I tried a gut health-focused lifestyle for a week, here’s how it went

I needed to talk to an expert, so I called my mother.

I’m acutely aware of the power of a healthy gut. Growing up, it was drilled into me – my mum studied nutrition before becoming a licensed health coach, which meant I had the privilege of being served three delicious gluten-free, sugar-free, paleo-adjacent meals a day. 

Even now, after being out of home for roughly five years, I still get sent weekly recipes and health-focused podcast episodes (shout out Dr Mark Hyman) which I politely ignore. 

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While I appreciate the thought and I definitely see the benefit in prioritising gut health, sometimes I’m just too busy to do so. When my schedule gets particularly packed, I revert to something I call “scrapping” – when I sustain myself on whatever I can find deep within the crevices of my kitchen, which usually means fish sticks, fruit popsicles, canned tomato soup and spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar. 

The impact of this lifestyle can be felt almost immediately. Running around so much means added stress and not enough sleep, and eating like Kevin from Home Alone certainly doesn’t do the body any favours either. It’s a double whammy of gut mistreatment. My skin starts to break out, my immune system weakens, I’m tired all the time and I have a constant feeling of nausea lingering in the background. 

Recently, after a long phase of scrapping followed by a wine and pasta-filled holiday in Tasmania, I decided to finally listen to my mum and give myself a week-long gut reset with the help of The Beauty Chef. 

The rundown

Mum recommended all of the usuals: getting a solid eight hours of sleep, trying to relax a little, avoiding alcohol, sugar, seed oils, dairy and grains, and eating primarily whole foods including vegetables and meat.

Also, supplements – years of struggling with malassezia have made me a probiotic truther so I was already taking a mega-dose of daily probiotics. Still, I decided to add on The Beauty Chef’s Glow Inner Beauty Essential Powder and the Collagen Inner Beauty Boost formula as well. Both packed full of the brand’s Flora Culture bio-fermented blend (as well as a whole host of other vitamins and nutrients), I figured they would add a little extra oomph to my week-long lifestyle switch-up. 

My mum had a few other suggestions I wasn’t expecting. She told me while it’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, it’s not a good idea to drink lots of water during meals as it can dilute your stomach acid. The ritual of eating is also important.

“Create the mood,” she said. “Put your phone away.” Doing small things like setting the table with cute ceramics and glassware, eating slowly or putting on classical music can all help to relax your parasympathetic nervous system which makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb nutrients. “Being grateful for your food is good for your digestion because it puts you in a good mental state,” she added.

The results

Armed with more suggestions than I could manage, I took a realistic approach to my week. First, I made sure I was getting to bed early. I even took naps on the days when I had missed out on a few hours, which made a big difference in my energy. I made sure to get my Pilates classes in and even took a candlelight yoga class on Sunday night to help me relax before the week. 

When it came to food, I made a point to eat produce and protein with every meal. A typical day looked something like fruit, nuts and an almond latté for breakfast (I’ve always been a light eater in the morning), veggies with tofu and satay sauce for lunch, and shakshuka, grilled salmon and broccoli, or chicken tagine for dinner. While the food choices were a bit restrictive and I craved my chemical-laden Coke Zeros, there were still many yummy things I could make when it came down to it. 

I enjoyed the cooking process as well. Because I had to work a bit harder to make the limited ingredients taste delicious, I spent more time in the kitchen playing with spices, peeling carrots and de-shelling prawns. I found this work to be peaceful and it made me appreciate the food much more as well, rather than just eating it over the sink like an animal.

While I’m not sure a week was enough time to fix everything I’d done to my gut fully, I did notice a change. My skin looked plumper and more hydrated, my body felt less run down and it became easier to get up early in the mornings.

It’s easy to forget that everything in our body is interconnected when we’re running on fumes. When I took a moment to slow down and focus on my gut health, I realised just how wide-ranging the benefits can be. Maybe Mum’s been right all along. 

To see how The Beauty Chef could work in your own routine, head here.