Hi, I'M Rebecca Coomes
Nutritionist | Author | Podcaster | SIBO Educator | Founder of The Healthy Gut
If you’re here because you’re feeling sick, exhausted, and frustrated—and no one seems to understand what you’re going through—I see you. I’ve been there too.
For most of my life, I felt unwell. I was constantly bloated, in pain, and struggling with food intolerances, fatigue, and brain fog. I saw doctor after doctor, only to be told I had IBS, that I was just stressed or anxious, or that there was “nothing wrong.” Deep down, I knew that wasn’t true—but I didn’t know where to turn for help. It was lonely, confusing, and heartbreaking.
Eventually, I took matters into my own hands. I built a team of health professionals who listened and looked deeper. That’s when I was finally diagnosed with SIBO—Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth—and for the first time, everything made sense. I wasn’t imagining it. There was a reason I felt so sick.
But the real turning point came when I realised that healing wasn’t just about taking pills. I had to completely change how I approached my health—what I ate, how I moved, how I thought, how I lived. Through this process, I created my 5 Key Pillars to Health: Awareness, Testing & Treatment, Nutrition, Mindset, and Movement & Lifestyle. These pillars became the roadmap I used to reclaim my health, and they’re now the foundation of the work I do with women all over the world.
Today, I’m the founder of The Healthy Gut, a platform dedicated to supporting people with SIBO and chronic gut issues. I’ve written a series of SIBO-specific cookbooks to help people enjoy food again, including SIBO Summer Cookbook, SIBO Family Favourites Cookbook, SIBO Holiday Cookbook, SIBO Soups Cookbook and more. I host The Healthy Gut Podcast, where I speak with world-leading gut health experts, and share easy, gut-friendly recipes on my YouTube cooking show.
I also work one-on-one with women who are ready to stop feeling sick and start feeling alive again. Women who are tired of being dismissed. Who are done with bloating, pain, and embarrassment. Who just want to enjoy life, eat without fear, and trust their bodies again.
If that’s you, please know—you’re not alone. There is a way forward. And I’d be honoured to help guide you on your journey.
It’s my mission to empower you to feel confident in your body again, enjoy food without fear, and live the full, vibrant life you deserve. I also speak at health events, contribute to wellness publications, and am passionate about raising awareness of the powerful connection between the gut, brain, and body.
How I beat SIBO
In early 2015, I was finally diagnosed with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). After a lifetime of chronic illness, food intolerances, and feeling like something was always wrong with my body, I finally had an answer.
It was such a relief to know I wasn’t imagining things—and that there was a reason behind all the bloating, pain, and fatigue I had been living with for so long. I began working with a brilliant Naturopath who helped me start the process of reducing the excess bacteria in my small intestine and healing my gut.
But I quickly realised that popping a few pills wasn’t going to be enough. If I truly wanted to feel well again, I had to change every part of how I was living.
I had to become aware of what my body had been trying to tell me for years—the symptoms, the signals, the whispers I’d learned to ignore.
I had to get tested and undertake the correct treatment for my SIBO type.
I had to completely shift my nutrition—not just to follow a “SIBO diet,” but to nourish and support my body in a way that felt empowering and sustainable.
I had to work on my mindset—because I was so focused on what I couldn’t do or eat or feel, I had forgotten to look at what was possible.
I had to bring movement back into my life. I had become sedentary, disconnected from my body, and I needed gentle, joyful activity to reconnect and rebuild strength.
And I had to reshape my lifestyle to support the healthy, vibrant version of me I was working so hard to become. That meant setting boundaries, slowing down, prioritising rest, and surrounding myself with the right people.
Out of that experience, I developed what I now call my 5 Key Pillars to Health: Awareness, Testing and Treatment, Nutrition, Mindset, and Movement and Lifestyle. These pillars changed my life—and they’ve become the foundation of how I now help others reclaim their health too.
