Emma Willis has graced UK television screens for many years. Her striking good looks and bubbly persona have won her legions of fans who look up to the ex-model. The TV presenter often comes across as extremely confident with high energy and joy. A mystery illness however left her feeling ‘knackered’ and not on top of her game. Emma Willis, 43, opened up about her mystery illness earlier this year that made her feel ‘puffy, bloated, stressed and knackered’.
What lies within our gut will have a ripple effect on all other aspects of our health – even our happiness
Leading London nutritionist, Lily Soutter
Speaking to Woman’s Health, Willis explained: “Normally, I’m a very positive, happy person and suddenly I wasn’t, and that really affected me.
“I was knackered really. I went to see a nutritionist who did some tests, and it turned out be lots of different things that were all over the place.”
Willis added: “Stress, inflammation in my body, as well as being puffy and bloated, and I was just knackered.
“You don’t realise that those things affect your body in the way they do, until you’re not in a good place. I had to reassess everything.”
Leading London nutritionist, Lily Soutter said: “Our stomach does so much more than simply digest our food. What lies within our gut will have a ripple effect on all other aspects of our health – even our happiness.
“Our gut is now referred to as our second brain and the vagus nerve links the two together.
“They are constantly chattering to each other, therefore the health of our gut can affect how we feel and how we feel can affect our gut.”
Soutter’s top tips for a healthy gut for a happy mind include:
Consuming more fibre
Fibre is our gut bacteria’s primary source of fuel and is essential for it to flourish and grow. Aim for wholegrain, fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds.
Eat the rainbow
Research has shown that aiming for 30 different plant foods in our diet each week can increase diversity of our gut bacteria and the easiest way to do this is to eat the rainbow.
Following her appointment with the nutritionist, Willis was forced to reassess everything when her blood tests came back.
She said: “You don’t realise that things affect your body in the way that they do, until you’re not in a good place.”
Following a new health regime, Willis also took up pilates and was recommended to the strength training exercise as it didn’t put any extra stress on the body.
Feeling the effects of her diet overhaul and new exercise routine, Willis was recently in Cape Town to shoot her new fashion campaign with Next.
“Peace out Cape Town! Another fab shoot in in the bag,” she captioned on her Instagram page.
Soutter added: “Opt for fermented foods like natural yoghurt with live cultures.
“Try foods like kefir which is a fermented milk and is bursting with billions of good bacteria, kombucha which is a fermented tea, sauerkraut, a fermented cabbage, kimchi or miso soup.
“As much of 90 per cent of serotonin is located within our gut, with only 10 per cent in the brain, and our gut bacteria can influence serotonin production which relay information to the brain.”
Source: Read Full Article