Feeding Your Microbiome for Physical and Emotional Strength

Embark on a journey with me, Leonila Campos, as we uncover the labyrinth of the gut microbiome and its colossal impact on health. We're not just talking about digestion; our microscopic partners are pivotal in defending against infections and keeping our immune system in top form. As your guide through the dense forest of nutrition science, I promise you'll emerge with a treasure trove of actionable insights. We'll unravel why the food choices you make are so critical to these tiny allies, weave through the complexities of conditions like celiac disease, and even dissect how the gut can influence our skin and mood. And for those captivated by the hard science, our show notes are brimming with reputable research ready to satisfy your intellectual appetite.

With the wisdom of mental health experts at our side, we'll chart the gut-brain axis—a pathway that may just unlock a new dimension of mental wellness. Imagine harnessing the power of your plate to not only nourish your body but also to fortify your emotional resilience. Whether it's the transformative potential of whole foods or the strategic use of supplements, this episode is your manual for fostering a harmonious alliance with your gut microbiome. So, if you're seeking a holistic approach to thrive both physically and mentally, let this conversation be your beacon to a healthier, more balanced life.

Pre and Probiotic Handout
The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:18

Hey, hey, welcome back to another episode in the Simple Nutrition Insights Podcast. I am your host, leonila Campos, registered Dietitian, and in today's podcast I want to talk about the gut, our gut microbiome. So I finished watching this Netflix documentary on hacking your health, and it's all about your gut. Let me tell you the right name. This is called Hack your Health the Secrets of your Gut. There's different parts. I really like different parts that obviously need more research, and I'm sure there's more into that specific area, but overall, I really liked how they talked about the importance of our gut microbiome and how it's linked to just our overall well-being and the research behind that, and so obviously they're researching it more and more, and so I think that it is important to you, you know, as a dietician, to come in and talk more about that, because I'm sure there are questions, but also confusion, right, like how can I improve, how can I optimize my health, my nutrition, to improve my gut health, right? And so I did some research. I will add the research in the show notes, so if you're into research and reading more about it, you'll find it there. There's tons of research, right? Obviously, when you're looking at how reliable the research is, you want to make sure that it's coming from a reputable resource, right, and so the National Institute of Health, or like a university or what else, yeah, or you know more. So you know those places where they do a lot of research, instead of, like, you know an article that you don't even know where it's coming from. So, you know, obviously, do your due diligence and make sure that the research you're finding is actually coming from a reputable source.

Speaker 1: 2:26

So, anyway, let's start with what the microbiome, what our gut microbiome is, right, so it is essentially the different microorganisms that live in our system, more specifically, in our gastrointestinal system. Right, so we even have microbes in our mouth, right, we're pretty much made out of microbes, so you can find them anywhere, right, but there is a higher concentration in your digestive system, obviously in your mouth, and it goes into your stomach, and then there's more into your small intestine and there is the majority, right, a good quantity, a good amount in your colon, and so we have, you know, this high concentration of microbes throughout our digestive system, right, and so we almost have to think about, okay, what is the reason why? Right, like, what is the purpose? What are the roles of these microbiomes in our overall health and like, how can we help our microbiome to, you know, get better or to get healthier in order for us to be healthier in general? And so in the research that I was reading, right, it talks about the link, the linkage between our microbiome and in our health, right, specifically with our, with our gut. So when we think about and this is something that that the document document talks about, right, and I love actually the visuals they are pretty good visuals because it really, you know, shows how the microbiomes work specifically in our gut, right, we have this mucus, we have lining of the stomach and our intestines that protect, right, they create this barrier to make sure that only nutrients are going through that barrier and nothing else. Right, not other germs, not other types of bacteria, because then we can go into, like these other health issues, right, like systemic infections and such and so.

Speaker 1: 4:27

But this barrier right has to be. If there are things that are affecting it, right. If there's inflammation, if there is a lot of stomach issues, right, or if there are infections, all the time, that barrier get, that barrier right gets weaker. But also, if we're not feeding our microbiome, right, our good bacteria, our good microbes, which I'm gonna go in a moment as to like what can? How can we feed our microbiome? Either they start to die out, right, or they start to eat the good bacteria. They start to eat the good bacteria, they start to eat that mucus barrier, right. And so now we get in trouble because now things that shouldn't go, you know that shouldn't cross that barrier, now they're crossing right. And so then they can be presented in like more inflammation or skin issues or gut problems, right, because we're not taking care of those microbes, we're not protecting that mucus barrier, right.

