Advanced Hormone & Gut Testing or Functional Testing for Women’s Health​

DUTCH & Comprehensive Stool Testing To Personalise Your Nutrition

 

When symptoms don’t quite add up — or progress feels slower than expected — functional testing can provide clarity.

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As a nutritionist working with women from their 20s through to midlife and beyond, I use advanced hormone and gut testing to understand better what’s happening beneath the surface and tailor nutrition and lifestyle support more precisely.

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Testing is never about finding something “wrong” with you. It’s about understanding how your body is functioning right now — and what it needs to move forward.

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When Functional Testing Can Be Helpful

Some women come to me already knowing something feels off.

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You might recognise yourself here:

• You’re doing many of the “right things” but still feel tired, bloated or out of balance

• Your cycle, sleep or mood has changed, and you want answers

• You’re experiencing stubborn weight gain, cravings or poor recovery

• You want more profound insight into hormones, gut health or stress patterns

 

For some women, testing feels like a reassuring first step.

For others, it becomes useful after we’ve reviewed symptoms, lifestyle and health history.

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There’s no fixed pathway — we decide together what’s appropriate for you.

 

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DUTCH Hormone Testing: Understanding Hormone Patterns.

When hormone testing is indicated, I often recommend the DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones).

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Rather than a single snapshot, the DUTCH test shows patterns over time, helping us understand how hormones are produced, used and processed.

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What the DUTCH Test Can Reveal:​

• How oestrogen is balanced, metabolised and eliminated

• The relationship between oestrogen and progesterone

• Cortisol patterns across the day and night

• DHEA output and stress resilience

• How stress may be influencing hormone balance

• Interactions between oestrogen, testosterone and other androgens.

 

Many women don’t have “abnormal” hormone levels — they have patterns that explain their symptoms.

This insight allows us to support hormones more intelligently, rather than guessing or chasing numbers.

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Comprehensive Stool Testing: Gut Health as a Foundation

Hormones don’t operate in isolation — the gut plays a central role.

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After hormones have done their job, they must be processed and eliminated.

If digestion is sluggish, inflamed, or imbalanced, hormones such as oestrogen can be reabsorbed rather than cleared, contributing to ongoing symptoms.

 

A comprehensive stool test can assess:

• Digestion and nutrient absorption

• Inflammation and immune activity

• Balance of beneficial and opportunistic bacteria

• Markers linked to bloating, discomfort, or irregular stool

• Gut factors that influence hormone metabolism

 

Improving gut health often leads to:

• Better energy

• Reduced bloating

• More stable blood sugar

• Improved hormone balance over time.

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Hormones, Stress & Daily Rhythms: The Bigger Picture

Test results never stand alone.

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We always look at:

• Your sleep and wake cycle

• How you eat under pressure

• How you respond to stress

• How much recovery does your nervous system get

• How consistent are your routines are

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Cortisol, oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA all respond to how you live, not just what you eat.

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This is why your plan always combines:

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• nutritional lifestyle rhythms

• stress awareness

• And sustainable habit change​

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Where DNA Testing Fits (Optional)

DNA testing can provide helpful background information, such as tendencies related to:

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• Inflammation

• Detoxification

• Nutrient metabolism

• Clotting factors (e.g. Factor V Leiden).

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Your DNA does not diagnose conditions — and it does not change. It can, however, add context when combined with symptoms, hormone patterns and gut health.

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For this reason, DNA testing is always optional and supportive — never the starting point.

 

Testing is a Tool — Not the treatment ​

Testing doesn’t create change. Understanding + consistent action does.

 

The real value of functional testing lies in how we use the information:

 

• To personalise nutrition

• To support hormone balance

• To improve gut health

• To reduce unnecessary supplementation

• To build trust in your body

 

You are not broken. Your body is responding — intelligently — to its environment.

 

A personalised, supportive  Approach ​

As a nutritionist, my role is to:

• Help you interpret results clearly

• Connect symptoms with patterns

• Create a plan that fits your real life,

• Support sustainable, long-term change

 

Some clients use testing; others don’t. Both paths are valid.

 

We always start where you are.

 

If you’d like to explore whether hormone or gut testing could support you, you can book a free discovery call to discuss your goals and the most appropriate next step.