Vivienne is a mother of three beautiful children who all suffered from various food intolerances with varying reactions, a consequence of genetics on both sides of the family! (see My Story). Through combining her passion for health, experiences as a mother, her career as a dietitian and knowledge of Western Herbal Medicine she not only offers invaluable knowledge and experience to help families discover the foods that are affecting them, but offers an holistic approach that investigates and treats the underlying causal factors (gut, genetics, vitamin and mineral deficiencies) to help prevent the development of further intolerances and allow for faster introduction of foods. She treats both children and adults, with many adults presenting with food intolerance symptoms that have changed over time, from the colicky baby, to the child with eczema and asthma to the adult with migraines, anxiety and chronic fatigue. 

She offers consultations worldwide via phone, FaceTime, or Skype and for local residents she is happy to provide a home visit, especially for the elderly who can't leave their home, the mother with a newborn and kids, and NDIS patients. Once you have seen Vivienne, she provides ongoing support via email between visits to answer your questions and ensure that you are on the right track. She also now provides a daily support service, at an extra cost, for those that need constant monitoring and reassurance, particularly breastfeeding mothers. 

Is your baby or child food sensitive?

Helping kids with food-induced ADHD, OCD tendencies, tic disorders (Tourette Syndrome), autism, anxiety, depression, ODD, fussy eating, eczema and asthma.

Helping babies with colic, reflux, projectile vomiting, weight gain.

Are you food sensitive?

Helping adults with symptoms such as IBS, Coeliac Disease, post viral chronic fatigue, autoimmune (hypothyroid, Fibromyalgia) and food-induced anxiety and depression.

Are you eating the right foods for both of you? Nutritional Epigenetics links food and environmental chemicals to developmental disorders in children. Brie and camembert aren't the only foods to be avoided! One consultation is all you will need to ensure you are eating the right foods, are taking the most suitable vitamin supplements (depending on your genetics) and getting all your essential nutrients for both you and your baby. If the mother's gut is not in a healthy state, this will often lead to problems breastfeeding, as the partly digested food molecules can pass through the breast milk and cause havoc in the gut of the breastfeeding newborn.

Is your baby colicky, restless, writhing in pain, have blood in their stools, rashes (including nappy rash) and generally unsettled?

Food allergens, FODMAPS and chemicals from the mother's diet pass into the breast milk and can cause food intolerant symptoms in the sensitive baby. If the mother's gut is also compromised, then both mother and baby need to be treated. I am seeing more and more babies who are sensitive to the basics - rice, potato and pear due to potential issues with Oral Allergy Syndrome so in these cases, the RPAH Elimination Diet and low FODMAP diet don't work and we need to investigate other causes. LET ME HELP TAKE THE CONFUSION AWAY.

Food intolerance is extremely complex and very puzzling. It depends on the gut microbiome you were given from your mother (especially if your mum suffered from thrush), antibiotic use, genetics, gastrointestinal viruses and infections and your diet. We often look to one diet to fix all of our problems to find that after some initial improvement, we start to develop symptoms again. For those with a compromised gut, they are often sensitive to a variety of food chemicals, proteins and molecules and require a combination of diets. This is where a thorough family history can help eliminate much of the guesswork so that you're not avoiding foods unnecessarily. 

I provide a unique support service for those with complex cases. All of my patients are set up with an online interactive food and symptom diary for close monitoring, they have the option of daily email and text support that provides reassurance for the anxious and I monitor and analyse baby's stool pictures to ensure that there is minimal chance of regression.

SYMPTOMS OF FOOD INTOLERANCE

• ADHD
• Hyperactivity
• Silliness
• Tantrums
• Silly noises
• Aggression
• Oppositional defiance (ODD)
• Uninhibitedness
• Tics, Tic disorders, Tourette Syndrome
• Stuttering
• Asthma
• Eczema
• Autism and Asperger
• Constipation
• Migraines and headaches
• Chronic Fatigue
• Rhinitis
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• General hypersensitivity (sound, smell, touch)
• Bed wetting
• Anxiety and depression
• Leg pains
• Restless leg syndrome
• Dark circles around eyes, poor weight gain

ADDITIVES TO AVOID

COLOURS

102,104,110,122,123,124,127,129,132,133,142,143, 151,155

Natural colour 160b (annatto)

PRESERVATIVES

Sorbates

Cheese, dips, drinks

200-203

Benzoates

Soft drinks, cordial, medicine

210-213

Sulphites

Dried fruit, juice, processed meat, cordial

220-228

Nitrates, nitrites

Cured and processed 'deli' meats (ham, bacon, hotdogs, frankfurts)

249-252

Propionates

Bread and bakery goods

280-283

SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANTS

Found in oils (vegetable oil) and fats, baked goods, muesli, snack bars,

biscuits, peanut butter

Gallates 310-312

TBHQ, BHA, BHT 319-321

FLAVOUR ENHANCERS

Glutamates including MSG 620-625

Ribonucleotides 627, 631, 635

Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP)

ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS

All - they don't have numbers

It is recommended that a child first trial an elimination diet before they begin medication for ADHD.

What is FOOD-INDUCED ADHD?

Some children have FOOD-INDUCED ADHD and may react to both additives in food and also to natural chemicals such as amines, glutamates and salicylates found in 'healthy' food. When these kids start on an elimination diet, in most circumstances behaviour improves almost immediately. (See a recently published article on FOOD-INDUCED ADHD and why GPs and paediatricians should first recommend a trial of the elimination diet before offering medication).

FOOD-INDUCED ADHD AND MEDICATION

Some children have FOOD-INDUCED ADHD that also requires medication, often if they still have a debilitating degree of inattention during class and they struggle to do and finish their work. In these sensitive children, even if they are medicated, if they eat the affecting foods, it may interfere with the ability of the medication to work effectively.

NON FOOD-INDUCED ADHD

If you do not see any improvement in behaviour with a trial of the elimination diet, your child does not have food-induced ADHD and you may need to consult your GP or paediatrician for other therapies.