Imagine an ecosystem inside your body, teeming with trillions of tiny organisms, influencing everything from your digestion, to your mood, to your risk of chronic disease. This is the gut microbiome. And while it may be microscopic, its impact on your well-being is anything but small. In fact, it has been found that 70% of your body’s immune system resides in your gut lining - a huge reason why establishing optimal gut health is so important for healthy immune function. 

For years, scientists have known that bacteria live in the human body. But only recently have we begun to understand just how much they control. They communicate with our brain, shape our immune system, and even influence our hormones. The question is, what happens when this delicate balance is disrupted?

Your gut microbiome is a vast and complex community of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that live primarily in your intestines. This ecosystem actively participates in digestion, metabolism, and immune function. In fact, your gut contains more bacterial cells than human cells, meaning, in a way, you’re more microbe than human.

A healthy gut microbiome works in harmony with your body, aiding in the breakdown of food, the production of essential nutrients, and the regulation of inflammation. But when things go wrong, the consequences can be far-reaching.

Every day, we’re exposed to a cocktail of invisible threats - environmental toxins lurking in our food, water, air, and even household products. While we might not see them, they have a profound impact on our health. Scientists now recognise that toxins are major contributors to chronic diseases, accelerating aging, weakening immunity, and increasing the risk of conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.

But how much of an impact do these toxins actually have? Research suggests that up to 70% of chronic diseases may be linked to environmental exposures. The question isn’t whether toxins affect your health, it’s how much damage they may already be doing.

As a Health Coach with additional qualifications in Environmental Medicine, one of the main focus areas of my programmes is to help you to reduce your toxin exposure and support your body’s detoxification systems.

For years, we’ve been told that our genes dictate our health—our risk for disease, how we age, and even our longevity. But what if that’s not entirely true? What if you had the power to influence how your genes behave, steering them toward health rather than disease?

Welcome to the fascinating world of epigenetics—where science is proving that your daily choices shape your genetic destiny far more than you might think. As a Health Coach with a specialist background in Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics, this is an area that I’m passionate about and one in which I draw on with my clients to help them to achieve incredible results.

Epigenetics is the study of how external factors—such as diet, lifestyle, stress, and environmental exposures—affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself. Think of your DNA as the hardware of a computer and epigenetics as the software that tells it what to do. The code remains the same, but the way it functions depends on the instructions it receives.

So, while you may have inherited certain genetic predispositions from your parents, your lifestyle largely determines whether those genes remain dormant or become activated—for better or worse.

Dementia is a global health crisis, with over 55 million people worldwide currently living with the condition. The most common form, Alzheimer’s Disease, accounts for 60-70% of cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year, and this number is expected to triple by 2050 if no effective interventions are implemented.

While genetics can influence dementia risk, lifestyle choices can modify gene expression. Possession of the APOE4 gene, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, is not a definitive fate. Studies show that individuals with APOE4 who follow a healthy lifestyle have a much lower risk of developing dementia than those who do not.

Encouragingly, this means there are actionable steps we can take to reduce our risk and protect our brain health. Research has shown that the changes to the brain which lead to dementia begin 20 - 30 years before any symptoms of cognitive impairment arise. This is why it’s so important to take action now.