The Gut-Skin Connection

HEAL YOUR GUT | TR A N S F ORM YOU R SK I N

By Janine Tait & Sheryl Nicholson

In recent years, an abundance of scientific research on gut health has come into the public consciousness. Collectively, we’ve become aware that the mysterious inner world of our gut microbiome has a huge impact on health and wellbeing, influencing everything from our immunity to our mood.

The connection between gut health and skin health is one of the new frontiers of understanding. The research is clear. If you want to transform your skin, you need to learn how to love and care for your gut.

Many studies illuminate the direct connection between gut health and skin health. Skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema and dermatitis visibly express on the surface of the body, the irritation and sensitivity that begin in an unhappy gut. Put simply, an inflamed gut sets in motion a chain of biological events that results in inflamed skin. That’s the bad news.

The good news, is that when we restore our gut health the root of many skin concerns are addressed, and the skin has a chance to heal from within. Skinirritating toxins are eliminated and clear, glowing skin becomes the new normal instead of an elusive dream. A happy gut also enhances the look and feel of healthy skin by improving skin functioning and slowing down the visible signs of ageing.

As a holistic skincare therapist and educator, I witness the growing body of gut-health research with gratitude.

Science is shining a light on what I have observed in holistic skincare practice for the last three decades.

Early in my career, my mentor, Janice Sarre-Smith, (founder of Janesce Skincare), taught me that to transform skin we cannot just work topically – we have to work from within. In fact, she began teaching me about gut health 30 years ago. I am indebted to her pioneering insights and holistic wisdom.

As a dermo-nutritionist and skincare therapist, I have learnt how to heal skin by addressing the foundations of nutrition, lifestyle and wellbeing with my clients. As an educator, I teach skincare therapists how to mentor people through the wellness changes that lead to radical skin transformation. As an author, I hope to offer you the insights and tools to guide you on your own personal journey of skin transformation.

A journey that begins, of course, in the gut. I have become convinced that a happy gut is absolutely foundational for skin health. When gut-health is prioritised, skin transformation accelerates and wellbeing sky-rockets.

The results can be truly life-changing.

Janine Tait

Dermo-nutritionist, Holistic Skincare Educator, Bestow Beauty Founder

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

6

Bestow Wisdom

Light & Bright Meals

Page 12

Page 58

Bestow Recipes

Divine Dinners

Page 30

Page 82

Healing Breakfasts

Meal Elements

Page 34

Page 104

Healing Bowls

Dressings

Page 48

Page 120

Smoothies Page 124

Love Your Gut Programme Page 134

Fermented Feast Page 178

Bestow Rituals Page 186

A Healthy Gut Can Make You Happier Page 204

Jenny’s Story Page 206

Lifestyle Factors Page 209

Moving On Page 210

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

A C A T A LY S T FOR CHANGE When we make the changes required to heal our gut, our skin is supported and renewed from within. The gut-skin connection is very direct. Healing your gut will help to transform your skin. But, it will do more than that. Your gut-health is also directly connected to your general wellbeing, your energy levels and to your emotional and mental health.

A desire for beautiful skin may be the reason you picked up this book, but the guide you hold in your hands can be the catalyst for a wellbeing journey that has the potential to transform your whole life.

Let’s begin.

Janine, Jenny and Sheryl x

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

DAYS 1|4

ROA ST

PUMP KI N

N

SWEET

POTATO

SO U P

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Ÿ of a pumpkin, cut into large segments, skin on 2 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways 1 sweet potato, peeled and halved lengthways 2 tablespoons of olive oil ½ an onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, grated 2 cm of fresh ginger, grated 2 cups of Chicken Bone Broth (see page 117) 1 cup of coconut milk (without thickeners or preservatives) Himalayan salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

TO SERVE

PROGRAMME NOTES

Small handful of parsley, roughly chopped.

Divide into two portions. Reserve one portion in the fridge for lunch on Day 1 and freeze the second portion for dinner on Day 4.

Coat pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato in one tablespoon of oil, spread out on tray and roast for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from pumpkin.

Add onion to frypan with one tablespoon of olive oil and cook over a low heat until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and gently fry for another two minutes.

Add chicken broth and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and add the roasted vegetables, mashing them gently. Add the coconut milk, simmer for 10 minutes and then turn off heat.

Once cooled, add to a food processor or blender (we use a stick blender) and mix until smooth. Alternatively, you could just mash it. Add water if you need to thin the soup.

2 servings

Nourishing Notes

Roasting the vegetables draws out the natural sweetness of the root vegetables and gives this soup richer flavour. Coconut milk contains anti-microbial lipids, which help to prevent an overgrowth of harmful microbes in the gut. It also contains caprylic acid, which helps to maintain healthy gut flora. ~ Jenny 60

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C H I C KEN

WI TH

DAT ES

AN D

O LIVES

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

4 chicken legs, drumstick and thigh attached, skin on or a whole chicken quartered 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme plus extra for garnish 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons of olive oil 12 green olives, pitted 90 grams of capers, plus juice 8 Medjool dates, pitted and halved lengthways 2 bay leaves 1/2 a cup of chicken bone broth Himalayan salt

Place chicken in a large dish suitable for marinating and then baking. Add garlic, ginger, herbs, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, olives, capers, dates and bay leaves.

