A structured dietary reset
Calm symptoms, identify triggers & personalise tolerance.
→ See the Low FODMAP guide
Your internal ecosystem
Microbes influence digestion, immunity & inflammation.
→ Learn more
Where health truly begins
Symptoms often start in the gut before diagnosis.
→ Explore gut health
Welcome — I'm so glad you're here. I created this space where health is explored beyond labels, where nutrition meets lived experience, and where chronic conditions are spoken about honestly, without shame or defeat. I created this website after years of trying to make sense of my own health, not just as a doctor but as a patient. I have learned that there is a world between the consulting room and real life, it isn't just about medication or diagnosis — it's about nutrition, gut health, hormones, mindset and living with compassion for our bodies.
Some people come here for inspiration and healthy lifestyle ideas. Others come because they want to understand what might really be going on beneath their symptoms. And many arrive because they feel unheard, misunderstood, or tired of being told that their condition is "chronic" and therefore fixed. I don't believe the story ends there.
You are more than your diagnosis. I know that because I've been there too.
There was a time I asked myself if I would ever be "well" again. For decades I worked as a GP, and yet my own chronic health challenges taught me more about healing than any textbook. I saw multiple specialists, tried countless treatments, and still found myself without answers. If that sounds familiar, I hope you feel at home here.
Eventually I realised something important: I could not force my body to "behave" into wellness, but I could learn to support it. I went from coping to living. That mindset changed everything: how I ate, how I moved, how I thought about inflammation, metabolism, hormones and the microbiome.
My mindset shifted from simply coping with illness to living fully with it — and taking back control.
That journey led me deeper into nutrition and lifestyle medicine. I read research, explored gut health, studied the microbiome, and slowly began connecting the dots that medicine often leaves unjoined. The more I studied nutrition and gut health, the more the puzzle pieces came together.
The microbiome in our gut became the missing link between symptoms that seemed unrelated — digestion, mood, inflammation, energy, metabolism and even chronic pain. Once I understood that, things began to make sense. When the gut is inflamed, the microbiome gets disrupted or depleted hence the rest of the body pays the price. And when the gut begins to heal, the microbiome recovers, symptoms across the body often shift in surprising ways.
I'm sharing what I learned because I know how overwhelming and isolating these journeys can feel.
I'm not here to replace your doctor, diagnose you, or offer miracle cures. I'm here because I genuinely believe we are not given the full picture of health, especially when it comes to chronic conditions.
I'm here because I've lived on both sides — the clinician and the patient — and because I now understand how isolating it can feel when you are trying to make sense of your own body.
Most importantly, I'm here because the knowledge I gained changed my life, and I don't want to keep it to myself. If it helps even one person connect a missing piece, it's worth sharing.
Knowledge transformed my life, and I want to pass it forward. If it helps even one person make sense of their journey, it matters.
Who I Am
Former GP with over 25 years in medicine
Researcher in nutrition & gut health for 15+ years
A patient navigating chronic illness
A mother, daughter and sister who has seen illness across generations
Someone who now believes medicine and lifestyle must work together
What I've Learned
Prescriptions help, but so does food
Symptoms tell a story if we listen
The gut is foundational
Inflammation is not random
And healing is rarely linear
What This Space Is
Compassionate
Evidence-informed
Holistic
Curious
Patient-focused
What This Space Isn't
Anti-medicine
Anti-doctor
Miracle-cure driven
Judgemental
A replacement for your physician
🌱 Gut & Microbiome
Where inflammation, immunity, metabolism and mood intersect.
🍽 Nutrition & Lifestyle
Food as information. Fasting, metabolic health, mitochondria & micronutrients.
🧠 Perimenopause & Menopause
Midlife health through hormones + metabolism + microbiome.
🧬 Chronic Illness & Symptoms
IBS, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, metabolic syndrome & more.
🥗 Recipes & Practical Ideas
Real food that nourishes the gut — no perfection required.
📖 My Journey & Reflections
What I learned as both a doctor and a patient.
Health in not linear. It is not a straight path, a single system, a prescription pad solution or striving for perfection. It is layered, personal and deeply intertwined with how we live, eat, rest, think and feel. It's about understanding the body, listening to its patterns, and supporting it with patience and compassion.
If any part of my story resonates with yours, I'm glad you're here. You are not alone, and you are not a diagnosis. We are learning together — and we don't have to do it alone. I truly believe there is more hope than we are often told.
You are not alone, and you are not a diagnosis. Health is not linear — it's a journey we can navigate together.
In medicine, we study disease.
In nutrition, we study the environment disease grows in.
In my long 30 years in medicine, I've spent 15 years bridging both.
Low FODMAP diet reboots the gut in IBS but what about everyone else? From years of clinical practice, as well as observing my own family and personal health journeys, I can't recall many patients ever being advised to try a Low FODMAP diet when presenting with IBS symptoms. Yet for many individuals, this can be one of the...
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Being diagnosed with IBS and told to "go Low FODMAP" can feel overwhelming — especially if you're waiting to see a dietitian or didn't receive much guidance. The purpose of the Low FODMAP diet isn't to cut foods forever, but to calm the gut, identify triggers, and reintroduce foods once symptoms settle. In this section, I share practical tips for structuring a day on the diet and understanding the principles without fear or confusion.
Read more about how to implement the 3 steps of low FODMAP diet, with "Dr SSM's Low FODMAP guide".
Healing isn't perfect, linear, or fast. It's personal, layered, and full of hope.
