Laura’s gut journey

My problematic gut

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who woke up one day, thinking their deepest desire was to talk about digestion. I certainly didn’t.

My name’s Laura Hanke and my journey into gut health began with the challenges I experienced as a child – some of which continued into adulthood.

For a long time, gut problems were the ‘story of my life’ – from being hospitalised with bad constipation as a child, to struggling with IBS, eczema, acne and infected skin as an adult. Not only did these ups and downs affect how I felt physically, they also really affected my confidence and my happiness.

I’ve grown up in the entertainment industry; as a singer, I’ve spent a lot of time in front of cameras, and I was always told that looks were important. I constantly thought about my appearance – “will I look bloated in this outfit?”, “will they be able to tell that my skin is bumpy?”, “when and where can I go to the bathroom?”, “is water available in case I’m constipated?”. Ironically, worrying about the problem, made the problem worse.

Travelling all roads to find comfort

After a LOT of trial and error, including trips to the GP, diets, prescriptions, no prescriptions, moisturisers, no moisturisers, standing on my head upside down praying to the Universe (a joke, but I felt like I had tried EVERYTHING),

I am pleased to say that I feel good in my gut, my skin and my health. Yes, I get the odd flare-up now and then, but it certainly doesn’t affect my confidence, my happiness, or my wellbeing.

When I got diagnosed with IBS, I just felt a bit ‘blah’. Great, I thought, now I can put a label on my gut problem – but how do I fix it?

I think general medicine is very useful, and many people find it helpful in dealing with digestion issues; however, my GP didn’t give me the tools I needed to solve my gut issues, nor the information to help me get to the root of the problem.

I hear this a lot with my clients as well – that they get their diagnosis but are unsure on how to deal with it on a daily basis.

I tried a gluten free diet, low FODMAP, dairy-free, low fat, low carb, paleo, juice cleanses – you name it.

There is no diet that’s ‘best’ for everyone – we’re all different

Finally, a happy gut

In the end, what helped me the most was switching to a plant-based diet (to reiterate: plant- based, not a processed vegan diet). However, there is no diet that’s ‘best’ for everyone – we’re all different and have different needs when it comes to our food. Besides, you can have the ‘best’ diet and still experience gut problems.

If your trigger is something else – like stress, anxiety, pollution, medication, toxins, etc. – the problem won’t go away if you only change your diet.

What I’ve learned

One very important thing that I have learned through my journey (and lots of research), is that our bodies and mind are connected – especially when it comes to the gut.

Have you ever experienced getting ‘butterflies in your stomach’, or blushed because you got embarrassed or shy? These are physical manifestations of emotions. I find it fascinating how our bodies and minds are so interlinked.

I believe the gut is connected to many more diseases than we think. The issue might not manifest in the gut, and the symptoms might not seem gut-related: auto-immune diseases, allergies, anxiety, depression, cancer, asthma, obesity, heart diseases – these can all be improved, if not cured, by looking at the gut.

When I researched more on the gut, it dawned on me how little, as a population, we know about how our daily choices affect our long-term health.

When I started looking at my own habits, I realised that I was constantly in ‘reactive’ mode – I watched Netflix before bed, looked at my phone first thing in the morning, and ate my lunch on the go, often rushing off to somewhere.

In other words, I spent my days in a more-or-less constant state of ‘fight or flight’ – as you can imagine, this isn’t a healthy response for your body to be in long-term.

Here’s something I talk a lot about now when I coach others: it’s not about surviving your day; it is about living your day. Don’t get me wrong, it is not easy to change your habits, but it’s about thinking about the bigger picture of your health.

I spent my days in a more- or-less constant state of ‘fight or flight’ 

Habits to treat a grumpy gut

It’s important we find a solution that we continue with for the rest of our life – rather than just fix the problem quickly only for it to reappear. Habits that serve our life and make us feel good, and they allow us to get on with our day and let our gut do its job without having to worry about it.

