Gemma McGuigan
Nutrition & Functional Medicine
Transforming health with science & nature
Functional Medicine
“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease” - Hippocrates
What is Functional Medicine? Watch this video from The Institute for Functional Medicine to learn more.
Functional medicine asks how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual.
It is an approach to patient care that views health and illness as part of a continuum in which all components of the human biological system interact dynamically with the environment, producing patterns and effects that change over time. Functional medicine may be described as the clinical application of systems biology.
Poor diet, stress, pollution, poor sleep, lack of exercise and the impact of your busy life, all combine to deplete you of vital life giving nutrients & energy. This disrupts your internal balance and leaves you vulnerable to dysfunction in the body.
Chronic disease is usually preceded by a period of declining function in one or more of the body’s systems. Restoration of health requires improving the specific dysfunctions that have contributed to the disease state or symptoms.
The most important precept of functional medicine is that restoring balance between a patient’s environment and their physiology is the key to restoring health. It is also the case that by addressing any fundamental imbalance, the functional medicine model potentially postpones or prevents the future emergence of multiple other conditions.
These core functional imbalances serve to bridge the mechanisms of illness with the clinical manifestations of disease:
• Assimilation: Digestion, absorption, microbiota/GI, respiration
• Defense and Repair: Immune, inflammation, infection/microbiota
• Energy: Energy regulation, mitochondrial function
• Biotransformation and Elimination: Detoxification
• Transport: Cardiovascular and lymphatic movement
• Communication: Endocrine, neurotransmitters, immune messengers
• Structural Integrity: Subcellular membranes to musculoskeletal integrity
How do I work?
I want to make a difference to people's lives. Watch this video to see how.
In a typical consultation, I take a detailed health history including: your family health history, medications, exercise patterns, stress levels, dietary and lifestyle habits and questioning on each bodily system.
Often further investigation, through functional diagnostic testing, may be required. I often work with Comprehensive digestive stool analysis, SIBO testing, Allergy & Intolerance testing, Dutch Complete adrenal & sex hormones testing, Thyroid testing, Organic Acids testing, Cyrex Autoimmunity testing, Cardiometabolic testing, Nutritional profiles, Mitochondrial dysfunction & Armin lab testing for infectious agents.
My aim is to unravel your health history and your individual biochemistry to get to the underlying root cause of symptoms & conditions.
A functional medicine treatment plan may involve one or more of a broad range of therapeutic modalities, including many different dietary interventions, along with lifestyle changes and nutraceuticals. A ‘Food First’ approach emphasising nutrition is essential to the practice of functional medicine.
I also offer Lifecode Gx genetic testing and analysis which allows you to further implement proactive, preventative, and truly personalised health plans for optimal health. A simple saliva test gives you information on your genetics that can help you make better choices in your diet and lifestyle.
What can I support?
Gut health, IBS, Women's health & Hormonal imbalance (PMS, Menopause, PCOS, Endometriosis, fibroids), Fertility, Metabolic Conditions: (Type 2 Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome), Weight management, Allergies, Autoimmunity, Chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Thyroid health, Degenerative diseases, Low mood, Anxiety, Behavioural issues, Joint aches & pains, Skin issues, Headaches & Migraines, Sleep issues, Stress management, Weakened immunity, Disease prevention and Optimising health.
Working together
Supporting your health challenges takes time, dedication and commitment from us both. My aim is to empower and educate you to take your health back into your own hands, through the diet and lifestyle choices you make.
It is important to note that nutritional and lifestyle support is complementary to what your doctor does, not instead of. I also work in conjunction with a Cranial Osteopath, Acupuncturist, Counsellor, Clinical Hypnotherapist and an Energy Psychologist to support the structural, emotional and energetic components of health.
About me
After studying Environmental Science at Liverpool University I set out on my travels and ended up in Australia. It was here that I was inspired by a different approach to health and wellness, an approach that considered the "whole person" and using natural non toxic modalities to support the bodies innate healing ability. I then trained to become a Holistic Childbirth Educator which opened my eyes to the powerful connection that diet and mindset had on pregnancy and birth.
This experience prompted me to study at The College of Naturopathic Medicine in London where I completed my Diploma in Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy. I am a fully certified Functional Medicine Practitioner with the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM).
I am a fully qualified and registered member of BANT, the British association for Nutrition and Lifestyle medicine and also a member of The Institute of Functional Medicine. I am CNHC registered and fully insured to practice Nutritional Therapy.
I also collaborate with the amazing Donna Grant as a founder of Mind. Body. Reset, a collective celebration of wellness to nurture your mind and nourish your body. We offer wellness retreats & talks that weave together science, nature & spirit.
Qualifications
The Institute of Functional Medicine
Completed AFMCP – Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice™. 2019.
Completed IFMCP - Institute of Functional Medicine Practitioner Certification completed in 2022
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Immune Dysregulation and Chronic Inflammation: Chronic Infections and Autoimmunity 2021
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Gastrointestinal Health 2021
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Detox & Environmental Health 2021
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Cardiometabolic 2021
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Hormones 2021
Completed Functional Medicine APM - Bioenergetics 2022
The Sibo Doctor
Completed - Advanced SIBO mastery course with Dr Nirala Jacobi 2020
Completed - Liver & Gallbladder course with Dr Steven Sandberg-Lewis 2020
Completed - Navigating the Pediatric Gut 2021
Cogence Immunology under Dr Samuel Yanuck
Ongoing - Cogence Functional Immunology 2021
Dr. Jodie Dashore BioNexus Health
Ongoing - Mentorship 2021