Health Insights & Articles
Evidence-based insights on nutritional medicine, functional health, and wellness strategies to support your health journey.
Why Your Smartwatch Knows You’re Tired… but Not Why
Why Your Smartwatch Knows You’re Tired… but Not Why Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness rings can detect physiological stress through metrics like heart rate variability...
If Google Were Right, You’d Be Dead by Now
If Google Were Right, You’d Be Dead by Now Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Searching symptoms online and matching them to diseases is an unreliable way to understand health.Symptom-matching algorithms lack the ability...
Can AI Really Fix Your Hormones — Or Just Tell You to Sleep More?
Can AI Really Fix Your Hormones… or Just Tell You to Sleep More? Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to answer health questions, including those related to hormones. Population...
MTHFR – Do you even need Activated B’s?
MTHFR – Do You Even Need Activated B’s? Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) is an enzyme involved in converting folate into 5-MTHF, a form used in one-carbon metabolism and...
The Melatonin Light Connection
The Melatonin-Light Connection: Why Darkness is a Biological Necessity Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Our ancestors’ lives were shaped by natural light and darkness. Today, bright indoor lighting and screens extend “daytime...
Fasting vs Starvation: Therapeutic Fasting Safety & Science
Fasting vs Starvation: Therapeutic Fasting Safety & Science Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Fasting and starvation are not the same physiological state. Starvation occurs when the body lacks sufficient energy...
Functional Medicine and Chronic Disease
Functional Medicine: Finding the “Why” Behind Chronic Illness Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA In our Adelaide clinic at Elemental Health and Nutrition, many patients describe persistent fatigue, pain, or physiological imbalance...
Beyond Calories: Why You Can’t Lose Weight Despite Doing Everything Right
Beyond Calories: Why You Can’t Lose Weight Despite Doing Everything Right Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA You can be eating whole foods, tracking calories, exercising consistently, and following standard medical advice—yet the...
Histamine Intolerance: The Food Sensitivity That Isn’t Really a Food Allergy
Histamine Intolerance: The Food Sensitivity That Isn’t Really a Food Allergy Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Histamine intolerance symptoms and causes are often misunderstood, as they closely resemble food allergies, but they stem...
Beyond TSH: Why Your Thyroid Might Still Be the Problem
Beyond TSH: Why Your Thyroid Might Still Be the Problem Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Thyroid function beyond TSH is often overlooked, leaving many people feeling exhausted, gaining weight they can’t lose, and...
Testing for Low Stomach Acid
Hypochlorhydria: The Hidden Barrier to Nutrient Absorption Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA In the Adelaide functional medicine community, we frequently encounter patients who have been misdiagnosed with “excess” stomach acid. In...
The Gut-Brain Connection: Why Fixing Your Digestion Might Finally Solve Your Anxiety
The Gut-Brain Connection: Why Fixing Your Digestion Might Finally Solve Your Anxiety Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional communication network linking the gastrointestinal system with...
Why Your Doctor Says You’re ‘Fine’ But You Still Feel Terrible
Why Your Doctor Says You’re ‘Fine’ — But You Still Feel Terrible Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Why you still feel terrible despite normal tests is one of the most common frustrations in clinical care today. Many...
Weight Loss Drugs: What They Don’t Tell You About Your Gut and Hormones
Weight Loss Drugs: What They Don’t Tell You About Your Gut and Hormones Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Weight loss drugs gut and hormones are deeply connected, and most people aren’t told how medications interact...
Sleep Optimization: Nutrient Strategies to Enhance Sleep Quality and Boost Energy
Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer If you struggle with poor sleep, brain fog, or persistent low energy, targeted nutrition and lifestyle strategies may help support healthier sleep patterns. Sleep quality plays a...
Tired Brain, Low Mood? It Could Be Mitochondria
Tired Brain, Low Mood? It Could Be Mitochondria Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Mitochondria fatigue mood are closely connected, and many people don’t realise that chronic tiredness, low energy, brain fog and low mood...
Hashimoto’s and Nutritional Medicine: Uncovering the Hidden Link Between Autoimmunity and Thyroid Dysfunction
Hashimoto’s and Nutritional Medicine: Uncovering the Hidden Link Between Autoimmunity and Thyroid Dysfunction By Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, South Australia Quick Answer Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder that affects the...
The Longevity Blueprint: Key Nutrients and Lifestyle Factors for Aging Gracefully
The Longevity Blueprint: Key Nutrients and Lifestyle Factors for Healthy Aging By Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, South Australia Quick Answer Healthy aging is shaped by a combination of biological, nutritional, and lifestyle factors that...