5 ways to nurture your gut microbiome

You must have heard me say this before, "Happy Gut, Happy Life!" 

I've previously talked about the "good" and "bad" bacteria in our gut, but do you really know why they matter and what role they play in our overall health? Read on to find out as I will be sharing with you all about the gut microbiome today and why you need to nurture it in order to feel your absolute best. 

The term "gut microbiome" refers to the bacteria, viruses and microbes residing in the body. A healthy adult has more than 1000 species of bacteria in their gut and this amounts to over 100 trillion microbial cells and 3-5 pounds of bacteria in our digestive system. These bacteria then begin to colonize and grow in the gastrointestinal tract at birth and will remain there through the rest of your life. 

"Our bodies have cultivated a mutually beneficial relationship with the bacteria - when they are happy, we are healthy"

Why You Need to Nurture Your Gut

All of these millions of microbes in our gut microbiome play a huge role in basic functions that directly affect our overall health. They contribute to our metabolism, they control inflammation, they help produce vitamins and harvest nutrients from the food we eat, and they protect our bodies against viruses, bacteria, and infections by “training” our immune system, and more. These functions have both a direct and indirect effect on our physiological systems, affecting how we feel everyday.

Abnormalities in the gut microbiome have been associated with many different types of diseases. When the gut bacteria are deprived of the fermentable fibers that they feed on, they switch their food source to the mucous lining of your gut. That’s because it is the mucus lining keeps the gut wall intact and protected from infection. When this lining wears down, a host of health problems can happen, including obesity, depression and Type 2 diabetes.

Emerging research continues to shed light on the gut microbiome and its role in overall health and in disease. This research is incredibly important for us to better understand how to feel better every single day, as well as to better understand how diseases develop and find ways to prevent them. Here are 5 ways to nurture your gut microbiome:

1. Prioritize plant based and whole foods - these fibre rich foods are important to feed the gut bacteria and keep your digestion regular. 

2. Limit the use of antibiotics - these not only kill off the infection but also the "good" bacteria while they are at it. 

3. Explore prebiotic foods - they are rich in the type of fibre that the bacteria in your gut feeds on. Examples include garlic, onion. You can check out this blog post for more details. 

4. Pile on the fermented foods - they are naturally rich in healthy bacteria and are usually found in fermented food such as kimchi, sauerkraut and yoghurt. 

5. Avoid refined sugar - this type of sugar feeds the "bad" bacteria that can lead to obesity and other health problems, starting in the gut. 

Our diet is by far one of the most effective tools we can use to change the microbiota in our gut. The "good" bacteria eat fermentable fibre, which can be found in foods like wheat, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, lentils, beans, onions and garlic. Fermentable fibres make their way down to the gut microbiota in the digestive tract because they don't get digested by human made enzymes. 

I hope you have found this post useful, leave a comment to let me know if you would like more tips on how to keep your digestion healthy and happy! 

With love,