The Big Idea: eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fermented foods to maintain a healthy microbiome and discourage disease.
- An unhealthy microbiome is associated with: infant colic, allergies, autism, auto-immune diseases, obesity, depression, schizophrenia, OCD, stroke, heart disease, systemic inflammation, and cancer.
- Vaginal childbirth is preferable to C-section.
- Breast milk helps feed an infant’s microbiome.
- Take antibiotics only when necessary, since they can decimate benefit beneficial gut bacteria.
- If antibiotics are unavoidable, supplement with probiotics quickly afterwards.
- Wash children’s hands regularly during flu season.
- Start each day with kefir or yogurt.
- Being around dirt, animals and people helps expose us to beneficial microbes.
- Ease up on the need to sanitize everything.
- Feed your gut microbiome plenty of dietary fiber.
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains.
- Limit red meat, which is converted to TMA and TMAO.
- Limit saturated fat, which feeds pathogenic bacteria.
- Consume fermented foods for probiotics.
- Consider following the Mediterrean diet or the traditional Japanese diet.