That’s right. Most of the DNA in your body is not yours. It belongs to other than human species that live inside your body. Fortunately, most of them are symbiotic, they help us and we house them. Some, not so. That’s why you need to keep a balance between the good guys and the bad guys in your gut. Too many of the wrong sort and you get all manner of health issues.
This data came from a newsletter from Sherry Brescia. Sherry wrote the book, Great Taste No Pain, a book and recipes centered around food combining, the concept of not combining protein and starch in the same meal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
…your microbiome—the population of bacteria that have made their residence inside of your intestinal tract.
Yes, these microscopic little creatures that number in the trillions inside of you might be small, but the influence they have on your health is ENORMOUS.
Here are the obvious and not-so-obvious reasons why that is so:
The obvious
First and foremost, your gut microbiome helps with digestion. It helps break down starches and fibers, thereby reducing gas and bloating and encouraging regular bowel movements.
Plus 70 percent of your immune cells reside in your intestinal tract.
So your ability to fight off colds and viruses starts with your GUT. That’s the reason why some people get sick when exposed to contagious illnesses and others in the same room at the same time do not—it’s a reflection of the health of your intestinal flora.
The not-so-obvious
Advanced immune protection
In addition to fighting off colds and bugs, your immune system also protects you against diseases like cancer.
In addition, having a sharp, well-functioning immune system means you are less likely to suffer from allergies, food and environmental sensitivities, asthma and autoimmune conditions.
Optimal nutrition
Having a healthy balance of intestinal flora helps to enhance your absorption of nutrients from your foods and supplements.
Plus it also helps produce vitamins for you as well!
Your gut flora is directly involved in the production of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, D and K.
Ulcer prevention
Certain beneficial bacterial strains have been shown to be helpful in fighting and preventing ulcers.
Studies have established that the Lactobacillus strains L. acidophilus, L. salivarius, and L. casei can slow and even help kill H. pylori (the bacteria that causes most ulcers).
Lower blood cholesterol
Beneficial bacteria can help reduce blood cholesterol by creating acids that counter excess cholesterol production.
In addition, because your friendly flora help to keep your bowel movements regular, this can help your body to better eliminate worn-out cholesterol from the intestinal tract (instead of risking reabsorption into your bloodstream).
Food cravings
Each species of bacteria in your gut (both good and bad) has their own “dietary preference.”
Depending on which species has the “upper hand” in your gut at any particular time, the microbes can influence your food choices and cravings by releasing signaling molecules into your gut.
And the preferred food of harmful bacteria and yeasts is—you guessed it—sugar!
So next time you crave sweets, that’s a sign your gut flora isn’t as healthy as it should be.
Stir up inflammation
Your gut is the starting point for inflammation throughout your body—it’s the “gatekeeper” for your inflammatory responses.
Mental health
Bacteria have also been identified as major players in the regulation of your mood and memory.
Research has shown that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, eventually leading to issues like anxiety and depression.
But the flip side is also true—better, healthier bacteria can help encourage better mental health!
Nurture gut with the “4 your R’s”
There is a whole lot you can do to nurture your gut and encourage a strong, well-functioning microbiome.
Here is what I call the “4 R” approach to a healthy gut:
1- Remove
Step one is to remove and avoid things that can harm your friendly flora, such as:
Foods that you are sensitive or allergic to
Cigarette smoke
Soda
Excessive alcohol (especially beer)
Refined carbs
Antibiotics
Acid reducing medications
Regularly lacking sleep
2- Replace
This involves replacing and supporting your supply of beneficial bacteria, and this is done with a probiotic supplement like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula.
3- Reinforce
Reinforcing a healthy flora balance means nourishing your friendly flora with gut-loving foods like fresh vegetables and fermented foods.
4- Repair
The final step is to help repair any intestinal damage that you may have from harmful bacteria and medications.
In addition to a healthy diet, Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been shown to help support intestinal health.
Omega-3 EFAs are abundant in fatty fish, but since many people don’t eat a lot of fish, fish oil supplements like VitalMega-3 are a convenient way to get the Omega-3 EFAs you need.
Your gut microbiome is truly your most important organ. If you don’t have a healthy population of beneficial bacteria, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of your health will start to crumble!
Taking good care of your microbiome will help keep the rest of YOU feeling good for years to come!
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have had a dose of antibiotics, chances are your microbiome has taken a serious hit. I have seen it written that a body can take a whole year to reset after a course of antibiotics. If you are wanting to rebalance your microbiome, check out the 2012 Probiotics that is an ingredients in my top bars and NutriBlast. It is the very last item on my price list page, just under the Fulvic Minerals a wrote about two newsletters ago.
http://www.healthelicious.com.au/PriceList.html
Toms Blog on Life and Livingness