Orenda Women's Health

Orenda Women's Health Orenda is a women’s health clinic, founded by Nutritionist Jacinta Barbagallo, specialising in skin r

02/10/2025

Curious how to work with us? Here's how..

As an Online Naturopathic Women's Health Clinic with a team of 5 incredible health practitioners, we provide support for women all over the world

Skin, gut and reproductive health concerns is our bread and butter

Acne, Rosacea, Melasma, PCOS, POD, Vaginal Thrush, BV, Infertility, Hashimotos, Difficulty losing weight - you name it we’ve seen it

One thing we hear from so many of our new clients is that they feel like they need answers, they feel like they need to be heard and they feel like they need actual long term solutions - they’re so sick of the fads and prescriptions

We’re here to make sure that no one is gaslighting you and that every single one of your health concerns is listened to and taken seriously.

The most important thing about your health journey with us, is that we constantly focus on education. You need to leave your consultation feeling like you’re empowered with the next steps you need to make and that you’ve got more knowledge as to why your body is responding the way that it is.

Our goal is to help you to find the cause of your condition, educate you on the intricacies of your condition and your body, find the long term solutions and give you the tools to ensure you can maintain your results WITHOUT being on a lifetime of supplements or fad diets

If you’re ready for us, we’re ready for you!

Head to the link in our bio for a free discovery call and work with us today!

01/10/2025

Let’s go back to basics!

Before everyone started jumping on trampolines to get their lymphatic system going and taking the latest mineral potion made from unicorns there were the foundational things we all know are SO important from a Naturopathic view for the skin to heal

1. Don’t compromise your sleep schedule.

Sleep is one of the most basic things you need to be nailing in order to optimise your hormone regulation, blood sugar control and of course skin repair (don’t forget the sleep hormone melatonin is one of the bodies most powerful antioxidants)

2. Eat 30g protein with every meal and eat consistently

We’re looking at you frequent lunch skipper and caffeine drinker. Your skin needs nutrients from your diet in order to support repair and to just function like a normal skin cell should. Plus, skipping meals causes havoc for your nervous system and no one needs more stress than required.

3. Make your schedule suit your nervous system

Unfortunately the biggest barrier we see with skin not healing, is a life schedule that doesn’t align with the needs of the nervous system. Chronic stress activation can cause a depletion of the immune system and high or low DHEA/Testosterone - both significantly impacting acne!

4. Exercise - the poison is in the dose

We aren’t going to give you a blanket amount of days you need to be exercising and the type of exercise you need to be doing (because this is so dependent on your hormones, stress and diet). But exercising at an intensity not supported by a balance of rest and diet - OR not exercising at all or very minimal can both significantly impact the skin. Work with your practitioner to find the healthy amount of exercise you need to be doing.

5. Eat as close to whole foods as possible

When dealing with Acne your skin is crying out for a little bit of TLC. Alcohol, excessive caffeine, high amounts of sugar, deep fried foods and omega 6 oils unfortunately don’t support this!

If you’re ready to learn once and for all what you need to do to get on top of your breakouts, head to the link in our bio to book in for a discovery call! 🤍

01/10/2025

Ever feel like protein is confusing?

Chicken, salmon, tofu, beef mince, eggs... They all count as “protein,” but they’re not equal when it comes to calories, fats, or portion sizes.

That’s why it’s so important to mix up your protein sources - each one brings something different to the table:

🍗 Chicken = lean & best calorie value
🐟 Salmon = protein + healthy fats for hormones
🌱 Tofu = plant-based and gut-friendly
🥩 5% beef mince = iron + protein
🥚 Eggs = versatile & nutrient-rich

The key: it’s not about avoiding one or the other. It’s about learning how to use them in balance to support your goals.

If your fat loss feels harder than it should, it might not be that you’re eating “bad” foods - you just need more clarity around portions, macros, and hormones.

📩 DM “PROTEIN” and we’ll show you how to build meals that keep you full, support your hormones, and move you closer to your goals without restriction.

If you’re not testing, you’re just guessing.And that’s why so many people feel stuck.In our 1:1 consults, we go deep int...
29/09/2025

If you’re not testing, you’re just guessing.

And that’s why so many people feel stuck.

In our 1:1 consults, we go deep into the why behind your breakouts - your hormones, diet, lifestyle, stress, all of it. Because clear skin doesn’t come from a one-size-fits-all solution.

Ready to finally figure out what’s going on? Book a free discovery call through the link in bio!

