Gut Feeling: Food Matters More Than You Think

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Small Mercies

Steve Wood

14 episodes

1 week ago

Not a wellness bucket-list podcast. Just a short, honest look at the small mercies that move life in the right direction—better sleep, less stress, more creativity, and stronger connections. No gurus (yet) no jargon (maybe a little bit) just practical shifts you can actually use. New episodes every two weeks.

Mental Health

Health & Fitness

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Mental Health

Health & Fitness

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Gut Feeling: Food Matters More Than You Think

Small Mercies

25 minutes 2 seconds

4 months ago

Gut Feeling: Food Matters More Than You Think

Show Notes

This week on Small Mercies, we explore the healing ritual of cooking — not for performance, but for presence. When you handle, prepare, and taste real food with attention, it can soothe the nervous system, support your gut, and help you feel steady in yourself. Whether it’s a hot lemon in the morning or a bowl of soup at night, feeding yourself consciously — not perfectly — is a quiet act of self-trust.

Italian Soup Recipe
You don’t have to make the croutons — buy some or leave them out. It’s all good.
https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/recipes/chickpea-tomato-bread-soup

Gut Health Books
Jeanette Hyde – The Gut Makeover
https://www.jeannettehyde.com/books

Eve Kalinik – Happy Gut, Happy Mind
https://evekalinik.com/shop/

Tim Spector – Food for Life
https://zoe.com/cookbook-foodforlife

Research
Cooking and Brain Function

A 2018 paper in Cell Metabolism found that food textures and flavours activate dopamine-rich reward circuits in the brain — both from taste and from expectation.
A 2024 study in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that viewing food increases midbrain–visual cortex connectivity, especially in those with cravings. Cooking and active engagement help regulate this.
A 2023 study using fNIRS brain imaging showed that handling food helps engage the prefrontal cortex — improving focus, planning, and emotional regulation.

Lemon, Gut Health, and Mental Well-being

A 2022 review (MDPI) noted that citrus compounds — especially from peels — have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that support both gut health and brain function.
A 2022 clinical trial found that lemon juice before meals can increase gastric acid secretion, supporting better digestion. (Cymbiotika Health Report)
A Harvard-linked observational study (2025) found that people who consumed more citrus had higher levels of beneficial gut microbes and a 20% lower risk of depression. (As reported by the New York Post)

Microbiome and Mental Health

McDonald et al. (2018), mSystems: The American Gut Project found links between microbiome diversity and self-reported mental health.
Soto-Moran et al. (2020), PubMed: An 8-week study found that flavonoid-rich orange juice improved gut diversity and mood in young adults with depressive symptoms.
Cryan & Dinan (2019), Physiological Reviews: A comprehensive review of how the gut microbiota impacts mood via the immune system, vagus nerve, and inflammation.

Support for Eating Disorders

If food is a source of distress rather than peace, there is help available.

United Kingdom
Beat: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Eating Disorder Advice (EDA): https://www.eatingdisordersadvice.co.uk

United States
NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Europe
EAT.org: https://www.eat.org