December 1, 2021

PART 5 - YOUR GUT BACTERIA FRIENDS

Your Gut Bacteria

Friends
Part 1

YOUR STOMACH

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Part 2

GA L L B L A D D E R &
PA N C R E AS

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Truthfully, this is the most important section and
if you’re dealing with multiple digestive issues,
IBS, or brain fog…start you can here. Balancing
your gut bacteria can solve many digestive
Part 3
symptoms.
SMALL
Consider this section the generalist for your
I N T E ST I N E
digestive system. Once you’ve balanced your
gut bacteria you can then focus on the tools to View Lesson
balance your particular symptoms.

Most small intestine and pretty much all colon

symptoms can be connected to an imbalance in
your gut bacteria, that’s why this is a good place Part 4
to start if you have IBS.
YO U R C O LO N

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YO U R M I C R O B I O M E I S YO U R B E ST
A L LY I N YO U R H E A LT H

Some researchers estimate that half of the cells

in your body are not human; they’re bacteria.
Part 5
That bacteria community plays a huge role in
your health. Most of the bacteria live in your YO U R G U T
digestive system; it’s called B AC T E R I A
the microbiota or microbiome. FRIENDS

Over the last few years, there’s been a ton of View Lesson
research on the microbiome, but there are still a

lot of unanswered questions. Studying this inner

ecosystem is difficult because there are so many
factors influencing it. There are about 1,000
different strains of bacteria working together as
a community, so it’s like studying the rain forest
and trying to figure out which animal or plant
species is the most important. As of writing this,
scientists haven’t found the strain or handful of
strains of bacteria that create the “perfect”
microbiome in everyone, and they probably
never will.

Because your microbiome lives inside you, it’s

very determined that its home stays healthy and
happy. When it’s a strong, balanced community,
the microbiome helps you digest your food,
heals your gut walls, balances your immune
system, adjusts your metabolism, and even
affects how you think.

THE GUT/BRAIN CONNECTION

Your microbiome is surrounded by a sea of

neurons or nerve cells. More neurons live
around your gut than in your spine. This Enteric
Nervous System (ENS), which you can refer to as
a “second brain,” is so vast and complex that it
makes most of your neurotransmitters (your
brain’s chemical messengers), including 90
percent of your serotonin and 50 percent of
your dopamine. Research is finding that gut
bacteria play a role in keeping your body’s
neurotransmitters in balance and maintaining
good mental health. In your gut, these
neurotransmitters help you digest your food.

It’s hard to imagine that your gut health would

affect your brain, but research has found that
having Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is
connected with a greater chance of having a
psychiatric disorder. Anxiety and diarrhea are
both thought to be triggered by an abundance
of neurotransmitters, and depression and
constipation are thought to be due to an
absence of neurotransmitters.

What I find to be the coolest area of research is

how your gut bacteria may change your
personality. When timid mice were inoculated
with gut bacteria from adventurous mice, they
quickly became adventurous, too. And the
adventurous mice became timid as soon as they
were given gut bacteria from the timid mice. A
study from The Ohio State University looked at
stool samples from toddlers and found those
with the most diverse inner ecosystem had the
most positive behavioral attributes. They were
more likely to be cooperative and share their
toys.

This study also found a possible correlation

between diverse gut bacteria and extroversion
in the boys in the group. I come from a family of
introverts, and I identify on the introverted side
of the scale, and it made me wonder whether my
introversion is something in my genes or was
that a trait passed on to me through my mom’s
gut bacteria?

THE GUT/IMMUNE CONNECTION

The bacteria in your gut are technically foreign

invaders, so shouldn’t the immune system kill
them off? That’s its job—to find foreign cells, like
suspicious bacteria, and eliminate them. In the
case of these foreign invaders, your microbiome
has developed not only a symbiotic relationship
with your immune system but it’s taken charge.

Early mammals had an organized microbiome

long before the immune system developed. As
the early mammalian bodies developed a
primitive immune system, the microbiome took
the reins to keep its home safe and sound. To
make sure that the bacteria weren’t kicked to
the curb by the immune system, the microbiome
took over the job of deciding when the immune
system should attack. It’s your immune system’s
modulator; your microbiome tells your immune
system when to attack and when to stand down.
Think about that for a moment: Cells that aren’t
human but dwell in your body are what decide
how your immune system functions.

Scientists can’t really determine what a human’s

life would be like without a microbiome because
there’s no way to study it in humans. Forcing a
person to live without a functioning microbiome
would be cruel, but (sadly) researchers can
perform animal studies to see what happens.
Germ-free mice have been found to have a
blunted immune system, and they aren’t able to
respond appropriately to an invader.

