Treat Your Microbiome Like Royalty

Each of us has a microbiome – and each one is unique! Your microbiome is the ecosystem within and on your body; all the beneficial organisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that exist in and on your body. Proper care for all those teeny organisms is essential for your overall health and illness/disease prevention. 

Your gut microbiome regulates your immunity, health, and mental state.

The idea of a microbiome has been known for decades, yet the healthcare industry in the United States* (at the very least) has yet to catch up with the science surrounding it. The easiest way to explain the human microbiome is by thinking about your body as an ecosystem – because, by definition, it really is! – then, think of your gut as a garden inside that ecosystem, as a working part to the whole. A healthy garden that grows prolific flowers, vegetables, and fruits (or a body that exudes health) is free of harmful pests (or BAD bacteria/viruses/fungi) and full of helpful, beneficial organisms (or GOOD bacteria/viruses/fungi). The best way to keep the harmful pests at bay, as we have learned relatively recently, is with natural and organic solutions; though, big corporations will have you believing that the synthetic chemicals they make are best to use. The same can be said about your gut garden – the best way to keep the good and bad pests in balance is with natural, organic methods (whole foods, exercise, sleep, herbs, etc.) and not necessarily with pills being pushed by corporations.** 

Your body’s garden deserves as much care as your flower garden in your backyard!

*Since I am an American, I see this first-hand; however, I do acknowledge that other societies have their health problems, too. For the purpose of this article, I will speak mainly about the people and systems in the USA. 

**Don’t get me wrong – there are a few cases where pills might be the only or best option. If this is what you and your doctor have concluded, by all means, follow your doctor’s orders. BUT! If you don’t think all your options have been explained by your doctor, keep reading. Actually, keep reading anyway because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. And maybe get a second or third professional opinion about your issue.

Your microbiome contains 40K species of bacteria, 5M species of fungi, and 300K species of parasites.

Disease in USA Since WWII

Throughout recent decades in the United States, it has become abundantly clear that US citizens are increasingly ill – to the point of epidemic status. Why? Why are Americans, who live in one of the most developed nations in the world, so sick? The answer to this question is not an easy one. It is not black and white; and a lot of it is simply theory.  

If we think about life before and after World War II, we start making some connections about Americans' health today. American society changed drastically, in many ways, during and after WWII. Wartime necessitated quick and easy food and medicine, and durable machines and tools, for soldiers in the field. Processed foods were created to help supply nutrition to the soldiers, which undoubtedly saved many lives that would have otherwise been lost. Antibiotic use increased and saved lives and limbs as well. Plastics production increased, too, since metal materials were earmarked for wartime machines and tools. It makes perfect sense that since these products were successful during the War, they would be marketable after the War. The long-term implications of this, however, were probably never even debated.

The photo above is, unfortunately, a common sight to see since WWII. Our trash heaps have become ones full of toxic, single-use plastic items, which are detrimental to our environments and our microbiomes.

Since WWII, the American diet has changed to one low in fiber, high in sugar, low in plant-rich foods, and one engulfed in pesticides and GMOs. Not only have these aspects changed, but also where and how our food is grown and how the animals we eat are treated have changed. We are breeding animals purely for human consumption, which means pumping them with antibiotics to ensure they live long enough to fatten them up with foods they were never supposed to eat anyway. Whatever that animal eats and is exposed to during their “life,” will translate into your body once you consume the meat or byproducts.  

Alongside the changes in American sustenance, our environments have changed, too. Look around you where you are right now. How many things can you count in 10 seconds that are plastic or otherwise synthetically made? I bet your result will astound you. Even the keyboard I’m using to type this is made of plastic! We now know that plastic is killing our planet and all the beings that live upon it; but, again, the long-term effects aren’t always top priority for most Americans. We are seeing now that there are short-term effects as well, but there’s still not much urgency within our government around the issue. Plastic isn’t the only environmental issue, though. Beside plastic we have heavy metals in our water, pesticides/herbicides in our food and water, PVC piping in our homes, carcinogens in our air, etc. Even things like breast implants have been proven to sometimes cause autoimmune symptoms (because they are foreign objects that your body is trying to reject). All of these changes, whether combined or separate, have transitioned Americans into beings riddled with diabetes, depression, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ADHD, autism, rosacea, migraines, and the list goes on and on and on.

