Healthy Gut:

We talk to DR ELIZABETH BIGGS about the importance of gut health, and how she went from practising Western medicine to co-founding a Singapore incorporated probiotic company.

A wellness brand founder talks probiotics

Gut health wasn’t a “thing” 20 years ago when Elizabeth was studying medicine at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Though the link between gut health and mood has certainly been known for some time, it’s only in recent years that researchers have really begun to understand how much of an impact a healthy digestive system can have on one’s overall wellbeing.

“It’s really a new frontier, much like the revolution around the human genome,” says Elizabeth. “To consider that the microbial world that resides on us and within us has impacts far beyond the gut wall is really quite staggering from a medical perspective. This is an incredibly exciting area, not only for the researchers in the field, but also for the implications for clinical medicine.”

She says that, while Western medicine traditionally approaches the body from a pathological viewpoint and considers the body in distinct organ systems, Eastern medicine takes a more holistic approach, viewing the body as a whole and the interconnections between body systems.

“Modern medicine has an incredible arsenal at its disposal, which is life-saving. But, we need to do more to stay healthier for longer,” she says. “We need to ask more why questions and target lifestyle and diet to help prevent ill-health.”

A personal health journey

It’s these “why” questions that got Elizabeth interested in exploring a more holistic approach to health. She was struggling with chronic migraines, recurrent yeast infections and poor concentration, and needed answers. Her instinct told her it was diet-related and, after conversations about gut health with her doctor and a lot of research, she decided to make some changes.

She began taking probiotics and supplements, and changed her diet, cutting down on dairy and wheat substantially, and adding legumes, seeds and more plant-based options to the mix. She also began making her own fermented foods such as sauerkraut. Fermenting is the process in which natural bacteria feeds on the sugar and starch in the food; this creates lactic acid, which, in turn, produces valuable enzymes and various strains of probiotics. It’s a good way of introducing live, beneficial bacteria species into the diet.

Upon making these dietary and lifestyle changes, Elizabeth not only stopped getting migraines, but also found that she actually felt better and more energised.

Inspired, she and her friend Victoria McKellar founded Akesi (akesiwellness.com), a wellness brand with a product range of bio-fermented tonics designed to promote gut health and wellbeing.

“I think people should consider how their diet and lifestyle is disrupting their microbiota – the dynamic resident microbial ecosystem that predominates in the gut,” says Elizabeth.

These microorganisms in our gut play an essential role in digestion, immune functions and brain-gut signalling. In fact, an imbalance in the makeup of the gut microbiota is associated with a variety of medical problems including obesity, inflammatory bowel conditions, autoimmune disorders and asthma, as well as food allergies and intolerances. Maintaining the right balance is key to physical and mental health, immunity and disease prevention.

According to Elizabeth, the goal of using Akesi probiotics, along with dietary changes, is to shift the microbial ecosystem into a healthier, more balanced direction. The probiotic powders are versatile and can be incorporated into food, and the brand’s tonics and spritzer are an easy swap for alternative drink options.

“I particularly love our spicy Bio-Fermented Turmeric, Ginger and Black Pepper Tonic. It’s a great anti-inflammatory shot you can have either in the morning to kick-start the day or mixed with sparkling water as a refreshing midafternoon drink.”

Food as medicine

Armed with proof that making the right dietary changes to support gut health made a difference to her overall wellbeing, Elizabeth was quick to adopt the “food as medicine” philosophy – the idea that nutritious, wholesome food is the foundation of optimal health. Of course, this notion has been around for thousands of years. In traditional Chinese medicine, certain foods are used for different medicinal purposes.

“Living in Asia exposes you to alternative philosophies and traditional practices. It also introduces you to foods and practices that have rich cultural traditions. I believe that the Eastern perspective is more holistic, and looks for connections between mind, body and spirit; this is something we can all learn more about.”

While this theory that poor health is connected to a lifetime of poor food choices isn’t a new one, it’s something that a lot of people don’t necessarily realise – especially those who don’t look at their health from a holistic standpoint.

“Over time, what you put on the end of your fork is far more important than the genes you inherit,” says Elizabeth. “Eating a minimally processed plant-based diet provides your body with nutrients that your body utilises for thousands of chemical processes. There is individualism in that some of us have greater and lesser capacity at absorbing and utilising these nutrients; that’s why different dietary patterns – paleo, keto and vegan, for instance – work for

different people. Eating ‘food-like’ substances – highly processed and addictive ‘packet’ food – isn’t good for you and certainly isn’t medicinal. The challenge remains that our food system needs an overhaul!”

So, what exactly would we find in Elizabeth’s fridge? “Staples are eggs, avocado, sauerkraut, coconut kefir and green, leafy vegetables. I’m loving watercress and growing my own rocket – the more bitter, the better!”

And how does she get all four of her children – Dermot (13), Jessica (10), Lachlan (9) and Darcy (5) – to get on board with these healthy eating habits?

“We have a fabulous healthy eating reward chart, which you can download for free from the Akesi website,” she says. “Of course, persistence and patience are key to any small successes with kids, and palate change doesn’t happen overnight – it’s gradual.”

While there’s no convincing required when her children ask for Akesi Bio-Fermented Berry Spritzer, Elizabeth turns to Lucinda Miller’s The Good Stuff cookbook for some great recipes to appease her kids when it comes to food. She and Victoria also have some great go-to recipes for kids on their blog: akesiwellness.com/blog – there’s everything from yummy brownies and pancakes to healthy soups and more.

Oh, and buying a metal lunchbox helps too, she says. “It’s worth the investment! I love planetbox.com.”