“I’d lie awake at night thinking about getting old and it’s not normal but I grew up with one grandparent who had a pacemaker and another who died in painful circumstances, with dementia,” she says.

“It just made me fascinated about aging and the health science behind it.”

That focus has come full circle, with Ms Sparrow launching her first naturopath business, The Longevity Remedy in Newcastle West, within the private health clinic BioGenetics Australia. 

After spending her 20s working in retail, Ms Sparrow was encouraged by husband Peter, who has clothing outlets, to follow her naturopathy interests.

She studied over six years, commuting to Sydney to gaina Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) at Endeavour College of Natural Health, graduating last year. She then gained accreditation at the Australasian Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine as an anti-aging practitioner. She believes she is the only naturopath in Newcastle with the qualification.  

As a naturopath, Ms Sparrow assesses the health of a person to address the underlying causes of disease and illness. To provide relief for her client, she uses various resources: herbal medicine, clinical nutrition and lifestyle interventions.

She also applies Nutrigenomics, or the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes,and uses DNA testing to assess the genetic profile of a clients before devising a nutrition plan to enhance health. 

“By looking at your DNA profile we can identify genetic susceptibility to illness, metabolism of nutrients, inflammation, oxidative stress and many other body processes that influence health and ageing,” she says. “By understanding what is going on genetically we can then tailor diet and lifestyle based on your personal genetic makeup.”

Far from a cosmetic beauty reference, anti-aging in the naturopathic world focuses on closing the gap between a person’s life span and their health span, or the length of time they are healthy.

“If we can do everything we can to stay healthy, so we only have a couple of years when we are struggling, then why don’t we?” Ms Sparrow says.

The bulk of her clients seek assistance with stress management, adrenal health, sleep issues and weight loss.

Having had depression and anxiety when younger, she is passionate about a holistic approach and extols the importance of gut and liver health for absorption of vitamins and minerals: “It's not just getting someone to take a pill or supplement, I care about outcomes,” she says.