Everything You Need to Know About Your Biome. Podcast Episode 33
What is your biome? How does it affect your health? Your behaviour? And even your weight?
Dr Orlena chats to Lisa Kilgour, nutritionist to find out.
How to Lose Weight With Your Biome Podcast
Connect with Lisa
The Perfect Diet
The perfect diet for you is different from the perfect dier for your best friend. Just because something works for you, doesn't mean that it's going to work for anybody else.
We have to really listen to what our body wants and ask ourselves "Am I eating the best way?"
The Microbiome
We are 50% bacteria.
There is this huge ecosystem about equal to the number of cells we have in our body.
It is called a microbiome, a community of bacteria, parasites, and yeasts that when working well, they modulate our immune system, help balance our brain chemistry, help balance our metabolism, help heal our gut, etc.
The human body evolves with it.
When the microbiome changes, many body systems suffer.
The Role of Bacteria in Weight Loss and Weight Gain
We think that the food we crave is due to our willpower or body chemistry.
But our gut bacteria places a key role in what we crave, how much food our body wants, and how much energy we take from food.
The Effect of Bacteria to Behaviour
Mental health issues and digestive health issues can be linked to the neurotransmitters that can be found in our gut.
Bacteria play a key role in that balance.
The Biome and the Immune System
Our gut bacteria have a symbiotic relationship with our immune system.
It's our gut bacteria that dictates how strongly our immune system is going to react to something.
How Imbalances in our Microbiome Occur
Research has found that taking two rounds of antibiotics at any point of your life triggers a change in your gut bacteria that MUST be fixed.
Otherwise, it leaves long-lasting changes.
There is antibiotic residue in a lot of food that we eat.
In America and Canada, it has been found that there is antibiotic residue in conventionally grown beef, farm salmon and farm fish. Regular eating of food that has antibiotic residue is equal to taking a round of antibiotics.
Diversity in our diet is also important in maintaining the balance in our microbiome.
Eating more plant-based fibers will add diversity to our gut.
Research has found out that it only takes 7 days to change the diversity in our gut bacteria.
Symptoms of an Out of Balance Microbiome
- Gas
- Bloating
- Pain
- Irregular bowel movement
Anybody that's dealing with chronic inflammation, seasonal allergies, autoimmune conditions, slow metabolism, anxiety or depression can also have issues in their microbiome.
Improving the Diversity in our Microbiome
- Seed your gut bacteria by taking probiotics
- Eat more fermented food
- Eat more plant-based fibers
Author Bio
Dr Orlena is a health coach. She helps busy mums go from "I can't lose weight" to feeling fit and fabulous. Find out more about her here.
