Michelle McGilvray Naturopath

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Australia
Canberra, ACT
Michelle McGilvray Naturopath

Naturopath based in Canberra focusing on womens' health, food intolerance testing and Nutrigenomics

02/04/2026

When the body is under stress (physical, emotional, illness, travel, poor sleep, undereating, overtraining) the brain reduces signalling to the ovaries.

This can delay ovulation or stop it altogether- as ovulation only happens when the body feels safe and supported and not when it is in fight or flight mode.

So if your period is ‘late’, it is actually ovulation that is late and as a result your period will be too. A healthy luteal phase (from ovulation until your bleed) should be 12-14days. This can’t vary a great deal, but your follicular phase can.

If your cycle feels off, it’s important to look at what your body is responding to🙏 always check back in and ask your self, have you been more stressed, run down, travelling, or out of routine lately?

26/03/2026

Everything in my pregnancy and postpartum journey and with raising my little girl has been so intentional. Everything has a reason and a purpose. I’ve truly wanted to be able to give her the best and healthiest life possible, plus also have a positive influence on the generations after her.

I was blessed that everything went so smoothly with my pregnancy and post partum, I realise I was lucky here as sometimes things are out of your control.

My aim is always as natural as possible as that is just the life I am used to living- I am not opposed to anything though, I am always open and accepting as I know medical intervention and medications and everything else definately have a time and place 🫶

If you are curious about any of the points I wrote down, please ask away so I can explain why I chose these etc, education is always power 🙏

17/03/2026

It’s been ages since I’ve done a weekly recap so here goes!

I always get such a nice variety of clients that come see me, although I have my specialities- I do see anyone and everything.

A few things I’ve worked with in the last week
💡10year old with complex ASD3, ADHD and high cholesterol. Currently doing further investigation prior to treatment, looking into gut health, genetics and toxin exposure/heavy metals. Microba gut microbiome, Nutripath MOEtox and Nutripath Full genetic testing. We will be considering OAT testing and dna pharmacology testing at a later stage.
💡Post partum check in- reviewing end of pregnancy, labour and post partum health of mum and bub
💡Supporting a client through thyroid cancer-post thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment Optimising pathology and functional testing to prevent any relapse long term. Also working on gut health.
💡Pathology review, suspected ADHD, fatigue- undertaking HTMA testing to find driver of long term zinc deficiency + associated symptoms
💡HTMA review of child with ongoing low iron and low secretory IgA despite treatment an otherwise good gut health based off testing. Presence of high copper detected as main driver +heavy metals
💡preconception prep for bub #2
💡second trimester check in and optimisation
💡gut health (significant bloating and altered bowel movements) + fatigue
💡lots of gut microbiome test reviews
💡 high prolactin, inactive adenoma, and stress management
💡trimester 3 check in and birth prep
💡 review of organic acid testing for client with severe fatigue, constipation and autoimmunity/pain. We have done multiple tests, and starting to compile some answers
💡 review of SIBO treatment- 1month in, not there yet- but looking forward to how the next month pays off
💡 Investigating cause of low iron/poor response to iron infusion- doing lots of additional testing
💡review of OAT retest- first test showed significant mould and candida overgrowths. Retest showed huge improvement in all areas- will continue another 2 months of treatment to finish it off.
💡vaginal microbiome testing due to longstanding symptoms

Plus lots and lots more!!

10/03/2026

As a naturopath, we have some amazing herbs and nutrients to support ADHD, but we also have access to some great functional testing to help delve deeper into why symptoms are occurring or what factors may be contributing to worsening of symptoms. This is always so paramount to look at when treating ADHD

I am loving the Nutripath Moe-tox test which has just been released not only for my ADHD clients but for any of my chronic health sufferers with long standing health complaints, autoimmunity, cancers etc. There is usually a poison dart found somewhere when we dig deep

03/03/2026

Your hormonal issues aren’t generally the issue, they are more of a symptom of a bigger picture such as cortisol dysregulation/stress, thyroid or liver insufficiency, nutrient depletions or gut health. All of these factors affect your hormones and need to be addressed in order to resolve your hormonal concerns long term.

When we are talking about the guts role in hormone health- we have a few things to consider.