Speaker 1: 5:24

And so, to put it more in that perspective and I actually have seen these, you know, as a dietician I see different conditions in my practice, and so recently I had a client that came to me that was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, right. So she's allergic to gluten. And so if you eat gluten but you have allergic reactions, but not to the point where you have, you know, anaphylaxis, right, where you stop breathing or like just your airways get so inflamed that you cannot breathe, but it's there, right. So she didn't know that she's in her 20s, and so the only reason why she was diagnosed right is because her mom also was diagnosed with it. So they recommended for, like everybody, to get checked just to make sure, right, because they were having these stomach issues on and on of constipation and diarrhea, bloating, and so she didn't know why, and so they did, obviously bloating, and so she didn't know why, and so they did, obviously they ran tests, right, they did, I think she said, endoscopy and colonoscopy, just to run this test, to make sure you know they're assessing different conditions possibly. And so she gets diagnosed, right, with celiac disease.

Speaker 1: 6:38

As she comes to me, we're talking about, you know, maybe, possible symptoms when she started to get these stomach issues and she said, you know, since, possible symptoms when she started to get these stomach issues. And she said, you know, since I can remember, I've always had stomach issues. I would always have, like reactions to when eating bread or when eating pastas, right, but there was never that strong connection as to like why, right, why am I having these symptoms? To her at this point, it's normal, right, like this is what I get every time I eat XYZ. And so she didn't think anything to it. She mentioned at a time she would get rashes or she would get so itchy and these are reactions to something that you're allergic to.

Speaker 1: 7:18

You might have a sensitivity or intolerance to something that you're allergic to, right, or maybe you might have a sensitivity or intolerance to. And so when you think about, like if you were to look at the stomach, right, look at the intestines, there's these tiny, tiny hair likes, right, they're called microvilli, and those microvilli help to absorb nutrients, right. And so when we eat something that we're allergic to or that we're intolerant to or sensitive to, there is that autoimmune response. Right, like your, your autoimmune system sends these fighters right, these knights, to fight whatever the invader is right, in this case it could be food, right, in this case it's gluten, and so. But that damages those tiny villi, right.

Speaker 1: 8:10

Every time that there is, you know, gluten eating, you know we eat it and it goes into our digestive system. It's damaging that mucus, right, it's damaging those bacteria, it's damaging that microvilli, and so then you get to have more symptoms, right, it's damaging those bacteria, it's damaging that microvilli, and so then you get to have more symptoms, right, and so it's not until we stop eating those foods, right, that we start to feel better, because we're allowing our gut to heal, right, we're allowing those microvilli to replenish and repair, and so you know she mentioned that once she got the diagnosis right, she omitted everything. She has been omitting everything that has gluten and she's feeling much better, right, she's like I can't. My brain functions better, right, and I'm not having like bloating and I'm not having this bad constipation in the area. And so the same thing happens, right, if you eat dairy, or if you consume dairy and you say, oh, when I have milk, I get bloating and I get gas and I get diarrhea, but I still do it anyway.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Now, yes, we might deal with the symptoms at the moment, right, but that's a sign your body's telling you, hey, this does not go well with me, right, because I get these reactions. And so what you're doing is basically, you know, damaging those microvilli, damaging the lining of the stomach and intestines, because the more you do it right, the more you get symptoms. But now that area is getting weaker and weaker, and so what we have to do, right, it's just becoming so irritated, inflamed. So what we have to do is like stopping right, because I know sometimes that is hard, because maybe we love milk, we love ice cream, or whatever the case may be, but when you think about it, right, long term, you're not allowing your system to heal and repair. And so then, and you're also creating these antibodies, we're creating these cascade of inflammation, inflammatory response, because, right, your body recognizes say, okay, this is damaging, we should attack it. And so you're not helping your system right to heal and repair. And so how do you expect your system or you to feel better, right, if you keep adding those foods?

