Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Everything here is something I use or have researched thoroughly. Full disclosure here.
I grew up British. Tea is not a wellness habit for me — it is a birthright. And it turns out that some of the things I have been doing my whole life — the warm drinks, the slow mornings, the instinct to feed people properly — were quietly doing something useful. But it took me until my forties to understand what my gut was actually asking for.
I want to tell you something that took me embarrassingly long to connect. For years I thought gut health was a niche thing — the domain of people who talked about kombucha at farmers markets and carried their own fermented vegetables. I was wrong. Your gut is your second brain. The research on this has moved fast and what it is showing is that almost everything we struggle with after 35 — the energy dips, the skin that does not behave the way it used to, the mood that shifts without warning, the immunity that feels less robust than it was — has a connection to what is happening in the gut.
This post is not going to overwhelm you with science. What it is going to do is tell you what I actually do, what I have researched carefully enough to recommend to the women around me — including friends who are vegetarian and keep kosher, which meant I had to look harder and think more carefully — and where to start if you are beginning from nothing.
lives in your gut —
not where most people look
is produced in
the gut, not the brain
in your gut right now.
They want feeding well.
after 35 specifically
After 35 — and particularly as perimenopause begins, which can start far earlier than most women are told — the gut microbiome shifts. Oestrogen plays a significant role in maintaining gut barrier integrity and supporting the diversity of beneficial bacteria. As oestrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decline, the gut feels it first. This is why many women notice digestive changes in their late thirties and forties that did not exist before — bloating that seems to come from nowhere, food sensitivities that were not there at 30, a sluggishness that no amount of salad seems to fix.
The gut-hormone connection runs in both directions. Poor gut health disrupts hormone metabolism. Disrupted hormones worsen gut health. The cycle is real and it is why addressing the gut is one of the most high-leverage things a woman over 35 can do for her overall wellbeing — not just her digestion.
The signs your gut
is asking for help
Most of us were taught to think about gut health only when something was obviously wrong — pain, nausea, something acute. But the gut sends much quieter signals long before it gets to that point, and after 35 it is worth knowing what to listen for.
Skin that has changed texture — persistent dullness, breakouts in new areas, or a roughness that skincare alone does not fix. Energy that dips unpredictably — not tired from doing too much, but a flat, low-grade fatigue that is there regardless of sleep. Mood that shifts without obvious cause — remember that 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut. Bloating that appears regularly — particularly after meals that never bothered you before. Getting ill more frequently — the immune connection is direct. Cravings for sugar — often a sign that the wrong bacteria are asking to be fed.
If several of those sound familiar, this post is for you. If none of them sound familiar — keep doing whatever you are doing and perhaps add the tea section at the end anyway.
Bone broth is one of the oldest gut-healing foods in existence — and for good reason. It contains collagen, gelatin and amino acids like glycine and glutamine that directly support the gut lining. A compromised gut lining — sometimes called leaky gut — is at the root of many of the issues women over 35 are dealing with silently. Bone broth powder makes this accessible without the hours of simmering. Stir it into hot water, add it to a morning routine, or use it as a base for soup. The instant format means there is no excuse not to be consistent.
"This is the one I tell friends about first. It is the simplest, most foundational gut-health step available. Before the supplements, before the programmes — this."
"Bone broth is not a trend. It is one of the most ancient healing foods across almost every culture on earth. The fact that it comes in a convenient powder now is simply a practical upgrade on something that has always worked."
— Anjie, Style & Soul 35+The supporting edit —
three picks that work alongside it
Bone broth does the foundational work. These three products extend and support it — a probiotic to populate the gut with beneficial bacteria, a digestive enzyme to help break down food properly, and a collagen supplement that bridges the gut-skin connection. Together they cover the main pillars of gut health without turning your morning into a supplement production line.
50 billion CFU, 16 strains, formulated specifically for women — digestive, vaginal and immune health in one capsule. Once daily. Dr. formulated with organic prebiotics included. One of the most complete women's probiotics on Amazon.
Shop on Amazon →
Bromelain from pineapple, papain from papaya, plus probiotics and prebiotics in one formula. After 35 enzyme production slows — this addresses bloating, gas and sluggish digestion at the source. Take with meals.
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The bridge between gut health and skin health — collagen supports the gut lining and the skin simultaneously. This version includes probiotics which means it is doing double duty.