It Starts Before Birth

There was a time in US history when a mother smoking during her pregnancy was commonplace – or at least more common that it is now. We now know that smoking during pregnancy is horrible for the fetus’ health (not to mention the mother’s). We also know now that all decisions a pregnant mother makes affects her child before, during, and after birth. What a woman eats, drinks, thinks, does, and even her environment will eventually, if not immediately, affect her child – including the child’s microbiome! 

Microbe cells outnumber our human cells 10-to-1; so, in a sense, we are only 1% human.

At about eight months along during a woman’s pregnancy, her microbiome changes (meaning, the ratio of species of microorganisms alters a bit) to prepare for the event of birth. When a child is born vaginally, it is covered in and swallows the mother’s beneficial bacteria, which helps jumpstart the baby’s overall health in its new environment. When a child is born via cesarean section (C-section) or prematurely, it will lack that initial seed to help grow their own garden. This statement should hit home for about 42% of the American population. Here in the States, about 32% of all births are done via C-section, and about 10% are premature, which means almost half of the population was born without a proper chance at a healthy start to life. Once you realize these facts, it’s not hard to imagine why Americans are so sick. Not all hope is lost, though!

After birth, the mother can still help her baby’s microbiome to blossom, even if they are part of that 42%. The first thing she can do is breastfeed her child. Colostrum (“milk secreted for a few days after childbirth and characterized by high protein and antibody content”) is loaded with good bacteria that are part of that foundation needed for a healthy life. The second thing the mother can do is limit her own and her baby’s exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which is most commonly found in single-use plastic items. Exposure to BPA within the first four months of life can change the microbiome permanently, which is like incorrectly pouring the concrete for the foundation of your house. If the foundation is not set right, the longevity (or health) of the entire house will be shortened. The third thing the mother can do for her child is control her own diet and her baby’s diet to include healthful foods. The diet for children six months to two years is critical – after two years, the microbiome is relatively stable, but is still developing and will fluctuate with its environment (i.e. processed foods, antibiotics, etc.). 

*Riddle me this: if breastmilk contains a type of sugar that infants cannot digest, why is that type of sugar present, especially since breastmilk is specifically meant to feed infants? Well, maybe that sugar is actually meant to feed the baby’s microbiome instead!

Leaky Gut Syndrome

When it comes to your microbiome, your gut is the boss of your body and, ultimately, your overall health (physical, mental, and emotional). Again, this idea that the microbiome is key to wellness is not a new one; it was simply forgotten or thrown to the side as allopathic medicine came on the scene. At the same time, though, the microbiome is not the end all, be all solution to every ailment. A vast majority of issues can be solved by healing the microbiome, but for those few cases where it isn’t solved, allopathic medicine can save the day.  

Inflammation is the mother of all diseases/illnesses and usually starts in the gut.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is probably something you have heard before, but do you know what it really is? A leaky gut is characterized by pathological intestinal permeability (or tears) in the gut lining. These tears are not big enough to see without a microscope and can’t really be felt by the person either. These tears, though, as with any wound to flesh, cause inflammation.

Through many years of research, science now tells us that there are many, many causes of a leaky gut. Most recently in our culture, gluten has been in the spotlight for this reason. Gluten-free marketing is all the rage now, and a lot of people have taken up a gluten-free diet. If it’s working for you, that’s wonderful! Keep it up. It might not be the right diet for others, though, and that’s okay, too. However, gluten is on the list of the most common causes of gut inflammation and should be consumed in moderation. (I always say, “moderation is the goal for everything in life!”) Some of the other common causes of gut inflammation are:

• Alcohol

• Dairy

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) – what?! An anti-inflammatory medication causes more inflammation? Better believe it!

• Dysbiosis (or an imbalance of good versus bad microorganisms in your microbiome) 

Science has shown us recently, too, that there is a connection between your gut and your brain. The science is still new on this, but we know for sure that the connection is there, mainly through our understanding of the Vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the gut (communication pathways work both ways, though). So, if your gut garden is not blossoming to its fullest potential, that means your brain probably isn’t working to its fullest potential either. Chronic inflammation in the gut creates chronic inflammation in the brain. That’s an incredible realization to make!

90% of serotonin is made in your gut lining.

