Talkin’ about gut health has become more trendy than an Insta story of a turmeric latte after hip hop yoga.

However if we turn back the clock just a few short years, wolfing down Probiotic drinks would have sounded more like some sort of top secret artificial intelligence, rather than an everyday, natural health elixir you could make in your own kitchen.

So what is the real story of probiotics and gut health and how does it affect the growth and glory of our businesses and ultimately, ourselves?

Felicity Evans is the Founder of Imbibe Living, a fermented probiotic drink to promote overall gut health. She has now created home fermentation kits to help people make their own drinks at home, is launching a new book, speaks about gut health and has worked with countless influencers in health and fitness around Australia who are now obsessed with the drinks that she learned how to create herself in her own kitchen as a young Mum, seeking to heal her own family’s health.

Below she shares not only her fermentation secrets but the big why on how our gut bone is connected to the brain bone.

It turns out that kim chi could be the hidden pickle of greatness and you might just be able to ferment your way to guts, growth and glory with the help of billions of little probiotic peeps rockin’ your cheer squad on the inside.

1. Who are you, what is your business and your BIG WHY?
I’m Felicity, Head Alchemist at Imbibe Living.  Alchemy is the magical process of turning nothing into something, and that’s what I do everyday.  It’s such a cool way to spend my time – to literally watch life spring forth into a delicious drink that offers so much radiance and vitality.  Through the gorgeous process of fermentation, water kefir, which is a living culture, converts liquids into living probiotics.

WHY do I do what I do?  I want to live a life overflowing with vitality and through the living products I offer, I aim to do just that!  I started Imbibe from a real pain point of lack lusture energy and illness and it’s accelerated me to dizzying heights.  I’m stoked to say we are in over 100 stores and going national next year!  Woop woop!

2. Can you share a little info on gut health + the brain? What is the connection and how does this impact our daily lives?
It’s a massive impact and one that most of us aren’t aware of.  Your gut is known as the Second Brain, as it’s the storehouse of many hormones and neurotransmitters that directly link to the brain and have a flow on effect to our everyday.  In fact, more messages get sent from the gut to the brain than vice versa!  Think about it – when you’re hungry, your tummy tells you open the freezer and go for the ice cream (or is that just me 😉 )

3. How about gut health and our emotional wellbeing? What impact does our gut have on how we feel?
Massive effect!  As an example, around 80% of serotonin – the hormone of happiness and wellbeing – is made and housed in our gut.  That’s why there’s so much research coming out now about the link between gut health and mental illness.  It’s the new frontier of science and one I love seeing evolve.

4. What is fermentation and why is it something we need to know about for our optimum health?
Fermentation is literally transforming one thing (in my case, mineral rich water) into another thing (a sparkling probiotic drink).  In fact, there are heaps of everyday items that you may not realize are fermented:

• Sourdough
• Yoghurt
• Cocao beans to make chocolate and cacao
• Coffee beans
• Tea
• Cheese
• Wine, beer, champagne, spirits……

You should know about fermentation for your optimum health because it’s the gateway to improved health.  Fermentation, when harnessed correctly and made into probiotic products, can literally enhance your life, one sip at a time.  Please don’t think that coffee or wine is a probiotic!  It just demonstrates that fermentation is an everyday process and the type of fermentation I do at Imbibe is to make living probiotics.

5. Where do I start to improve my gut health, live a more energetic life and add the NEXT level to my life + biz?
It’s not about taking anything away – it’s about adding to what you already have.  For example, if you go out one night and the tequila was out and somehow you had a few too many – don’t beat yourself up about it!  Happens to us all!  Simply, the next day, take a living probiotic product, like Imbibe, may will help mop up impurities, ease digestion and bloating and let you get on your way with more vitality.

For me, it’s all about what I can add (not take away) to give the highest energetic imprint on my day.

My absolute top 5 go to tips are;

Digestion starts in the mind.
How do you think and feel about food; what is your relationship to your plate.  Once you have ease with your food choices and welcome your food with love and respect, there will be a chemical reaction sent to your gut to digest and absorb the nutrients from your food better.

Eat or drink something fermented everyday.
This will help with overall wellness, mental clarity, boosted immunity and lead to glowing skin.  This could look like a tablespoon of kim chi with lunch, a glass of Imbibe when you get home from work – something easy and totally achievable to fit into your lifestyle.

Breathe darling, breathe.
All of us, live in a highly energetic world where devices are pinging all over the place and we are bombarded with information.  Its super important to slow down a couple of times a day and take three deep long breaths.  This will help calm down your system, which will lead in turn to better gut health.

Consider being your own Probiotic Princess
If you’d like to have a go at making your own probiotic drinks at home to nurture your gut health, swing by the Imbibe website.  I‘ve launched take home fermentation kits, which have everything you need to start your home trials.  This is a step in the right direction for anyone who wants the confidence to nourish their gut health from the comfort of their own home.

Slay like Beyonce, daily
By singing loudly or gargling daily, you exercise the Vagus Nerve which connects between the stomach and the brain.  This nerve is responsible for sending many many messages from the gut to the brain and vice versa, so work it baby!