Helena Davis

Growing up, I faced a lot more than just typical teenage challenges. Amidst an unstable home environment, I quickly learned to stand up and protect my younger siblings. By 16, my brother and I were placed into welfare, forced to fend for ourselves. Those years were some of the toughest, physically, mentally and emotionally. Those experiences were deeply challenging, but they also shaped my resilience and became an important part of my personal growth.

In the ’90s, when gluten intolerance wasn’t on anyone’s radar, I started reacting badly to gluten. Pain, bloating and irritable bowel symptoms became daily battles. Social outings turned stressful, and my confidence took a hit under the weight of constant discomfort.

My interest in nutrition was always there, but these struggles lit a fire in me to understand my body better. I pursued naturopathy, graduating in 2007. By then, I had developed a much better understanding of my own health and was beginning to help others with their digestive concerns. But life threw me a curveball on a holiday in Fiji when I contracted a parasite called Blastocystis hominis. The initial illness was intense, and months later, I was still struggling with bloating, food sensitivities and irregular digestion.

That experience deepened my understanding of digestive health and strengthened my commitment to helping others navigate their own gut health concerns. I continued studying digestion, developing practical approaches to nutrition and naturopathic care, and eventually founded Pure Gut Health to make practical gut health education more accessible. Over time, my research, clinical experience and passion for helping others evolved into the Pure Gut Health 12 Week Program, specialised mini courses, recipes and educational resources. Empowering others to better understand their health is at the heart of everything I do.