When you think about your current mood and any anxiety you may be feeling, you probably end up thinking (or being told) that “it’s all in your head.” Well, that’s not an accurate statement anymore – it’s actually all in your gut. Studies have shown that certain gut bacteria produce Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and serotonin, which are two major neurotransmitters that help control mood and anxiety. If your gut garden is not full enough of the bacteria that produce these neurotransmitters, you are likely to often feel anxious, moody, and/or depressed. Further still, some studies are showing that certain gut bacteria lead to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases years after the first introduction into the gut.

70% of your immune system is in your gut, which contains 100 trillion microbes (over 6lbs of living species) .

The connection between the gut and the brain is not the only important one, though. Your immune system is directly affected by the health of your gut garden, too. The immune system is where inflammation and autoimmune reactions start and because the intestinal tract is the largest immuno-organ in the body, the foods you eat dictate the effectiveness of your immune responses. A poor diet leads to weak immune responses when the body is attacked by viruses, diseases, lacerations, etc. Your immune system communicates with you, even if you don’t realize it. Whatever is happening on your skin (acne, eczema, dry skin, etc.) is most likely a representation of what’s happening in your gut. Heal your gut garden and you will most likely heal these issues, too. 

Antibiotics

Earlier we discussed how antibiotic use heavily increased during the Second World War and that they saved countless lives. Antibiotics continue to save lives to this day, but they are also making us sick and leading to fatal diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity, and more. Antibiotics are not inherently harmful, though. They become problematic when we overuse them, as is what’s happening now and in recent years. I’m sure you’ve heard about antibiotic resistance and how certain antibiotic chemicals like triclosan were finally banned by the FDA last year. Companies are no longer allowed to market their products as “antibacterial,” either, without going through a “premarket review.” This is great news if you understand how harmful these ingredients are. And if you aren’t familiar with this topic yet, here’s why antibiotics have become something of a red flag.

The term “antibiotic” simply means a substance that inhibits the growth of or destroys bacteria and other microorganisms. This is a good thing if we are talking about life-threatening infections, etc.; however, these antibiotic products do not discriminate against different types of bacteria – they kill the bad AND good bacteria. We need the good bacteria for a healthy body and mind, though. The increased use of antibiotics over the years has led to public health nightmares, even though most of the population still doesn’t understand the connection and are quick to use the Lysol every time someone sneezes near them. Antibiotics take many forms in our society. Substances like pesticides, herbicides, and food preservatives are also antibiotics. They are even in our water and soap, too.  

When a child is taken to the doctor for an ear infection, more often than not (in my experience), the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Now, if the ear infection is caused by a virus, this medication will do absolutely nothing to help the situation, and will actually be more harmful than not for the kid’s microbiome. Antibiotics kill bacteria; not viruses. Giving antibiotics to children under the age of four or five can negatively impact their health later as a teen and adult because their microbiome growth was disturbed (and sometimes even halted) during its developmental stage. This is a common scenario not just with ear infections and it’s only a small part of the overall problem of antibiotic resistance. People need to understand that when kids (and adults) get sick, their immune systems are already working hard to fix the problem, and are usually getting stronger. The more bugs or pathogenic exposure (that doesn’t kill us), the stronger our microbiomes become. Sometimes we just have to be uncomfortable for a bit and suffer through the cold symptoms in order to prevent them from happening again. Let the immune system do its job! Reserve the antibiotics for life-threatening issues, and maybe use herbs to help soothe some of the symptoms caused by the illness. (Some herbs, like echinacea, can actually help the immune system kick out the illness sooner than usual - when used properly!)

PRO-biotics vs. PRE-biotics

Probiotics – yet another hot topic right now in the health communities around the US. If you’ve shopped at health food stores like Whole Foods or The Better Health Store, you’ve seen these products in the refrigerated section. I’ve even seen them at big grocery stores like Meijer (only sometimes are they refrigerated, though). A lot of people use these supplements because they’ve read that it helps make you healthy. That’s true to an extent. Probiotics are a great tool for holistic health, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. There is a difference between PRO-biotics and PRE-biotics that is important to understand before spending money on these supplements. Not only that, but there are certain times when it’s best to use each of these and times when it’s not best to use them.  

