Embrace diversity in your diet by picking different things to eat and trying something new every week to excite your taste buds and benefit your gut microbes.
Significantly increase your fiber intake, aiming for natural, diverse fibers from grains and vegetables, as these act as an amazing fertilizer for your gut microbes.
Learn about and consume foods high in polyphenols, which your gut microbes convert into useful chemicals that support your immune system, heart, and brain.
Prioritize eating largely unprocessed, real food that is local and seasonal, as this nurtures your microbiome and optimizes gut health for your environment.
Give your gut a rest by not snacking and considering a 12-hour fasting window every 24 hours, or skipping breakfast once or twice a week, to allow your microbes a break.
Consciously think about and improve four key areas: food, movement, sleep, and relaxation, as these interconnected pillars profoundly impact your overall health and gut microbiome.
Include foods high in inulin, such as Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, garlic, and less ripe bananas, as microbes use inulin as a massive energy source to produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids.
Try to eat five different vegetables per day, and use a color chart to track the diversity of colors consumed, as this is a simple way to increase polyphenols and gut diversity.
When prescribed antibiotics, consider consuming yogurt, kefir, or other natural probiotics, as this can help reduce adverse effects and support gut health recovery.
Challenge long-held beliefs and ‘old-fashioned ideas’ about nutrition, such as macronutrient wars or calorie counting, and instead focus on evidence-based approaches to restart your understanding of food.
Recognize that sleep deprivation and increased stress, leading to higher cortisol, can negatively impact your gut health, so prioritize adequate sleep and stress management.
Be aware that excessive movement can have a detrimental impact on your gut health and gut border, suggesting a need for balanced physical activity.
Avoid blindly trusting all health information online, especially claims that advocate a single microbe or product as a cure-all, as many are exaggerated or lack human evidence.
Involve children in picking and growing local, real food to help them connect with nature and understand where their food comes from, fostering healthier eating habits.
When consuming meat, consider opting for fattier cuts, as traditional hunter-gatherer tribes prioritized these over lean meat, suggesting potential overlooked nutritional benefits.