Step 3: Gut Health Assessment: Test & Consultation

£799.00

STEP 3: GUT HEALTH TESTING

(Only available to clients after Step 1 – Initial Consultation – and Step 2 – Nutrigenetic Testing, unless otherwise advised)

Most gut issues begin to resolve themselves when we support the gut properly — with fibre diversity, appropriate fermentation, and personalised nutritional guidance. But for some, symptoms remain unresolved.

This is when I may recommend gut health testing — particularly if I suspect something more than just a fibre imbalance, or if symptoms suggest autoimmune involvement, intestinal parasites, or pathogenic overgrowth.

Occasionally, I might suggest this test before nutrigenetic analysis if symptoms strongly indicate deeper dysfunction — but in most cases, this is Step 3

Gut Health Stool Testing: Understanding Your Gut and Optimising Your Bread
Your gut is the epicentre of your health, influencing digestion, immunity, energy, weight, and mood. If you still struggle with bloating, discomfort, or fatigue after adjusting your bread, this test helps uncover what’s going on beneath the surface.

We use the GI Effects Stool Profile by Genova Diagnostics, a comprehensive stool analysis that provides:
– Digestive and absorption markers
– Inflammatory markers
– Microbial balance and diversity
– Identification of pathogens, parasites, or overgrowth

NOTE: This test is not available to new clients. It is only recommended once we’ve completed your consultation and reviewed your nutrigenetic profile — unless clinically indicated otherwise.

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Category: Bread & Health Assessments

Could your gut microbiome hold the key to enjoying bread without discomfort?

Personalised Insights for Tailored Bread for Gut Health

Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that play a vital role in nutrient absorption, neurotransmitter production, and immune regulation. When the balance of these microbes is disrupted, known as dysbiosis, it can lead to bloating, IBS, autoimmune conditions, mood disorders, and even systemic inflammation. Emerging research highlights the profound connection between a healthy gut microbiome and overall well-being, making gut health an essential foundation for long-term vitality.

What This Test Covers

The GI Effects Stool Profile uses cutting-edge technology to assess the three core areas of gut health, summarised in the “DIG” format: Digestion/Absorption, Inflammation/Immunology, and the Gut Microbiome.

Digestion/Absorption:
- Evaluates pancreatic function and how well your body breaks down and absorbs proteins, fats, and other nutrients.
- Identifies markers like Pancreatic Elastase-1 and Faecal Fat, which can highlight digestive inefficiencies.
Inflammation/Immunology:
- Pinpoints gut inflammation and immune response using biomarkers such as Calprotectin and Faecal Secretory IgA, which are critical for diagnosing IBS, IBD, and gut barrier dysfunction.
Gut Microbiome:
- Analyses the composition and diversity of gut bacteria, including beneficial strains and potential pathogens.
- Incorporates microbiome data with metabolic indicators like short-chain fatty acids, providing a comprehensive view of microbial health.

How This Informs Bread Tailored to Your Gut

Each individual's gut health is unique, and a detailed gut microbial analysis provides valuable insights into the specific factors affecting digestion and microbiome balance. These findings inform a personalised bread strategy, optimised across seven key areas to support digestive health, microbial diversity, and overall wellbeing — 7 Key Areas & How We Optimise for Your Bread from a Gut Microbial Analysis

This personalised approach turns bread into a tool for gut health optimisation, ensuring it supports—not exacerbates—your unique needs.

What Does the GI Effects Stool Profile Assess?

This test examines the three core functions of gut health—digestion/absorption, inflammation/immunology, and the gut microbiome. These are assessed using the “DIG” framework:

1. Digestion/Absorption

This section evaluates your ability to break down and absorb nutrients, highlighting potential inefficiencies in digestive function. Biomarkers include:

Pancreatic Elastase-1: Measures pancreatic enzyme activity and exocrine function.
Products of Protein Breakdown: Identifies undigested protein reaching the colon, indicating poor protein digestion.
Faecal Fat: Assesses fat breakdown and absorption, providing insight into fat metabolism.

2. Inflammation/Immunology

Gut inflammation can signal underlying conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), or gut barrier dysfunction. Biomarkers include:

Calprotectin: A marker of neutrophil-driven inflammation, used to differentiate between IBS and IBD.
Eosinophil Protein X (EPX): Indicates eosinophil-driven inflammation, often linked to allergies or asthma.
Faecal Secretory IgA (sIgA): Reflects gut immune function and mucosal barrier integrity.
Faecal Occult Blood: Detects hidden blood in stool, critical for colorectal cancer screening.

3. Gut Microbiome

This section offers a comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiota, highlighting both beneficial and pathogenic organisms. Biomarkers include:

Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs): Indicators of gut microbial metabolism, essential for gut health and systemic inflammation control.
Commensal Bacteria: Assesses the composition and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria.
Inflammation-Associated Dysbiosis Score: Evaluates microbial imbalances linked to inflammation.
Methane Dysbiosis Score: Identifies methane-associated gut imbalances, often linked to conditions like constipation.

Advanced Microbiological Techniques

PCR Testing: Targets DNA of specific bacteria, fungi, and parasites for precise identification.
Culture and Sensitivity Testing: Identifies beneficial and pathogenic organisms, providing guidance on treatment with prescriptive or natural agents.
Microscopic Testing: Gold-standard analysis for detecting parasites and ova.

