How to increase microbiome diversity WITHOUT probiotics
THe more diverse the microbes in your gut, the better your health
Your gut microbiome diversity determines how healthy you are and feel.
A common misconception is, that we can just take probiotics to improve our microbiome- people hardly know that probiotics do not actually populate the gut long-term. I also like to warn that taking the same, limited amount of strains of bacteria long-term can actually create more imbalance, just like crop monoculture in farming.
This is why I only recommend probiotics short-term and with great consideration for what else is causing your gut symptoms. With Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, Candida, or parasites we need different probiotics to target different issues, but we still need to build a healthy and diverse microbiome with nutrition and lifestyle!
One of the things I am passionate about, is not just replacing standard medicine and its band-aid prescription pharmaceuticals with more supplemental band-aid solutions, even if they are herbal based.
So what CAN you do to start growing a thriving and diverse microbiome?
Start with AVOIDING things that reduce your microbial diversity: antibiotics, NSAID’s, pharmaceutical drugs, herbicides and pesticides (particularly glyphosate/roundup), hormonal birth control, and man-made chemicals in your personal care and cleaning products all harm your gut health.
Breathe in fresh air. Go travelling and breathe in different locations in nature as often as you can.
Eat a wide and diverse range of veggies, fruits and fibre and really, experiment with veggies you have never had or rarely have, or don't like so much.
Have diverse meals (not eating the same meals all the time)
Prioritise sleep!
Your sleep hygiene and having a healthy circadian rhythm (the natural rhythm that dictates your sleep cycle) is so crucial for your microbiome. This means avoiding blue screen light as much as you can and being outdoors in sunlight and nature more often. Go to bed when the sun set and get up when the sun rises.Exercise has been shown to help your microbiome! But don't overexercise either. Find the sweet spot, and bonus points for exercising outdoors!
Cuddle your pets! They give us love, connection and microbial diversity.
Eat directly from your garden if you can.
If your gut health allows it, fermenting your own food is a great way to increase microbial diversity. People with SIBO, Candida or histamine issues will NOT do well with ferments, and need to do some work before they can tolerate them.
Your gut microbiome should ideally have 20000 to 30000 different species, and the reality is, in this modern world, it requires conscious effort, not just popping supplements.
My vision is that one day, preventative health is standard, and chronic disease does not exist. It all start with your GUT.
xxx Aline
p.s. I work 1:1 with women who want to ditch bloating and have better poops.
My Gut Repair Method will take you on a 90-day journey towards ditching the bloat and fitting into your favourite jeans.
Interested in hearing more? Schedule your discovery call to find out more and tell me about your health issues!!!