Question 1

Am I able to access the programmes where I am located?

Accepted Answer

All programmes are currently available to clients across the UK, EU and USA (excluding NY/NJ/RI).
 
Appointments take place remotely via Zoom, and any testing can be arranged locally to you (either by home-based testing kits, or through local blood draw services as required).

Question 2

What's does a Sjögren's diet look like?

Accepted Answer

There are a number of popular books and online articles talking about "autoimmune" or "anti-inflammatory" diets. These diets, each with their specific strict rules, can be wildly contradictory. From the 'autoimmune paleo' diet, to raw vegan juicing diets and other 'anti-inflammatory' diets - I'm sure you've come across some of them.
 
While each of these approaches certainly have their merits, what they also share in common is that they are all 'one size fits all' approaches, which do not address all of the specific and individual reasons why you may have developed autoimmunity in general, and Sjögren's in particular. Also, diet is only one component of a more comprehensive approach that's usually required to get the results you are looking for.
 
That's why all of these contradictory diets can work well for some, a little bit for others, or not at all for many. Since they are not targeting the specific underlying causes of why Sjogren's may have developed in any individual, it is simply luck of the draw if and when it works. And it can take a long time of trial and error to find that out, still with no answers or improvement many months or even years later.
 
Most of the popular diets claim to 'heal the gut'. Gut health is indeed of paramount importance, but the gut is only one piece of a larger puzzle, and might not even be what's causing the problem for many people. There are many possible causes, which can only really be discerned with a proper health history and appropriate lab testing.
 
Rather than having a rigid or dogmatic view of which "diet" works best, my personalised approach is to look deeply at the reasons as to why any individual may have developed Sjögren's, and therefore how best to address it.
 
This truly personalised approach is how real Functional Medicine and Naturopathy is practiced - comprehensive and individualised, rather than one-size-fit- all protocols and guidelines.
 
We'll make intelligent dietary swaps and additions, and try to limit the removal of otherwise healthy foods without good reason. This approach helps to create a sustainable path forward for you that is both more effective and less restrictive than many of the DIY 'solutions' being promoted.
 
The bottom line:
 
The common denominator between ALL good autoimmune dietary approaches is the removal of processed foods. The rest can indeed vary, sometimes dramatically, but will always include plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, healthy fats and quality sources of protein as a baseline.
 
From that foundation, we'll get specific with varieties and amounts of each, and add specific therapeutic foods and supplements tailored to your full health picture.

Question 3

Is the diet restrictive and hard to follow?

Accepted Answer

We aim to make the diet as accessible as possible for our clients.

You will receive personalised dietary recommendations based on your individual needs and circumstances. And while some restriction will always be necessary, we emphasise expansion of the diet rather than restriction.

You will also receive a recipe book, regular accountability check-ins and personalised coaching to help you implement the diet and other recommendations.

Question 4

What is the price of the programmes? Where can I find more information?

Accepted Answer

You can view and download all information about the programmes here.

Question 5

What does the whole programme process look like?

Accepted Answer

This is the entire process, from beginning to end:
 
1. Book a free 30 min consultation to discuss your programme options.
 
2. You'll send back a short health questionnaire, intake form and a three-day diet journal.
 
3. Your initial consultation will take place over Zoom, and we'll spend about an hour discussing your health history, symptoms, medications, diet and supplements in detail.
 
4. A few days later, your initial protocol and testing recommendations will be ready. We'll meet up again over Zoom for about 30 minutes to go over it together and make sure it all makes perfect sense to you.
 
5. If you decided on the 'Restore' or 'Regenerate' programmes, after 1-2 weeks we'll meet up for a 20-30 minute check-in to touch base on how you're getting on with your protocol, answer any questions you'll likely have, and to find solutions to any obstacles that might be getting in the way of carrying out your protocol fully.
 
On the 'Regenerate' programme, we'll do these check-ins more frequently, which really helps guarantee you the best possible outcome.
 
6. After about 6 weeks we'll meet up on Zoom for your first proper follow up consultation, and we'll review your symptoms and protocol in detail, as well as the results of any testing that you have got done in the meantime.
 
7. Then we'll repeat steps 4 to 6, until the end of your 4-month programme.
 
At that point we'll do a final evaluation and discuss what the best next steps would be for you, now that you have a highly-refined protocol in hand and are hopefully starting to really see improvements in the way you feel.

Question 6

What happens after I've completed my 4-month programme?

Accepted Answer

Generally speaking, 4 months is the minimum time we would expect to start seeing sustained improvements to your symptoms - some people may see improvements sooner, some take a little longer, it all depends on your individual situation.
 
At the end of your programme, we will be able to have a good thorough evaluation of how you've responded to your protocol overall, and it will be clear at that point what the best next steps would be for you.
 
Your options at that point would be:
 
a) Roll over into a follow up programme, perhaps with less frequent consultations and check-ins. This would be entirely tailored for you, based on what your final protocol looks like, how you're feeling and what you think would work best for you.
 
b) Book a follow up consultation for a couple of months down the line to assess how you've been doing on your own, and if there is anything we can look into or tweak for improved ongoing results.
 
c) Continue with your final protocol on your own, and reach out if and when you feel you could do with some more support.
 
Whichever path you choose at that time, our 4-month journey together will have revealed a great deal about what's driving your Sjögren's, what you need to focus on most moving forward, plus you'll always have someone to turn to that knows your case in detail should you ever feel the need for further improvements.

Question 7

Can I take part in your programmes if I'm not yet diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as we’re looking to identify and address the underlying root causes of your symptoms regardless of the medical diagnosis.

Question 8

Can I keep working with my rheumatologist or primary care doctor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We are a complementary medicine service, meaning, we work alongside conventional health doctors and treatments to enhance overall health and wellbeing.

Question 9

I have other health conditions alongside Sjögren’s. Will you be able to work with me?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes, because we are looking to treat the common underlying root causes to all of your health concerns in a holistic way.

You can ask Jeremy about your specific situation in your free initial consultation.

Question 10

What is the probability that my symptoms will improve with the programme?

Accepted Answer

While there are no guarantees in health, Functional Medicine / Nutritional Therapy is an evidence-based approach, which we combine with our years of clinical experience working exclusively with Sjögren’s clients. This maximises the chances of a successful outcome.

The vast majority of our clients (85-90%) see significant improvements to their symptoms and significant increases to their quality of life within the programme duration.

The closer our clients have been able to adhere to the programme recommendations, the higher the chances their symptoms would improve.

We recommend signing up to the programme at a time when you'll be able to follow and adhere to the recommendations, to make the most of it, bearing in mind you'll have our full implementation support throughout.

Question 11

How long would it take for me to see results?

Accepted Answer

81% of programme participants see significant improvements to their symptoms within the first 2 months. Occasionally clients see improvements within days.

85-90% see significant improvements by the end of their programme.

However, since everyone is different, the important thing is to stay focused on your journey and what you need to do to heal, without comparing your journey to others.

Question 12

Will I be able to reduce or avoid medications?

Accepted Answer

75% of the clients we work with who have finished the programme have been able to reduce or avoid medications as a result of implementing our recommendations.

Question 13

What if I don’t see noticeable improvements by the end of the programme?

Accepted Answer

Were this to be the case, we would extend the duration of the programme by 50% at no additional cost (REGENERATE programme only).

Frequently Asked Questions