Gut Health Basics: Simple Habits and Simple Recipes to Start Healing Today

This is a little 'gut check in'. Just a little hello, a 'how are you' for your belly and your belly alone. Everyone else in there can stand down, we'll get to you later.

A little reminder lesson for you. The gut communicates with the brain, regulates immunity, shapes mood, and helps balance inflammation. When it’s unhappy, so are we. But improving gut health doesn’t need to be confusing or expensive. Small, daily changes can create big shifts.

This is not meant to be a lecture. Just a quick reminder of why your gut is important, and two quick little recipes to give your belly some love. Especially at this time, the silly season!

Why Gut Health Matters

Your gut is home to over 100 trillion microbes. These tiny organisms:

• Help digest food

• Produce vitamins

• Influence neurotransmitters like serotonin

• Regulate hormones and immune function

• Modulate inflammation

When the gut becomes irritated (through stress, antibiotics, poor diet, alcohol, or poor sleep), symptoms appear: bloating, constipation, loose stools, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, skin issues, and more.

Gut Basics You Can Start Today

1. Eat whole foods more often than not - non-packaged foods should be more than 50% of your food today

2. Include fibre at each meal - have you had some fruit today?

3. Chew slowly - counting is allowed!

4. Hydrate consistently - are you drinking water as you read this?

5. Introduce fermented foods gradually - keen to start a kimchi or sauerkraut regimen? Please, go slow. One teaspoon daily for a few days, then build up

6. Reduce ultra-processed foods - we just don't need them at all, sorry.

7. Support stress and sleep - new years resolution, go to bed?

Two Simple Gut-Friendly Recipes:

If you need a little belly love, these two recipes are fast and simple. Had a big day eating or drinking with friends? Try this tomorrow (and for a week) and see how a little change can make a big difference.

Lemon-Ginger Gut Reset Tea

• A few slices of fresh ginger

• ½ lemon

• Warm water

• Honey (optional)

Steep and sip to calm bloating and support digestion.

5-Minute Fibre Bowl

• ½ cup Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp flaxseed

• ½ cup berries

• Drizzle honey

Perfect for breakfast or a snack—your microbes will love it.

Like I said, give these a go for a week and see how different you feel with even just a small change. Your gut doesn’t need perfection—just consistency. And a little bit of love ♥