About Michaela Sparrow | Naturopath & Nutritionist AU

Hello

I'm Michaela.

A women's health naturopath and nutritionist with 8 years in clinical practice, a Masters in Advanced Naturopathic Medicine, and a passion for helping women become the healthiest, happiest version of themselves.

My practice is 100% online. Consultations and ongoing support run Australia-wide and internationally.

Clinical scope

The areas of women's health I work with

Women's hormones, PMS, heavy periods, endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids
Perimenopause and menopause
Thyroid, including Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
Gut health, including bloating, IBS, reflux, constipation, and inflammatory bowel conditions
Weight loss, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic health
Stress, burnout, sleep and energy, from insomnia to adrenal depletion
Skin, including acne, eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis
Brain health, anxiety, mental health, ADHD support in women, and general health optimisation for longevity

Training

My qualifications and associations

Bachelor of Health Sciences
Master of Advanced Naturopathic Medicine
Graduate Certificate in Culinary Nutrition Science
A5M Certified Anti-Ageing Medicine Practitioner
Member: Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA)
Member: Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA)
Australian Nutrition Ambassador, MyFitnessPal
Systematic review in preparation: milk thistle and its effects on biomarkers relating to healthspan

Michaela Sparrow with her husband Peter at her Master of Advanced Naturopathic Medicine graduation — Graduation day, with Peter. I finished my Masters with a Distinction, and I had to fight my way through every bit of it.

In the media

Sharing this work as widely as I can

I'm passionate about sharing what I know with as many people as possible, which is why I'm so grateful for the media opportunities that come my way.

Live in the studio on the Today Show
Numerous live radio interviews
Appearances on Sky News and Channel 9 News
Featured in WHO Weekly, the Daily Mail, Marie Claire, Body+Soul, House of Wellness, OK! Magazine and many more

See all media features

Michaela Sparrow, naturopath and nutritionist, live in the studio on the Today Show — Live in the studio for the Today Show.

My story

I was not a normal child.

My fascination with health and the human body started pretty early.

I've been obsessed with how the human body works for as long as I can remember. I have a vivid memory from around 8 years old, of borrowing a book from the school library that showed the full journey of food through the human body, diagrams and all. I was completely hooked, and I can still see the pictures in my mind.

I was also the kid who spent every spare minute outside. Making potions in the garden out of whatever I could pick, collecting flowers, looking for fairies, and disappearing into the bush to explore.

At 12, in year 6, it hit me that I was growing up. High school was right around the corner, and something about that fact woke something up inside me. I became fixated on the idea of getting old, my parents getting old, and what that meant. I used to lie awake at night, crying, terrified of my parents getting old, of everyone getting old, and what that meant.

One of my grandparents had already had a stroke and dementia. The other lived for 30 years with a pacemaker and a long list of cardiovascular issues.

I just couldn't wrap my head around why we accepted getting old the way we did. Why getting old had to mean getting sick and frail and suffering through the last years of your life.

I decided pretty early that I wasn't going to end up like either of my grandparents, and that I was going to find a way to stop it.

That obsession eventually became a career.

Before I was a clinician, I was a patient.

In my mid-to-late 20s I was overweight despite going to the gym every single day and eating what I thought was healthy. I was exhausted, waking through the night, anxious, depressed, inflamed, bloated and being told by mainstream doctors there was nothing wrong with me.

I was miserable. Turned out, I was a bit of a hot mess:

Insulin resistance
Oestrogen dominance
Adrenal dysfunction
Hypothyroidism
Terrible gut health, because years of antibiotics as a child (necessary and life saving) had left lasting damage

All of which, unbeknownst at the time, was most likely driven by MTHFR and a few other gene SNPs that were impacting my hormones, mental health and inflammation levels, along with histamine intolerance and undiagnosed ADHD.

Thankfully, I discovered naturopathic medicine and was able to identify and treat the root causes. I lost a significant amount of weight, sorted my sleep, balanced my hormones, and felt like a completely different person.

Michaela Sparrow before and after treating the root causes of her inflammation and puffiness — Inflammation, puffiness and skin, before and after.

Michaela Sparrow before and after treating insulin resistance, thyroid and hormone imbalance — The weight shifted once the insulin resistance, thyroid and hormones were treated, not before.

The ADHD diagnosis

I wasn't officially diagnosed with ADHD until my early 30s, something a lot of the women I work with can relate to. It explained a great deal about how I had been operating for years.

Being diagnosed was validating. It helped me build the tools and strategies I needed to function at my best, and it helped me give myself some compassion on the days I was struggling and getting frustrated with myself.

It is part of why the mindset and nervous system work sits alongside the clinical treatment in everything I do, and part of why the women I see who were diagnosed late, or are still wondering, tend to feel understood rather than dismissed.

