“The act of eating is an agricultural act.”
– Wendell Berry
A Healthy Living System
A picture paints a thousand words — and this one captures it beautifully!
Thank you to Claire Holgate, artist and colleague, for helping me create a visual that shows the vital role of good microbes — the ‘flora’ — in driving a healthy living system.
Whether in the soil that grows our food, in our own gut, or inside grazing animals, beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are constantly working behind the scenes. They produce a natural ‘pharmacy’ of chemicals that help life — and health — thrive.
The Gut Project:
Connecting Soil, Food, and Health
I founded The Gut Project in 2021 as a guiding principle for my work in Nutrition — and as a reminder that we are only beginning to understand the vital role of microbes in our health. It’s an ongoing project, for all of us.
The Gut Project:
Connecting Soil, Food, and Health
I founded The Gut Project in 2021 as a guiding principle for my work in Nutrition — and as a reminder that we are only beginning to understand the vital role of microbes in our health. It’s an ongoing project, for all of us.
But it’s about more than just the gut.
Our gut health is part of a much bigger system: when we farm with nature, we change the quality of our food — often for the better.
For example:
Organic fruit, vegetables, and grains tend to have higher levels of gut-loving antioxidants (polyphenols), vitamins, and minerals.
Organic dairy and beef are richer in healthier fats compared to conventionally produced foods.
The Gut Project links how we produce our food with how it impacts our gut — and overall health.
It underpins everything I do as a Nutritionist to help our Living System to thrive – either as an individual for personal nutrition support, in my workshops, or advice for food producers.
Have a listen to find out more:
References:
Czech, A., Szmigielski, M., & Sembratowicz, I. (2022). Nutritional value and antioxidant capacity of organic and conventional vegetables of the genus Allium. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23497-y
Średnicka-Tober, D., Barański, M., Seal, C. J., Sanderson, R., Benbrook, C., Steinshamn, H., Gromadzka-Ostrowska, J., Rembiałkowska, E., Skwarło-Son, K., Eyre, M., Cozzi, G., Krogh Larsen, M., Jordon, T., Niggli, U., Sakowski, T., Calder, P. C., Burdge, G. C., Sotiraki, S., Stefanakis, A., … Leifert, C. (2016). Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta-and redundancy analyses. Greece British Journal of Nutrition, 57001, 1043–1060. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114516000349
Średnicka-Tober, D., Barański, M., Seal, C., Sanderson, R., Benbrook, C., Steinshamn, H., Gromadzka-Ostrowska, J., Rembiałkowska, E., Skwarło-Son, K., Eyre, M., Cozzi, G., Krogh Larsen, M., Jordon, T., Niggli, U., Sakowski, T., Calder, P. C., Burdge, G. C., Sotiraki, S., Stefanakis, A., … Aydin Vocational, K. (2016). Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 115, 994–1011. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515005073
Blum, W. E. H., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., & Keiblinger, K. M. (2019). Does soil contribute to the human gut microbiome? Microorganisms, 7(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7090287
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