The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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Bread & Nutrigenetics Library 

One of the things we use to Personalise Bread at The Sourdough School is nutrigenetics testing. 

lIn this category we explain more about how the way in which we approach bread means that bread has the potential to do far more than simply feed us — it can nourish, protect, and heal.

Nnutrigenetics  is the intersection of nutrition and genetics — which can empower individuals to make deeply personalised, practical lifestyle changes.

Everyone is different, and if would take a long time to explain all the different Genes, so instead we have shared this example of how we use the Genetics tests on real-life case studies.  Vanessa  illustrates how understanding genetic predispositions, such as MTHFR polymorphisms and dopamine signalling, can transform behaviours around food, sleep, and blood sugar regulation, especially in the context of neurodivergency and metabolic health in this video.

Joining the discussion is Emma Bewick, CEO and founder of LifeCode GX, one of the UK’s leading nutrigenomics companies whose test gin we use.  Emma brings a wealth of expertise in genetic interpretation, offering a pioneering approach to personalised nutrition through cutting-edge genomic testing. Her work supports our clinical work and functional medicine approach to bread by  translating genetic data into actionable strategies that we use to meaningfully impact health outcomes.

Personalised bread is about  real-world application of genetic insights, highlighting how this knowledge can deepen personal ownership of health and support sustainable, lifelong change — key tenets of the BALM protocol (Baking as Lifestyle Medicine).Used as preventative, functional, and lifestyle medicine, reimagining bread as a powerful daily intervention. It is the foundation of your personal health.

Bread & Nutrigenetics Library

The articles below explain more about the Lifecode reports and how this fits with is the essence of Personalising bread using the BALM Protocol: baking as lifestyle medicine. It’s a system that works in real ife the can be personalised bringing together fermentation, fibre, diversity, and polyphenol-rich blends — tailored to the individual — to support the gut microbiome, stabilise energy, and promote long-term health. Every loaf becomes a story of connection: to your genes, your gut, your heritage, and your future.

MTHFR, Methylation & ADHD – A Neurochemical Balancing Act

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