Microbiome and gut health

We are talking about Microbiome and gut health its relation with like increasing performance decreasing sickness and improving recovery time. I’m here to talk to you about what I think is the most important organ gut and microbiome. So for those of you who don’t know what the gut microbiome is everything from your mouth to your colon. From entry to exit all the bits in between so your stomach your small intestine your large intestine and all of the little critters that live in there so bacteria fungi viruses and cells there are trillions of these little critters that are living in gut. We’ll talk about more later but diversity is so important in the gut So why is it important to have a healthy gut well it’s really important for long term health so if you have a healthy gut you’re going to feel more energetic You’re going to get sick less often, you’re going to have better mental clarity and ultimately have better emotional wellbeing.

A lot of research is showing that this is related to things like autoimmune conditions, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, and even emotional issues like anxiety and depression. Well, as a kid, my parents always used to tell me you are what you eat, ‘cause they try to foist broccoli off on me, or if you were really, really lucky, Brussels sprouts and other things like that. But the reality is, they’re actually right. Eating poorly can do really two things. So the first one it can prevent you from getting the nutrients that you need to stay healthy and 2^nd it can actually damage and change the entire composition of your gut which will render it unable to digest things properly and create the nutrients that you need to function.

So today we’re going to look at three molecules that you get from dietary intake. You have to eat these things. So the first is something called tryptophan. You probably heard of this Thanksgiving conference. Everybody talks about the tryptophan induced coma that happens after you have your food with Turkey, but it’s also found in things like eggs and chia seeds. So your body takes crypto fan and converts it into a lot of other really important molecules, 2 of which we’re gonna talk about today. So 1 called serotonin. Serotonin is something that makes you happy, super important, and something called melatonin which actually helps you to sleep. So imagine if you don’t have any tryptophan or you’re not consuming enough tryptophan. Well, no matter how many roses or diamonds or chocolates your significant other brings you, it’s just not gonna make you happy and that’s kind of sad. Also, you won’t be able to sleep, so you won’t be able to count sheep at night. Another example is a compound called tyrosine. So tyrosine, another amino acid, is found in foods like almonds. But it’s also found in lentils and seeds and edamame. Tire seat is converted to a variety of really important things as well. So we’ll talk about dopamine. Dopamine is a compound that you may have heard out and it’s essentially it motivates you to do stuff. So it’s this initiative range of behaviour that it helps to propel and epinephrine, which is also known as adrenaline, the fight or flight molecule, which is really helpful when you’re up on this stage. So you know, imagine if you don’t have these things, what would happen? Well here’s what would happen. You need a body to respond to these types of situations 3^rd. We’re gonna talk about something called indole, three lactic acids. So it’s really important. It’s found in fermented foods, things like Pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir. ILA is super important because your body takes it in. And there’s certain bacteria in the gut that actually convert the ILA into something called IPA endopropionic acid. That indoor proprietic acid is actually one of the strongest antioxidants in the body. And again, you guys might have heard of what this word antioxidant, but I’ll explain what it does.

So in your body, you have a variety of different chemical processes that happen and that many of them create things called free radicals. These are bad. They’re reactive species that go and damage your cells. They damage DNA, and then ultimately can lead to things like cancer. So these antioxidants come in and actually breakdown your free radicals. Keeping you healthy longer. So clearly, eating certain types of foods is really necessary to keep you healthy, but it’s not sufficient. A healthy microbiome is needed to be able to execute these conversion processes that we’re talking about, to take things in, to digest them and to spit out other molecules that are really important to your health. So let’s talk a little bit about what makes a healthy microbiome. So I’ve tried to. Simplify this a bit, but essentially each emoji is a type of bacteria. You have different ones, right? So you’ve got some that digest veggies, some that digest meats and breads and oils, and your gut is populated by many, many different types of things. So in a healthy gut, you have very diverse species in there. Now let’s say you decide that you are just going to eat foods that are really high in fat, things like hot dogs and ice cream and and pizza. Although pizza sounds really good right now if you train your system to do this. Your gut’s gonna start producing more and more of the type of bacteria that are used to seeing the kinds of foods that you eat, and eventually you’re gonna skew the ratios. Those bacteria are gonna out compete the other types that are there because they’re just not being used. And then you’ll end up with a situation where you can have a very unhealthy, not diverse set of bacteria in your gut.

