How to test your Stomach Acid Levels

Sodium bicarbonate or The Bread Soda Test

Open the stopwatch function on your phone. Dissolve a level teaspoon full of bicarbonate of soda in water (Supervalu and Dunnes sell the Shamrock brand of bread soda) (just make sure on the back of the container that it is simple bread soda and that it does not contain other raising agents. Stir it up in 200 mls of cold water and drink it down in an empty stomach and set your stop watch. 

If you do a big belch within 3 minutes more than likely you have sufficient stomach acid. Repeat this test every day for 10 mornings as some days you might burp and other days you wont, so 10 days will give me a good idea of your situation and report all your findings to myself at your next appointment.

If you do small burps or no burps in the 1st 3 minutes then you are likely to be suffering from low stomach acid. Repeat this test every day for 10 mornings and report your findings to myself at your next appointment.

How to take stomach acid supplements: You CAN’T buy these in a regular chemist or health food shop. The dose they sell is only a fraction of what you would need. See our online shop to purchase what I sell. It’s called Betaine HCL and Pepsin. Also Digestive Enzymes.

Start with one capsule in the morning with your breakfast and two capsules with your lunch and 2 with your main meal. If you notice a warm feeling in your stomach or you feel sick then you do not need to take anymore capsules and reduce them accordingly. 

You may need to take five capsules with an evening meal. Everybody is different and you have to decide for yourself. Smaller meals need fewer pills. Larger meals may need more. Personally I have found one at breakfast and two at my main meal is sufficient to keep the bad bugs at bay when I am on them for a while.

Also what you might notice after a few weeks of taking the capsules if you feel sick nauseous then that might be a sign that you are now producing enough stomach acid of your own and you need to reduce the capsules. You can stop them completely for a week and go back to maybe one in the morning and one in the evening, cut down your doses if you feel you need to. Keep track of this for your next appointment.

Glass of water

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Fiona is a medical scientist, who has 25 years of experience investigating and researching health because of her own and her families functional bowel, mental health, digestive, hormonal and gut health struggles. She resolved her own acne, complex trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, low mood, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia like illness through years of working with doctors, naturopaths, functional practitioners, following protocols, trial and error of supplements, medication, herbs, hormones, peptides and making many lifestyle changes and is well known for her success through sheer determination to support her clients cases. She has worked in the field of microbiology and in medical sales and marketing of drugs and skin products for 15 years, she is trained in nutritional mineral analysis, reading functional blood chemistry and a naturopathic doctors advanced clinical program and is doing ongoing case study training with naturopathic doctors. Fiona is not a medical doctor, a nurse or a registered dietician, or a nutritionist. Fiona is not a medically qualified professional and does not medically diagnose any condition or symptom.

No, but you can put receipts and supplement bills under health expenses on your med 1 tax return at the end of the year. We will give receipts for all.

This depends on how many symptoms you have, and for how long, if you are suffering decades no, it will take time to unravel root causes and treat them. You need to be aware that what you are embarking upon is not a quick fix but will require daily effort to achieve health goals, that involvement is a long-term commitment and failing to implement any part of my program will reduce chances of success. You should see a doctor if I think you have a medical condition. You receive health coaching suggestions to improve your health but there are no guarantees regarding these suggestions as everyone is biochemically so different. Fiona does however give you enough paperwork for you to do about 2 years of work behind the scenes as she wants to give you value for money to keep working on your health even outside appointments provided you commit to doing bloods twice a year as supplements or programs can change the cellular health and everything must be monitored.

Fiona likes to support a client in the initial weeks after their first appointment so they put into practice what is given in the protocol. She is there to provide support via WhatsApp Or Instagram Dms if you have any quick questions. 30-60mins of time is included in the package for these support minutes. Whole body wellness is not a quick fix as many systems in the body have to be addressed to get the gut well. I help you work on your digestion, absorption, detoxification pathways, your lymphatic, adrenal, enteric nervous system to help your body recover from illness that begins in the gut. It takes time to get ones body into healing mode, it took me 3 years in total to get my gut from not digesting at all to eating everything in sight.

Fiona prides herself on being with the person as they embark on their journey but she has to charge for her time in helping you make progress after your first appointment. Post call support minutes can be purchased for 125 euro at any stage this gives you 12 contact points for quick questions. NO long emails or phone calls can be included in this. All minutes are recorded and taken out of your time. Each contact point is 5 mins.

The €250 package (2hrs of time) includes review of the consultation form and notes taken prior to the call (20mins), a 1hr consultation call, 20 mins links for writing supplements post call, a doctors referral letter or 20mins post call support. No emails will be written with all specifics for your programme but a general document will be sent after call and you will have your notes taken from the consult on what to do from it. This is our cheapest package and is useful for someone who is not able to commit to deeper work, may not be ready to make major continuous changes or just wants more info on their symptoms.

For €375 3hrs as above but with 1.5 hr consultation and 30mins support minutes

For €500 4hrs as above but 90 mins support minutes after call. These can also be used for a review of bloods or a test that incurs after the first appointment or a written email with instructions of any changes you need. This is the minimum for complex cases of 4 or more long standing issues.

For €625 5hrs of time.

For €750 6hrs of time

For €875 7hrs of time

For €1000 8hrs of time- this will cover a few months and maybe 4 tests review in that time and continuous guidance. Best for the person who has time to commit to their healing or is at the end of their tether and their symptoms are seriously effecting their ability to work, care for family, their marriage is in jeopardy or they are too ill to consider getting pregnant.

No, but Go With Your Gut Clinic may provide you with information relating to products that we believe might benefit you, but such information is not to be taken as an endorsement or recommendation. Some such products may not be available without a prescription, but we do not dispense or prescribe any prescription products. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice or used as a substitute for medical care. We are not responsible for any adverse affects or consequences that may result, either directly or indirectly, from that information. We may mention to you to see another doctor or health practitioner during the course of your care.

To take hair sample: Hair has to be natural, clean, no products in it. If your hair is dyed it has to be the undyed root hair grown out part you cut out. About 8 weeks regrowth is needed. Cut 5 x 1 inch deep hair from root, each about half inch wide, and then cut off dyed hair part and dispose it. If you have a natural hair sample cut it to max 2 inch length from root. Place hair in a small envelope, write your name and sample type: hair on the small envelope. On form make sure you fill in patient details section, max 5 symptoms and your bank card details, 3 digit code and its expiry date (on bottom somewhere of form). About 85-90euro will come off your card when it’s processed in about 3 weeks, after you post it off. Put the small envelope with the form into a big envelope and post to

For Irish and UK clients post to

Mineral Check LTD, Bull Cottage, Lenham Health Rd, Lenham Health, Kent, ME172BP, UK

For USA Clients post to

Trace Elements, Incorporated
4501 Sunbelt Drive, Addison, 
Texas 75001-0514

When results back I will contact you.