Hello, my name is Natalie. I am a naturopathic nutritionist.

I was always an extremely fussy eater, avoiding most fruits and vegetables altogether. In 2015, my approach to food began to shift. I started cooking more for myself, gradually learning to work with new ingredients, flavours, and textures.

What began with simple dishes, like a roasted pepper pasta sauce, evolved into a genuine love of colourful, varied, and nourishing meals. That journey showed me firsthand that our relationship with food is not fixed—it can change profoundly with time, patience, and the right approach.

Alongside this transformation, I developed a strong interest in the connection between food and health. Spending time engaging with health literature deepened my curiosity about the role nutrition can play in supporting wellbeing, ultimately leading me to pursue formal study in nutrition.

Why Gut Health?

For much of my life, I struggled with constipation and then developed adult acne. Both improved significantly when I increased my intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and a wider variety of whole foods. As I began nourishing my gut, I discovered the incredible role of the gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms that live within our digestive tract and influence everything from digestion and immune function to hormone balance.

I later learnt that an improving microbiome is not necessarily a resilient one. Following a course of prescribed medication, my still-fragile gut ecosystem was disrupted, and I developed a range of digestive symptoms. What followed was an 18-month journey of restoring my gut health and deepening my understanding of just how dynamic the microbiome can be.

I am deeply grateful for the role that modern medicine and pharmaceuticals play in improving and saving lives. My experience, however, highlighted that pharmaceuticals, alongside the food we eat and the environment we live in, can influence the gut microbiome in ways that deserve greater understanding and support. My journey has taught me that healing can take time, patience and curiosity, and that true wellbeing often comes from seeing the bigger picture.