Our knowledge about probiotics is still relatively new, but what we do know is based off the knowledge we have about our microbiome. Probiotics (in the basic form) are live bacteria (Lactobactillus and Bifidobacterium; a fungus called Saccharomyces boulardii; and soil-based bacteria, specifically b. subtilis, b. coagulans and b. licheniformis). The probiotic supplements you see in a store all have varying mixtures of these microorganisms. The idea of these supplements is to get the good bacteria into your body via a pill taken 1-3 times daily. Well, as with everything else in holistic health, there is not a one-size-fits-all pill to cure or prevent it all.

Taking a probiotic pill without a healthy diet is simply a waste of money and effort.

The other side to this coin is something that’s not often talked about – prebiotics. Prebiotics are foods that fuel the microorganisms that live in your microbiome. The bacteria in the probiotic supplements don’t actually stay in your body; they pass through and make the environment more hospitable for the resident bugs to ensure those bugs stick around long-term. But if you don’t support these microorganisms with proper fuel (prebiotics), they will be less beneficial to your health and will eventually die off, leaving more room for the bad bugs to flourish.  

We do not need to buy the expensive probiotic supplements to change our microbiome, though. We just need to change our diet! Below is a table of plant foods and their variants that are known to be good prebiotics and probiotics. 

Prebiotic Foods Probiotic Foods

leeks kombucha onions sauerkraut garlic kimchi artichokes kefir

Allopathic Model Versus Functional Model

In the United States, we have a healthcare system that is primarily based off of the allopathic model of medicine. Generally speaking, in this system, people go see a doctor when they are sick (rarely when they are not) and the doctor gives them a remedy, which is usually a prescription for a pharmaceutical pill, ointment, etc. These remedies are designed to suppress the symptoms of the illness so that the patient feels better quickly. We have been trained over decades of use of this system to seek a quick fix for our ailments – instant gratification. Allopathic medicine does not actually heal people, though. In fact, most of these pills add more time to the suffering because the immune system cannot do its job properly. The pills, in essence, suppress the immune system (which we learned earlier how the immune system surfaces as the symptoms people experience while they are ill). 

There is another model of medicine that isn’t practiced as widely. Functional medicine focuses on the root cause of what’s ailing the patients. The symptoms are indicative of what could be wrong, but definitely not the primary target of the remedies. In this system, people go see a doctor when they are sick, but also periodically when they are not. Functional doctors are more concerned about prevention, rather than reaction. When a functional doctor treats a patient for an illness, they ask important questions that allopathic doctors usually do not ask:  

• What are you eating every day?

• How much sleep are you getting every night?

• What medications/supplements are you taking?

• Do you exercise or meditate?

• Were you born vaginally or via C-section?

• When did your symptoms start?

• What was happening in your life at that time? 

The American healthcare system has been broken for some time now, and people are starting to realize that. People now see that Big Pharma truly wants to keep people sick, even though they seem like they are trying to make people healthy. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the US as #1 or 2 out of 53 developed countries for having the best technology; yet, they also rank the US in the bottom five for effectiveness of healthcare. Can we really call the allopathic model “healthcare,” especially if it’s not working? Maybe “crisis care” is more accurate.  

The answer to this broken system is not choosing one side or the other, though. Crisis care and pharmaceutical drugs do have their place in this world; just not as big of players as they are right now. What we need is for allopathic medicine and functional medicine to work together – synergy – because they need each other for the system to be as successful as possible.  

Imagine this: A patient (we will call her Lucy) is talking to her allopathic doctor about the very itchy, dry spots that have developed all over her body. She is prescribed a steroid ointment that relieves her itchy skin, preventing her from scratching until she bleeds. As soon as the itchy spots are gone, though, Lucy stops using the medication and the spots return. This cycle continues for years and years. She has had to switch from this ointment to the next for safety reasons and she is now slightly depressed (and probably has a slew of other symptoms) because she feels that she is stuck where she is with her health forever. Her doctor is supportive and prescribes a pill for her depression, but the underlying cause of the first issue is still never explored. 

In a world where functional and allopathic medicine work together, though, Lucy’s doctor would still prescribe her the ointment to give her immediate relief and to prevent the bleeding from excessive scratching. In addition to this, though, her doctor would be asking all of those questions listed above: what, where, when? Lucy’s doctor concludes that she may need to bring some balance back to her microbiome and gives her “homework” to start slowly changing her diet by removing dairy and to stop use of certain cosmetics. A couple weeks go by and Lucy has not eaten any dairy and still uses the ointment. At the next visit to her doctor, she is told to continue what she’s doing from the last visit, but to now decrease the frequency she uses the ointment and eat more whole foods (eat the rainbow!). The cycle continues like this until Lucy’s skin issue is cleared up and no ointment is needed anymore. For Lucy to maintain her health now, though, she will have to keep eating the dairy-free, etc. diet and keep using better cosmetics.  