Now, you might ask, can you reverse that? Yes. But it often takes a lot of time and energy to do. Sometimes you actually can’t. Sometimes you just you know. Once those bacteria are gone. It’s really tough to bring them back. So what’s really interesting is the body tries to actually generate the right building blocks, even if you’ve damaged your gut. So again, in the bottom right hand side you can see there’s AA, silhouette. You can see the little emojis down at the bottom. They’ve taken in food, but you don’t have a diverse set of bacteria in there. They’ve taken in your food and they’re trying to create these compounds to keep you healthy, but there’s just not enough of them. They’re not working the right way. Whereas on the other side, you’ve got a silhouette where the person has lots of diversity, lots of different bacteria, emojis, and they’re being able to take in the food, digest it and spit out many things that are really important to keep you healthy.

Here’s the sad part. Many of the things that we do in our life are in fact completely lethal to the microbiome. Sadly you don’t find a lot of healthy stuff in most chips you’re not gonna find tiresome tryptophan or Isla here Antibiotics medicines helpful but they kill bacteria and they don’t just kill bad bacteria they kill all bacteria and so often times after you’ve gone through a course of antibiotics you kill off your microbiome sometimes it never rebuilds properly again Stress You know you hear that stress kills kills things stress is bad. Stress on the microbiome stress is in fact extremely bad for the microbiome your central nervous system your brain is intimately connected to your gut. Think about it when you’re stressed if a headache you feel terrible you often feel that stress in your stomach butterflies in your stomach anxiety sometimes you have to go to the bathroom more it’s the two talk to each other all the time they’re intimately connected. And so trust you are the more likely it is that you will damage your microbiome and then lastly you know we live in a very aseptic society and this is bad decreases the diversity of bacteria in the gut one of my favorite examples is you know back many years ago kids would play in the dirt and they ‘d be exposed to all kinds of different things now kids come inside they watch TV they play on their phones and a lot of diseases are actually being connected to the lack of diversity in the gut. Things like autism ADHD so super important to get outside and what can we do about this Well the good news is not all is lost it is possible to improve your gut and this is one of the things that I get to do every day. Our body actually is trying to measure the functional state of the gut define what that is and then to create interventions to improve it We call this improving your internal fitness. So what are some simple things that you can do to help improve your gut well one we’ve talked about changing your diet two we’ve talked about stress management techniques incorporating mindfulness meditation breathing exercises to minimize your stress or exercise is great 15 20 minutes of walking a day can help to you know keep you regular. We talk in front of the group that can help to mitigate your stress and it can actually help to promote the growth of certain types of bacteria and then lastly targeted supplementation not saying to take lots of different supplements I’m saying if there’s certain things that your body needs you might actually take a supplement. Sometimes there’s a lot of fish that you have to eat in order to get the equivalency of one pill but make sure it’s what you need so the next time that you’re lying on the couch feeling lethargic and not sure why or you’re sick for the 5^th time in a year listen to your gut.

Maintaining a healthy gut is crucial for overall well being as it plays a significant role in digestion immunity and even mood regulation here’s how you can improve and reset your gut health naturally. One Understanding Gut Health Role of Gut Microbiome Diverse ecosystem The gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that aid digestion and nutrient absorption Immune function a healthy gut supports a strong immune system and helps bite off infections Signs of poor gut health digestive issues bloating and gas. Frequent bloating and gas can indicate imbalances in gut bacteria Constipation or diarrhea. Irregular bowel movements can be a sign of poor gut health. Other symptoms? Fatigue. Persistent tiredness may be linked to gut issues affecting nutrient absorption. Own sensitivities. Increased sensitivities or allergies can arise from gut imbalances. Three ways to Improve and reset Gut Health balanced Diet Rich Foods consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes to support healthy digestion. Prebiotics and probiotics include foods like yogurt, ever sauerkraut and garlic to promote beneficial bacteria growth. Hydration Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps maintain a healthy digestive system and supports gut function. Engaging in regular exercise promotion. Healthy digestion and can positively affect the gut microbiome. Stress management. Reduce stress. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises to lower stress levels and support gut help. Quality restore. Seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night to allow the body and gut to recover and function optimally.

Processed foods limit processed and sugary foods. These can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria and contribute to inflammation. Artificial sweeteners avoid artificial additives. Certain sweeteners and additives can negatively impact gut health. Buy supplements for gut health. Probiotic supplements and HIPS microbiome taking probiotics can help replenish and support beneficial bacteria in the gut. Digestive enzymes aid digestion. Enzyme supplements can assist in breaking down food and improving nutrient absorption. Six long term strategies for gut health. Consistent habits. Eating a diverse range of foods ensures a wide array of nutrients and supports a healthy microbial. Mindful eating. Eat slowly. Practice mindful eating by chewing thoroughly and paying attention to hunger cues to aid digestion.