Read the full review →✦ Affiliate links — I earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. Always disclosed.
For my vegetarian, kosher
and halal friends — you are covered
Several of my closest friends are vegetarian. A number also keep kosher or eat halal. When I started talking to them about gut health and specifically bone broth, the first question was always the same: what do I use instead? It is a fair question and the answer is better than most people realise. The good news is that the bone broth I feature in this post — Bare Bones Classic Chicken — is halal certified, which means it is already a straightforward choice for my halal-observant readers.
Mushroom broth powder — chaga, reishi and lion's mane mushrooms have prebiotic properties and support gut diversity. Genuinely effective and the umami flavour is deeply satisfying. Look for Four Sigmatic or Om Mushroom on Amazon. Vegetable broth with added collagen boosters — search for "plant-based broth powder" with added amino acids. The amino acid profile does not perfectly replicate bone broth but it gets close enough to be worth doing. Miso soup — a fermented probiotic food that has been supporting gut health in Japan for centuries. One cup daily is a meaningful habit.
All the probiotic and digestive enzyme options above are kosher-friendly — Garden of Life and Zenwise both carry kosher certification on most of their lines. Check the specific product label or the OU kosher database before purchasing. For a bone broth equivalent: look for kosher-certified chicken or beef bone broth powder — several exist on Amazon, search specifically for "kosher bone broth powder" to find certified options for your level of observance. The collagen product above is not kosher — substitute with a kosher-certified collagen or with mushroom powder as an alternative.
The hero product in this post — Bare Bones Classic Chicken Bone Broth — is halal certified. This makes it a straightforward recommendation for my halal-observant readers with no substitution needed. For probiotics: Garden of Life Once Daily Probiotics for Women 50 Billion CFU does not currently carry halal certification — look instead for Culturelle or Align, both of which are widely available on Amazon and considered halal-friendly by most certifying bodies (verify with your own authority). Digestive enzymes: most plant-derived enzyme formulas are halal-compatible — Zenwise uses plant-based enzymes which are generally considered acceptable. Check with your certifying authority if in doubt. For collagen: search specifically for "halal collagen powder" on Amazon — several bovine halal-certified options exist and perform similarly to the product featured above.
The British habit that was
doing more than I realised
I drink tea every day. Multiple times a day. Not because I read a wellness article about it — because I am British and a day without tea is not a day I recognise. But it turns out that some of the teas I have been drinking my whole life are genuinely beneficial for gut health, and that adding a few specific varieties has made a meaningful difference to how I feel.
Green tea is a prebiotic — it feeds beneficial gut bacteria. I drink it mid-morning. Ginger tea supports digestion and reduces inflammation in the gut lining — I reach for this after a large meal or when travel has disrupted my routine. Peppermint tea is one of the most evidence-backed remedies for bloating and IBS-type symptoms — genuinely effective and deeply soothing. Chamomile supports the gut-brain axis — the connection between gut health and anxiety — and has been shown to reduce intestinal spasms. I drink it every evening without fail.
None of these are exotic. You can find all of them in any supermarket. The gut-health benefit is real and the ritual of a warm drink in the morning or evening is — as any British person will tell you — a form of self-care that costs almost nothing and delivers far more than it gets credit for.
The green tea I actually drink — Twinings, because I am British and there was never going to be another answer. Pure green tea, no additives, individually wrapped so they stay fresh. 100 bags means you will not run out and lose the habit. The prebiotic benefit is real and the ritual is even better.
Shop on Amazon → ✦ Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to youThe daily gut health routine —
what actually fits into real life
I want to be realistic with you. Nobody is going to do seventeen things every morning. What I am going to give you is the version that actually sticks — the minimum effective routine that delivers real results without requiring a complete overhaul of how you start your day.
On waking: A cup of warm water with lemon — this wakes up digestion before anything else hits it. Thirty seconds. With breakfast: One scoop of bone broth powder stirred into hot water or your morning drink, and one digestive enzyme capsule. Two minutes. With or after breakfast: Your probiotic — most are once daily and are best taken with food. Thirty seconds. That is genuinely it. Five minutes, three products, a consistent daily habit that compounds over weeks and months into something your body will thank you for. The tea ritual can happen whenever it happens — it is a pleasure, not a task.
Your gut has been working for you your whole life. Spending five minutes a day working for it in return is not a sacrifice. It is the most reasonable exchange imaginable.