- Mar 10, 2021

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY MINI-SERIES: PERNILLE JENSEN

For the third interview in our mini series, we were able to get a hold of naturopath and clinical nutritionist, Pernille Jensen - founder and owner of The Gut Cø. The Gut Cø was created with the intention of creating sustainable and bio-available products designed to promote gut health and digestibility despite having a sensitive (or regular) gut.

Jensen has spent years researching the gut microbiome, investigating the relationship between gut function and the rest of the body - continuously educating herself and keeping up to date on progressing research. Beyond this, Jensen has set environmental sustainability as a core pillar of her brand, using plastic-free refillable canisters and low footprint pouches - so you can feel good on the inside while looking out for the outside.

Keep reading to find out how Jensen's biggest inspirations when it comes to running her business, and get an idea of why she has dedicated so much of her life to learning about the gut-health connection.

[TLSE] Who is one of your biggest inspirations when it comes to females in business?

[Pernille] Any woman who runs a business and has kids! This has been my biggest challenge in running my own business; finding that balance and learning to let the guilt go. If it were up to me, I would work 12 hours per day but I have precious beings who depend on me and need me.

What are some of your top-rated wellness tips?

Look after your gut and everything else will fall into place. Your gut is the foundation of all health. A well-functioning gut will digest the foods you eat to provide you with the nutrients for energy, cell renewal and keeping your body maintained like a well-oiled machine.

A well-functioning gut reduces inflammation in your body which means less disease and slower ageing. A dysfunction in the gut can cause fatigue, allergies and disease.

Can you tell us a little bit about the gut-mind connection, and why it’s so important?

We used to think that the brain ran the show but more recent research has demonstrated that a bidirectional communication highway exists between the gut and the brain, which is referred to as the gut-brain axis.

Gut issues such as inflammation and dysbiosis (bad balance of good to bad bacteria) have shown to cause anxiety and depression and fixing the gut will improve the mood significantly in these cases.

Conversely, the brain can send signals to the gut; for example the feeling of butterflies in the stomach or having a gut-wrenching experience can be due to emotions such as anger, stress, and even happiness showing up. We used to think that anxiety was created in the brain and then this could lead to issues with the gut but more recent research has demonstrated that the state of our gut can influence the way we feel and think.

What is one of the most rewarding parts of running your own business?

Knowing that I am helping so many people living more elevated and happy lives without compromising my values and knowledge.