Hello!

And as always, thank you for reading along, and I hope you are getting some interesting information that you can use to flourish and prosper into the many, many, many more days of your life!

The last blog was starting to run a little bit long, so I thought I would continue it on this blog, and discuss some more about how to cultivate a more diverse gut microbiome.

Unhealthy gut bugs lead to many health problems that we simply do not want: auto-immune diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, and anxiety and depression to name just a few.

Quite simply, the best way to cultivate a diverse gut microbiome is to eat a diverse diet of nutritious foods- heavy on vegetables and fruits, lots of fibrous root vegetables and as many fermented vegetables as you can stand…, and probably more than that!

Understand that the “bugs” eat what you eat, and should a person only eat a few types of foods, most of which are processed and full of sugar, those are the bugs a person will grow. Many of these types of bugs can make us sick, and cause cravings for more “crap” foods.

In other words, the greater diversity of foods; the greater diversity of bugs; the greater the diversity of bugs, the greater the diversity of health and wellness.

When we eat to support our gut bugs, there are 3 primary compounds we need to eat:

  1. Tryptophan-

Found in whole milk, canned tuna, turkey and chicken, oats, cheese, nuts, and seeds, tryptophan is converted by our gut bugs into serotonin and then melatonin. These neurotransmitters are necessary for mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting, and sexual desire. Ninety percent of our serotonin is produced in our guts from our gut bugs. Not enough serotonin- depression and constipation; too much, anxiety and diarrhea. Tryptophan is necessary for making melatonin- a neurotransmitter we need to fall asleep.

  1. Tyrosine-

Found in soy products, chicken and turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds, tyrosine is converted by our gut bugs into-

  1. Dopamine- Feel good hormone, that gives a sense of pleasure and motivates a person to do something when they feel pleasure. It’s part of our reward system
  2. Norepinephrine- increases alertness, arousal, and attention. Increases blood pressure and breaks down fat and increases blood sugar levels to provide energy.
  3. Epinephrine- Is adrenaline and plays a role in metabolism, attention, focus, panic, and excitement. Released in response to stress.

 

  1. Indole-3-lactic acid (ILA)-

Found in fermented foods like miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, fermented pickles, kefir, fiber-rich foods, fruit, and vegetables, ILA is one of the strongest antioxidants in the body and works with the immune system to reduce free radicals.

Should you like, most of the information noted above can be found in a Ted Talk entitled, Your Gut Microbiome: The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of, by Erika Ebbel Angle.

So, what things absolutely ruin our gut microbiomes?

Processed foods lacking nutrients, and antibiotics-they kill bacteria, stress, and living an aseptic life- we just don’t get dirty enough!

How can we cultivate a more diverse gut microbiome?

Change diets, exercise, and reduce stress, and when you can… get a little dirt on you!

In addition to this, and as will be discussed in the next blog… eating a Mediterranean diet. This diet is absolutely amazing, as you will see!

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Paragon Chiropractic. We can help.

It’s not that difficult to get yourself back in synch with your body and the natural world.

Until the Next Blog,

Dr. Dave

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