“I Just Wanted My Life Back”: How a Cheltenham Woman Found Relief from IBS with Naturopathy

Every morning, Jane*, a 45-year-old mum and HR consultant living in Cheltenham*, a leafy Bayside suburb in Melbourne, woke up bracing herself. Not for the school run. Not for a work deadline. But for her gut.

Her days had become a game of guesswork. Would she get through the morning meeting without rushing to the bathroom? Could she manage brunch with friends at the café on Charman Road without the fear of painful bloating?

For Jane, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) wasn’t just a digestive condition; it was an invisible weight that shaped her routine, limited her freedom, and chipped away at her confidence.

“I felt like my gut was calling the shots,” she recalls. “I planned my life around toilets and loose clothing. I was constantly anxious about what I ate, and how my body would react.”

What made it more frustrating was that Jane was already doing “everything right“. She ate clean, avoided known triggers like gluten and coffee, and even tried yoga and meditation. But nothing created lasting change. Her symptoms always crept back.

When IBS Starts Controlling More Than Just Your Gut

Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects roughly 1 in 5 Australians and is especially common in women aged 30–50. While often labeled a “syndrome,” IBS isn’t actually a disease—it’s a collection of symptoms that signal an underlying issue in the digestive system.

The condition isn’t dangerous, but it is deeply disruptive and often misunderstood. It’s characterised by symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea, often triggered by stress, diet, and imbalances in the gut-brain connection.

Jane’s symptoms weren’t just physical. She started turning down invitations. She avoided walks along the beach track in nearby Mentone, nervous that a flare-up might hit while she was far from a restroom. Even date nights with her partner became stressful.

“I used to love going out for Thai in Beaumaris or grabbing a glass of wine by the water. But eventually, I stopped enjoying food. I only saw it as a trigger.”

Doctors had told her it was “just IBS“ and handed over brochures on dietary fibre and stress management. But nothing felt personalised. She didn’t want another prescription. She wanted someone to actually understand what was happening in her body.

A Different Kind of Support

That’s when a close friend suggested she visit Olga Mandic, a well-regarded naturopath based in Cheltenham at My Natural Clinic. Olga’s reputation throughout the Bayside region, from Brighton to Parkdale, was that of a warm, insightful practitioner who took a truly holistic approach to health.

From the moment Jane stepped into the clinic, located just minutes from Westfield Southland Shopping Centre, the experience felt different. There were no rushed appointments or generic solutions. Olga sat with her for nearly an hour in the first consultation, asking about not just food but sleep, energy, mood, past infections, and even her birth history.

“Olga really listened,” Jane says. “She saw me as a whole person, not just a woman with stomach pain.”

Olga suspected that Jane’s IBS was the result of a combination of factors:

• low-grade inflammation in the gut lining,
• poor motility,
• potential food sensitivities, and
• ongoing stress that disrupted the gut-brain axis.

More importantly, she believed the body could be brought back into balance naturally.

Personalised Naturopathic Care That Made a Difference

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all diet plan, Olga created a tailored support strategy for Jane. This included:

• A gentle elimination diet to identify key food irritants
• Herbal support including peppermint, marshmallow, and globe artichoke to soothe the digestive tract
• Specific probiotics (e.g. Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces boulardii, etc.) to restore the gut microbiome and reduce bloating
• Magnesium and nervine herbs to support the nervous system and reduce stress-triggered flare-ups
• Education around meal timing, posture, and mindful eating to aid proper digestion

Jane began noticing changes within a couple of weeks. The intense bloating lessened. The unpredictable urgency stopped ruling her days. She began to trust her body again, slowly but surely.

“I was shocked by how effective the natural protocols were,” Jane says. “But it wasn’t just the remedies. It was the fact that Olga had built a program around me, not around my diagnosis.”

Reclaiming Confidence and Control

Within three months, Jane had not only regained control over her digestion but she had also reclaimed a sense of joy and spontaneity in her life. She went on a weekend away to Sorrento without packing three changes of clothes “just in case.“ She booked dinner at her favourite restaurant in Sandringham. She started planning beach walks again.

She continues to see Olga seasonally for check-ins and adjustments to her protocol, especially during more stressful times at work or when travel disrupts her routine.

“IBS doesn’t run my life anymore. I still have to be mindful, but I feel empowered. I’m no longer afraid of my own body — and that’s everything.”

Support Is Closer Than You Think

For those living in Cheltenham and the Bayside area, relief from IBS doesn’t have to mean years of frustration or dependence on medication. Olga Mandic at My Natural Clinic offers a calm, evidence-informed, and deeply personalised path to gut healing.

One that addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms. If you’re tired of digestive issues taking over your day, your mood, and your relationships, you don’t have to “just live with it“. You can feel better and it can start here. 

Book your free discovery consultation with Olga today and take the first real step toward getting your life back.

*Names and places changed for privacy.