Gently mix everything together, cover dish and leave in fridge to marinate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight, stirring ingredients a few times during the process.

You can also cook this dish without marinating, it is still great but the flavours develop more with marinating.

TO SERVE Fresh thyme 4 servings

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Add chicken bone broth to dish, mix and place in oven and cook for 1 hour, basting 2 or 3 times, until the chicken is golden brown on top.

Remove from oven, sprinkle over some fresh thyme leaves, season to taste and serve with greens.

Nourishing Notes

I have two favourite ingredients in this recipe, Medjool dates and capers - the heroes. Medjool dates are a wonderful way to provide a little sweetness to a dish.

They are full of fibre, promoting digestive health. Capers on the opposite side of the spectrum provide a little saltiness. They are also loaded with antioxidants, fibre and possess anti-inflammatory properties. ~ Jenny

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MY BESTOW LOVE YOUR GUT PL AN AT A GL ANCE...

Day 1.

BREAKFAST ON RISING RITUAL

CARROT APPLE SAUTÉ Pg 36

LUNCH MID AM RITUAL

ROAST PUMPKIN & SWEET POTATO SOUP Pg 60

RISE & SHINE

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

Day 2.

ON RISING RITUAL

LOADED FRIES WITH CHICKEN & PESTO Pg 79

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

TIME FOR TEA ETERNITEA Pg 193

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER Pg 191

DINNER MID PM RITUAL

BREAKFAST CARROT APPLE SAUTÉ Pg 36

MID AM RITUAL

LUNCH HEALING BOWL Pg 55

RISE & SHINE

DINNER SALMON STUFFED SWEET POTATO Pg 98

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

TIME FOR TEA LUMINOSITEA Pg 193

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER Pg 191

MID PM RITUAL

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

Day 3.

ON RISING RITUAL

BREAKFAST GUT HEALING BREKKIE Pg 38

MID AM RITUAL

LUNCH HEALING BOWL Pg 51

RISE & SHINE

DINNER ONE PAN CHICKEN & SAUERKRAUT Pg 86

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

TIME FOR TEA BEAUTEA Pg 193

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER Pg 191

MID PM RITUAL

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

Day 4.

BREAKFAST ON RISING RITUAL

GUT HEALING BREKKIE Pg 38

RISE & SHINE Pg 191

RITUAL

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER

DRY BRUSHING & BATHING Pg 197

LUNCH MID AM RITUAL

HEALING BOWL Pg 53

DINNER MID PM RITUAL

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

TIME FOR TEA PURITEA Pg 193 + KOMBUCHA 100MLS

ROAST PUMPKIN & SWEET POTATO SOUP Pg 60

Day 5.

BREAKFAST ON RISING RITUAL

SWEET POTATO & BROCCOLI FRITTERS Pg 45

RISE & SHINE

RITUAL

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER

DRY BRUSHING Pg 197

Day 6.

ON RISING RITUAL

LUNCH MID AM RITUAL

MIGHTY MEATBALL BROTH Pg 80 RITUAL

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

TIME FOR TEA GENEROSITEA Pg 193

BLESSINGS Pg 199

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

BREAKFAST CARROT APPLE SAUTÉ Pg 36

RISE & SHINE

RITUAL

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER Pg 191

DRY BRUSHING Pg 197

MID AM RITUALS

LUNCH CHICKEN MEATBALL LETTUCE WRAPS Pg 63

TIME FOR TEA ETERNITEA Pg 193

MID PM RITUAL

DINNER ROAST VEG TRAY BAKE Pg 101 RITUAL

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

BREATHING Pg 201

BLESSINGS Pg 199

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

Day 7.

