kate hendy the balanced gut
The 5 Foundations of a Balanced Gut
My approach follows a simple framework that helps support your gut and whole-body heatlh. It looks at 5 daily inputs that affect your microbiome the most; Food, Stress, Lifestyle, Exposures and Supplements.
The 5 Foundations
Food
Food is the most important input shaping your microbiome. Fibre, diversity, polyphenols.
Stress
Calming the nervous system to support your gut. Parasympathetic activation, vagus nerve stimulation, recovery breaks.
Lifestyle
Your lifestyle is a huge contributer to your microbial health. Daily rhthyms, movement, nature.
Exposures
Reducing harmful inputs and increasing healthy microbial contact. Modern disruptors, disinfectants, lack of exposure to the outdoors.
Supplements
Supplements reinforce foundational health and resilience not replace it. Probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, IgGs, psychobiotics.
Your Gut Microbiome
Your gut microbiome is not just about digestion. It is a central regulator of your immune system, metabolism, energy, hormones and your brain. When the microbiome is strong and resilient, your body can adapt to stress, bounce back from illness and maintain balance. The 5 Foundations Framework shows you which daily inputs matter the most, this is what I focus on during our time together. Resilience does not come from one pill or one change, its built step by step, foundation by foundation. This framework is designed to offer a simple way to implement changes into your life that are not overwhelming, that will have lasting effects on your health and hopefully offer you a new way to look after your body and live your life.