Get a healthy gut

River Cottage’s Rachel de Thample shares natural ways to improve gut health and boost your wellbeing

Home » Get a healthy gut

Published: March 10, 2025
This Article was written by: Katie Hill - My Green Pod
food, foraging, growing, health, organic, tips, wellbeing

0 Shares

This article first appeared in our International Women’s Day issue of My Green Pod Magazine, published 04 March. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

The word ‘microbiome’ is now part of everyday language, popping up on supermarket shelves and in ads tempting us to buy products to transform our health.

The reason the microbiome has become a hot topic is its connection to health.

Since the 1950s rates of allergies, autoimmune disorders, cancers and chronic diseases have increased dramatically, in line with the introduction of chemicals in farming and processed foods.

We’ve moved further away from nature; at the same time the rise of technology, which draws us to screens rather than outdoor activities, has worsened our health. Our bodies can no longer keep up with these changes.

Linking soil and gut health

The Human Microbiome Project was launched in 2007 with an aim of helping us to understand how the bacteria in our guts affect our health.

One key discovery is the influence of bacteria on our entire system, including the brain.

Surprisingly, there’s also a link between soil and gut health: healthy soil leads to a healthy gut, which in turn nourishes the mind.

While watching her husband muck out the goat pens on her farm, Shann Jones, founder of Chuckling Goat kefir, made a vital connection between soil and gut health.

She observed how microbes break down waste, transforming it into energy – a process she describes as ‘close to magic’.

‘Every ecosystem follows the same rules: feed it, love it, don’t poison it’, Shann shares.

Just like our bodies, food grown in healthy soil has a stronger immune system. When we consume food from soil that’s rich in microbes, those organisms take root in us, boosting our own immunity.

Connecting with nature

At River Cottage, every class begins with a visit to the garden to gather herbs, vegetables and wild foods.

This hands-on experience is integral to the River Cottage ethos, where the motto SLOW (seasonal, local, organic and wild) guides everything we do.

As we get our hands dirty, we not only connect with nature but also give our microbiomes a boost.

Eddie Bailey, a specialist at RhizoPhyllia, shared a striking fact at the Soil Association AGM: plants spend about 40% of their energy connecting with microorganisms.

At River Cottage, I introduced Eddie to a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts), a culture used for fermenting tea. It’s packed with beneficial microbes.

When you add it to tea, the bacteria feed off the sugar and multiply with each passing day. With every sip of kombucha, you’re nourishing your gut microbiome.

After the workshop, Eddie shared a microscopic image of my kombucha SCOBY, revealing the invisible world of beneficial bacteria. This image underscored why our microbiomes are struggling.

Much of the food we eat is lifeless: grown in soil that kills microbes and processed until it’s devoid of vitality.

As Dr Chris Van Tulleken explores in Ultra-Processed People, this lack of life in our food makes it harder for our bodies to thrive.

The simple solution

The solution to improving gut health is simple. Michael Pollan sums it up concisely in his book Food Rules: ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’

When you eat plants grown in healthy soil, you don’t need to overeat to feel satisfied.

One summer, Eddie Bailey compared two cobs of sweetcorn: one homegrown and one from the supermarket.

Using a Brix scale, which measures plant nutrients, Bailey’s homegrown corn scored 18%, while the supermarket variety barely hit 7.5%.

Bailey recalled, ‘I couldn’t finish the homegrown cob – it was so sweet and packed with phytonutrients. My gut bacteria were saying, ‘That’s all you need’.’

He pointed out that food stripped of nutrients leaves our microbiomes hungry for the essential vitamins and minerals they need.

Start your gut-friendly journey

Here are some easy ways to boost your gut health, starting today.

Grow your own food
Growing food in healthy, chemical-free soil is one of the best ways to support your gut health.

By growing your own produce, you enjoy fresh, nutrient-rich food, while the gardening process introduces beneficial microbes into your body.

If home gardening isn’t an option, support local farms that use organic and sustainable practices.

Check out the River Cottage Get Growing Course for a great introduction to growing your own.

Ferment your food
Fermented foods are another excellent way to boost your microbiome.

For example, you can make sauerkraut by shredding cabbage, adding salt (2% per 100g) and fermenting it for two weeks.

The bacteria multiply, making the cabbage more nutritious – in fact, fermented cabbage has up to 50% more vitamin C than raw cabbage.

The fermentation process also breaks down complex sugars to make the cabbage easier to digest.

Try foraging
Wild plants have deeper roots and absorb more beneficial bacteria and nutrients from the soil.

The Wildbiome Project, led by forager Monica Wilde, shows that eating wild foods positively impacts the microbiome.

Return to nature
Today most food comes wrapped in plastic, and many of us get our nature from a screen. The simple solution for our bodies and minds is to return to nature. It’s easy, and it’s free!

About Rachel de Thample

Rachel is an award-winning author who has worked in food, health and sustainability for more than 20 years.

She the author of seven published books including the River Cottage Fermentation Handbook, which won a Guild of Food Writer’s Award, best-selling Tonics & Teas and Winter Wellness: Nourishing recipes to keep you healthy when it’s cold. Her latest tome is the River Cottage Bees & Honey Handbook (Bloomsbury, March 2025).