This is a story to give you the idea about how allopathic and functional medicines could work together. Obviously, there are other variants involved with health and medicine, but I’m not a doctor and do not know specifics. I just wanted to give you a general idea of how the US healthcare system could be so much better for the people it serves.

Microbiome Testing and Treatment (Ultra-Squeamish People: Beware)

Finally we have arrived to the destination of our microbiome journey! In this last section, we will learn about testing your microbiome to see what kind of garden (or not) you have in your gut and ways to return it back to a healthy, natural balance. 

Earlier we learned that our knowledge about the microbiome is still quite new in terms of science. Science often takes decades of great research to learn everything we can about a subject. We have known about the microbiome for decades, but the research really hasn’t begun until recently. One thing that has been discovered with the recent research is that we can sequence the microbiome’s tRNA . Yes, another test. But this could possibly be the only and best medical test you ever have to do.  

When you visit a functional doctor, the first thing they will address for any symptom you bring to the table is your gut microbiome. A couple ways to do this are to take a sample of it via endoscopy or a stool sample. This sample is then sent to a medical testing facility where they uncover your personal ratio of good bugs versus bad bugs, AND the ratio between those good bugs (which species of bacteria/fungi/viruses is/are most common in your gut?). This baseline testing will help you and your doctor decide on which plan of action is best for your specific needs to optimize your health. Remember, every person on this plant is biologically different (except for identical twins), and every person also has a unique gut garden. If, after making the changes you and your doctor agree on, you have your microbiome tested again, you can compare the results. Frequent testing (once a year or so) will give you the best picture of your microbiome history, which could be helpful later if you start to suffer from a disease. You will then have the path you need to get back to health. It’s good to note here that some medical labs will let you order this test without a script from your doctor, but check with your insurance to see if it is covered before you order one. I believe there are even some online kits you can order from home! 

Once you have your results from the microbiome test, a functional doctor may tell you to stop eating that and eat this instead, or they may recommend you have your microbiome transplanted (a fecal transplant). A fecal matter transplant (FMT) sounds weird and disgusting, but it has already been proven to be the best solution for people suffering from Clostridium Difficile (“C. Diff.”). In fact, this treatment has proven to be 90% effective at getting a new, healthy microbiome for people suffering from other serious diseases as well.

A FMT works like other transplants of human organs – you need a healthy, matching donor first. (Yes, this is the real reason squeamish people may never bring themselves to try a fecal transplant). Basically, this procedure is completed by obtaining a stool sample from a healthy person (thoroughly vetted beforehand) and injecting the sample into the ailed individual via three routes: nasal cavity (75-85% effective), oral cavity/a pill (70% effective) or an enema (85-90% effective). Since many beneficial organisms can’t be grown in a lab yet, a FMT is the best solution because it moves a whole ecosystem to the patient. But with a FMT, you still have to change your diet and lifestyle for lasting results. In fact, it’s been noted that the patients with the best, long-term results are those that mimic their diet/lifestyle of their donor’s. Genetics are a factor in the success of this treatment, too, so sometimes this treatment still doesn’t work for some individuals. If genetics aren’t an issue, though, this treatment is a one-and-done kind of deal as long as the new gut garden is properly cared for and maintained. It’s good to note here that FMT is not a panacea and should only be used when completely necessary (e.g. you’ve tried all the other diet/lifestyle changes, but nothing seems to stick). 

So Now What?

This has been the longest and most involved article I’ve written so far, but it was SO worth the effort! I have found myself completely changed by the ideas, knowledge, and methods found within this topic of the human microbiome. It really has changed my life, which is why I wanted to share it with whoever decides to read it! If you’re still feeling a bit wary about taking some of this advice, here is my experience that you can take or leave – your choice.  

My personal successes with the changes I’ve made so far (a three-month duration) include:

• Lost 11 pounds without exercising. I’m a very busy mom of two young, energetic children, working full-time, and starting a new business/career – I don’t have time to go to the gym.

