Why is gut health so important? The truth is that understanding the microbiome is critical to our long term health. In this episode, I’m joined once again by clinical nutritionist Christa Orecchio to discuss the basics of gut health, and what you can do to rejuvenate yours.
Christa is the founder of TheWholeJourney.com and the Gut Thrive in 5 program. She’s a TEDX speaker, author and TV show host who has helped thousands of people reclaim their health.
Understanding the Microbiome
The microbiome is the combined genetic material of all of the organisms inside of the gut. The most well-known biome in the body is the gut microbiome but there are really seven different microbiomes in the human body. 3,000 years ago Hippocrates said “all disease begins in the gut.” And he was right!
There is an inseperable link between the health of the gut microbiome and the immune system. When we rejuvenate the microbiome in the gut, the immune system can replicate this new genetic code to the other microbiomes of your body.
Here’s what happens:

chronic sinus infections go away
eczema and psoriasis clears up
recurring vaginal yeast infections start to go away
you stop getting bronchitis every time you get sick

The 3 “bugs” of the microbiome

Symbiotic (good) bugs: These are the do-gooders of bacteria, cleaning up, repairing and helping maintain health in the gut. Unfortunately, as a society we often lack theses symbiotic bugs because of antibiotic use, genetically modified foods, sugar and alcohol.
Pathogenic (bad) bugs: These bugs are the petty criminals of the micriobiome society, but their work has a purpose: it challenges the strength of our immune system, making it stronger. The problem is we often have an unhealthy amount of the bad bugs!
Commensal (neutral) bugs: These bacteria are the “impressionable teenagers.” Depending on the overarching influence in the gut, they can assist the good bugs or contribute to the agitation of the bad bugs.

All of these bug types are meant to contribute to our overall health, but it’s critically important for them to be in appropriate balance in order for the gut microbiome to function correctly.
How to Rejuvenate the Immune System
Improving gut health can help rejuvenate the immune system. Improving the health of the gut microbiome requires more than simply taking probiotics or eating yogurt. Here’s how Christa recommends to get started:

Slash inflammation
Purge pathogens
Healing and Re-seeding (Stay tuned for our next episode, where Christa will go in depth on reseeding and healing the gut microbiome!)

Resources:

TheWholeJourney.com
How To Conceive Naturally ebook
GutThriveIn5.com