Speaker 1: 10:30

So I hear that a lot often, actually Usually, you know, some people say I don't get it with cheese, which is common, right, cheese, it is made out of milk but it's mostly fat, so there's not a huge amount of those milk proteins that are going to cause that effect versus having a full glass of milk or yogurt or ice cream or whatever. And so if it is because of the lactose in it, now there are other options that you can choose to help. You know your digestive system to be able to break down right and digest that food. But anyway, a little bit about that in terms of digestion and how we can take our system, our gut, our GI health right in that sense. But this article that I am linking, that I'm adding into the show notes, it talks about that linkage between our autoimmunity right that our microbiome has a huge role throughout our digestive system, our GI tract. They act as protectors, right? Think of them as warriors, right? So if there is something that we ingest or we get from the environment, right, those little warriors are going to fight the enemies right in our gut, which is going to help our immunity. Of course, again and I'm going to go into that in a moment we have to make sure that the environment where these microbiomes are living is optimal. Right, we're feeding them, and so, in order for them to continue to do their job, otherwise, again, they either die out or they start eating on that mucous lining, which now we get in trouble, right, instead of helping our immune system, now we're adding more strain into it, and so our systems can only do so much to, you know, increase our immunity.

Speaker 1: 12:32

But there's also a huge correlation between the gut and the brain axis, right, because there's that communication between our gut and our brain. Again and I think I say this a lot we're not separated by organs, right, we're a whole person, and so our systems communicate with each other, right, the same thing with our gut and our brain. There is that communication between neurons, between hormones, between immunological signaling that, you know, work together with our microbiome. And so there is some research that shows that, too right, that when there's that dysbiosis, when there's that maybe our microbiome is not working properly, right, for different reasons, that can also affect that gut and brain access, right. And communication between affect that gut and brain access and communication between our gut and our brain.

Speaker 1: 13:29

And there's a good amount of research that also shows that high levels of stress affect our microbiome, because when you think about the different sensations that you feel, so, for example, when you're in love, you feel butterflies in your stomach and that sends signals to your brain and vice versa. And so we have all these feelings. Same thing. When you're so angry, right, you feel it in your gut. Or when you're scared, or when you're going to do something that is dangerous, right, you feel it in your gut. There is that connection, right. And so when there is that imbalance in your gut, there is going to be an imbalance in our brains too, right, because you're having that connection. It's not that, you know, the gut is not connecting to the brain. Again, there's that connection there too. So it's just so amazing, right?

Speaker 1: 14:20

I find this research just so fascinating, and now you know, there's a lot more research about it too and how it affects different metabolic diseases, right, so just type 2 diabetes and obesity and weight issues, because it is tied up right and I think that the documentary also talks about that in the different research studies that have been done right in animals and also followed by, you know, like, human cases as well, and so I think it is important to be aware of these things, right? But now what do we do? Like, how do we help our microbiome right to help it to, or how do we help those microbes to grow right and stay strong? And that is food, right, when you think about everything that we consume on a daily basis, right, that is going to affect your microbiome. Now, our microbiome, we when we are in the URL right, unborn, we live in this environment that is sterile, right, it's all clean. And when we are born usually we are born naturally through the vagina, right, we get our first microbiome or our first microbes through there, through the birth canal, right, or our first microbes through there, through the breast canal, right, if it's through C-section, there is that less of exposure to that environment, and then we continue to get more microbes right through the breast milk and as we continue to add food right, we continue to go for microbes and that's how we continue to build our microbiome essentially right, and so it changes. It changes with what we eat.

Speaker 1: 16:15

Now there is strong research that shows that there are things that affect our microbiome, and that is that the consumption of highly processed foods right, consumption of refined flours and sugars that is not only causing the microbes to not be able to use that fuel right as food, but it also creates inflammation More so, systemic inflammation, meaning inflammation throughout your body, and so obviously we want to be able to limit that right. We want to be able to add more of these wholesome foods. This is where we're going to be able to really, really help our microbiome. We have to be able to add different types of fibers right, different types of starches coming in from food right, Like potatoes and leeks and garlic and onions that are going to give us that prebiotic right, which is the food that feeds the probiotic which is the microbes right there is now I should have looked into the financial changes in this area right, because in the past I don't know, five years, maybe 10 years there has been a huge increase in that addition of probiotics and recently, the increase in prebiotics, right, and so because of it, there's more research coming out in terms of how important our microbiome is. But, my friend, just like with anything that I talk about here, we want to be able to do it with food first. Right, because, again, when you think about adding food, you're not only going to get prebiotics, right, you're not only going to get which is that fiber, you're going to get antioxidants, you're going to get phytochemicals to help your cells, basically to help you not only on your microbes, but to help you at a cellular level. And so, versus like, oh, let me take this pill, right, or this powder or whatever, that is only for that specific purpose, right, no, we want to be able to do these with food first.

