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The Sourdough School Magazine

The Art and Science of Healthy Bread

Long-form writing by Dr Vanessa Kimbell – Baking as Lifestyle Medicine

The Sourdough School is set in an acre of beautiful walled gardens in Northamptonshire. We have been teaching sourdough since 2001, founded by Dr Vanessa Kimbell we specialise in baking for health and wellness. Learn to bake the most delicious bread of your life — and feel better for it.

Book in for a chat today.For in person courses, consultations and training in BALM visit The Sourdough School, or book a 1:1 meeting to get your bread personalised.

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Nutrigenetics

What Is Nutrigenetics?

Nutrigenetics looks at how your genes affect the way you digest and use nutrients. It helps explain why some people thrive on certain foods while others may struggle. For example, one person may break down carbohydrates efficiently, while another may be more sensitive to sugar. Understanding these differences can guide healthier food choices.

Sourdough and Personalised Nutrition

At The Sourdough School, we use nutrigenetics to shape our approach to baking. By tailoring recipes to different genetic profiles, we support specific health outcomes. We also work with fermented breads made from botanical blend flours, which offer higher levels of fibre, minerals, and polyphenols.

These blends are especially useful for people with genes linked to blood sugar imbalance or chronic inflammation. The structure of whole grains, together with long fermentation, slows digestion and nourishes the gut.

Proven Bread and Genetic Health

The Proven Bread Subscription supports eight key genes that affect detox, cardiovascular function, and inflammation. Every loaf is designed to work in harmony with your body’s unique needs.

This subscription is more than just bread. It’s a practical way to support your health based on emerging nutritional science. You can read more about:

How Proven Bread supports key genes

How Proven Bread supports detox pathways

A cozy, vintage-inspired kitchen corner featuring a large anatomical illustration of the human digestive system hanging on the wall. Below, a wooden table with jars of various herbs, spices, and seeds. On the right, a ceramic grinder and a decorative white face sculpture. The room features neutral tones with a soft pink wall, dried plants in a glass vase, and antique kitchenware like metal storage containers. A light fixture with a frosted glass globe hangs from the ceiling.

Integrating Nutrigenetics into Everyday Baking

You don’t need a DNA test to start exploring nutrigenetics. Choosing wholegrain flours, slow fermentation, and fibre-rich ingredients is a practical step forward. Our bread kits and starter kits make it easy to get started.

If you want more guidance, our 3-day BALM workshops explore the links between sourdough, genetics, and gut health in a hands-on setting. For a more personalised experience, we offer nutrigenetic consultations and testing.

Take a look at our courses at The Sourdough School

All reasonable care is taken when writing about health aspects of bread, but the information it contains is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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Todays live for diploma students will be on 'How t Todays live for diploma students will be on 'How to engage your patient in the lifestyle changes of the BALM' with @vanessakimbell 

In their 6pm live session, we help keep our students on track with the syllabus and discuss the application of Baking As Lifestyle Medicine to the 6 pillars of Lifestyle medicine, applying the research papers, application of the Research, and how this ties into prescribing, along with guest lecturers, discussions and sharing knowledge.

#lifestylemedicine #health #functionalmedicine #nutrition #integrativemedicine #healthylifestyle #wellness #lifestyle #rcgp #dietitian #nutritionist #healthcareprofessional #holistichealth #healthyliving #plantbased #guthealth #naturopathicmedicine #selfcare #functionalnutrition  #naturopathicdoctor #foodasmedicine #foodismedicine #lifestylegoals #cpd #lifestylechange #mentalhealth #sourdough #sourdoughschool #bakeforhealth
BAKE, ANALYSE, EAT; RECALIBRATE & REPEAT. 📆 The S BAKE, ANALYSE, EAT; RECALIBRATE & REPEAT.

📆 The Sourdough School Clinic - Thursdays 8pm - for students of The Sourdough School 

✏️ In this weekly live session, we cover technical baking questions. Students can submit their Baking Record Sheets in advance of the session.

📋 We look at the details of our student's bakes - the specifics of the flour, timings and temperatures. Using our sourdough record sheets Vanessa will make suggestions on how they might modify, or recalibrate the next time they bake.

Follow the link in the bio to learn more about becoming a student at The Sourdough School 👆

#sourdough #sourdoughschool #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking
IBS AWARENESS MONTH Do you suffer from irritable IBS AWARENESS MONTH

Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? It can be tough to deal with the uncomfortable symptoms of stomach cramps, constipation, diarrhoea and bloating. But did you know that making dietary changes, such as incorporating sourdough bread into your diet, could help alleviate some of those symptoms?

Studies have shown that sourdough's long, slow fermentation process can reduce IBS symptoms. Plus, during #ibsawarenessmonth, we're exploring how adding different herbs and spices to your sourdough can further improve both the flavour and the digestion of your bread.

Let's talk about gut health, fermentation, and how sourdough can be a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. Join the conversation and share your experiences with IBS and sourdough.

#guthealth #healyourgut #healthygut #guthealing #guthealthmatters #letfoodbethymedicine #foodasmedicine #gutbrainconnection #nutrientdense #micronutrients #digestivehealth #nutritionfacts #microbiome #breadandguts #ibsawarenessmonth
THE SOURDOUGH SCHOOL – HAND CARVED WOODEN LAME On THE SOURDOUGH SCHOOL – HAND CARVED WOODEN LAME

One of the biggest issues around using a plastic lame to score sourdough, of course, is that eventually the blade will become blunt and the lame could end up in landfill.  So several years ago I talked to my dear friend EJ about developing a lame with a replaceable blade. And he came up with this very beautiful hand carved wooden lame.

Very sadly EJ is no longer with us. Recently a friend of EJ’s who is also a wood turner and carver offered to make these again for us in remembrance of our dear friend.

Follow the link in the bio to our shop where you can find our full selection of wooden sourdough tools 👆

#sourdough #sourdoughschool #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking
The Baking As Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) Protocol The Baking As Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) Protocol

The current food system is broken at multiple levels, from the pesticides used in our soils to the emulsifiers and additives adulterating industrially-processed foods. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the bread we eat.  The figures reported by the UK Flour Millers say that bread is bought by a staggering “99.8% of British households” and that “the equivalent of nearly 11 million loaves are sold each day. Approximately 60-70% of the bread we eat is white and sandwiches are thought to account for 50% of overall bread consumption. Average bread purchases are the equivalent of 60.3 loaves per person per year.” 

Most bread sold is made by modern processing methods that strip heart-healthy whole grains of their nutrient contents, resulting in low-fibre bread with a high glycemic index. Over time, white processed bread can increase a person’s risk of insulin resistance alongside other lifestyle diseases.

We’re on a mission to revolutionise the bread making process at every level – from soil to slice. The rules governing this are laid out in our Baking As Lifestyle Medicine protocol. 

#lifestylemedicine #health #functionalmedicine #nutrition #integrativemedicine #healthylifestyle #wellness #lifestyle #rcgp #dietitian #nutritionist #healthcareprofessional #holistichealth #healthyliving #plantbased #guthealth #naturopathicmedicine #selfcare #functionalnutrition  #naturopathicdoctor #foodasmedicine #foodismedicine #lifestylegoals #cpd #lifestylechange #mentalhealth #sourdough #sourdoughschool #bakeforhealth
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