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Hello! 

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I’m really grateful that you’re taking the time to get to know me and hear my story. I'm sharing it with you because if yours is anything like mine, you’re in the right place and I’m here to help.

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I started my career in health and fitness six years ago as a fitness instructor and then personal trainer. I fell in love with weight training and eventually started competing in bodybuilding competitions in the figure category.

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During my time competing I consumed a lot of sports supplements, low calorie foods full of artificial ingredients and very little fat. I reached a very low body fat percentage by the time I got on stage, but was never able to maintain it after the competition. I went through this process four times in the space of three years, dropping and then gaining 10% body fat each time.

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Eventually all of this led to my body failing in several ways. I lost my period, I couldn't lose weight no matter how hard I tried, had night sweats, hot flushes, and crippling fatigue, as well as developed severe IBS and acid reflux.

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I went to my general practitioner, who was quite concerned because of the the symptoms I was experiencing, so she referred me to a gastroenterologist. At this point I was pretty concerned myself that there was something majorly wrong because I was so sick, so when I was told “just IBS” and wasn't provided with any explanation on what that meant or how I could fix it, I felt pretty helpless. At the time, that was the worst possible thing someone could say to me because I was already barely unable to work, had zero social life and could eat only a select few foods without feeling nauseous and spending my day on the toilet.

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I knew there must be more to it.

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I decided to continue searching for answers, and started doing my own research to understand what might be wrong with me. Eventually I discovered that there was a lot more to IBS than my doctor had me believe, and I didn't have to learn to live with it. Realising that conditions like SIBO (which is often triggered by long-term restrictive diets), and hormone imbalances can drive IBS-type symptoms, was a huge turning point in my journey. 

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I tested positive for SIBO, and did comprehensive hormone tests that revealed my progesterone was at a menopausal level and I wasn't ovulating. With this newfound information, I began treatment and slowly started to recover. 

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From this point on, I continued to learn about nutrition, eventually enrolling to study nutritional science and becoming a Registered Clinical Nutritionist

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Throughout my own healing journey I realised that I wasn’t the only one suffering and that there were many others who had fallen through the cracks and needed the help. It’s the worst feeling to know you are running out of options for help; that you feel horrible and nobody seems to believe you or know what to do. 

In 2018, I set up my business The Gut Health Nutritionist and since then have helped hundreds of people overcome their digestive and chronic health issues. I have a particular interest in helping people uncover the root cause of their health issues, rather than labeling people and providing band-aid solutions or worse, no solution at all. 

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I hope my story gives you the courage to share yours and reach out for the help you need. If this sounds like you, then I am super excited for you and the journey you are about to begin. Read more about how you can work with me here.

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Talk soon,

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Chrystie

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