ON RISING RITUAL

HEALING BOWL Pg 50

DINNER MID PM RITUAL

BREAKFAST CARROT APPLE SAUTÉ Pg 36

RISE & SHINE

RITUAL

MEETING THE MORNING & LEMON WATER Pg 191

DRY BRUSHING Pg 197

MID AM RITUALS

LUNCH HEALING BOWL Pg 52

TIME FOR TEA LUMINOSITEA Pg 193

DINNER

MID PM RITUAL

LEMON HERB ROAST CHICKEN Pg 85 RITUALS

LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE Pg 128

BREATHING Pg 201

BLESSINGS Pg 199 MEDITATION Pg 203

+ KOMBUCHA 100MLS

BESTOW RITUALS KEY RISE & SHINE

BATHING/DRY BRUSHING

TIME FOR TEA

BLESSINGS

HEALING SMOOTHIE

BREATHING

MEDITATION

D OWN LOA D AT W W W.B E S TOWB E AU T Y.CO M /LYG PR O G R A M M E

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

Day One

150

1

2

3

4

6

7

5

DAY ONE PLAN 1

RISE & SHINE RITUAL

MEETING THE MORNING + LEMON WATER

PG 191

2

BREAKFAST

CARROT APPLE SAUTÉ

PG 36

3

MID AM RITUAL

BESTOW TIME FOR TEA ETERNITEA

PG 193

4

LUNCH

HEALING BOWL + KOMBUCHA 100MLS

PG 60

5

MID PM RITUAL

BESTOW LOVE YOUR GUT SMOOTHIE

PG 195

6

DINNER

LOADED FRIES WITH CHICKEN AND PESTO

PG 79

DAY ONE PREP 1

MAKE BESTOW HERB DRESSING

Make the Bestow Herb Dressing which accompanies the Salmon Stuffed Sweet Potato dinner on Day 2 and Healing Bowl Day 3.

PG 121

2

PREP LUNCH

To save time tomorrow morning, make your Healing Bowl Day 2 lunch tonight. Keep everything in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

PG 55

If at any time you feel hungry on this programme, either increase your portion size or snack on some fresh fruit. Just remember that strawberries and oranges can be inflammatory and are best avoided on this programme.

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

F

ermented foods support the gut by supplying a diverse range of beneficial gut microbes and digestive enzymes, which help to rebalance the microbiome and enhance nutrient absorption. Our favourite fermented foods are kombucha, sauerkraut and coconut yoghurt.

You could be forgiven for thinking that fermented foods are a recent fad, but this is far from the truth. Before electricity made refrigeration possible fermentation was a common way of preserving food. Fermented foods were part of ancient food cultures in many parts of the world. Greece brought us yoghurt, Germany, sauerkraut, Japan, miso, Russia, kombucha, kefir and kvass, India, lassi and Egypt, sourdough. Countries where fermented foods continue to be embraced are often reported to have better overall health and life expectancy than countries that don’t.

As civilisation progressed, it seems that somewhere along the way, and particularly in the West, these fermenting practices were lost. What now looks like a fad is simply a renaissance of interest in these amazing foods, prompted by a greater global awareness of other food cultures and advances in gut health research endorsing their health-promoting benefits.

WHICH FERMENTED FOODS ARE BEST FOR THE GUT? We encourage you to embrace three skin-friendly fermented foods as part of your gut-healing eating plan: coconut yoghurt, sauerkraut and kombucha.

We avoid some of the other common fermented foods such as tempeh and miso because soy-based products can be irritating to the gut and kimchi, because the spices in it can inflame sensitive skin.

Kombucha is a delicious fermented tea drink, which is packed full of beneficial microbes to rebalance your gut. Drinking a full glass is fine, but if you want to ration it for the sake of your budget, you only require 100mls per day for the gut benefits.

Sauerkraut is essentially pickled cabbage, though other vegetables such as carrots and beetroot can also be added. It produces a plethora of bacteria which will support your gut microbiome. As a general rule, it is best eaten raw so the probiotics are alive and active when we consume them, however some will survive cooking.

Coconut Yoghurt is coconut milk that has been cultivated with a live culture.

It is wise to give your gut a break from dairy yoghurt during your gut healing programme as cow’s milk is not always easily tolerated by sensitive tummies.

Aim for at least two servings of fermented foods each day. Incorporating two of the following yummy foods into your daily eating plan is quite easy to do.

Enjoy the benefits!

One serving equals any of the following: 100 mls of kombucha 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut 2 tablespoons of coconut yoghurt

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Fermented Feast

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THE GUT SKIN CONNECTION

Bestow rituals are beautiful daily habits that support your skin, health and wellbeing.

During the seven day programme we will introduce you to seven Bestow daily rituals in total, but the first three of them are essential skincare rituals and form part of your daily routine from Day One. Don’t treat these as skippable bonus extras. Building nourishing daily rituals into your life during this programme will help to make healthy habits feel as natural as breathing.

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BESTOW | Time for Tea Ritual A beautiful daily time-out ritual for skincare and self-care.

BESTOW | Smoothie Ritual A daily ritual to nourish your skin from within.

Your Skin-Care Rituals

BESTOW | Rise & Shine Ritual A daily ritual to awaken and enliven your body upon rising.

BESTOW | Dry-Brushing + Bathtime Ritual A relaxing and detoxifying skincare and self-care ritual.

BESTOW | Beautiful Breathing Ritual A daily wellbeing ritual for leading your body into ‘rest and repair’ mode.

Your Soul-Care Rituals

BESTOW | Blessings Journal A daily gratitude ritual to open your awareness to the extraordinary blessings in your ordinary life.

BESTOW | Bestow Meditation Ritual A daily soul-care ritual for improving stress resilience and enhancing wellbeing.

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