I’ve met and helped women who have tried it all and are frustrated, hungry and stuck in the toxic yo-yo dieting cycle learn how to sustainably slim down and lose the bloat. But I do it without the hunger and still enjoy life’s greatest joys (think burgers and wine).

I personally battled with my own health journey for around six years. It began with bloating issues for around three years, with the next three to four years becoming chronic, leaving me with unexplained constipation, bloating and pain despite being a healthy young woman.

This also went hand in hand with a lot of fatigue and yo-yo dieting behaviours as my weight became hard to manage.

After visiting multiple General Practitioners (GP’s) and specialists whilst studying nutrition (which drove me crazy, to say the least) nothing was adding up and the dietary ‘norms’ weren’t working.

But then that all changed. I found the answers I was looking for and I am now living with a healed gut, far more energy and total freedom with food. My weight is much easier to manage, and I’ve run my business, Health with Bec, for seven years because of the passion this journey ignited in me. From this, I have now helped thousands of women find freedom and it is pure joy every single day.

So, what did I discover? How may it help you?

Before I spill my secrets, it’s important to remember that we are all different, and this is just what worked for me. 

Finding the right specialist

I visited a functional medicine doctor – this is someone who seeks to identify and treat the underlying cause of your condition. It centres on the idea that one condition may have many causes, or one cause may have many conditions, and is focused on using a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes to treat and heal the whole person.

They did the right tests on me. Looking back, it’s so obvious now as there are so many out there, but at the time I just didn’t know. Doctors were mainly looking for major health concerns, for example in my bowel through colonoscopies to find polyps or the like, or I’d be told to just “eat more fibre” by GPs.

It was found that I had an underactive thyroid, so I went on the right medicine for me to help with this. This can be connected with constipation and difficulties losing and maintaining weight because having less thyroid hormone in your body slows everything down, from your metabolism to your digestion. So, some of my weight, energy and constipation struggles were answered.

Then, we discovered a further two big pieces of the puzzle, directly to do with my gut.

1. I had an imbalance of gut bacteria

They found, through the right test, that my microbiome (the bacteria inside your gut) was out of balance. I was lacking in some really important bacteria that needed to be built up.

2. I had multiple food sensitivities

Through another test (specifically an IGA / IGG test), it uncovered that I was personally sensitive to gluten, most grains, dairy, eggs and peas.

This was such a surprise to find out (mainly the eggs and peas). I was consuming a protein powder made from peas and, with the eggs, I was just unaware that they could be an issue. They are such a healthy food (and once again, we are all unique), but for me these were some triggers that made my issues worse.

I was put on the thyroid medication, supplements to correct my microbiome and began to eliminate these foods, and I instantly felt relief from the bloating, which helped with my constipation, and after a year of committing to this lifestyle, I felt alive again.

I hope this inspires you to never stop listening to your body until you find your answers, never give up, and get the right tests by visiting functional medicine doctors who investigate things in depth. Your health is your biggest asset and should be your biggest priority. It truly is possible to feel optimal.