Blog Three: The Microbiome

Your gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria living in your small and large intestines. Each individuals microbiome is unique at birth and evolves due to factors such as stress, injuries, illnesses, medication use, diet, and environment. For example, children who are born naturally versus children who are born via c-section have completely different microbiomes. Similarly, children who are raised with animals in their households versus children who were raised with no animals in their household contain different microbiomes. You and I have extremely different microbiomes.

Most gut bacteria coexist harmoniously, aiding in digestion, vitamin synthesis, and immune system function. However, an imbalanced microbiome (meaning more “bad” bacteria than “good” bacteria) can lead to chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and even cancer. For instance, exposure to diazinon (a common pesticide) changed the microbiome in mice and induced sex specific changes, females having a larger change in gut microbiome than males. In another study, healthy adults used antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and cefprozil for 12 weeks which led to an irreversible decrease in healthy microbiota and had increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria. HOWEVER, medication administration is sometimes necessary. And, you can’t control the types of pesticides you are exposed to.

An unhealthy microbiome may manifest as chronic fatigue, acne, other skin issues, bloating, other digestive issues, and some autoimmune diseases. Personally, I had taken antibiotics before and I had been on the birth control pill, and I knew these were two factors that increased the risk of an unhealthy microbiome. I experienced chronic bloating, chronic acne, trouble sleeping, dermatitis, mood disorders (rollercoaster of emotions), fatigue, and more.

To “restart” your microbiome is not easy and it takes time. You can start by incorporating prebiotics and probiotics into your diet like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, garlic, artichoke, etc. I used the brand “Seed” as a supplement when I was first rebalancing my microbiome. Adding fiber like different fruits and veggies and decreasing the amount of processed food you consume can also help. As processed foods often contain artificial sweeteners and additives. Prioritizing 6-8 hours of good sleep every night, managing stress, daily movement, staying hydrated, and taking your time while eating will also aid in a healthy microbiome. Be patient with yourself!

For me, I’m mindful of the ingredients in the foods I consume, avoiding products with long ingredient lists when possible. I carry around a bottle of water everywhere I go (especially when I’m driving or traveling!), I do my best to stay consistent with a bed time and a wake time, I incorporate different foods into my diet, I avoid antibiotics as often as I can, I went off birth control (I’ll talk about this in a different blog, but definitely discuss with a professional if you are considering this), I move my body everyday (whether I’m walking, running, lifting, stretching, etc), I drink plenty of water and electrolytes (my favorite is LMNT), and I try to manage my stress (lots of breath work, meditation, and other mindfullness practices).

Baby steps:

1. Start by incorporating new foods into your diet. Add 2-3 new veggies or fruits each week (I.e week one I eat broccoli, zucchini, and carrots versus week two I eat arugula, cucumbers, and tomatoes).

2. Only eat foods with low ingredient lists. Find ingredients you can understand and read. Watch for the long lists like Turkey Breast, Water, Modified Cornstarch, Contains Less Than 2% Of Vinegar, Salt, Cultured Dextrose, Sugar, Sodium Phosphates, Carrageenan, Caramel Color (I took this ingredient list from Oscar Meyer turkey breast) versus Organic Turkey Breast, Water, Salt (I took this from my favorite brand of turkey breast).

3. Look at small lifestyle changes- can you have a solid morning and night routine, are you moving your body everyday, are you managing stress, are you hydrating enough, and what medications are you taking.

This is not an easy task!!!! And I continue to work on this everyday! The book "The Microbiome Solution" by Robynne Chutkan offers valuable insights and has SO much information regarding this topic. I recommend reading this or doing your own research to find what works for you.

Xoxo, Hads

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8756738/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4528021/#:~:text=The%20normal%20gut%20microbiota%20imparts,shaping%20the%20normal%20gut%20microbiota.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289904/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682904/

The Microbiome Solution by Robynne Chutkan (one of my fav ever books!!!)