In school I’m currently learning about the bacteria that resides in the gut. Sounds gross, but it’s really quite interesting! Your body is loaded with bacteria, of both good and bad varieties. In fact, about 100 trillion bacteria live inside you, which is more than 10x the number of cells you have in your whole body.. Crazy hey!

So what’s the good bacteria good for?

• The digestion of food and absorption of nutrients
• Help detoxify and cleanse your body
• Prevent allergies
• Provide vital support to your immune system
• Protection against over-growth of other microorganisms that could cause disease

In the world we live in, people are surrounded by many substances that harm the good bacteria, for example: antibiotics, chlorinated water, poor elimination of waste, alcohol, birth control pills, pain-killing medication, stress, a diet rich in refined foods and poor digestion. All of the above eliminate the beneficial bacteria and create a breeding ground for the harmful bacteria. In medical terms this is called dysbiosis. An imbalance between the good bacteria and the bad.

Signs and symptoms of dysbiosis, do any of these sound familiar?

• Weight gain
• Inflammation
• Increased stress
• Brain fog
• Low energy
• Sensitivity to perfumes and chemicals
• Leaky gut

So why is this problematic? Well first of all, 80% of our immune system is located in the intestines. So if you have more of the bad bacteria, you are weakening your immune system and putting yourself at risk for autoimmune diseases.

Second of all, your intestinal flora may effect your metabolism, which in turn will effect your ability to burn calories. The bad bacteria in your gut produces a toxin called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Once produced it is absorbed into the blood stream through the intestinal wall, and can potentially cause great damage to your body.

Lipopolysaccharides are known to:

• Affect the production of metabolic hormones, which may cause symptoms of a slow metabolism
• Create new fat cells
• Increase your risk of insulin resistance (early signs of type 2 diabetes)

So how can you nourish your digestive system and boost the levels of good bacteria that will help combat those toxin-producing bad bacteria? Well there’s two things:

One, eat foods that are fermented. Here is a list of some of my favourites:

• Kombucha
• Dairy free coconut or almond yogurt
• Kefir
• Tempeh
• Miso
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut

Two, supplement daily with a good quality probiotic. This is a good way to maintain the normal gut ecology and reduce toxins produced by imbalances in the gut bacteria. The brand I use is called Renew Life Ultimate Flora and I usually go for the 50 billion.

So as you can see, probiotics are not only important for the well-being of your digestive system, but it is also vital for your health – AND your weight.

In love and health,
Michelle

This post appread ont his wordpress.com blog first: https://plentyfullme.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/is-your-gut-flora-making-you-gain-weight/