My Go-To Gut-Brain Bowl

This is the dish I make over and over in my kitchen. It's not complicated. It takes about 40 minutes. And almost everything in it is doing something specific for your nervous system and your gut. I hope it becomes one of yours too.

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp freshly grated)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1½ cups water with 1 spoon of miso paste (or light vegetable stock)
• Pinch of salt

• 2 large handfuls of rocket leaves
• Seeds of ½ pomegranate
• 100g fine green beans, trimmed
• Small handful of tenderstem broccoli (optional)
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp pecan nuts, roughly broken
• 1 tbsp walnuts, roughly broken
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• Drizzle of good olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon

• 4 tbsp kefir yoghurt
• Juice of ¼ lemon
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp black sesame & nigella seeds to finish

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken (5 minutes — or up to 2 hours in advance)

   Combine the chicken pieces with turmeric, ginger, cumin, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Set aside for at least half an hour, or longer while you prepare everything else.

2. 2

   Cook the quinoa (15 minutes)

   Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water. Place in a saucepan with the stock or water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook on medium heat for 15–20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Blanch the greens (3 minutes)

   Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add the green beans and broccoli, cook for 2–3 minutes until just tender but still bright green. Drain and set aside.

4. 4

   Cook the chicken (8–10 minutes)

   Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and cook the chicken pieces for 4–5 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. The turmeric will give them that deep golden colour. Set aside to rest for a couple of minutes.

5. 5

   Build the bowl

   Start with a base of quinoa. Add the rocket and green beans. Place the chicken on top. Scatter the pomegranate seeds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, nigella seeds and sesame seeds generously over everything. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

6. 6

   Finish with kefir

   Spoon the kefir yoghurt over the top. Scatter with black sesame and nigella seeds. Serve immediately. I always add extra olive oil at this point.

Every ingredient here earns its place.

Quinoa

A complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, and its fibre feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome directly.

Turmeric

Contains curcumin, one of the most studied anti-inflammatory compounds in nutrition. Chronic gut inflammation disrupts the gut-brain axis — turmeric works against that.

Ginger

Used for digestive support for centuries and now backed by research for its role in reducing nausea, bloating, and gut inflammation.

Pomegranate

Exceptionally rich in polyphenols — plant compounds that feed beneficial gut bacteria and have been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the brain.

Rocket

A bitter green. Bitter foods stimulate digestive enzyme production, which means better breakdown of nutrients before they reach your gut.

Nuts and seeds

Pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and magnesium — all support the nervous system and are frequently depleted in women under chronic stress.

Kefir

One of the most potent natural sources of probiotics available. It contains live cultures that directly support gut microbiome diversity — which communicates with your brain via the vagus nerve.

Olive oil & lemon

Support liver function and help the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients like the curcumin in turmeric.

This isn't diet food. It's nervous system food. And it happens to be one of the most satisfying meals I make.