So here we are at the end of another month, and what an interesting month it’s been; I’ve loved experimenting with all the natural gluten-free foods! It has been a learning curve for me but I have discovered and shared many delicious new recipes.

I am really excited about what’s coming this month- our theme is the vitally important Eat to Beat Disease; we will be exploring the very real link between what we eat and drink on a daily basis and our health.

Hippocrates said Food is Medicine, and I wholeheartedly agree, but this refers to real food in its unprocessed form, as nature intended, not the food products that line the shelves of supermarkets, packaged in plastic and full of dodgy additives that damage our health! There has been a real upsurge in research relating to the power of food in healing the body, fighting inflammation, supporting immunity, boosting metabolism, mental health, skin health, digestion, and bringing back balance and diversity to the gut. It's no surprise that the wonderful world of fermented food and drinks scores very highly in the health and wellness stakes; they support gut health, and in fact, act like super fertiliser for our good gut buddies, sending in reinforcements along with their food source which is fiber!

Our health stats are becoming worse, with cases of every chronic disease on the increase, and sadly, more younger people are being diagnosed than ever before. Statistics now say that 1 in 2 people will be faced with a cancer diagnosis, a frankly shocking figure; how can we stack the odds in our favour? That’s what I want to explore this month because we do have control of our health, and we have the power to steer ourselves away from disease and toward vibrant good health. Dr William Li, is at the top of the pile for research into healing foods, his book Eat to Beat Disease is packed full of nuggets of wisdom, all scientifically backed up with research, which we will be discussing throughout September.

To supplement this month’s theme, we will be chatting to 2 lifestyle doctors over on the FB group this month:

1. Dr Sheena Fraser, a GP, member of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, and co-host of the most informative Microbiome Medics Podcast, a fascinating deep dive into the latest science supporting the gut microbiome, most recently focusing on cancer. A balanced and diverse gut microbiome not only reduces the risk of disease and recurrence but also how well the body responds to treatment and the severity of side effects! You can listen here.

2. Dr Laura Freeman is also a member of BSLM, and creator of Plant Based Health Online, a doctor-led team of healthcare experts offering a lifestyle medicine healthcare service, successfully proven to improve health. Laura is a cancer thriver and passionate about helping others to heal through diet and lifestyle.

Sheena and Laura are both good friends of mine, who are walking their talk, and changing lives daily!

I will be sharing the results of my ZOE experiment, which takes food as medicine to the next level, since as we all know, there is no one way to eat that suits everyone! ZOE takes into account our personalised response to foods, focusing on three key elements, gut microbiome diversity,  blood sugar balance, and how well the body clears fats! I am delighted to say I scored excellent on the Gut Microbiome test and will share my other results as we go through the month!

Managing our blood sugar levels is key to controlling inflammation, metabolism, weight, energy levels, focus and clarity, and of course, reducing our risk of many chronic diseases which is what we should all be aiming for!

So all in all September will be a humdinger of a month, I’m so excited to have you along for the journey!

In good health,

Janice x