Speaker 1: 18:20

So, adding these different types of foods, right. When you think about and I think this is where the document shows right, like where one of the participants, which is a chef, created, you know, this smoothie with some, I don't know, I don't remember how many she said like 26 different types of fruits and vegetables, right, and I think, some powders. And she even said, like, how is someone going to be able to do these right on a consistent basis and she's not wrong, right, she's absolutely correct and so. But that is not the point, right? The point here is that we are still able to add those foods, we're still able to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to feed our gut microbiomes, and not necessarily all at once, right, we can add them.

Speaker 1: 19:08

The way that we can do it right is adding, you know, at least at least I don't know maybe four to five different types of servings of fruits and vegetables, right, ideally, different kinds to get again different types of nutrients, to get again different types of nutrients. But if we are at a point where we're like I'm not even adding one serving, right, let's start there. Right, let's start adding one every single day for the next week, right, and then the next week, let's add two every single day, right, for the next week or so. Think of it that way. Right, you're already feeding your microbes, right, your gut microbiome, by adding that one serving right. Again, the more that you're going to add, the more variety, and your gut microbiome is going to love that.

Speaker 1: 19:56

So think of, like, different colors, right, different colors of fruits and vegetables, different types of nuts and seeds, adding, um, some, you know, onion and garlic to your meals, right, that can give you more of that prebiotic. Different types of beans, legumes and lentils right to your meals because of that fiber, right, that prebiotic fiber that we need to fuel, to feed our microbes. And so, yes, what someone might say, we don't even get any nutrition from fiber. Yeah, the fiber is not going to be for you per se, but it's going to be to feed your microbes, right, which essentially are going to help you with your health. Right, is that symbiosis that we have with microbes? Right, we feed the microbes and they're going to help us stay healthy and help our immune system and help our brain, our gut and brain access and help our overall gut health. And so, if we see it that way, right, it is a relationship that we want to continue to build by adding different kinds of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, right, which are some examples.

Speaker 1: 21:08

Again, in the show notes you're going to find a handout that is going to have the prebiotics, right, what kind of prebiotics you can add you can start with. Now there could be a question okay, can I add a probiotic right, a probiotic which is the good bacteria? Now, a probiotic right, a probiotic. Which is the good bacteria? Now, the answer would be more, maybe yes or no.

Speaker 1: 21:30

You should consult your healthcare provider first, of course, because there's tons of probiotics out there, right, there's some that might not even do anything, you know, to our gut microbiome. There's some that might help, but it's real difficult to say. You know, yeah, for sure that one is going to help Now with supplements right, and this is across the board. They're not FDA regulated. Now there are some that are third-party tested, right, which is why you want to do, you want to find one that is third-party tested, because that means that they're doing, they're testing it right, to see if it's pure, to see if it does what it's meant to do, and so on. And so, if that's one thing that you want to try, right, maybe you're struggling with your gut health and you're adding these probiotics, but you also want to be able to maybe add some probiotics, because one of the things that you have to really understand here is that most probiotics are going to have maybe one or two types of bacteria. Right, there's different strains of bacteria, but there might be only one or two types, and so, essentially, we're that you're doing already and you've been on that probiotic for months and years.

Speaker 1: 22:45

Consult with your healthcare provider or your dietitian to see if there is a possibility to change it to a different one that has different types of strains, again, to diversify your gut microbiome and not only grow those two kinds or such, but definitely starting with food first. Now, if you're someone that hasn't been able to add, you know, fruits and vegetables whole, don't start with like, oh, I'm going to add two cups every day, right? Or five cups every day, because your gut is going to hurt, right? Your body's not used to, your digestive system is not used to getting that high amount of fiber, high amount of prebiotics, and so you're going to hit that. You're going to have some bloating, right, some gut issues.

