The Biome Balance Breakdown

Over 1,500 years ago, Hippocrates (the “father of medicine”) said that “all diseases begin in the gut.” Your gut microbiome regulates (much more than) digestive health. skin health, metabolism, immune system function, brain health, mood and energy, and inflammation. It influences how we look and feel, so it's imperative we take care of it.

With the advances in science and medicine we have in modern day, we’ve confirmed Hippocrates's theory: many metabolic and chronic conditions can and do arise from unhealthy gut microbiomes. But this knowledge does more than just vindicate an Ancient Greek doctor. We can use it to help us maintain a balanced & thriving microbiome that can serve as a foundation for optimal health and longevity.

The Problem with a Leaky Gut—and Why Most of Us Likely Have One

The microbes in your gut have many important roles, but one of the most important when it comes to longevity is preserving your gut lining. In fact, the only thing that separates your digestive system from your bloodstream is the lining of your gut and stomach. This lining acts as a barrier to selectively allow certain crucial nutrients to pass into your bloodstream through what are called “tight junctions” but does not allow other things to cross.

Unfortunately, things in our modern lifestyle and diets can cause tight junctions to become not so tight and destroy beneficial bacteria. Things like antibiotics, certain medications, environmental toxins, conventionally raised meats, glyphosate / chemical pesticides, sugar, and gluten, (zonulin and agglutinin), are all known to damage your tight junctions and can lead to leaky gut.

This is a big problem because damaged tight junctions can allow toxins, unwanted substances, harmful bacteria or viruses, and other particles into your bloodstream that would otherwise be neutralized and discarded as waste. We call this “leaky gut.”

And not only can harmful bacteria or viruses pass through damaged tight junctions, but so can food proteins. When this happens, the immune system, which does not expect to find food proteins in the blood, responds by launching an attack that can result in a full-blown autoimmune attack or trigger allergies or sensitivities, which can all lead to widespread, chronic inflammation.

Leaky gut has been associated with nearly every chronic condition: autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders (Parkinson's / Alzheimer's), diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, asthma, celiac disease, anxiety or depression and even common conditions like acne and rosacea, allergies, headaches, sleep disorders and fatigue.

It’s quite likely that leaky gut affects nearly every one of us to some degree. That’s the bad news—but the good news is it’s in our power to change for the better.

Biome-Busters to Reduce or Avoid

While some tight junction destroyers are unavoidable (e.g., certain environmental toxins or taking antibiotics when truly needed), many can be mitigated or eliminated.

In other words, there are certain things that enable gut health and certain things that are a detriment to it. But the more you can swap out the things that cause your good bacteria to become unbalanced or damage your gut with things that promote a vast and diverse microbial community, the healthier and happier they—and, therefore, you—will be.

Many call the things that cause damage to your gut “biome-busters.” These include:

• Alcohol

• Sugar

• Gluten

• Glyphosate (a widely used herbicide that has been found in many name-brand cereals, breads, and corn, soy, or grain based products among other foods)

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Unnecessary antibiotics

• Unnecessary steroids

• Acid blockers

Note: Antibiotics (and all medications, for that matter) can be life-saving in certain situations; I am not anti-antibiotic. I am, however, anti-unnecessary or overused antibiotics. Unfortunately, antibiotics are used in many unnecessary situations for things that should be treated using other methods, like acne or illnesses caused by viruses. Antibiotics are also prevalent in conventional meat and dairy systems, which causes them to wind up in our meat, milk, and water. In addition to destroying our gut microbiome, unnecessary antibiotics are creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and that's a deadly issue.

Biome-Builders to Add to Your Diet

On the other end of the spectrum are known as “biome-builders”: gut-healing foods your good gut bacteria love. These little bugs play a crucial role in helping digest and assimilate your foods; they keep your immune system healthy and functioning, they protect you from infections, they help remove toxins, and they even help synthesize essential vitamins. They do so much for us, and it’s essential that we treat them well in return!

You can promote healthy “good” gut bacteria by working on adding the following foods to your diet:

• Fiber. Aim for at least 25 grams of fiber from your organic vegetables (not processed grains) daily.

• Veggies. Eat an abundance of polyphenol-rich veggies daily. Aim to fill your plate three-fourths full with non-starchy veggies for every meal. Try to eat organic whenever possible, or follow the EWG’s Clean Fifteen or Dirty Dozen produce list.

• Prebiotics. Include plenty of prebiotic foods such as Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, leeks, dandelion greens, jicama, chicory root, and asparagus.

• Probiotic foods. Include plenty of probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, fermented soy, unsweetened yogurt or kefir, miso, and natto.

• Bone broth. Include grass-fed bone broth for a gut-healing boost.

Your gut is the gateway to your healthspan and longevity. Even if you have the perfect diet and exercise routine, your overall health will suffer if your gut health is poor. But by including more biome-builders in your diet and reducing the biome-busters, you can support a balanced, healthy, diverse microbial community. You’ll notice benefits in all areas of your health, from mental and emotional boosts to physical flexibility, enhanced digestion, and improved energy!

The bottom line is you really can’t go wrong by healing your gut. Ready to learn more?

Join me for a FREE "Gut health 101" workshop Wednesday March 22nd at 7pm cst

*Add it to your calendar and click the link to join.