Dr. Vanessa Kimbell specialises in the nutrition and digestibility of bread, with a focus on its role in gut health. A member of BANT, Vanessa uses an evidence-based approach and insights from nutrigenetics training, The main focus of consultations is to help you understand how bread can support your overall health. During the session, Dr. Kimbell may recommend approaches to bread tailored to your needs and suggest functional tests that could provide valuable insights.
Why Have a Bread Consultation?
Dr Vanessa Kimbell specialises in the nutrition and digestibility of bread, with a focus on its role in gut health and overall wellbeing. As a member of BANT and a practitioner of nutrigenetics, she uses an evidence-based approach to help individuals understand how bread can be optimised for their unique health needs.
Bread as a Diagnostic Tool
A bread consultation is a deeply insightful process. When someone experiences difficulty digesting bread, it often serves as a red flag—an indicator of underlying imbalances. Bread itself is rarely the sole cause but frequently highlights patterns linked to broader health concerns. By examining symptoms, how bread affects digestion, and its overall impact, Dr Kimbell identifies root issues through a functional medicine approach, uncovering key insights about gut health and dietary habits.
The Role of Functional Nutrition
Functional nutrition is central to this process. By tailoring how bread is baked and consumed, it becomes a delivery system for high levels of fibre and specific nutrients. Using nutrigenetics, and gut testing when necessary, Dr Kimbell personalises bread to support mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation, nourish the gut, and stabilise blood sugar levels. This bespoke approach transforms bread into a powerful tool for improving overall health.
The Power of Fermentation
Fermentation plays a critical role in enhancing bread’s nutritional value. This natural process predigests the bread, breaking down gluten and increasing nutrient availability, which can reduce inflammation and support gut healing. For those with digestive issues, fermentation allows bread to deliver nutrients in a way that avoids triggering discomfort, making it a key component of preventative health strategies.
A Holistic Approach to Bread and Lifestyle
Dr Kimbell’s consultations go beyond nutrition. They consider lifestyle, routines, and individual preferences to create bread recipes that are both practical and nourishing. These recipes are designed to fit seamlessly into everyday life, bringing joy and ease to the baking process. Baking itself becomes a therapeutic act, helping to manage stress and promote a sense of calm. This holistic approach aligns with lifestyle medicine principles, ensuring bread contributes to both physical and emotional wellbeing.
The Bespoke Bread Consultation
Each consultation is entirely bespoke, designed to uncover the unique ways bread interacts with an individual’s health. The process often includes exploring familial patterns, as genetics and digestion frequently influence dietary habits across generations. Through a detailed pre-consultation questionnaire, Dr Kimbell builds a comprehensive picture of dietary history, symptoms, and how bread impacts overall health.
Bread is an invaluable diagnostic tool. By examining its effects, Dr Kimbell can investigate gut health, genetic predispositions, and dietary habits to recommend a personalised approach. Every aspect—from the choice of flour and sourdough starter to fermentation timings and enzyme activity—is tailored to optimise digestibility and health outcomes. Where necessary, she incorporates DNA and genetic analysis to guide preventative healthcare strategies.
A Unique and Transformative Approach Using Your Everyday Basic Food To Underpin Wellness.
This unique understanding of nutrition and digestibility of bread reflects decades of research, deep expertise, and a profound commitment to transforming how bread is approached as both food and preventative medicine. The process integrates the principles of Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM), providing a framework to optimise health through tailored baking practices.
For those ready to explore how bread can become a central part of their health and wellbeing, this consultation offers a transformative starting point.
For Nutrigenetics Booked Students:
Students who have enrolled in the Nutrigenetics package do not need to rebook this as two consultations (pre- and post-course) are already included in your package. Please ensure you complete and return your Bread, Health, and Digestion History questionnaire at least one week before your initial session to allow for a thorough review.