Speaker 1: 23:36

So you want to be able to add it slowly, right, maybe half a cup, half a serving at a time for the first three to five days. Increase it slowly until you get to those two servings, right, let's say, two cups of vegetables with each meal, which is usually what I recommend in terms of making balanced meals, right, and then adding that variety, right. Again, the more variety you add of these foods, the more nutrients you're going to get, right, the more diversity you're going to have in terms of your meals and you're going to get, just overall, different types of nutrients, right, that your body and your cells are going to need and utilize. So think of it like that. Now, if this is super overwhelming and you're like I don't know where to start, again, I gave you a little, a few pointers here. Right, start with one food at a time. Right, and slowly add a variety. Start introducing them slowly.

Speaker 1: 24:37

Now, if you're like I'm really struggling to get, you know, my prebiotics or to get the total amount of fiber that I need, which here in the US. Right, the recommended amount, you know, over 25 grams of fiber a day. More would be ideal, right, but at least if we can get 25 grams of fiber, and the way that you're going to be able to achieve that right is to by adding those two cups of vegetables at each meal and adding some, you know, different fruits in between two to three fruits in your meals, and then on top of that you're adding maybe nuts and seeds, lentils, legumes you can get your fiber that way, right, you don't really need a supplement. And if you're like I don't even know where to start or I'm really struggling here, you can also go back to an episode that I did with I think it was with Dr Kashyik, where we talked about constipation. I linked in that episode in the show notes, a handout that has high fiber foods so you can go, you know, visit that, go and listen to that episode, if you haven't. But also on the show notes you'll be able to find a resource to help you and get started with, like, the different types of foods that you can add to increase your fiber, which is going to increase the prebiotic. Essentially right, to help you feed your microbiome. But if, at the end of the day, you're like there's so much that I need to do, right, like I'm feeling so overwhelmed I don't know where to start, I'm just confused. Reach out to me, right, send me a message, give me a call and we can get together and I can help you create that plan for you to get you started with feeding your microbiome essentially. So that information again is also going to be in the show notes.

Speaker 1: 26:25

But don't complicate things, right? Don't start adding like a whole bunch of supplements or a whole bunch of other things that you know is going to cost so much money and you know, start with food first. Right Again, because and I'm going to say this time after time you're not only going to get the prebiotics right, you're not only going to get the fiber, you're going to get so much more from food right. You're going to be able to get antioxidants and phytochemicals and all these components that our bodies need not only to satisfy hunger but to fuel our bodies, to throw a cellular, you know, and so at our cellular level. So think about it that way, right, but keep it super simple Again. Start with, like, maybe one or two different types of foods you know produce or whatever that you want to add, and then slowly build up, you know the variety of foods that you consume. And if you get to a point where you're like I want to explore, you know, maybe, different supplements or whatever the case may be, again, consult with your healthcare provider, consult with your dietician to make sure that what you choose is adequate. I've done two episodes, one on water-soluble vitamins, one on fat-soluble vitamins, and just, you know the amount that we get, and that is more is not always good. So if you haven't listened to those episodes, go back. You can find them wherever you listen to podcasts. But I think that is it for today, my friend, I just wanted to come and talk about that.

Speaker 1: 28:00

Some final thoughts on the documentary right. Overall, I thought it had some really good points. I love the graphics right and the explanation. A lot of times we need those visuals. I did find dangerous how one of the participants was doing her own fecal transplantation right by herself and I think one of the doctors or scientists said that that is not recommended because that can lead to like serious issues. And so you know, if you're interested in that, you can always. I'm sure you can find information about that where it's safe and you can explore those options, but you always want to be able to be safe when you do things like that, right.

Speaker 1: 28:43

The other thing, too, that I also think is extremely important when it comes to the gut and brain. You know access connection is that it is okay, right, and I did an episode I think it's the last episode that I did about mental health and nutrition and so coming as a team, right, and so if you're having mental health issues, right, but you also want to be able to take care of your nutrition, working together right with your mental health provider and your dietician, essentially to optimize your well-being right, because you need those tools you need. You need skills right to be able to manage those strong emotions and so that that together, right, can really improve your overall well-being. Let's see what else. Yeah, I think that's pretty much it for today. Again, if you have any questions, if you need me to talk about anything else, or if you have any kind of feedback, reach out to me. Right, stay strong, my friend, stay healthy and I will see you in another episode. Thank you so much. Bye, bye, for now.