In humans, researchers are beginning to

connect an imbalance in the microbiome with

many inflammatory diseases and autoimmune

conditions. Currently, there’s a proposed
connection between the clean lifestyle found in
North America and the rising number of kids
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (which is an
autoimmune disease). A six-fold increase in this
condition was found in kids who had clean water
to drink and lived in homes with proper
sanitation compared to those who had many
strains of bacteria in their drinking water and a
childhood rife with many intestinal infections.
Early research is also connecting a change in
gut bacteria with age-related chronic
inflammation.

I believe we’re going to see more and more

research into this area over the next few
decades, and we may soon see probiotics,
fermented foods, and other dietary measures
used as the mainstream treatment for many
autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that
are currently very hard to treat. We still have a
long way to go to uncover the power of the
gut/immune connection.

YO U R M I C R O B I O M E A F F E C TS T H E
E N E R GY YO U E X T R AC T F R O M F O O D

The discovery of antibiotics has played a major

role in human health. Antibiotics were a
breakthrough for treating bacteria-based
diseases and formerly deadly childhood
diseases, such as meningitis and strep throat,
that are easily cured with antibiotics. However,
it’s now become apparent that we’ve been
overusing them. Antibiotic-resistant bugs are
creeping in and are quickly becoming deadly.
Often, people blame doctors for overprescribing
antibiotics, but agriculture is where the majority
of the antibiotics are used in North America.

Beginning in the mid-1950s, conventional animal

producers fed subtherapeutic doses of
antibiotics to their animals daily, not to ward off
infection but to fatten them up. Could the
antibiotic residue found in these foods when we
eat them be unintentionally doing the same
thing to us?

Thankfully, this method of fattening up animals

is changing. In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration banned the use of antibiotics in
animals for growth. The antibiotic residue found
in food has been reduced by one-third since the
change took effect.

Dr. Martin Blaser, Director of NYU’s Human

Microbiome Project, proposes in his
book Missing Microbes that a steady intake of
prescription antibiotics, antibiotic residue, and
antimicrobial compounds in the diet (like
chlorine on salad greens) are the cause of
weaker microbiomes, and this may be affecting
metabolism (as well as the immune system and
other body systems). In his research, mice given
antibiotics early in life gained weight much
faster than those with an intact microbiome. The
question for humans is, if this affects mice, does
it affect us as well?

(Dr. Blaser’s book is fantastic if you’re interested

in reading more!)

YO U R G U T B AC T E R I A B A L A N C E I S I N
YO U R H A N D S

Scientists may never find the “perfect”

microbiome balance, just like they may never
find the balance of trees and wildlife that makes
up the perfect forest. My microbiome is as
unique as a fingerprint and is balanced to suit
my diet, my climate, and my interaction with
other lovely humans. That’s the goal: to
make yourmicrobiome perfect for you.

You have a lot of control over your microbiome.

Sometimes you indeed need antibiotics to deal
with an infection, and that feels a bit out of your
control, but there’s a lot you can do every day to
help balance your inner ecosystem.

Most importantly, your bacteria eat whatever you

eat, and your diet plays a huge role in
determining both the strains of bacteria that
take up residence in and the diversity of your
microbiome. They munch mostly on undigested
fiber, and your good bacteria especially love
plant-based fiber from veggies, fruits, nuts,
seeds, beans, and grains. The American Gut
Project has found that diets with the highest
diversity of plant-based fiber feed the most
diverse microbiomes.

Fermented foods, like sauerkraut, whole milk

yogurt, and kefir, fertilize your gut beautifully.
These foods are full of good bacteria but not of

the type of bacteria that takes up residence.

Bacteria from these foods are usually transient,
but that’s not a bad thing! As the bacteria move
through your gut, they leave in their wake an
amazing environment for a robust and diverse
ecosystem. Research has found that regularly
eating fermented foods is linked to a diverse
microbiome.

Many people unknowingly stress their

microbiomes by eating a low-fiber diet or
inadvertently eating foods with antibiotic
residue. Without a steady supply of fiber, your
good bacteria in your colon can die off, and
other refined-food-lovin’ but less-than-stellar
strains can take their place.

It doesn’t take long to make real changes in

your microbiome! Research has found that within
four days of a dietary change, a person’s gut
bacteria has noticeably changed. Wherever your
microbiome is today, it can be well on its way to
a better balance in just one short week.

Supporting your gut bacteria doesn’t involve a

difficult diet or removing all of your favorite
foods. Your gut bacteria are happiest when you
add some of their foods to your diet. Focus on
adding and you’ll start to feel the difference :)
 H OW ’ S YO U R G U T B AC T E R I A D O I N G?

