Discover the transformative power of holistic nutrition in cultivating a healthy gut microbiome for overall wellness and vitality.
What is the Microbiome?
The impact of your body’s microbiome is vast; microbes are everywhere and entwined with your body and it can influence multiple things from your digestive health to brain health.
Simply put, the microbiome is a collection of microorganisms found in a particular environment of the body. For example, you have your skin microbiome, oral microbiome, or the most well-known one is your gut microbiome.
Did you know that the gut microbiome includes trillions of bacteria residing in the gastrointestinal tract? The gut microbiome has profound metabolic capability where its impact can be felt in the brain (clarity, mood, sleep), immune performance, blood cholesterol levels, and body weight.
There is also an increasing rise in health problems that we wouldn’t necessarily connect with the gut. That’s why it’s exciting that there are more studies being done and the gut is being studied for potential connections between metabolism, hormone regulation, and even neurological health.
Ways the Gut Microbiome Impacts Your Health
- Digestion (including gas and bloating)
- Nutrient absorption
- Skin health
- Sleep, mood, and memory
- Weight management
- Food and skin allergies
- Athletic performance
- Anti-aging (bones, muscles, heart, and brain)
Everyone has their own unique and complex microbiome, and we should embrace this. We can work to influence the microbes around us (or, the lack thereof) and present it with nourishment to help it thrive.
Gut Feelings: The Gut-Brain Connection
Growing research shows the complex relationship between the gut microbiome and the brain. This is the gut-brain connection/microbiota-gut-brain-axis. This is done through the vagus nerve which is a crucial nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system. This is a two-way communication where they affect each other. The vagus nerve has an anti-inflammatory pathway which can decrease inflammation. When the vagus nerve function is suppressed (stress is often a huge culprit), issues can arise and can also result in damage to the GI tract and microbiome. It is often observed in cases of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. The dysbiosis of the gut microbiome can also be related to the development of age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. It can impair memory and learning, trigger inflammation, and affect how you plan and make decisions.
Ways to Improve the Microbiome Health
Getting in sync and learning how you can find your balance doesn’t look the same for everyone, since everyone’s microbiome is unique and there are no one-size-fits-all or quick fix solutions.
Toning your vagus nerve can help support digestion and have a positive effect on your mood over time. You can practice deep belly breaths and mindful eating to help activate the rest and digest side of your nervous system.
Here are some other general ways to help your gut microbiome thrive and be balanced:
Food For Your Mood – A diet varied in whole foods and rich in fibre helps to increase diversity and population of the microbiota and thus help to stave off disease. Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, and miso add probiotics to your diet. Prebiotics are also beneficial and can be found in things like onions, garlic, and leeks. Furthermore, it’s important to minimize other factors that can harm the gut microbiome, such as stress, chemicals, medications, and over-sanitization.
Lifestyle Tips – This includes getting daily exercise and healthy stress coping methods, such as journalling, yoga, doing something creative, deep breathing, positive visualization, and more.
Dive Deeper into Holistic Nutrition
CSNN provides in-depth, practical, science-based education to provide you with the knowledge on how to improve your own health through holistic nutrition plus the necessary skills to help others achieve it as well. Learn more about the gut microbiome and much more in CSNN’s robust Natural Nutrition Program. Kickstart your career in holistic nutrition for a healthier tomorrow.
Learn more by visiting the CSNN Website.
