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Shimmer - Health & Nutrition

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Shimmer - Health & Nutrition

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Shimmer Health & Nutrition, led by Donna Sherrin (CPN), supports men and women to feel energised, balanced, and in control of health.

Guided by the ethos that nutrition is a fundamental pillar of health, Donna provides personalised, evidence-based care.

09/11/2026

Did you know your gut microbes help educate your immune system?

Your gut is home to an extensive network of immune cells that constantly interact with the microorganisms living within it.

From early life, these microbial interactions help guide immune development and teach the immune system when to respond and when to tolerate harmless substances.

Your microbes also produce compounds, including short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, that help regulate immune and inflammatory responses.

A healthy immune system isn't about being constantly activated. It's about responding appropriately.

And supporting your microbiome through a varied, fibre-rich diet is one way to support this important relationship.

Understanding your body is where better health begins.

06/11/2026

Our bodies are constantly working to maintain balance.

Digestion, immune function, cellular repair and countless other processes continue quietly throughout the day.

We don't need to control every one of them.

But we can support our bodies through nourishing food, movement, quality sleep and recovery.

Sometimes the most meaningful changes begin with the simplest habits.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Donna

04/11/2026

One of the things I love most about clinical nutrition is helping people understand what's happening within their bodies.

Gut health is complex, and symptoms don't always tell us the whole story.

My approach is to look at the bigger picture, consider the available evidence and develop practical, personalised strategies.

Because understanding your health is just as important as knowing what to do next.

02/11/2026

Did you know your gut has its own security system?

Your intestinal barrier is a highly specialised structure that allows nutrients to be absorbed while helping protect your body from potentially harmful substances.

One of its fascinating features is the presence of tight junctions, which regulate movement between intestinal cells.

Your gut microbes also play an important role in maintaining this barrier, particularly through compounds such as butyrate.

When barrier regulation becomes disrupted, intestinal permeability can increase.

So how can we support our gut barrier?

By nourishing our microbiome with a variety of fibre-rich foods, adequate nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits.

It's another reminder that gut health is about much more than digestion.

Understanding your body is where better health begins.

30/10/2026

Some of the most important processes supporting our health are happening quietly, without us even realising.

Inside our gut, trillions of microorganisms interact with the food we eat, producing compounds that help support digestion, immune function and metabolic health.

One of these compounds is butyrate.

It's a beautiful reminder of just how interconnected our bodies really are.

And sometimes, supporting these complex systems begins with something surprisingly simple.

A greater variety of nourishing, fibre-rich foods.

Small choices can help support remarkable processes happening within us every day.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Donna

28/10/2026

At Shimmer Health & Nutrition, I believe understanding your health means looking at the bigger picture.

Your nutrition, digestion, metabolism, lifestyle and health history are all pieces of a much larger puzzle.

My approach is about listening, investigating and helping you understand how your body works, so we can make informed, realistic changes that support your long-term health.

Because good healthcare should leave you feeling heard, informed and empowered.

26/10/2026

Have you heard of butyrate?

When gut bacteria ferment certain dietary fibres, they produce beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). One of these is butyrate.

Butyrate provides energy to the cells lining your colon, supports your gut barrier and helps regulate inflammation.

But its potential benefits extend far beyond digestion!

- Supports mitochondrial function
- May influence brain health and BDNF
- May support cardiovascular health
- Helps regulate inflammatory responses
- Shows potential for kidney protection
- May support colorectal protection

Many of these wider benefits are still being investigated in human research.

How can you support butyrate production?

Nourish your gut microbes with fibre-rich foods such as oats, legumes, barley, slightly green bananas and cooked-and-cooled potatoes.

Healthy gut microbes produce compounds that help support a healthy body.

Understanding your body is where better health begins.

23/10/2026

It's easy to think about food simply in terms of calories, protein, carbohydrates and fats.

But there's another side to nutrition that we often overlook.

The food we eat also helps nourish the trillions of microorganisms living within our gut.

Every new vegetable, fruit, legume, nut or seed we introduce provides different nutrients and compounds that can help support our microbial ecosystem.

And sometimes, improving our health isn't about removing more foods.

It's about bringing more variety to our plates.

A little more colour. A little more diversity. A little more nourishment.

Small changes, repeated consistently, can make a meaningful difference.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Donna

20/10/2026

You're not just eating for yourself. You're feeding trillions of microorganisms too!

One of the most fascinating things about the gut microbiome is how closely it's connected to the food we eat.

Certain fibres and resistant starches escape digestion in the small intestine and travel to the large intestine, where our gut microbes can ferment them.

In return, some microbes produce beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which play important roles in gut health, immune function and metabolism.

And here's something worth remembering:

Different microbes thrive on different food sources.

This is why plant diversity is such an important part of supporting a healthy gut.

Rather than eating the same few vegetables every day, aim to gradually introduce a wider variety of:

-Vegetables
-Fruits
-Legumes
-Whole grains
-Nuts and seeds
-Herbs and spices

A goal of around 30 different plant foods per week can be a fun way to encourage variety, although it's not a scientifically established requirement for everyone.

And if you experience bloating or digestive discomfort, increase fibre gradually and according to your individual tolerance.

Your gut doesn't need perfection. It needs nourishment and variety.

Next week, we'll explore the fascinating compounds your microbes produce when they ferment fibre: short-chain fatty acids.

Understanding your body is where better health begins.

16/10/2026

We can become so focused on trying to achieve “perfect health” that we forget how adaptable the human body actually is.

The same is true of our gut microbiome.

There isn't one perfect microbial community we're all supposed to have.

What matters is supporting an environment that allows this complex ecosystem to function and adapt.

And often, that comes back to the simple things we do consistently.

Next week we'll explore one of the biggest influences we have over this ecosystem: what we feed it. 🌿

Have a beautiful weekend.

Donna

Address

612 Mulgrave Road
Cairns, QLD
4868

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 2pm
Saturday	9am - 12pm

Telephone

+61448833955

Website

http://shimmerhealth.com.au/, https://donna-ote7iqte.scoreapp.com/

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