Bespoke Gut Healing Through the Microbiome
We are all about matching holistic health services with the specific needs of each client here at Holistic Room. If two people are suffering with the same symptoms or condition, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the same treatment will help them both. We are all unique, our bodies needs are unique so the path to healing will invariably be unique to each person. We believe in finding the right protocol or practitioner who can support your specific needs to health and vitality.
However, research is showing us time and time again that paying attention to a specific system in the body, can yield positive results for many people suffering from a wide range of symptoms and conditions. The system we are referring to here is the gastrointestinal system.
The gut microbiome which resides in the gastrointestinal system is currently a hot topic of discussion in holistic health circles and increasingly in conventional practices too. More and more practitioners and doctors are focussing their attention on improving the balance and diversity of the gut microbiome to address and heal a multitude of both obvious and non-obvious health symptoms and conditions.
What is the gut microbiome?
The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live in your intestinal tract. There is now no doubt that these little critters have a big impact on our overall health and wellbeing.
Bloating and IBS are not the only symptoms of an imbalanced gut microbiome
When it is out of whack and “bad bacteria” have taken root and are multiplying at speed, you may suffer with a multitude of symptoms and conditions. Symptoms are not just restricted within the gastrointestinal system. Many conditions throughout the body can be a result of an imbalanced microbiome, many of which you wouldn’t easily connect to the health of the gut. The list is exhaustive, but some conditions include:
- Eczema and psoriasis
- Allergies
- Autoimmune diseases
- Anxiety and depression
- Neurological conditions and cognitive decline
- Insomnia and constant fatigue
- Cardiovascular disease
- Infertility (due to the microbiome affecting the endocrine system and key reproductive hormones)
With a list so wide ranging and quite frankly, unsettling, it would be wise to understand what you can do to create a more balanced and diverse gut microbiome. It has the potential to not only treat a wide range of conditions, but to keep you healthy so you can fully enjoy life.
Probiotic supplements
Taking probiotics is usually the first approach taken to address an imbalanced gut microbiome. This approach may offer some benefits, but many probiotics don’t make it to the gut microbiome to flourish in the intestines as they don’t survive the acid in the stomach. Research shows that only certain probiotic strains can survive the harsh conditions of the stomach. Without knowing which strains will survive, you are none the wiser on which probiotics may be beneficial for you or not.
Another factor to consider is the number of friendly bacteria you ingest. Probiotic supplements are measured in CFUs which stands for colony forming units. The dosages of most of the probiotics on the market range from 1 to 10 billion CFUs that you take once or twice a day. If you don’t get enough CFUs, which may occur with lower quality probiotics, you might not get the results you want.
Is there another way to get your probiotic fix?
We don’t really do book reviews via this blog, but we do geek out in spreading information that can be easily utilised by the masses and which can have profound health benefits. For that reason, we want to share an excellent book with you by Dr William Davis called Super Gut.
Not only does Dr Davis do a great job of explaining how we have disrupted our internal ecosystems and the composition of the microbes dwelling in our gastrointestinal tracts. He also clearly outlines protocols that show readers how to eliminate bad bacteria and bring back the missing “good” bacteria based on researched techniques and protocols. These techniques and protocols can get to the root of many symptoms and diseases.
The bespoke solution
One of our favourite protocols in the book is making home-made yogurt that contains cultures that are specific to your needs. This is the whole concept of holistic healthcare, treating conditions from the root cause and tailoring the needs to each client.
Dr Davis outlines several key beneficial bacteria and their specific benefits in the body. Using Dr Davis’ many years of research, you can pick and choose the strains that meet your specific needs and get your daily dose of beneficial bacteria in the form of a tasty yogurt. Clear instructions are provided on how to make the yogurt, so nothing is left to guesswork.
In addition, the yogurt contains hundreds of billions of CFUs when fermented for a specific number of hours as opposed to the millions often found in supplements. This is most likely much more than you will get from any fermented products found in supermarkets or health stores.
Final word
We are not affiliated with Dr William Davis or Super Gut in any way, but we do love sharing information that we have personally benefitted from. With so many conditions stemming from an unhealthy gut environment, we believe Dr Davis’ protocols are not just easy to follow at home and inexpensive compared to probiotic supplements. But more importantly, one of the most effective protocols you can use to support your health and wellbeing.
