#178 Debbie is a naturopath, herbalist and integrative psychotherapist, a mother, a lover, a gardener, a forager and general nerd. She is a busy clinician and lecturer in the health sciences for over 15 years both in Australia and the UK.  Her work centres on what it is to be human, and how relationships (human, natural and microbial) shape who we are.

She currently works for Invivo Healthcare UK as a part of the a part of the Clinical Education team and the Product Development team, where she spends her time helping to educate clinicians in an ecosystem approach to their clients and working in research and development.

In this episode we cover

• The importance of the mucosal barriers throughout the GIT system and their role in immunity
• The importance of host-microbiome reactions and how host markers such as sIgA and beta defensins help determine our interplay with microbes
• The bacteria involved in the mucosal balance
• The importance of syntrophy, and what patterns we commonly see when things start to go in the wrong direction
• How the thinning of mucosal barriers from the oral cavity to gut play a role in the development of chronic disease
• The importance of maintaining diversity and syntrophy – both in the human and the wider ecosystem
• How we can support the mucosal barrier and diversity
• And so much more