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Why Short-Chain Fatty Acids are beneficial for Gut Health

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are small compounds produced in the colon when gut bacteria ferment dietary fibre and resistant starch. The main SCFAs are acetate, propionate, and butyrate which play an important role in maintaining digestive health and overall wellbeing.

Butyrate is particularly important because it provides energy for colonocytes, the cells lining the colon. This helps maintain the intestinal barrier, which protects the body from harmful microbes and toxins while supporting tissue repair. A strong gut barrier is essential for preventing issues such as increased intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) and chronic inflammation.

SCFAs also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Butyrate can reduce the production of inflammatory compounds and support balanced immune responses in the gut. This makes SCFAs especially relevant in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

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When it comes to eating well, most of us are trying to balance nutrition, budget, and food quality. Organic produce is often seen as the gold standard, but it isn’t always affordable or accessible for everyone. This is where the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen come in.

These two lists, updated annually using the latest pesticide residue testing data, highlight which fruits and vegetables are most and least likely to carry pesticide residues. Understanding them helps you make informed, realistic choices without overhauling your entire food shop. This can be a great place to start if the idea of changing up your entire shopping list feels overwhelming or too expensive!

What Are the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen?

The Dirty Dozen is a list of the 12 fruits and vegetables that consistently show the highest levels of pesticide residues, even after washing and peeling. These are the items most worth buying organic whenever possible.

The Clean Fifteen highlights produce with the lowest pesticide

This recipe makes absolutely delicious light and fluffy banana pancakes.

Unlike traditional pancakes it is made with self raising flour not plain flour. 

This makes tiny bubbles appear in the mixture as it cooks.

The pancakes are slightly thicker but light in texture making them So.. delicious! 

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 medium eggs
• 300ml whole milk 
• 2 medium ripe banana (well mashed)
• Pinch REAL SALT
• 1 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

This recipe makes 10 good sized pancakes

Serve with strawberry, jam, or sliced banana and peanut butter, mixed berries or even, my favourite - grated carrot and chocolate spread! 

Method

Mash the ripe bananas until no lumps.

Add the 2 eggs , beat until evenly mixed.

Add the flour but don't mix it in completely.  Add a small amount of the milk. Stir. Keep adding the milk slowly whilst stirring all the flour in.  This way you don't get any lumps.

Add a pinch of REAL SALT.

Use a large non-stick frying pan. You want a hot frying

As spring marks the beginning of hay fever season, this blog outlines comprehensive nutrition tips to support those with a sensitivity to pollen. With the right preparation and in-season protocols, diet and lifestyle strategies can significantly reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life.

Hay fever is becoming more common and lasting longer each year. No one knows the exact reasons, but contributing factors may include: air pollution increasing pollen reactivity, longer and earlier pollen seasons due to warmer weather, changes in plant species exposing us to new pollens together with urban planting of more male trees and plants which offer easier maintenance but produce more pollen, gut microbiome disruption from modern diet and antibiotic use, as well as reduced immune tolerance due to lower environmental exposure over lockdown, Vitamin D insufficiency associated with inadequate sun exposure, higher stress levels and poor sleep exacerbating symptoms as well as increased intake

If you struggle with gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux, IBS or suspected SIBO, the Microbiome Labs range can feel overwhelming. This guide gives you a clear, consumer friendly way to choose where to start and how to build up safely.

Step 1: Your “foundation” probiotic - MegaSporeBiotic™

For most people, the best first step is a broad, spore based probiotic that supports overall microbial balance and gut barrier function. The best starting point for most adults is MegaSporeBiotic™

MegaSporeBiotic™ is a 100% spore based, multi strain probiotic designed to recondition the gut, promote microbial diversity and help maintain a healthy gut barrier and is best for:

• Long standing bloating, mixed bowel habits, “sensitive gut”
• A history of antibiotics, frequent infections or “IBS label”
• General gut repair after years of stress, poor diet or travel
  

How to Use: For typical adult use: Start low and go slow – often 1 capsule every other day with food, gradually building to 2 capsules

Magnesium is an essential mineral required for energy production, muscle function, nerve health, supporting sleep, stress and overall wellbeing; but not all magnesium is created equal. If you’ve ever shopped for a supplement, you’ve probably noticed a long list of different forms, from magnesium glycinate and citrate to malate and oxide. So what’s the difference, and does it really matter which one you choose? The short answer is yes! Magnesium supplements are made by combining magnesium with other compounds, and that pairing directly affects how well your body can absorb and use it — a factor known as bioavailability.

