Mapping Your Microbiome
Mapping Your Microbiome: A Root Cause Approach To Digestive Health
At EMME Naturopathy, we understand how exhausting and disheartening ongoing digestive symptoms can be. Whether it’s bloating, irregular bowel habits, abdominal discomfort, or unexplained food sensitivities, it often feels like you’re chasing answers with no clear solution in sight.
You may have been told that everything is “normal” after a standard stool test, colonoscopy, or breath test—yet you know your body isn’t functioning the way it should. That’s because many conventional tools miss the nuanced imbalances that can be driving your symptoms. Functional gut testing allows us to map your unique microbiome and uncover the root causes of your symptoms—so we can create a personalised plan to restore balance and support whole-body health.
What Is the Microbiome?
Your microbiome is the diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that live primarily in your gut. These microscopic residents may be small, but their impact is massive—they influence everything from digestion and nutrient absorption to immune function, hormone balance, nervous system regulation, and even your mood.
When your microbiome is thriving and in balance, your body tends to function with ease. But when that ecosystem is disrupted—due to chronic stress, medications like antibiotics, processed foods, or past infections—things can begin to unravel. Bloating, irregular bowel movements, food intolerances, fatigue, and skin issues may start to appear.
Often, these symptoms are bundled under the catch-all diagnosis of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)—a label that simply describes your symptoms rather than explains why they’re happening. Understanding why your symptoms are happening is the first step toward meaningful relief—and that starts with deeper investigation, not surface-level answers.
Why Functional Gut Testing?
Unlike standard pathology or PCR stool tests that simply look for red-flag infections, functional testing takes a much deeper dive. These advanced panels can detect subtle imbalances that often go undetected in conventional testing, helping us understand the root cause of your digestive issues.
With this approach, we can uncover:
Overgrowths of harmful bacteria or pathogens – such as Klebsiella, Citrobacter, or parasites that may be silently disrupting your gut environment.
Low levels of beneficial microbes – which are essential for digestion, nutrient absorption, immune balance, and mood regulation.
Yeast or fungal overgrowths – like Candida, which may contribute to bloating, brain fog, sugar cravings, or skin issues.
Markers of intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") or gut inflammation – which can be linked to food sensitivities, autoimmunity, and chronic fatigue.
Digestive function – including how well your body is breaking down fats, proteins, and fibre, helping us spot enzyme deficiencies or sluggish bile flow.
Immune activation in the gut – indicating your gut is under stress, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a specific condition.
By mapping this internal terrain, we’re not just managing symptoms—we're identifying what your body needs to return to balance, from targeted probiotics and herbs to nutritional and lifestyle shifts tailored to you.
Common Symptoms We See Linked to Microbiome Imbalance:
Bloating or cramping after meals
Chronic constipation or loose stools
Brain fog and fatigue
Food intolerances or sensitivities
Skin issues like acne, eczema or rosacea
Recurrent UTIs or thrush
Histamine intolerance
Anxiety or low mood
Our Functional Approach at EMME
Once we’ve mapped your unique gut terrain, we develop a tailored treatment plan that supports healing from the inside out. Rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol, your plan is built specifically around you—your microbiome, your symptoms, and your lifestyle.
Depending on your results, your personalised plan may include:
Targeted antimicrobials – using evidence-based herbal or nutritional formulas to gently clear out bacterial, fungal, or parasitic overgrowths without harming your beneficial microbes.
Strain-specific probiotics and prebiotics – chosen based on your unique microbial profile to help restore balance and support long-term gut resilience.
Gut lining repair – with nutrients like L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, slippery elm, or marshmallow root to heal leaky gut, soothe inflammation, and strengthen your intestinal barrier.
Digestive support – such as digestive enzymes, herbal bitters, or bile support to enhance nutrient absorption and relieve symptoms like bloating, reflux, or heaviness after meals.
Dietary and lifestyle guidance – to help reduce inflammation, support microbial diversity, and align your daily habits with your body’s healing needs. This may include food-as-medicine strategies, nervous system support, and pacing tools for chronic symptoms.
But gut health doesn’t exist in isolation—we also look at your nervous system, stress response, hormone balance, and immune function. These systems are deeply interconnected with your digestion, and addressing them together creates more sustainable, whole-body healing.
No two microbiomes are the same—which is exactly why no two gut protocols are the same either.
Ready to Map Your Microbiome?
If you’re tired of guessing and ready to understand the root cause of your digestive symptoms, functional gut testing could be the missing link.
Book a Digestive Health Consultation at EMME Naturopathy and let’s take the guesswork out of your gut.
Click Here to book an appointment or connect with us for a free discovery call.
