Would you like to be a guinea pig?

Hi everyone,

Even though it's raining as I'm writing this it's been fantastic to have some sunshine over the past few days - it feels so good!

Speaking of feeling good, this weekend I attended a live, online Mental Health Summit. There were a variety of speakers - Naturopaths, Psychologists, Probiotic specialist & Lifestyle Medicine specialist. It was a really interesting couple of days so I wanted to share a snippet with you and ask if you would like to be a guinea pig for a little trial I'd like to do.

Have you heard of Psychobiotics? These are probiotics specifically targeted towards psychological/mental health. There has been interest and theories around this since 1880 which I found remarkable. More recent research has shown thata gut microbiome imbalance can affect some psychiatric diseases and the nervous system development of infants.

Also, specific strains of probiotics:

- have shown a reduction in psychological stress levels in healthy but stressed participants (no clinical diagnosis)

- can significantly decrease depression in people already on anti-depressants

- can increase appetite and hunger in people with suppressed hunger due to depression by helping leptin levels return to normal. Leptin is a hormone which regulates appetite.

- can improve sleep quality in people with depression

I would love to do a mini "trial" with clients using this specific probiotic. If you are interested in joining, please let me know. Here are the criteria:

- currently experiencing high stress, anxiety and/or depression. You don't have to have a clinical diagnosis but it's fine if you do.

- not already taking a probiotic or willing to stop it and only use this one during the 4 weeks of the trial.

- willing to complete a pre and post-trial questionnaire

- willing to pay for the probiotic at 20% discount ($48 + postage) for 30 days supply

- willing to disclose all medication and supplements you are taking so I can check for contraindications. It's ok if you're taking an antidepressant or similar medication but I still need to check the exact one you're on for contraindications.

- can start between 1st - 15th August

- are a current client aged 18yrs or older, or be willing to have an initial consult with me (in person or online) to ensure this is appropriate for you.

If you're still a keen bean please email me and I'll send you some more information. Or feel free to phone me if you have questions :)

Happy microbiome building!

Carla :)P.S. Want to re-read a previous email but have deleted it? (accidentally of course!) Not to fear - all previous emails are available on the website blog or facebook.

P.P.S. Online bookings are available for current clients.