It’s not only what we eat and how we feel, but what is happening in our environment that affects the gut.

Did you know that medications including proton pump inhibitors, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics all impact the gut bacteria? Not to mention chemicals in personal care and cleaning products, and pesticides and preservatives in our food. Alcohol is also a great destroyer of healthy gut bacteria.

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weed killer and several studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects that this chemical has on the gut microbiome, in both humans, and animals living near agricultural sites.

This is important because we are essentially more bacteria than human. We have about 20,000 genes, but there are around 3.3 million bacterial genes. Changes in the gut microbiome affect everything about us – from our digestive system to our mood, hormones, appetite and weight.

The gut is like a huge factory where each group of workers has a specific job. If one or more of these groups are wiped out, the factory simply can’t function properly which creates disruption and eventually, chaos.

The world we live in is not supportive of our gut microbiome, so we need to be actively making choices that support our health.

Our home environment is the one place we can control.

I now eat mostly organic and only use natural cleaning and personal care products. It was a gradual process of replacing products as I ran out and transitioning over to organic food. This might seem more costly and like it takes more time, but it comes back to prioritising.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep eating organic when I first started my business but what I found was that there really isn’t much difference money wise when you plan it out properly. It’s really about choosing yourself.

So in summary:

• Eat a whole foods diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats and avoid processed and refined foods as much as possible
• Use medication only when necessary
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Use natural personal care and cleaning products as much as possible

This will help your good bacteria to thrive, so that you can thrive!