How much do you know about your microbiome? It’s the collection of bacteria and various other organisms that live in your gut. We’re still learning exactly what they do, but the importance of the human microbiome has become more and more apparent in recent years.

It has become so important; the gut microbiome is often referred to as the second brain. The more we learn, the more connections we are finding between the gut and the brain.

For example, did you know that there is a link between depression and a lack of certain bacteria in the gut? The same goes for migraines.

In other words, making sure those little critters in your gut are healthy and well-fed will go a long way toward helping your entire body stay healthy. And the best thing you can do for your microbiome is to eat a varied diet full of different fibers. Let’s talk about how to do that. Continue reading →

One of the best things you can do to improve your microbiome is to make sure you include probiotics in your diet. Ideally you want to include some every day or at least most days of the week. But what exactly are probiotics? They are microorganisms that live in the food we consume.

Yogurt is a great example that most of us are familiar with. As long as the yogurt hasn’t been pasteurized, it has live cultures (a.k.a bacteria and other microorganisms) in it that can then make it into your gut and help populate it with good organisms.

It’s a good idea to include some sort of probiotic daily. Think of it as a maintenance thing, similar to taking a multi-vitamin. Probiotics are a great tool to help you populate your gut flora with good bacteria. They are available in pill and drink form, or you can get them by eating probiotic rich food on a daily basis. Continue reading →