Things to ask yourself if you have a grumpy gut:
  • Do you start your day by looking at your phone?
  • Do you eat your lunch whilst sitting at your desk?
  • When was the last time you took a deep breath and actually felt your body?
  • When was the last time you took a break from your screen?
  • When you’re doing your weekly shop, do you pick the vegetables that come pre-packaged in plastic, or the ones with dirt on?
  • Do you use antibacterial cleaning products and soaps?
And things I wish I had known whilst going through my challenges:
  • Having support on your gut journey is massively important
  • You can’t just outsource the solution to your gut problem – finding what works for you specifically is key
  • One-off sessions with experts are of limited use
  • It can take a minimum of three months to find a solution based on your diagnosis, symptoms and wishes.

If I could give one tip to those who are reading this blog and want to improve their gut health – don’t look for a quick fix.

I’m sorry if that wasn’t the answer you were looking for, but the reality is that no fad diet or trick helped me or any of my clients.

Three tips for your gut journey
  1. Don’t compare yourself to ‘the average person’ or someone else with similar issues – you are a unique human, both in the literal and metaphorical sense
  2. Be curious about what works for YOU, and your life
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – there are so many resources and information out there

These days, we don’t suffer from a lack of information on gut health; that isn’t an issue – I believe the real challenge is knowing which information to take on onboard; when to implement what, why, and in what capacity.

And remember, you don’t need a diagnosis to want to better your gut health. We can all improve our gut. Unfortunately, it’s often only once we experience issues with something that we actually consider making a change. I hope that will change.

From my gut journey to yours

My journey has been a long one – but yours doesn’t have to be. I’ve researched, experimented and have taken qualifications on the subject. I’m now a gut coach – which is not something I would have thought was possible when I was starting my gut journey!

I am not a medical professional, and I never claim to cure anyone, but I am proud to say that every single person I’ve worked with has significantly improved their overall health – and some cured their gut problems by working with me for only a few months.

If you have any questions about your gut, or if you want to hear more about my coaching, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

This self-care experience has been shared by Laura Hanke, a gut coach and founder of It Starts From Within

Food Medicine Survey

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Welcome to Superfied!

Superfied is a way of being. Not just being ok, but being well, really well. As well as you can possibly be – and not just sometimes but all the time. And with minimum effort and expense. While having fun!

We live in a world of quick fixes – act now, worry later and let someone else deal with the issue. But it’s not sustainable. Not for our wellbeing, not for our society and not for our planet. 

Superfied is the result of my own journey into wellness and a new understanding of how to take care of myself. I hope it gives you a new perspective on food, helps you see how everything in you and around you is connected, and inspires you to better look after yourself too.

And doing so in a way that works for us and our planet both now and in the future, without ignoring progress but by embracing it; old meets new, tech meets nature, ideas meet action. 

For the cost of a cappu-frappe-ccino every month, I want to make it even easier for you to boost your wellbeing, to spread the word and help those who don’t have enough to eat. 10% of your investment will go directly to a food voucher scheme for those in need . 

I’d love your support. Let’s change the status quo, one meal at a time!

Sandy Purewal,
Superfied Founder

 

How Superfied Works

The Superfied low-down!

Superfied is about using food as your toolkit to be at your best, every day. Through smarter food choices, you can sort out those everyday ailments before they become more serious issues in a natural and sustainable way. Learn to eat for your body type, not someone else’s, because what’s good for one person isn’t necessarily best for everyone else. So, when your wellbeing takes a downturn, eat your way back to your natural balanced self. We call this being Superfied – it’s like yoga but with food – and it’s backed by a self-care system called Ayurveda.

How it works

The first thing to know is your ‘body type’ – it’s a basic blueprint for your physical and mental make-up. A simple 10-minute assessment is all it takes. Once we know that, we’ll email your body type summary report and the kind of foods, meals and activities we recommend to stay well. You can get more information in your personal Superfied Space – including a full food list and recipes, all personalised to your body type and free to try for seven days. No payment details are taken and no obligations – so you can browse and evaluate in peace! You can tell us how you’re feeling at any point, and we’ll adapt your Superfied Space accordingly for your mental and physical wellbeing so that you can stay ‘in balance’. You can also evaluate your digestion – because any wellbeing issues are likely to start there. Everything is personalised to you and it changes with you.