That experience shapes everything I do. I'm passionate about teaching women how their bodies work, because when you understand what's driving your symptoms, you stop feeling like your body is working against you.

That's where lasting change starts.

Off the clock

Life behind the scenes

Michaela Sparrow and her husband Peter at home with their rescue bulldogs Rose and Otis — Home, with Peter, Rose and Otis.

I'm based in Newcastle with my husband and our three bulldogs, Rose, Otis and Dolly. Otis and Dolly are rescues and came to us with pretty sad backgrounds. Rose came with a very loud personality and has never apologised for it.

Dolly and Otis, rescue bulldogs from Mini's Bulldog Rescue Club, asleep together — Dolly and Otis, both rescues.

Rose the bulldog lying in the paddock with a stick at sunset — Rose, and her stick.

We also have our beautiful angel bulldog, Motley. He was my soul dog and the reason I'm so passionate about dog rescue. We lost him in very traumatic circumstances in 2022, and I went through a very intense, deep period of grief that I had to pull myself out of. That was a life changing experience, and I have to say, it changed me for the better.

Motley the bulldog stretching on the grass — Motley. My soul dog.

Otis the bulldog meeting Mabel, a rescue jersey dairy cow, through the fence — Otis saying hello to Mabel, one of our rescue cows.

I've been involved in bulldog rescue for over 10 years and have fostered dozens of beautiful dogs in that time. I volunteer with Mini's Bulldog Rescue Club, a volunteer-run registered charity that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes bulldogs across Australia. Otis and Dolly both came to us through Mini's. Other than my clinical work, nothing gives me as much purpose and fulfilment as helping dogs in need. When we can't physically foster, we donate to rescues.

We also have a small farm with rescue dairy cows. Mabel is a jersey with massive attitude, and Ernie is a gentle sweetheart who is terrified of Mabel. Seriously, someone needs to make a reality TV show about the interpersonal dynamics between cows.

We also have two new baby cows, Dorothy and Blanche, named after the Golden Girls. Peter got these lovely girls for my birthday, and they all get to live out their lives in peace on our farm.

Michaela Sparrow in the paddock with her rescue dairy cows Mabel and Ernie — Mabel and Ernie.

Michaela Sparrow, online naturopath and nutritionist, working outdoors in the garden — Working outside whenever I can.

I love walking the dogs, being out in nature as much as possible, and exploring the Australian countryside. The ocean and being near water is one of my favourite places to be.

I'm an avid (yet terrible) golfer. Let's just say I don't have a handicap. I love the night sky even though I'm a bit scared of the dark, which means most of my stargazing happens on a fine balance between awe and terror.

I try to move my body and work out regularly, but I'll admit, I'm not the kind of person who loves going to the gym. I mean, I love working out at the gym, and I love how I feel after. It's the getting there that's the struggle. I have a very clear "why," and that's what gets me out the door.

I'm a bit of a beauty and skincare junkie, and I can spend way too much time hunting down a good second-hand deal on Depop.

I'm a massive foodie who will happily work my way through a cheese platter, oysters, and a bowl of pasta in the same sitting, and then wash it down with a margarita or a bloody mary.

People who know me would describe me as down to earth, with a slightly sarcastic sense of humour, and the kind of person you can tell your deepest darkest secrets to without judgement.

An interesting fact about me: I was born in Canada, in Saskatchewan. My dad is Canadian and my mum is Aussie. My grandpa was the longest-serving senator in Canadian parliament, and he owned one of the very first KFCs in Canada. He was good friends with Colonel Sanders, and I have photo proof. You could say KFC runs through my veins. And yes, I still eat KFC. 80/20 always.

Michaela Sparrow's father as a boy with Colonel Sanders in Canada — The photo proof: my dad, with Colonel Sanders.

The 80/20 principle

I believe in living a life, not a perfect one.

I live an 80/20 life, and it's not just something I prescribe to clients. It's how I live. Health is about what you do most of the time, not all of the time.

Life is too short to be perfect with your food, and too precious to torture your body with 24/7 discipline either.

Free personalised health report

Got a list of symptoms a mile long and no idea where to start?

The Health Compass Quiz scores your gut, hormones, liver and detox, adrenals, immunity, sleep and metabolism in five minutes. It shows you which areas of your body are struggling and where to begin.

If you've been dismissed by GPs, told your symptoms are just part of being a woman, brushed off as normal, or sent home with nothing to work with when you know something isn't right, this is for you.

Based on the same clinical framework I use with 1:1 patients
Five minutes from start to finish
Personalised report sent to your inbox

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Free. Five minutes. Your report lands in your inbox.

Shall we work out what's actually going on?

If you'd like to work together, the first step is a free 15-minute Clarity Call. It's a chance to chat through what's going on for you and see if we're the right fit before committing to anything.

Book a Free Clarity Call