gut health and exercise

When it comes to gut health and the numbers of good “bugs” in our digestive tract, we all want a diversity of bacteria.  In other words, we want a wide variety of different types / strains of good bacteria taking up residence there.  This is because the bacteria in your gut, make up as much as 80% of your Immune System (HERE).  Furthermore, these same bacteria perform any number of functions that are critical to your health and well-being.  Lack of good bacteria is being associated with problems as diverse as DEPRESSION to DIABETES, and nearly everything in between (HERE).  In fact, there is an old saying from the field of natural health that says, “Heal the Gut — Heal the Body“.  Today we are going to show you yet another study proving that in many ways, people used to be smarter than they are today.

A brand new study was published in one of the British Medical Journal’s numerous specialty journals; Gut.  Not only did diet and exercise both play an important role in the biodiversity that occurs within a healthy GUT, they found that increased consumption of protein seemed to help as well  Hmmmmm.  Can anyone say PALEO?  Think about it; high Glycemic Index diets may not cause DYSBIOSIS, but they certainly feed it.   Interestingly enough, the study’s authors also found that those with better gut health had less INFLAMMATION.  Frankly, none of this should come as a surprise.

When you get down to brass tacks, what is the “cure” (word used here figuratively, of course), for the majority of the health problems facing Americans today?  That’s easy; diet and exercise.   If you really want to begin to understand how in many ways, different diseases are various forms of the same underlying problems, read some of THESE articles.  Then take some time to see why I promote an exercise program that is heavy on the Resistance Training / Interval Training (sprints) and light on the Cardio (HERE). 

The study’s conclusions should be taken to heart by all of us.  “The results provide evidence for a beneficial impact of exercise on gut microbiota diversity but also indicate that the relationship is complex and is related to accompanying dietary extremes.”  Although the “dietary extremes” they are talking about (Low Carb / High Protein), have been ravaged by the media lately; due to its ability to completely CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR, it is what I recommend for most of my patients.