How the condition of your gut is key to your health and wellbeing

Your gut is home to approximately 100,000,000,000,000 (100 trillion) micro-organisms. The human gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all the human cells in the entire body. Everyone has a pretty unique signature ’microbiome’ or micro-organism ecosystem which has changed significantly from that of our parents and predecessors. A microbiome ecosystem consists of both good and bad bacteria - bacteria that we call ’good’ helps us digest our food and protects us from bad bacteria which can make us sick or could even kill us in extreme circumstances.

Down the Ages

My parents can process food almost twice as efficiently as I can, because of more effective and better-balanced microbiomes which are significantly better at burning off calories and removing toxins and waste. Changes to food production, processing and preparation have resulted in a very perilous environment for breeding healthy and helpful bacteria. Contemporary foods have too many harmful additives, too much sugar and salt, and are often laced with hormones and antibiotics - all of which impact healthy bacteria in a very negative fashion. Our current generations’ biomes just aren’t as productive or robust, which means that it could take us twice as long to burn off the same calories as our parents, while we are also less capable of dealing with and removing harmful elements and toxins.

Chemistry Lab

Recent research from the Weizmann Institute blows the generic diet industry out of the water, by revealing we all process different foods in different ways - depending on the unique makeup of our microbiomes. If you recall the ’Acid Bath’ scene from the Breaking Bad series, you may remember that the acid burned through the ceramic bath and through the cieling, although it had no detrimental impact on a plastic barrel. Just as different acids dissolve different materials, the same is true of the processing powers of our own stomachs. The Weizmann Institute’s latest research shows that different people process certain foods much more effectively than others - meaning that some have no issues with chocolate, potatoes or ice cream which though cause significant problems for others. A new ’Algorithm’ methodology has emerged whereby you can analyse spikes in blood sugar levels to indicate which foods a particular person’s microbiome has difficulties with processing. Each of our guts encompasses a unique chemistry which needs to be very specifically applied for positive dietary impact.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

I have had psoriasis for the last 15 years or so - an essentially inflammatory condition of the epidermis where the skin renews too rapidly and produces tiny silvery scales on certain extremities - typically elbows, knees, hands and scalp. Although not universally accepted yet, several Dermatologists and Nutritionists argue that the root cause of this is an imbalance in the gut - i.e. not enough good / healthy bacteria to adequately process what you’re eating, which means that neither the stomach, nor liver and kidneys can adequately remove harmful elements / toxins - which eventually leach out into the largest of the human organs - the skin, and cause issues there. I can always tell when I’ve eaten the wrong things as my scalp and hands become almost immediately itchy - particular after consumption of alcohol and sugary foods.

Health and Wellbeing

Your stomach is so connected to how well you function, feel and even look. If your gut is not sufficiently effective at processing what you eat, you will gain weight, have bouts of bloatedness, and the toxins will seep through to your skin - seriously impacting on your good looks by rendering a sallow and puffy demeanour as well as impacting detrimentally on the collagen / elasticity of the skin. There are various remedies to improving the condition of your gut - firstly you can improve your diet. This ideally would require some Weizmann-style blood sugar level research to identify which foods sit well with you and which cause you issues.

Boosting the Gut

In addition to minding your diet, you can significantly improve your gut function by introducing more good bacteria - typically by way of some pro-biotic complex mix or acidophilus. I’ve started using Probiotic Complex from Nu U, available on Amazon - which contains 5 healthy strains of bacteria, including a very high dose of Acidophilus (10 Billion CFUS Source). Over a period of time this should address the balance of the gut flora and produce a more effective microbiome eventually. In extreme instances where stomach function has become too compromised, doctors are relying on Faecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT) to introduce healthy bacteria - literally from the bottom up!

The 80:20 Rule for maintaining your shape

While regular movement is very important for wellbeing, for most people the dietary impact of exercise is little more than 20% of the equation. Experts agree that keeping slim has much more to do with diet and nutrition, and keeping your gut in balance....