THE GUT MICROBIOME
Nearly 2500 years ago Hippocrates said, “All Disease begins in the gut.”
2480 years later, the Human Microbiome Project was funded by the National Institutes of Health to understand the microbial components of the human genetic and metabolic landscape and how they contribute to normal physiology and predisposition to disease.
WHAT WE KNOW…
1. There are 10x the number of microbial cells in the human gut than the whole human body, roughly 100 trillion microbes, 5,000 different species and weighing close to 3.5 pounds.
2. Your gut isn’t the only place you have a microbiome, your skin, mouth, and vagina all have microbiomes.
3. Antibiotics can alter the patterns of gut microbiota when given at early ages, which may shift bacterial profiles to promote obesity, metabolic abnormalities and autoimmune diseases.
4. Your gut bacteria are involved in harvesting energy from food, balancing the good versus bad bacterial composition.
5. You gut bacteria manufacture neurotransmitters such as serotonin and communicate with your brain through the vagus nerve. Know the saying, gut feeling?!
6. Your gut also houses up to 80% of your immune system.
Over 70 million people in America suffer from digestive issues like, IBS & IBD, Acid Reflux, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Anxiety, Depression, Constipation, Dysbiosis, SIBO, and Candida.
You aren’t supposed to be bloated every day.
You should be having bowel movements daily.
You do not have to live your life inflamed.
The gut lining and overall gut health are affected by not only our nutritional choices but our lifestyle factors as well.
When cortisol levels rise, the junctions of your gut that are supposed to remain tight loosen, often allowing food particles to “leak” outside of your gut and into your bloodstream, causing that inflammatory response.
The body is sending immune cells to fight what it perceives as invaders, another source of stress on the body, increasing cortisol, impacting your metabolism, thyroid and reproductive hormones.
So how can we improve our gut health and reduce inflammation?
1. Manage stress
2. Eliminate then repopulate
3. Reduce exposure to toxins
MANAGE STRESS
Stress can weaken the intestinal barrier allowing gut bacteria to enter into the body. Stress can also decrease stomach acid production. Example: If you're running from a bear, digesting food is not a top priority for the body. However the body doesn't know if you're stressed about traffic or running for your life - stress is stress.
How to manage stress:
- Daily movement, outside preferably
- Yoga
- Nature, which will also increase your exposure to diversity!
- Blue light blockers
- Adequate sleep
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Boundaries
- Therapy
- Breath work
ELIMINATE THEN REPOPULATE
You don’t have to give up your favorite foods forever, but if your gut isn't in the best shape currently, a temporary elimination diet could be helpful. It is often important to limit or eliminate foods that are causing bloating, discomfort, and inflammation.
Once you’ve found and eliminated the cause of your digestive discomfort you can begin to repopulate andrebalance your microbiome. Fun fact: We have 80% LESS diversity in our microbiome than humans did just 100 years ago. The FDA recommends getting 25-30g of fiber, yet most Americans get only 15g per day.
How can I repopulate my gut?
- Eat a rainbow (we're not talking skittles - rather various fruits and veggies).
- Eat a diet high in fiber (the FDA recommends getting 25-30g of fiber, yet most Americans get only ~15g per day.)
- Supplement with pre and/ or probiotics.
- Add fermented foods to your diet.
- Avoid processed foods, lacking nutrients.
- Diversity - try not to eat the same thing every day.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners when possible.
REDUCING EXPOSURE TO TOXINS
While we know “toxins” can sound a bit like a scary buzz word, what we're really talking about here is “endocrine disruptors”. Endocrine disruptors typically refer to an exogenous chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that can interfere with any aspect of hormone action.
Not only do these endocrine disruptors disrupt our metabolic function, but they have also been shown to disrupt our microbiome, which may result in dysbiosis (an imbalance of your gut bacteria).
How can we limit endocrine disruptors?
- Natural deodorants
- Swap out your makeup, lotions and body washes for more natural products (remember your skin has a microbiome too!)
- Stevia > Splenda / other artificial sweeteners
- Avoid a diet high in processed foods
- Store food in glass instead of plastic
- Use non-toxic household cleaners
- Look into hormonal birth control alternatives
- Utilize natural medications and remedies when possible.
A healthy body finds a healthy weight and we can’t have a healthy body without a healthy gut! - Coach Alex