Gloria Cicchini Naturopath

Here's something most people don't realise about iron deficiency in kids.

You can give iron supplements, eat all the red meat, and do everything right - and still watch those levels stay stubbornly low.

Why? Because iron doesn't work alone.

Copper is essential for iron to actually get into the liver where it's stored and used.

Without adequate copper, iron can sit in the tissues but never make it to where the body needs it most.

I recently saw a four-year-old boy in clinic who had been working so hard to bring his iron up. We'd done gut work, we'd optimised absorption - but the numbers weren't shifting the way I expected.

A Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis showed he actually had plenty of iron in his tissues but was deficient in copper. His body literally couldn't move the iron into storage.

Once we addressed the copper piece, the whole picture started to change.

This is why I always say: if something isn't responding to a straightforward approach, we need to dig deeper. There's usually a reason.

Save this if you've been supplementing iron without seeing results

Here's something most people don't realise about caffeine - your response to it is largely determined by your genetics.

Caffeine is broken down in the liver by an enzyme called CYP1A2.

Depending on your genes, you might be a fast, intermediate, or slow metaboliser.

And this explains so much about why coffee works beautifully for some people and leaves others feeling anxious and wired.

Fast metabolisers process caffeine quickly. They get that clean energy lift and feel great. These are the people who can have an espresso after dinner and sleep soundly.

Most people fall into the intermediate category. They process caffeine at a normal pace, which means timing matters. A coffee before 11am is usually fine, but anything later can interfere with sleep.

Then there are slow metabolisers. These people can have a single coffee at 8am and still feel jittery by lunchtime. They often struggle with anxiety and poor sleep, even with minimal caffeine intake. For them, largely avoiding caffeine is often the answer.

Here's the good news: we don't have to guess.

Gene testing can tell us exactly how your body handles caffeine - along with insights into how you process nutrients, respond to exercise, and clear toxins.

In clinic, I use a simple cheek swab test that gives us a detailed picture of your unique genetic makeup.

From there, we can personalise your diet, lifestyle, and supplement approach based on what your body actually needs.

Save this for later if you've ever wondered why caffeine affects you differently than everyone else.

For clients already working with me, I've created the Momentum Review Plan for the active treatment phase when you need regular check-ins.

Includes:
👉 3 x 30-minute follow-up consultations
👉 Priority booking
👉 Valid for 4 months

This works really well if you're:

✔️ Refining a complex protocol
✔️ Working through reintroductions (like low FODMAP)
✔️ Managing kids' health that needs frequent adjustments
✔️ Navigating hormonal shifts
✔️ Needing accountability during treatment

It gives you consistent support without having to book and pay each time.

If you're already a client and this would suit where you're at, send me a message or book via the link in bio 😊

Here's something most people don't realise about fatigue - it's not always about how much sleep you're getting. It's about the quality of that sleep.

In clinic, when someone tells me they're still exhausted despite being in bed for eight hours, I start asking different questions.

Are you waking frequently?
Do you hit a wall around 3pm?
Do you feel like you never quite filled the tank overnight?

These patterns tell me something important: you might be getting enough hours, but not enough deep sleep or REM sleep.

And that's where the real restoration happens.

One pattern I see often is frequent waking - particularly when blood sugar isn't stable overnight. This can happen when there's not enough protein at dinner, or too many refined carbohydrates during the day. The body wakes because it's looking for fuel.

Another thing I pay attention to is what time you're waking.

According to Chinese medicine, different waking times point to different organ systems. Waking between 1am and 3am, for example, often suggests the liver needs support.

That might sound unusual, but it gives me a direction to explore - are there other signs of liver congestion? Difficulty digesting fats? Nausea in the mornings?

This is how naturopathic investigation works. Symptoms are messages. Fatigue isn't just one thing - it's a pattern made up of many clues.

Save this for later if your tiredness feels like more than just a busy life.