4 Simple Habits to Support Your Body, Brain, and Gut

Before we begin, let me affirm that I strongly advocate for intuitive eating. What that means is listening to your body and what you need. What follows below is an invitation to a 30-Day Health Challenge that focuses on 4 simple and achievable steps to enhance metabolic balance, brain function, and gut well-being. 

Please only proceed if you feel this could be helpful for you, and stop if you notice it's not what you need. Everyone's body shares similarities, but we're all different and very, very diverse so what you need may be quite different. Listen to what your body is telling you. Speak to a GP or dietitian if you need advice. 

Also, what we eat is a reflection of our identity, ethics, politics, beliefs and experiences, as well as our nutritional needs. I prioritise the health of the body highly, and it's up to you how highly you prioritise your health and well-being, and the steps you choose to take to look after yourself.

These four habits of this challenge are intended as additional, supportive steps to enhance well-being—they do not replace a varied and balanced diet or medical advice. Make sure you continue to eat a wide range of wholefoods as well as limit any processed foods in order to meet all your nutritional needs. Do not proceed if you suspect that you have a sensitivity to any of these foods, without first discussing with your medical practitioner.


Kale

30‑Day Health Challenge: 4 Simple Habits to Support Your Body, Brain, and Gut


Vegan-Friendly Version
If you follow a vegan diet, you can adapt the challenge by emphasising plant proteins such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa, and plant omega‑3 sources such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. Leafy greens and whole-food fats such as nuts, seeds, olives, and avocado remain central because they provide fibre, healthy fats, and micronutrients. Conversion of ALA from plants to EPA/DHA is limited, so algae-based DHA supplements may be considered. Vitamin B12 is not reliably found in plant foods, so a B12 supplement or fortified foods (such as plant milks or nutritional yeast) is essential to maintain neurological and blood health. Also, choline is harder to get from plant foods, so fortified foods or supplements can help meet your daily needs. Vegans may benefit from the support of a specialised nutritionist.

Leafy Greens Every Day
Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and rocket are rich in fibre, folate, magnesium, vitamin K, and polyphenols. Fibre from these greens feeds the gut microbiome and supports digestive function, while polyphenols help regulate inflammation. Observational studies show higher intake of leafy vegetables is associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation (Slavin & Lloyd, 2012, Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables).

One Egg Daily
Eggs are a source of complete protein, choline, and carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Choline supports production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and cognitive processes (Zeisel, 2006, Choline). Eggs also supply B12, selenium, and other micronutrients. 

Oily Fish Twice a Week 
Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel are rich in EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids that support cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and maintain neurological function. Meta-analyses indicate that regular consumption of EPA/DHA improves blood lipid profiles and may benefit cognition (Christos et al., 2024, Effects of long-chain omega 3). 

Plant-Based Fats Every Day
Whole-food sources of fats such as nuts, seeds, olives, and avocado provide monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that support absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and cardiometabolic health. Evidence shows that diets high in unsaturated fats and nuts are linked to lower inflammation and improved heart health (Poulson et al., 2020, Effect of Plant Derived Bioactive Compounds).

Why a 30-Day Structure Works
Short-term focused challenges reduce decision fatigue and encourage consistency. Repeating a small set of behaviours daily or weekly for 30 days allows the body to respond metabolically and the mind to form habits.

Summary
This 30-day health challenge combines foods that support gut health, brain function, heart health, and nutrient balance. Whether you follow the standard or vegan-adapted version, focusing on whole, consistent, nutrient-dense foods provides a practical and research-supported way to support overall wellbeing.

Printable A4 Poster Reminder
To make your 30-day challenge easier to follow, I’ve created a simple A4 poster you can download. It’s designed to be light on ink, easy to read at a glance, and to keep your four anchors visible every day. Posting it somewhere you see often helps maintain consistency without extra mental load.

Download your poster here.

Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Individual needs vary based on age, medical conditions, medications, pregnancy, and personal goals. Consult your GP or dietitian before making significant changes.

Resources


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meet Me Beyond the Labels

Image
So, I'm Kes. My full name is Kesley, and I like that, but Kes is for the dyslexics among us who might otherwise call me Kelsey. I'm certainly not a Kelsey. When I'm not pottering in the garden, being idle with a book, or following some creative pursuit, I spend a lot of time being a therapist. In one form or another, I've been a therapist for the best part of my adult life. As a child, it was my grandmother who taught me to be an excellent listener—and also instilled in me a penchant for teapots. I took my first classes in becoming a holistic therapist in my early twenties. I'm now in my mid-thirties, and have worked with many people of various ages and social positions. Let's start with the power and privilege stuff. Although it's clunky, it's important to name because it affects how you and I relate through our identities and social status. If we don't talk about these things, we’re likely to conform to predefined (and sometimes damaging) roles, pr...
Read more

Listening to the Felt-Sense: Finding Ourselves in Embodied Relationship & Belonging

Image
What if the depths of our inner world weren't a solitary landscape, but a rich territory we could genuinely share and explore with others? What if the felt sense —that subtle, quiet language of the body—was always in active, dynamic conversation with the spaces, people, and intricate systems we navigate daily? This expansive understanding is at the heart of two distinct yet deeply complementary approaches: HomeFocusing and Relational Whole Body Focusing . Both build on Eugene Gendlin's Focusing modality, and invite us into a profound way of being - an orientation to life that keeps us intimately connected to ourselves in context . HomeFocusing: Sensing Our Selves in Life's Living Systems 🧠 Note: No robots (or humans) were harmed in the making of this blog. This is one of a small number of articles where I’ve experimented with using AI to generate text—allowing my executive functioning to be reserved for other tasks. HomeFocusing , developed by Annat Gal-on, a Focusing Coo...
Read more

The Nervous System of Nations

Image
Understanding Trauma As a counsellor with some education about trauma, I’m witness to the way systemic trauma shapes lives and communities. Trauma is a complex psychological and physiological reaction to deeply distressing or overwhelming events. Fight, flight, freeze, flop, and fawn are all survival strategies, and they play out in our behaviour: fleeing a threat, freezing when powerless, or fawning to keep ourselves safe. Ideally, once the danger passes, we return to safety, and our nervous systems reset. But when threat is constant, such as in war, child abuse, discrimination, or other chronically distressing circumstances, the body can’t fully relax. It stays on alert. Over time, even neutral situations can feel dangerous. Generational Echoes Research shows that trauma can echo through generations — what’s sometimes called intergenerational or transgenerational trauma . Our cells can carry biochemical traces of ancestral pain. Epigenetic studies suggest trauma may influence gene e...
Read more