Gut Health

Over the summer break, based on new literature surrounding SIBO, IBS and of course immune health, I have curated a new and updated food plan: The Microbiome Restoration plan.

The goal of the Microbiome Restoration Food Plan is to increase diversity of species such as Lactobacilli , Bifido, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii + other bacteria which produce health giving short chain fatty acids that positively impact not only of gut and digestive health but also support immunity, weight management and mood.

Will you join me in September on the mighty microbiome diet plan challenge?

A popular theory of the pathophysiology of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is that it’s caused by bacteria in the colon moving up into the small intestine due to a faulty ileocecal valve (a valve that separates the distal (last) section of the small intestine, the ileum with the colon). A new study on one section of the small intestine, the jejunum, challenges that concept. The study found that the jejunum has its own unique microbiota, much more akin the oral microbiome. As a practitioner that takes a specialist interest in Gut health, this makes a great deal of sense to me, that we consider the oral microbiome far more. 

Read on to find out more about the oral microbiome, and Tips to Keep Your Oral Flora and Good Mouth Bacteria in Balance.

We learn in biology at school that the role of the gastrointestinal tract is associated with the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as the function of elimination of waste products. But, another key function of the intestine is to police the transport of environmental antigens across the gut wall or what is correctly termed – the mucosal barrier.

Intestinal permeability (also referred to as “leaky gut”) then means that the normally tightly knitted cells of the intestines are weakened and don’t hold substance as they should.

Latest research suggests that changing our thoughts and practices around meals and mealtimes are just as important as obsessing over what it is we actually put in our mouths. The goal of mindful eating then, is to base our meals on physical cues, such as our bodies’ hunger signals, not emotional ones — like eating for comfort.
Finding ways to slow down and eat intentionally are all a part of developing a truly healthy food culture and triggering metabolism.
Mindful eating does not have to be an exercise in super-human concentration, but rather a simple commitment to appreciating, respecting and, above all, enjoying the food you eat every day.

Here are my simple tips to practise mindful eating every day.

I’m delving deeper into the science �� of Broccoli, Hormones & The Gut – do you know what the connection is?