Josh has had plenty to get excited about lately — rapid growth for his specialised practice, along with his wedding to partner Martina.
After completing his schooling at St Joseph’s College — where science teachers Reese Leslie and Ms Hammett encouraged his passion for the field — Josh pursued health and science, eventually establishing his clinic, The Gut Guy.
Now based in Carlton with both online and in-person consultations, the practice has grown to employ six staff specialising in gut health and clinical nutrition.
“Life’s been great,” Josh said.
“We have six employees now and they’re all specialised in gut health. A lot of naturopaths say they treat gut health, but few are actually certified and specialised.”
Josh noted that many of his patients came to him after hitting a wall with conventional medicine — still struggling with everyday digestive complaints such as bloating and constipation, but with no clear diagnosis in sight.
“My GP mentioned to me that 60 per cent of patients presenting with gut problems are functional, not medical,” Josh said.
“If there’s nothing medically wrong, those functional issues are what we aim to solve.”
The results speak for themselves — a 95 per cent positive outcome rate and more than 113 online reviews have earned the practice a strong reputation, with both regional and city-based health practitioners now regularly sending patients his way.
Despite scaling up his Melbourne practice, Josh maintains strong ties to his home town on the Murray.
“I still go back to Echuca quite regularly to see my brother and my parents,” he said.
“I love the Murray River — I used to go boating all the time. It’s definitely a different lifestyle living in Melbourne compared to growing up in Echuca.”
The local practitioner walked down the aisle with his partner Martina in Melbourne, followed by a reception at Captain Baxter, before travelling to Bali in January for a traditional Indonesian wedding and honeymoon.
As part of their wedding celebrations, the couple donated $1000 to the Gastroenterological Society of Australia research fund, supporting ongoing study into microbiome health and clinical testing.
“I wanted to give back to research and show contribution to the great work they do,” Josh said.
“Even though we use advanced testing, there is still so much to discover in this field. Preventive health is key, and taking care of your microbiome early can help safeguard your long-term wellbeing.”
To find out more about Josh’s work or to explore functional gut health support, visit thegutguy.com.au.
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