Your gut bacteria are a cooperative dance

between about 1000 different strains of bacteria,
yeast, and parasites. Some are considered
“good” and others are considered “bad”, but I
think that’s not the full story. I think that the
balance is key and something, like a parasite, is
usually considered “bad”, but in balance it can
be very helpful for the gut. There’s even
research that has connected parasites to a lower
risk of auto-immune conditions.

So, I think it’s better to think of your gut bacteria

as a whole – is it working well as a beautifully
functioning community? Or, is it struggling with
invaders or an overgrowth of certain strains?

There are wonderful stool tests on the market

that will test your microbiome and find out your
balance and what’s going on in your gut. But,
they can be expensive and that’s not possible
for everyone’s budget.

When I work with clients, I use their symptoms to

see what might be going on in the gut. I only
turn to these tests if their gut bacteria isn’t
reacting as expected or there are some extra
stubborn symptoms that aren’t resolving.

S M A L L I N T E ST I N A L B AC T E R I A
OV E R G R OW T H ( S I B O )

This is becoming a very common issue for many

people and this one is actually easily testable.
Most Naturopaths and some G.P.s can provide a
breath test to see if there’s an overgrowth of the
wrong bacteria in the small intestine.

The small intestine has a small but important

community that protects the delicate lining. If
there’s an overgrowth, it can lead to many small
intestine symptoms, especially, bigtime bloating
that very visible, like you’re 4+ months pregnant.
People with SIBO also tend to bloat a lot when
they consume sugar alcohols, like xylitol or
maltitol.

Treating SIBO usually involves a short-term

restrictive diet called FODMAPs
(https://www.monashfodmap.com) and a
prescription antibiotic. Sometimes just the diet
does the trick, but these strains can be stubborn
and the antibiotic can be an important tool.

OV E R A L L I M B A L A N C E D G U T B AC T E R I A
( DYS B I O S I S )

There are 3 types of dysbiosis:

1. Too little bacteria in the gut (commonly

found after antibiotics or food poisoning)

2. An overgrowth of unhelpful strains of

bacteria/yeast/parasites (like a candida
overgrowth or SIBO)

3. A lack of diversity in the gut bacteria

Many people have a combination of imbalances,

and you don’t need to know exactly what you’re
dealing with, unless you suspect you have SIBO
(since the treatment is a little different). The
steps to find balance are the same for all three
types.

P H YS I CA L SY M P TO M S O F DYS B I O S I S

• IBS or chronic digestive issues

• Fungal overgrowth (yeast infections,
thrush, athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm)
• Exhaustion & brain fog
• Crohn’s & Colitis
• Food intolerances
• Gas, bloating, burping, flatulence
• Chronic inflammation
• Skin rashes, like eczema and psoriasis
• Possibly auto-immune conditions (more
research is needed)
• Possibly anxiety & depression (strongly
correlated to IBS symptoms)
• Possibly obesity (research has linked
obesity to low diversity)
 FINDING BALANCE

There’s a high chance that if you live in North

America or Europe, your gut bacteria could use
some help. Between the use of antibiotics in
farming and our wonderfully clean water and
sanitation, our gut bacteria don’t get seeded
and fed like they once were.

You can live with all of our wonderful amenities

AND keep your gut bacteria balanced; it just
involves a few additions to your day.

F I R ST, D O S O M E W E E D I N G

Sometimes you’ve gotta kick out the bad critters

so there’s room for the helpful ones to thrive.
Fungal infections, parasites, and SIBO are signs
that a certain strain of bacteria, yeast, or
parasite has grown unfettered for too long.

You do this by taking an antimicrobial, which will

kill off the bad guys (and, warning, some good
guys) and create the space for your new,
balanced ecosystem.

This is a temporary addition to your life. Don’t

take any of these for longer than 1 month before
taking a break, unless your practitioner has told
you otherwise. If you have a stubborn
overgrowth (like candida) you can take an
antimicrobial two weeks on/two weeks off until
you can get it under control.

Just choose one (and if one doesn’t work, try a

different one):

Oregano Oil (regular strength, no higher than

80% carvacrol) – take 2 – 4 drops under your
tongue 2x per day.

Colloidal Silver – take 3 tsp per day or follow

the instructions on the bottle.

Raw Garlic (do not take if you suspect SIBO) –

chop 1 – 2 cloves a day, let it sit for 5 minutes,
then consume.
Goldenseal – follow the instructions on the
bottle

*There are many more anti-microbials, these are

just the main guys.

