What’s Carrying You Around?

Good Day she says!  What a great day to be around she says!

Do you know someone who talks about themselves in the second or even third person?  There must be something luxurious about stepping out of yourself for a while and 'disowning' a part of you if you aren't happy with it.  Inside your gut - in a sense that is exactly what your microbiome does if you don't look after it - it steps out in part.

What is a microbiome you say?  Very good question...but listen carefully to the answer because this message will self destruct as quickly as your bacteria will if you miss the main theme.

Science has been very busy of late and there is an excited murmur in the field of immunology and gastroenterology alongside natural medicine in the discovery and further research of the human microbiome (located in your gut) and its interaction with the entire workings of the other systems in the rest of the body.  It has been found that the human microbiome is not so micro after all. In fact - it has 10 x the number of cells there than the number of cells in your entire body.

So it can be said that your microbiome is actually carrying the rest of your body around...

Each of us have our own number and type of bacterial (biome) make up - kind of like our own bacterial fingerprint, but we can lose strains along the way with some irrecoverable outcomes.  These bacteria communicate very effectively with our immune system but are also just as fragile as our egos when it comes to insults.

Here are some of the worst kinds of slander you can throw at your microbiome:

1.  Exposure to heavy metals and pesticide chemicals (found in soil, food, water, cosmetics, cleaning products, agricultural products to name a few)

2.  Poor childhood or pre maternal and paternal nutrition from conception - preconception and the first 3 years are vital for optimal building of the microbiome

3.  Repetitive antibiotic  ('anti life') use in the first 3 years of life - especially when not countered with the correct strains of probiotic ('for life') to balance the wipe out

4. Repetitive proton pump inhibitor use in the first 3 years of life (used to treat reflux) - these drugs are only designed to be used for no longer than 12 weeks usually.  The long term effects of these drugs are well researched and should never be part of a long term treatment plan. See your doctor who prescribed them for the next stage...or see a Naturopath as they usually have that planned for you.

5.  Low or no introduction of prebiotic type foods early in life (vegetables, fermented foods, healthy fat rich foods, complex carbohydrates with fibres)

Make Every Mouthful Count

6.  High impact stress on the foetus or early in life

7.  Overly fanatic hygiene practices - the human microbiome loves a few germs to get fit on

Remember - your microbiome is bigger than yourself but way more sensitive and reactive to environmental changes, so the next time someone asks you 'Are your eyes bigger than your belly?' you can most definitely tell them no!


Nicky is a qualified Naturopath and Corporate Wellness Facilitator.  If you would like Nicky to speak at your next conference on health in the work place or would like to consult directly, please call the clinic on +61 755939145.

Don't miss our June Special on Super Kids Food - buy one - get one free!   Go to our store to purchase before June 30 to grab a free one for a friend.  Just indicate the quantity you are paying for and we will double your order, but not your postage!

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