Expose young children, especially in the first three years of life, to diverse environmental microbes (e.g., dirt) to help shape a robust and diverse microbiome. This can train their immune system and impact healthy metabolism, potentially reducing the risk of asthma, autoimmune diseases, and later-life obesity.
Do not overly protect young children from microbial exposure, as overly sterile conditions may harm their microbiome’s development. This can predispose them to an underdeveloped microbiome and associated health issues.
While life-saving, be mindful that early life exposure to antibiotics can disrupt the developing microbiome. This potentially increases the risk for diseases like asthma and later-life obesity.
Prioritize and maintain healthy sleep patterns, avoiding erratic sleep-wake behavior. This profoundly impacts the microbiome’s function, influencing weight regulation, glucose metabolism, and the avoidance of type 2 diabetes.
Consider time-restricted eating to limit food intake to a specific window. This can restore the gut microbiome’s circadian activity and positively impact metabolic and immune function.
Refrain from smoking, as cigarette-related chemicals penetrate the gut and disturb the microbiome’s composition and function. This independently increases the risk of developing obesity, even after smoking cessation.
Incorporate dietary fibers into your diet, as they are generally beneficial for the gut microbiome and overall human health. The specific types of fibers and their effects can vary.
Exercise caution when taking probiotics concurrently with antibiotics, as probiotics may persistently inhibit the return of the indigenous microbiome after antibiotic treatment. This could lead to chronic disturbances and increased risk for chronic diseases.
Explore personalized nutrition services or self-monitoring methods to understand individual glycemic responses to foods. This allows for tailored dietary adjustments based on unique microbiome and physiological data.
Use a personal glucose monitor (e.g., continuous glucose monitor or finger-prick device) to measure your blood sugar responses after consuming different foods. This enables you to identify counterintuitive reactions and tweak your diet to reduce sugar spikes.
If experiencing recurrent weight regain (yo-yo obesity), consider supplementing with specific isoflavonoid metabolites (e.g., apigenin, naringenin). This may potentially restore fat cell signaling to release heat and store less fat, as observed in mouse studies.
In cases of yo-yo obesity, fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) may offer a way to reset the microbiome and prevent exaggerated weight regain. This approach, demonstrated in mice, replaces a ‘bad memory’ microbiome with one capable of generating beneficial compounds.
Sign up for the Found My Fitness email newsletter to receive episode announcements, convenient links to transcripts, timelines, summaries, and other special resources.
Try the Found My Fitness premium members podcast, The Aliquot, for 30 days. This provides access to curated segments, monthly Q&As, and a bi-monthly science digest, while supporting the podcast.