R E D U C E G U T B AC T E R I A ST R E S S O R S
As you rebuild your microbiome, you want to
make the environment as conducive as possible
for a thriving ecosystem. Here are some
common gut bacteria stressors:

Chlorinated water – chlorine kills bacteria, that’s

why it’s in our water. Chlorine is easily removed
through a carbon filter (like Brita) or leave a jug
of water on the counter overnight (it’ll dissipate
into the air)

Antibiotic residue in food – this has improved

over the last few years, but antibiotics are still
used in some food production. Farmed salmon is
a huge source of antibiotic residue. And, you
can still find some antibiotic residue in non-
organic milk, eggs, and meat. If it’s in your
budget, look for organic options when possible
to avoid antibiotic residue.

Lack of plant-based fibre – your gut bacteria

eats the indigestible fibre found in plant foods. If
you don’t eat plants (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds,
and beans) then your colonies starve. Refined
white sugar is hard to break down and also acts
as a food to your gut bacteria…but that usually
feeds the less-desirable strains.

S E E D YO U R G U T ( P R O B I OT I C S )

Your gut bacteria need regular seeding. In the

past, your gut bacteria were seeded through the
bacteria that is naturally found in water (streams
and lakes), dirt (on food that was grown and dirt
on your hands), and through poop contamination
(which happened frequently before running
water and toilets).

Today, we can mimic the natural seeding of our

gut through probiotics. They’re important at the
beginning of your journey and you can cut down
your dose to 1 – 2x per week once your
microbiome is thriving. This will keep it well-
seeded.

Look for a multi-strain probiotic supplement that

contains human strains of bacteria. These
strains are most likely to take up residence in
the gut. Also, look for one that contains lots of
bifidobacteria, this is the type we would have
gotten through poor sanitation in the past.

If you’ve had a microbiome problem for a very

long time or you weren’t breastfed as a baby,
look for a supplement that contains “bifido
infantis”. It’s become a more popular addition to
adult probiotics recently because it’s an
important base strain for the gut. It’s needed to
create the right environment for a balanced
ecosystem and many people didn’t get
inoculated with it as a baby. That’s okay, you can
seed your gut with it now :)

F E E D YO U R B U G S ( P R E B I OT I C S )

Prebiotic supplements are all the rage right now,

but they’re completely unnecessary. It’s better
to use your diet instead…a capsule of prebiotic
fibre doesn’t make much of a difference.

Your gut bacteria eat the indigestible fibre in

your diet and their favourite food is plant-based
fibre (fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains,
and beans). And, research has found that you
create a strong and diverse community of
bacteria by eating a diverse range of plant-
based fibre.

But…we’re creatures of habit and tend to eat the

same things day in and day out. Stretch your
plant-based fibre boundaries by incorporating a
few new fibres to your diet, like:

• Beans
• All seeds, chia seeds are especially good
• Unique veggies, like Jerusalem artichoke
(and any new veggie will do)
• New-to-you fruits
• All whole grains, like oats and quinoa

My challenge to you – try a new plant-based

fibre source every month for the next year. Keep
what you like, and you’ll quickly find that your
diet has easily become much more diverse :)

F E RT I L I Z E YO U R M I C R O B I O M E
(FERMENTED FOODS)

Fermented foods used to be a big part of our

lives as humans. We’d ferment foods to store
them and new storage techniques (like canning
and freezing) have made fermentation
unnecessary.

But your gut LOVES fermented food. It’s like

Miracle Grow for your gut. Just one serving a
day makes a HUGE difference!
Grab some unpasteurized sauerkraut, kefir,
whole-milk yogurt, miso, tempeh, or kombucha
and enjoy some every day. Or, try your hand at
fermenting your own veggies…at home
fermentation makes for a stronger and more
diverse ecosystem in each spoonful!

B O N U S ! G U T B AC T E R I A F E E D I N G C H I A
PUDDING

Chia pudding is a delicious treat that also helps

the gut—my favorite combination. When soaked,
chia seeds produce a gel-like fiber, which feeds
good bacteria and can regulate the gut. This
recipe helps with both constipation and diarrhea
:)

Chia pudding works best for alleviating

constipation or diarrhea. Just enjoy ½ to 1 cup
each day! (For a homemade version, click here
to try the recipe)

SUMMING IT UP!

Your gut bacteria want a happy and healthy

home and eats what you eat! Rebalancing your
microbiome doesn’t take a “perfect” diet, just
one with all of the ingredients – fibre, bacteria,
fermented foods.

If you’re really struggling, reach out for help.

I’ve been helping people rebalance their gut
bacteria for 10+ years and love a new digestive
puzzle to figure out. Send me your questions for
our next Q&A session and don’t forget, as a
member, you get 15% off all consultations and
packages if you’d like more personalized help :).

Got any questions or comments? Comment

below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or
the Ask Lisa page :).
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