Your gut plays a central role in clearing oestrogen. After the liver processes it, oestrogen is sent to the bowel for elimination. If you’re constipated or your microbiome is imbalanced, it can be reabsorbed back into circulation — driving PMS, heavy periods, breast tenderness and “oestrogen dominant” patterns.

Certain gut bacteria regulate an enzyme called β-glucuronidase. When this activity is elevated, more oestrogen is recirculated instead of excreted.

Endotoxins (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria can also increase systemic inflammation, disrupt ovarian signalling and blunt progesterone production. This shows why clearing bacterial overgrowths or sibo can have a profound effect on endometriosis, period pain and overall menstrual health and acne.

Your gut also plays a role in
• Thyroid conversion (T4 → T3)
• Insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation
• GLP-1 signalling
• Absorption of key nutrients like zinc, selenium and iron

If you’re working on your hormones but ignoring bowel habits, microbial balance and inflammation- then you might not overcome these challenges for good.

If your hormones feel out of whack, and your not sure why or what is driving it- that’s where a naturopath can help shine some light 💡

27/02/2026

If finances are tight, but you still need that appointment- Practice Better (the booking system/portal I use) has now integrated the option of afterpay/klarna buy now pay later services. 🤌
You will be able to find this as you go to check out and pay your invoice or if you are booking an initial appointment.

24/02/2026

Cholesterol medication is often prescribed based on total cholesterol and LDL levels alone but these markers don’t always reflect true cardiovascular risk. Before starting statins/medication I usually recommend my clients to consider 2 additional tests first, to actually assess their risk of cardiovascular disease- especially because statins are one of the most over prescribed drugs and side effects are quite common.

These tests include:

1️⃣ Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score
This involves a CT scan of the heart to detect calcified plaque in the arterial walls and helps predict heart attack risk over the next 5-10years.
This needs to be requested through your GP or cardiologist and usually isn’t covered under Medicare

2️⃣ LDL Fraction Testing (LDL Subfractions)
This provides a detailed breakdown of LDL cholesterol, measuring the size and density of particles rather than just total cholesterol levels. It identifies smaller, denser, more dangerous particles (LDL-3 to LDL-7) that indicate a higher risk of heart disease, often hidden by standard tests.
You can request this through your naturopath or some online pathology labs such as iscreen. Approx $200-$250

Share this to your fam and friends if they have been recommended to take medication for their high cholesterol!

19/02/2026

Why pay for postage if you don’t need to?
If you are using vital.ly to order your supplements make sure you are part of the rewards program for extra perks! It’s free to join you just need to enable it in your account. I noticed some of my clients are still paying for postage and haven’t enabled this yet

You will get points for each $ you spend plus free shipping on orders above $99 :)

If you need help with this let me know and I can guide you through it. Always looking for ways to save you $ where possible xx

17/02/2026

If you are trying to conceive, have had a history of miscarriage or subfertility then make sure you check your thyroid properly.
Even if this means testing them privately yourself through companies like imedical

12/02/2026

Optimal progesterone levels are needed for a healthy menstrual cycle and for fertility purposes.

Ideally I like progesterone sitting >40 when tested 1 week prior to your expected menstrual bleed

Lots of reasons and symptoms for low progesterone can be seen above, with chaste tree being one of our go to herb to support progesterone production

terone

10/02/2026

The vaginal microbiome plays a direct role in fertility, implantation, and pregnancy outcomes.

An imbalance of bacteria, especially presence of bacterial overgrowths/infections are linked to:
• Reduced implantation rates
• Recurrent miscarriage
• Preterm birth
• Premature rupture of membranes
• IVF failure

Common bacterial overgrowths include:
• Gardnerella vaginalis – associated with bacterial vaginosis and increased miscarriage and preterm birth risk
• Atopobium vaginae – commonly co-exists with BV and is linked to poor pregnancy outcomes
• Ureaplasma urealyticum / parvum – associated with infertility, placental inflammation, miscarriage, and preterm birth
• Mycoplasma hominis – linked to pregnancy loss, chorioamnionitis, and preterm delivery
• Enterococcus faecalis – marker of vaginal dysbiosis; associated with reduced implantation rates, IVF failure, and preterm birth

An elevated vaginal pH is also something worth considering, as this can increase inflammation, and creates a less supportive environment for s***m survival and implantation.

Address

Jamison Centre, Bowman Street, Macquarie
Canberra, ACT
2614

Website

http://www.mmnaturopath.com/

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