Acne is never a one and done kinda thingWhat triggered your breakouts as a teen is probably not the same thing that’s dr...
28/09/2025

Acne is never a one and done kinda thing

What triggered your breakouts as a teen is probably not the same thing that’s driving them in your late 20s or 30s

〰️ Teens? Hormones on overdrive.
〰️ Early 20s? Add in the late nights, cheap drinks & dodgy uni snacks.
〰️ Late 20s? Over-training, caffeine as a food group, skincare trends, pill withdrawals.
〰️ Early 30s? Stress, burnout, postpartum depletion, sleepless nights.

Different stages. Different triggers. Which means the solution that worked once, might not work now.

If you want to get clear on what’s happening for you right now (and what needs to shift), let’s chat. Click the link in our bio for a free discovery call!

25/09/2025

First lets get this straight. Your individual results are being compared against extremely out-dated reference ranges.

Your results need to be compared against an optimal reference range, not a large conventional reference range.

There are 4 different convention reference ranges provided from the lab to interpret hormone test results. Follicular phase, ovulation, luteal phase and menopausal.

If you haven't been asked "What day were you in your menstrual cycle when you completed your blood test" before your results are interpreted, then how do they even know which reference range to use?

Your hormones fluctuate DRASTICALLY. Estrogen on it's own begins very low in the follicular phase, jumps up extremley high in ovulation and then tapers it's way back down through the luteal phase. Your health practitioner MUST be asking you where you're at in your cycle to even be able to interpret just Estrogen on it's own.

Your hormones tell a story. Specific hormones called FSH & LH secreted from the brain tell the ovaries what to do and visa versa. You need to understand how the brain is communicating with the ovaries to actually understand what's going on.

Lets take Prolactin for example. High Prolactin can be a driver of acne, breast tednerness and menstrual cycle irregularities. High prolactin can be driven by low thyroid function and subsequently impact androgen levels. If you're hormones aren't being read as a story, they're not being read correctly.

What you need, is your hormones test on the correct day of your cycle, interpreted using the correct reference range in alignment with that period of your cycle, using reference ranges that are optimal not conventional and read as a story in relation to your diet and lifestyle so it makes sense to you.

A 2022 systematic review was conducted to look at the association of how dietary choices can influence your insulin and ...
25/09/2025

A 2022 systematic review was conducted to look at the association of how dietary choices can influence your insulin and androgen hormones, which can have a huge affect your skin.

The review showed that over 70% of the participants experienced more severe acne with a high-GI intake of carbohydrates and large quantities of dairy, showing that dietary choices are important to consider as part of your skin journey.

With this in mind, it is not only about how you structure your plate to support your diet, it is also about the choices you make when creating your plate - something our Sports Nutritionist helps many clients with on a daily basis!

Some low-GI carbohydrate sources include beans and pulses like chickpeas or lentils, wholegrains such as quinoa or wild rice and fruits / vegetables like berries, oranges, broccoli and carrots!

Check out the study here > https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdin.2022.02.012

Reminders from your skin & hormone specialising naturopath 💌
23/09/2025

Reminders from your skin & hormone specialising naturopath 💌

22/09/2025

unfortunately I do love... 🫣🫣🫣

The vicious cycle of on and off the pill, doxycycline or roaccutane is a common theme for so many clients with Acne - bu...
21/09/2025

The vicious cycle of on and off the pill, doxycycline or roaccutane is a common theme for so many clients with Acne - but the relief you get when you can slowly take the time to listen to your body and hear what it actually needs is life changing. 

Feeling stuck with your skin and looking for support that’s long lasting? Book a free discovery call today & see how we have helped hundreds of women just like you 💜

Yes you’ve worked on your diet, but have you actually worked on your relationship with food?〰️ Don’t eat fruit without p...
17/09/2025

Yes you’ve worked on your diet, but have you actually worked on your relationship with food?

〰️ Don’t eat fruit without protein or fat
〰️ Don’t eat oats because blood sugar spikes
〰️ Don’t drink caffeine on an empty stomach because stress (like I get that one though) 
〰️ Don’t have cows milk because inflammatory
〰️ Don’t drink almond milk because who knows why but someone will have a reason why you shouldn’t drink it 

There’s a billion rules, but not all of them need to be your rules. 

If there’s any free advice I can give you, it’s write a list of your food rules and really think about which ones are causing more harm than good,

Working on your relationship with food can be one of the most valuable tools you can give yourself. 

If you’re looking for some 1:1 support to re-write your relationship with food, head to the link in our bio & set up a free discovery call with our Sports Nutritionist,

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Melbourne, VIC

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