Food as medicine is something we touch on often at Earth & Soul…
But strangely, we’ve never truly spoken about how deeply it runs through everything we do.
Because the truth is — our whole relationship with food is built on this.
Food isn’t just there to fuel you.
It’s meant to nourish you.
To heal you.
And not just your body.
Eating with family and friends is medicine for your mental health. Sitting around a table, sharing food, telling stories — that is connection. And connection is healing.
Cooking for someone you love is an act of love.
You are quite literally feeding them your care.
Why This Is Personal For Us
Every family has some form of chronic illness — whether in their immediate circle or the wider family.
In our immediate family we live with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) — a rare genetic lung condition that affects how the lungs clear mucus. It means frequent chest infections and, as a result, a heavy reliance on antibiotics to manage them.
When you’re dealing with that, gut health becomes crucial.
Antibiotics are life-saving — but they also wipe out good bacteria alongside the bad. So for me, ensuring our children get probiotics and a balanced, nutrient-dense diet isn’t a trend — it’s essential.
Luckily, my kids are food-obsessed (thank goodness).
They love sauerkraut — proper, fermented, gut-loving sauerkraut (the Polish in us showing strong). They’ll eat bowls of it. They love miso. They love kombucha — which is a much healthier alternative to fizzy drinks. We go through about 4kg of Greek yoghurt a week in this house.
But if your children aren’t little sauerkraut enthusiasts, here are simple ways to add probiotics without the battle:
- Stir a spoon of miso into soups, stews, or even bolognese — it adds incredible umami depth.
- Greek yoghurt with honey and their favourite fruit makes a gut-healthy breakfast.
- Add a forkful of sauerkraut to wraps or sandwiches.
- Blend kefir into smoothies.
- Swap one fizzy drink a week for kombucha.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
My Health Too
I also live with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) — a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon. For me, eating well isn’t optional. It directly affects my energy levels, my inflammation, and how I cope during busy seasons or flare-ups.
When I have to stop drinking caffeine, I lean on fresh juices for a natural lift. I eat as many fermented and gut-supporting foods as I can. I prioritise whole ingredients.
That doesn’t mean we don’t eat chocolate.
We absolutely do.
My kids are sugar-loving lunatics — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
But we choose better where we can.
I eat 85% dark chocolate — which is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. If it’s too strong, add organic honey. Avocado and dark chocolate mousse has honestly stopped me raiding the snack cupboard at night.
This isn’t about restriction.
It’s about awareness.
The Bigger Picture
Our bodies are the only ones we get.
And the way we are currently living in this country is fuelling an epidemic of chronic disease.
Over 60% of the average British person’s calories now come from ultra-processed foods. In comparison, countries like Italy and France sit far lower — closer to traditional whole-food diets. That difference matters.
Education is where it starts.
And we are behind.
We are telling children it’s normal to eat a bacon turnover and a pot noodle five days a week. We are teaching them that cooking is opening plastic packaging or piercing a film lid.
That is not cooking.
Cooking is using your hands.
Cooking is raw ingredients.
Cooking is understanding flavour and nourishment.
It’s what our grandparents did before convenience replaced connection.
This isn’t about shame. It’s about awareness. Even Jamie Oliver has been campaigning for better school food for years — and yet schools and hospitals still often serve the very food that contributes to the chronic illness crisis.
We are feeding developing brains and growing bodies with ultra-processed food.
That should concern all of us.
What We’re Doing About It
Because this matters to us so deeply, in March we are:
- Offering free online cooking classes for parents and children
- Offering free talks at local schools about whole foods vs processed foods
- Teaching practical, affordable, realistic ways to cook from scratch
This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about small shifts.
One fermented food.
One homemade meal.
One skill learned.
Chronic illness is often invisible — much like the damage ultra-processed food can do over time. You don’t see it immediately.
Until you do.
Food is medicine.
Food is connection.
Food is legacy.
And at Earth & Soul, that’s where our love of food truly begins.
to sign up to our cooking classes please fill in the form