Additional Biomarkers Available to optimise your bread for gut health

This test can also include detailed evaluations for specific conditions or symptoms:

Parasitology: Comprehensive testing for protozoa like Blastocystis spp., Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.
Zonulin Family Peptide: A marker of intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”).
Helicobacter pylori: Screening for H. pylori, linked to ulcers and gastric cancer.
Beta-Glucuronidase: Indicates microbial activity related to detoxification and hormone metabolism.

What to Expect

Gut Testing and Assessment 12-Week Programme

This programme builds on your initial consultation, during which we explored your symptoms, history, and relationship with bread. Using the detailed results from your GI Effects Stool Profile, we create a personalised 12-week plan to optimise your digestion, improve gut health, and enhance overall well-being through a holistic baking for gut health approach.

What’s Included

Session 1: Comprehensive Gut Health Analysis ( 45 minutes)

A detailed review of your GI Effects Stool Profile results, providing insights into your gut microbiome, inflammation markers, digestive function, and nutrient absorption.
Personalised recommendations, including dietary adjustments, flour choices, and recipes tailored to your gut health needs.
An introduction to the Baking as Lifestyle Medicine protocol integrating bread and gut health principles into your daily routine.
A printable symptom tracker to monitor your progress during the 12-week programme.

The 12-Week Programme ( 45 minutes)

Weekly symptom tracking, shared via WhatsApp, to allow for ongoing feedback and adjustments.
Customised recipes and baking techniques that adapt to your progress, preferences, and gut health insights.
Weekly drop-in Zoom sessions at 4 pm on Tuesdays (term time), offering 10-minute weekly check-ins to address any issues or questions.
You will have access to the Sourdough Club, which offers a wealth of lessons, resources, and support for your gut health journey.
WhatsApp support for urgent concerns or questions during the programme.

Session 2: Final Review and Long-Term Strategy

A detailed review of your 12-week progress, including symptom tracker analysis and adjustments made during the programme.
Refined recommendations for recipes, techniques, and routines based on your results and overall experience.
Discussion of potential further health investigations, if necessary, based on programme insights.
A final, holistic strategy for maintaining gut health and integrating bread into your lifestyle long-term.

What to Expect

This programme empowers you to take control of your gut health with a tailored approach. With personalised recommendations, regular check-ins, and expert guidance, you can expect tangible improvements in digestion, energy, and overall wellbeing by the end of the 12 weeks.

Before your first session, you’ll receive a list of equipment, tools, and preparation resources to help you start your programme

Start Your Gut Health Journey

Take the first step towards better gut health and discover a personalised programme designed specifically for your needs.

Who Can Benefit from This Test?

What it improving your gut health could change your life?

Anyone can benefit from understanding their gut microbiome but we tend to use this as step 3 in our assements. This test is specifically to improve your gut health and it can uncover root causes behind issues behind digesting bread such as:

Gas, bloating, or reflux
IBS or IBD
Tiredness
Joint ache
Skin conditions like eczema
Autoimmune diseases
Mood disorders such as anxiety or depression
Persistent fatigue or weight management challenges

Gut health is deeply personal, but with the right tools, it can be transformed. This test goes beyond symptoms, offering actionable insights to guide the development of bread—and lifestyle adjustments—that truly nourish. Together, we can harness the power of personalised nutrition to create bread that heals from the inside out.

STEP 3: GUT HEALTH TESTING

(Available only after consultation and nutrigenetics, unless clinically indicated)

Is your gut health affecting how you digest bread?

For most people, once we begin supporting the gut with the right bread, fibre diversity, and nutritional strategies, symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, or discomfort begin to resolve. But occasionally, the picture is more complex.

If, after your consultation and nutrigenetics review, you’re still experiencing unresolved symptoms — or if I suspect something beyond a fibre imbalance or nutritional deficiency, such as autoimmunity, pathogenic overgrowth, or parasites — we may need to go deeper.

This is when I may recommend comprehensive gut health testing. In rare cases, if your symptoms strongly indicate, I might suggest this step before nutrigenetic testing. But usually, this is Step 3 in the personalised bread protocol.

Gut Health Stool Testing: Understanding Your Gut and Optimising Your Bread

Your gut is the epicentre of your health — influencing not only digestion, but also immunity, mental wellbeing, metabolic balance, and inflammatory responses. The way you digest bread offers important clues.

At The Sourdough School, we use the GI Effects Stool Profile by Genova Diagnostics to uncover the root causes of persistent symptoms. This advanced test provides a detailed overview of your digestive function, microbiome composition, inflammatory activity, and possible pathogenic load.

What This Test Reveals

How well you digest and absorb nutrients
Whether inflammation is present
The diversity and balance of your gut microbiome
Potential pathogens, parasites, yeast overgrowth or dysbiosis
Biomarkers that explain symptoms not resolved through dietary changes alone

What Happens Next

Once your results are in, we’ll meet for a one-to-one review, and I will design a personalised plan. This may include a 12-week protocol of tailored bread formulas, targeted ingredients, lifestyle guidance, and gut-nourishing support — rooted in the BALM framework.

This test is only available to existing clients following consultation and nutrigenetic review (unless advised otherwise). It represents the deepest level of insight and care, reserved for when the usual interventions aren’t enough.

Step 3: Gut Health Assessment: Test & Consultation

STEP 3: GUT HEALTH TESTING

(Only available to clients after Step 1 – Initial Consultation – and Step 2 – Nutrigenetic Testing, unless otherwise advised)

Could your gut microbiome hold the key to enjoying bread without discomfort?