• Better quality of sleep. I wake up in the mornings (usually before my alarm because one of the little monsters wakes up and says “I not tired anymore, mama!”) feeling more refreshed and find that I can remember more of my dreams than before.

• Stronger immune system. My 4-year-old started preschool this year and we have had just a complete onslaught of all the nasty kid germs with the accompanying head colds and hives, etc. I’ve been bested a couple times since the changes I made, but they definitely did not take as much of a toll on me as they would have with my previous diet and lifestyle. The symptoms have been milder and were over quicker than ever before.

• No more Winter blues! I have a happier outlook on life these days, and I’m sure that it’s because of the changes I’ve made. I’m usually one to feel a bit depressed at times, especially in the Winter, but this Winter is different (despite the horrible storms SE Michigan has experienced in the recent weeks). I don’t hate my job anymore or feel like I’m trapped in a certain cycle that never ends. Life is still hard, but it’s not unbearable. 

The changes I made to get these results were:

• Happy drinking only (or not at all). I come from a family of alcoholics and have slipped into it a bit myself here and there. I love beer and bourbon for their tastes, but I also abuse them from time to time to numb my senses. I used to drink when I was angry (which was almost always) or upset, but I made the decision to decrease the frequency of my drinking binges and limit it to social or happy drinking only.

• Portion control. This is something that most fad diets will preach, but a lot of people don’t actually follow it. This was the hardest mountain to conquer for me, but now that I’ve conquered it, I’ve never looked back. It’s important to limit yourself to the serving size on the label, but if you feel that the serving size isn’t enough to sustain you until your next meal, add another serving of something else to your plate. Variety in your diet is so important!

• Eat the rainbow. If you try the Rainbow Challenge, you will see that it is not easy to eat 1-2 servings of every color of the rainbow of whole foods every day. But if you stick to the goals outlined, you will see that eating anything other than the rainbow is just over-eating. Eating the rainbow is quite filling! We tried this with the kids, too, and it was no surprise to me that they blew it out of the park (because they are fruit lovers!). They enjoyed filling out their charts with fun stickers, but didn’t really understand the game (they’re only 2 and 4). There are so many pre-made, printable charts to use for this, so just Google it and pick the one that you like best!

• Drink more kombucha. I had heard about kombucha long before I learned about the microbiome, but had never tried it. The bottles at the store are expensive, but now I see that price tag as an investment in my health. I drink 4-5 bottles of kombucha (just the brands I find at the grocery store) every week. I find these beverages to be very tasty, so it was really easy to start doing this. Some do not like the taste, though, so those people may want to try other fermented foods to consume instead. The downside to the store-bought kombucha is the amount of sugar. There is a good amount of sugar per serving on that nutrition label, but it’s not added sugar, which is usually what we need to avoid.

• Stretch and stand more! Since learning that I have scoliosis, I have been researching ways to combat the back pain and yoga is one action I settled on. I also have a standing desk at work, which helps when the office chair is being evil and unforgiving. While working at my standing desk, I find ways to do small yoga poses, or even just take a minute here and there to do a more in-depth pose. My coworkers understand that I’m “all natural and whatever,” so they don’t judge me. I believe that these stretches have helped keep my spine as aligned as possible (also, the chiropractor helps), which helps with my moods and immune system support. 

All in all, I believe that these changes I’ve made to support my microbiome have worked exactly as intended. As a society, we need to stop worrying about what the latest diet/health trend is and focus on what is right for our unique selves in this specific moment in time. We need more personalized healthcare, and the microbiome could be the best way to start making those changes. The most important thing you can do for yourself is take control of your own health (and any little monsters that depend on you to live). When you talk to your doctor about an issue, don’t just ask for a pill or quick fix. Ask about diet and lifestyle changes that you should make. Ask about getting your microbiome tested. If your doctor doesn’t “let” you make those calls for yourself, or doesn’t help you with alternatives to pills, find a new doctor. Your doctor should be willing to work with you to heal your body and mind; not simply put a bandage on your ailments.

The main resource for the microbiome information in this wellness writing series was learned during a 9-part web series called Interconnected: The Power to Heal from Within.

Citation: Shojai, P. (Writer, Performer). (2018, November 28). Interconnected: The Power to Heal from Within [Video file]. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.interconnectedseries.com/starting-rw/

*All photos are original and were captured by Alaina Vacha.

Last updated on January 15, 2024.