Goodwood Health Summit Interview with Her Grace
Janet Richmond, The Duchess of Richmond and Gordon, talks about the importance of the 2024 Goodwood Health Summit, tackling the Microbiome, Infant Feeding and the First Five Years.
gut health
Health Summit
This year, on 19 September, The Goodwood Health Summit returns for its second year. An exciting next step in the Summit’s evolution, it will see the bringing together of leading experts to discuss crucial topics surrounding the microbiome, infant feeding and the importance of nutrition in the first five years. Her Grace, The Duchess of Richmond and Gordon, is the pioneer behind these events. Passionate about Gut Health, she is highly focused on raising awareness and encouraging debate on topics that affect us all. She created the Health Summit on the Goodwood Estate as a means to bring together leading experts to challenge and enhance medical and societal understanding of the vital importance of gut health and the microbiome, with the firm belief that this information should be available to everyone.
At a time when we are becoming increasingly aware of the perils of a processed-food diet and the incalculable cost that this has on our health, both physical and mental, and the strain this puts on the NHS, it feels timely to discuss what can be changed from the very start of life.
Here, the Duchess answers questions from how she first became interested in Gut Health, to what her vision of the Health Summit is and what the future will look like.
Background and Vision
What inspired you to create the Goodwood Health Summit and what was your primary vision for it?
Goodwood House offers an ideal convening space and the Summit is based on my own interest in mindbody health. The Goodwood Health Summit follows on from the conferences my mother-in-law established on complimentary approaches to cancer.
How did you become interested in gut health?
I first met Stephanie Moore, a nutritionist and gut health expert, 12 years ago, when she started the Gut health programme at Grayshott Manor. After the first retreat my eyes were opened to the fundamental importance of the microbiome as a specific area of focus and I wanted to make this a part of what Goodwood offers.
How does the Summit align with the broader goals of the Goodwood Health and Wellbeing initiatives?
The Summit takes a deeper dive into specific areas of health and wellbeing, bringing that information to the public via our livestream and via articles in the press. Making this information accessible is hugely important as it affects us all.
Do you see the Summit as continuing the legacy of Goodwood’s impact on things such as gut health, organic farming and sustainability?
Goodwood Home Farm, our organic principles and our commitment to sustainability is at the heart of what Goodwood is about. This is something we believe is vitally important and a way to preserve the estate for the future, whilst also benefitting anyone who comes into contact with it today. We believe in the health benefits of eating fresh, local, organic produce and the long-term impact of good soil health. The Summit is a chance to look deeper into these subjects, to raise awareness of them and also to give people the opportunity to network across these interest groups so the message can travel further.
Content / Focus of Summit
How are the topics and speakers selected for the Summit?
The topics reflect my own interests over the years and are subjects that I think would benefit from further awareness and interrogation. The speakers are carefully selected; this is an opportunity to bring together people who are the best in their fields and who have real authority and influence.
What are your own experiences and thoughts on infant gut health, the benefits of breastfeeding and nutrition in the first five years?
It is a shocking thought that the microbiome bloom in the gut which happens in the first 2 weeks of breast feeding is detectable by its absence in formula-fed babies into adulthood. As a mother of four children, I know that wanting to do the best for your child is universal, giving them the best opportunity to lead healthy and happy lives.
Do you see this year’s Summit as being purely for people with an interest in infant nutrition or is this applicable to everyone?
This topic should be of interest to anyone concerned with life-long health, with reducing the burden on the NHS and with giving children the best start in life.
Can you share any particular insights or surprising outcomes from the discussions at the Summit last year?
The clear connection between a healthy microbiome and good mental health was very thought provoking, as was the stark realisation that infant formula is an ultra-processed food, and contributes to the obesity problem in our nation, not least through disrupting the gut microbiome.
What can people expect if they choose to attend? (either in person or virtually)
It will be a day of thought-provoking talks and presentation of new research. Our focus is on emphasising the science, rather than lecturing people on the feeding choices they make. It is about information and making that accessible to all.
Impact and Future
How do you measure the success of the Summit in terms of its impact on attendees and the wider community?
If we do not all change the way we eat, the pressure on the NHS will be crippling. If we want to continue to have access to a public health service then it is vitally important that we start talking about these topics and make tangible changes to our lives. If the Health Summit can broaden people’s awareness of these topics and help to create this change then it will have been a success.
What are your plans for future Summits, and how do you see them evolving?
In 2026 we will focus on Soil Microbiome/Human microbiome, as we know that the nutrients in plants are affected by the quality of the soil, and therefore strongly influence the health of humans and animals.
What do you hope attendees take away from the event, both personally and professionally? A renewed determination to do everything in their power to give all infants the best possible start in life.
gut health
Health Summit
Fitness Tips
The Goodwood Health Summit Returns to Tackle the Microbiome, Infant Feeding & the First Five Years
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