Superfied Goals

There are three simple goals for being Superfied:

  1. Achieve Balance
  2. Maintain Balance
  3. Detox

We’ll set and update these automatically as you progress to your brilliant best, but you can change them if you want to.

Test, Learn, Eat

Achieve Superfied status in three easy steps!

1. TEST: Let’s look inside

Take a tick-box test to know your body type – it’s the first step to being Superfied. Your body type is your baseline for being well. It’s like knowing your blood type or personality type. Knowing your body type can help you better understand yourself; your inherent personality, physiology, emotional predispositions and how likely you are to get ill or injured (physically and mentally). Your body type reflects who you are at your core and so it’s doesn’t change throughout your life.

2. LEARN: Self-care for your situation

Make smarter food choices by understanding how the superpowers of foods can help you stay well. Your body’s always either moving into or out of balance (i.e. your best physical and mental state), The closer you are to your body type’s baseline, the better you’ll feel. If you start moving out of balance spot the early signs and know what to do to address it. We’ve got you’re back with recommendations, guides, tips and articles on how to be Superfied.

3. EAT: Foods to make you fly

Eating for your body type is the first step to eating smarter. And then eating in response to how you’re feeling in any given week will help you stay balanced and healthy. We’ll create a personalised food list that changes with you, supported by recipes to inspire you to eat more of the foods you love that love you back. Be Superfied by making small food swaps and enjoying food – eat your way to the best you, every day.

Use the 80:20 rule

In the real world, there are temptations and traumas around every corner so don’t be hard on yourself – it’s a marathon not a sprint! Apply the 80:20 rule to eating foods; eat the ones that have the superpowers you need from nature’s yard 80% of the time and, eat whatever you fancy for the rest! Food choices should be fun, not just functional

Healthing Hands

Superfied is all about self-care to prevent illness from arising but if you’ve got a pre-existing health condition or an everyday ailment that won’t go away, you can speak to a qualified professional to take a closer look. We’ve hand-picked some exceptional independent practitioners who all focus on getting to the root cause of an issue and get it fixed. Health yourself in a natural, sustainable way and learn to stay well with the things you have already. Be Superfied! Find out your body type

Learn about Superfied Learn more about the Superfied Way

Superfied x Alexandra Rose Charity

Good vibes can change society

Superfied is about helping people health themselves in the most simple, effective and inexpensive way. It’s a free resource for everyone. For those that want more, their subscriptions help fund the Superfied project.

We are an ethical brand looking to make a positive social impact. We strive to work with organisations that share our values. That’s important to us and so we’re delighted to say that we are supporting Alexandra Rose Charity. 10% of all our profits will go to them. 

Why @AlexRoseCharity?

Well, not only are they a great bunch of people, they are delivering practical help to people who are affected by food poverty. We think the Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project is both inspired and a game-changer.

Families on low incomes can register for the vouchers at their local children’s centre. A family receives £3 of Rose Vouchers for each child, every week (or £6 if the child is under one year of age).

Rose Vouchers can only be redeemed at registered markets and independent greengrocers. This means that the project not only helps young families but also supports local markets, maintaining their position as sources of healthy low-cost food and helping to ensure economic vibrancy by encouraging regular trade. The Rose Vouchers Project currently runs in six areas around the UK.

For us, it’s great to think of food education contributing to putting food on a plate for those that need it.

Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg 


Small steps to a big goal

More than ever, these times have shown the power of community, consideration and care. We really are all connected. Wellbeing is a human right, natural food is the foundation and both should be accessible to all. It shouldn’t be just for some of us so here’s to making a difference through togetherness!

Find out more about Alexandra Rose Charity 

Superfied founder interview

The Superfied Story

 

Superfied founder, Sandy Purewal, talks to Manny Veiga about what Superfied is, why he started it, and why nutrition is more important than ever in these times. Have a listen!

The original podcast with Manny Veiga of MarchComms is here

Find out more about the Superfied Way

Know your body type

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Rethink your wellbeing

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