rsquo;t.</li>
<li data-start="1512" data-end="1634">Parasites &amp; Infections: Why hidden infections are more common than women realise and can quietly drive symptoms for years.</li>
<li data-start="1636" data-end="1758">Dysbiosis: How imbalances in your microbiome affect digestion, hormones, inflammation, immunity, and overall gut function.</li>
<li data-start="1760" data-end="1857">H. pylori: Why this common infection contributes to reflux, nausea, bloating, and poor digestion.</li>
<li data-start="1859" data-end="1985">The Nervous System Connection: How chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation directly affect gut motility and digestion.</li>
<li data-start="1987" data-end="2130">Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Why some women are not dealing with a gut issue at all &mdash; but a muscular coordination issue affecting bowel movements.</li>
<li data-start="2132" data-end="2239">Food Fear &amp; Restriction: How years of cutting foods and under-eating can make gut function worse over time.</li>
<li data-start="2241" data-end="2391">The Testing Gap: Why standard testing often misses the real drivers behind IBS symptoms &mdash; and why proper testing changes the whole treatment approach.</li>
</ul>
You are not failing because you ate broccoli, and you are not &ldquo;bad&rdquo; at gut health because another probiotic didn&rsquo;t work.
If you&rsquo;ve been stuck bloated for years, reacting to foods, planning your day around your gut, and feeling like nothing is helping&hellip; that is not something you just ignore and manage forever.
Something underneath is driving it, and until you figure out what that is, you&rsquo;ll keep going in circles trying random diets and supplements hoping one finally fixes it.
You don&rsquo;t need more guessing.&nbsp;You need proper investigation, proper testing, and a plan that actually matches what is going on in your body.
<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>

The top 10 causes of IBS (that your GP hasn't told you about)

EP #203 The top 10 causes of IBS (that your GP hasn't told you about)

The perfect poop, laxative use & overcoming constipation

You have been pooping your entire life… and I would bet nobody has ever actually told you what a healthy one looks like, how often you should be going, or what it means when you’re not.

And honestly? That is a problem.

Because what happens when nobody talks about bowel movements is that women start normalising symptoms that are not normal. Going every three or four days becomes “just how you are.” Straining becomes normal. Living on laxatives becomes normal.

And the medical system has not helped.

You go to your GP, say you’re constipated, and get told to eat more fibre, drink more water, and take Movicol. But nobody explains why you’re constipated in the first place.

Because constipation is not a diagnosis.

It’s a symptom.

And treating all constipation the same way is exactly why so many women stay stuck.

Today’s episode breaks down what a healthy bowel movement actually looks like, what your poop tells you about your hormones and gut health, the different types of constipation, and why laxatives are not fixing the root cause.

In this episode, we cover:

What a Healthy Poop Actually Looks Like: The bowel frequency, consistency, colour, and ease of passing that actually tell us your gut is functioning properly — including how to use the Bristol Stool Chart.

Why Constipation Affects Your Hormones: How slow bowel transit impacts oestrogen clearance, contributes to PMS, bloating, painful periods, and leaves your body literally reabsorbing hormones it was trying to eliminate.

Why Pooping Matters for Detoxification: How your bowel movements help remove hormones, waste products, and endotoxins from the body — and what happens when that process slows down.

The Different Types of Constipation: Why slow transit constipation, pelvic floor dysfunction, IBS-C, and methane-dominant IMO are completely different problems that require completely different solutions.

Methane-Dominant IMO: How methane-producing organisms chemically slow gut motility, why fibre can actually make symptoms worse, and why breath testing matters.

Laxative Dependency: What actually happens when stimulant laxatives are used long-term, why dependency develops, and why the laxative becomes the management strategy instead of fixing the problem.

What to Do Instead: Simple, practical strategies to support motility naturally, including toilet posture, magnesium, meal spacing, nervous system regulation, and supporting your migrating motor complex.

You are not constipated because your body is lazy.

And you are not “bad at digestion.”

There is always a reason your gut is slowing down — whether that is methane overgrowth, stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, or impaired motility.

Big difference.

You don’t need to keep cycling through fibre supplements and laxatives hoping something finally works.

You need to understand what type of constipation you actually have — and what is driving it underneath.

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.

The perfect poop, laxative use &amp; overcoming constipation
You have been pooping your entire life&hellip; and I would bet nobody has ever actually told you what a healthy one looks like, how often you should be going, or what it means when you&rsquo;re not.
And honestly? That is a problem.
Because what happens when nobody talks about bowel movements is that women start normalising symptoms that are not normal. Going every three or four days becomes &ldquo;just how you are.&rdquo; Straining becomes normal. Living on laxatives becomes normal.
And the medical system has not helped.
You go to your GP, say you&rsquo;re constipated, and get told to eat more fibre, drink more water, and take Movicol. But nobody explains why you&rsquo;re constipated in the first place.
Because constipation is not a diagnosis.
It&rsquo;s a symptom.
And treating all constipation the same way is exactly why so many women stay stuck.
Today&rsquo;s episode breaks down what a healthy bowel movement actually looks like, what your poop tells you about your hormones and gut health, the different types of constipation, and why laxatives are not fixing the root cause.
In this episode, we cover:
What a Healthy Poop Actually Looks Like: The bowel frequency, consistency, colour, and ease of passing that actually tell us your gut is functioning properly &mdash; including how to use the Bristol Stool Chart.
Why Constipation Affects Your Hormones: How slow bowel transit impacts oestrogen clearance, contributes to PMS, bloating, painful periods, and leaves your body literally reabsorbing hormones it was trying to eliminate.
Why Pooping Matters for Detoxification: How your bowel movements help remove hormones, waste products, and endotoxins from the body &mdash; and what happens when that process slows down.
The Different Types of Constipation: Why slow transit constipation, pelvic floor dysfunction, IBS-C, and methane-dominant IMO are completely different problems that require completely different solutions.
Methane-Dominant IMO: How methane-producing organisms chemically slow gut motility, why fibre can actually make symptoms worse, and why breath testing matters.
Laxative Dependency: What actually happens when stimulant laxatives are used long-term, why dependency develops, and why the laxative becomes the management strategy instead of fixing the problem.
What to Do Instead: Simple, practical strategies to support motility naturally, including toilet posture, magnesium, meal spacing, nervous system regulation, and supporting your migrating motor complex.
You are not constipated because your body is lazy.
And you are not &ldquo;bad at digestion.&rdquo;
There is always a reason your gut is slowing down &mdash; whether that is methane overgrowth, stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, or impaired motility.
Big difference.
You don&rsquo;t need to keep cycling through fibre supplements and laxatives hoping something finally works.
You need to understand what type of constipation you actually have &mdash; and what is driving it underneath.
<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>

The perfect poop, laxative use & overcoming constipation

EP #187 - PCOS, Underactive Thyroid and Navigating Perimenopause (Functionally) with Melissa Perna

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Empowered Hormones with Sheradyn Dekker

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