Some forms, like magnesium citrate, glycinate, and malate, are known for being more easily absorbed and gentler on the digestive system, while others may be cheaper to produce but less effective. Because of cost, many products include only one or two forms, but formulas that combine multiple highly bioavailable types can offer broader benefits and better overall absorption.

Wheat can be found in many products – bread, cakes, biscuits, pasta, cereals, pastry. Modern wheat is high in gluten, and baking it increases its ability to react with the gut wall.  Gluten is a sticky glue-like substance that is difficult to digest, and can encourage the growth of unfriendly gut bacteria, which are responsible for producing toxic substances and gas.  Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, indigestion, flatulence and wind are all problems that can benefit from the removal of wheat from the diet.  In severe cases of gluten sensitivity the villi, the tiny protrusion that make up the small intestine, get completely worn away.  For those with gluten sensitivity, all foods containing gluten must be avoided. Find out more where wheat is found and some alternatives.

Modern wheat is very different to the wheat that our ancestors ate. It is high in protein, and generous in fat, but it is lacking many amino acids and provides a relatively meagre vitamin and mineral content. 

Clay is a very versatile natural product which can be used both internally and externally to bring a huge range of health benefits. Our range of clays from The Clay Cure and Redmond all have amazing natural properties that will leave your skin feeling invigorated and refreshed. 

Did you know that each colour of clay has different benefits it can bring to the skin? Continue reading to find out which clay is best for your skin type and discover the many different ways that clay can be used to enhance your health and well-being.

Green Clays

Green Clays are known for their purifying and detoxifying properties. They contain a higher level of minerals than white clay making them highly absorbent and effective for removing toxins and impurities from the skin. Green clays are perfect for oily or acne-prone skin as they will remove dirt and excess sebum from the skin leaving it mattified and balanced. They are also great for tightening the pores, toning the skin, exfoliating dead skin cells and

Welcome to the Totally Healthful Loyalty Scheme!

Here at Totally Healthful we want to say thankyou to our many loyal customers and your continued support. Every time you shop with us, you can earn points, which can be redeemed against a future purchase - making shopping with us even better value for money.

Please be aware that you can only obtain a discount through the Totally Healthful website.

It is NOT possible to obtain a valid discount code through any third party sites. They will not work and are scam!

So here is a bit of information about our Loyalty Reward Scheme :

For every £1 spent (excluding postage costs) with Totally Healthful you will earn 5 points. So, if you spend £50 you will be awarded 250 points. Once you have collected 1,000 points you can redeem £5 off your next purchase, should you wish to do so.

How does the Scheme work? 

To start earning points you will need to ensure that you have created an account with us to enable you to keep track of your points. Without

I often recommend the ‘healthful’ benefits of home-made bone broth, which makes a fantastic base for stews and soups, as it is full of nourishing substances. So why is bone broth so good for us ? 

Bone broth, which is easily digestible, essential, anti-inflammatory, gut healing nutrients such as amino acids the building blocks of protein, easily absorbable forms of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulphur, silicon, phosphorus and chondroitin, glucosamine & gelatin which have been released into the water as the bones have been simmered.

Can how this stock be so nutritious?

• A healthy gut and healthy digestion; the amino acid glycine stimulates the production of stomach acid and glutamine, another important amino acid which helps to maintain and restore the integrity of the gut lining. There is a strong link between gut health and overall health.
• Joint Health from the strengthening nutrients including chondroitin, glucosamine, magnesium and calcium, together with proteins (including gelatine