Has your immune system been over-worked and underpaid?
2022 for many people was wrought with unusual amounts of sickness. After having been in lockdown previously, many of us had not been exposed to infection for sometime and so once life returned to ‘normal’ our immune systems got hit with a barrage of infection. However our immune systems were out of practice! Gastro anyone?
Furthermore, many of us went from ‘lock-down’ life which in many ways was down a notch on the usual - and so when things were back on in 2022 there was a marked increase in expectations, social events, commitments, activities etc etc.
Finally, for many of us who had COVID this may have left a mark on your immune system and left you unusually rundown and depleted.
If you can relate to this, then 2023 may mark the chance to REBUILD and RESET. Now is also the time to really start building on that immune function before the weather starts to cool down again.
I have had quite a few people ask me how they can rebuild and reset after a bout of sickness. And as any natural health practitioner worth their weight would say … it all starts in the gut.
Building Gut Diversity: the cornerstone of a robust immune system
Gut diversity is the hallmark of a healthy gut.
The American Gut Project is a fascinating study that started over 10 years ago. People from all over the USA were given the opportunity to voluntary submit stool samples for analysis of their gut microbiota. They also provided information about their diet and other lifestyle factors.
The key insights which came out of this and other research around building diversity in the gut:
Plant-based foods are key: because they are high in fibre. This study found the more plant-based foods in a week, the greater the diversity of your gut microbiome. People who ate 30 different types of plant-based foods were at the top of the class in terms of the diversity in their gut micrbobiome
Fermented foods: try making your own here
Higher amounts of processed foods and animal fats and fewer than 10 different types of plant-based foods had less diversity
Sedentary lives: those who lived with little movement in their lives had less diversity. Exercise has a positive effect on GM diverity.
Alcohol: many forms of alcohol reduce GM diversity, although red wine in moderation has been shown to increase it.
Smoking has a negative impact on diversity
If you want to read more about the role of the gut in female health check out What Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Gut by Professor Barbara Ryan, MD and Elaine McGowan, RD.
Or, check out this podcast by Jason Hawrelak on why good health begins in the gut": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-32-jason-hawrelak-on-why-good-health-begins/id1635324922?i=1000591944658
