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Living Well: The three things I believe in
mitochondria, the nervous system and the gut
By Cerina Bezuidenhout Haasbroek
In a world of endless health advice, new trends, and conflicting information, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Every week there is a new protocol, a new supplement or a new “best way” to take care of your body.
Over time, I have always come back to three core foundations – the three things I believe sit at the root of almost all health, energy and resilience: mitochondrial health, nervous system regulation and gut health.
If you support these three, everything else becomes easier.
1. Mitochondria: your energy at a cellular level
Mitochondria are often called the “powerhouses” (think nuclear powerplants) of the cell, but that description barely does them justice. They are responsible for producing the energy your body uses for everything – organ functioning, thinking, moving, healing, regulating hormones and even ageing.
When your mitochondria are functioning well, you feel it: stable energy, mental clarity and physical resilience. When they are not, it often shows up as fatigue, brain fog, slow recovery and a general sense of depletion.
Mitochondrial health is influenced by how you live daily – the quality of your food, your exposure to sunlight, your movement, your sleep and even your stress levels. It is not something you fix overnight; it is something you build consistently.
2. Nervous system: the state that shapes everything
You can eat the “perfect” diet and still feel unwell if your nervous system is constantly in a state of stress.
The nervous system determines whether your body is in “fight or flight” (survival) mode or “rest and digest” (healing) mode. When stress becomes chronic – whether from work, emotional load or constant stimulation – the body stays in survival mode.
In this state, digestion slows, hormones shift, sleep becomes disrupted and recovery is compromised. Over time, this affects every system in the body.
Learning to regulate your nervous system – through breathing, movement, rest, time in nature and simply creating moments of stillness – is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. It is not a luxury, and lately there is so much talk of it, but the practice of it is not yet happening.
3. Gut health: the centre of communication
Your gut is more than a digestive organ. It is a central communication hub between your brain, immune system and hormones.
Within your gut lives your microbiome – trillions of bacteria that influence how you digest food, absorb nutrients, regulate inflammation and even how you feel emotionally. A balanced gut supports immunity, mental clarity and metabolic health. An imbalanced gut can contribute to fatigue, mood changes, skin issues and chronic inflammation.
What you eat matters, but so does how you eat, how stressed you are and how well your body can actually process what you consume.
Bringing it together
These three systems are deeply connected. Your nervous system influences your gut. Your gut influences your mitochondria. Your mitochondria determine the quality of energy your body runs on.
This is why I do not believe in quick fixes. I believe in foundations.
When you support your energy at a cellular level, create safety in your body and nourish your internal ecosystem, you do not just “manage symptoms”. You create a body that can adapt, recover and thrive.
Health does not need to be complicated.
Sometimes, it comes back to just a few things done consistently and done well.
Living Well is a monthly wellness column exploring functional health, natural rituals and conscious living in Namibia. Follow @cerinabzd on Instagram for tips, workshops and holistic health guidance, or read more on Substack
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