Enlist The Help Of Your Microbial Army

by
Aisling Grimley.

Nutritional Therapist, Medicinal Chef and Author Rachel Graham outlines The Benefits of Probiotics for Women’s Health in Menopause.

Strange but true fact: Our bodies are made up of more bacteria than human cells, and the gut alone contains trillions of microbes, bacteria and fungi.

In fact, it’s estimated that the body is composed of 10 times more bacteria than human cells. However, not all bacteria are friendly. It is very common to have an imbalance of gut bacteria – the medical term for which is dysbiosis. Fact: women tend to have a lot more gut issues than men… this is likely because of stress as well as other contributing lifestyle factors coupled with hormone imbalances. As women, we are natural multi-taskers, but more often, we feel stressed out & worn out as we run around after kids, work full-time, as well as run the household. It is no surprise that suffer from frequent infections or that we find ourselves lacking in energy & reaching for stimulants i.e., sugar & caffeine to try to keep up with our lives. But what if supporting our gut health by taking a daily dose of probiotic-rich fermented foods or a high-strength probiotic supplement could be the answer?

Making Sauerkraut

Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years. It is the ancient art of food preservation. The most common fermented foods include sauerkraut, kombucha, natural yoghurt, kefir, etc. Fermented foods contain enhanced nutrient content because of the fermentation process, making them more bio-available & therefore digestible. In fact, one of the benefits of consuming probiotics (either as a supplement or in fermented foods), is their ability to transform your digestion. ridding you of symptoms like stomach cramps, wind, diarrohea, constipation, bloating etc… But that’s not all they are good for…

Brain Health

As the gut microbiome is also known as the second brain, it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy gut can really boost your mental health. By Increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut, you can help to control your mood & support your cognitive function – think improved memory & concentration! Optimal gut health can improve your mood, supercharge your brain activity, eliminate feelings of anxiety, as well as help you sleep.

Vaginal Health & UTIs

Millions of women all over the world suffer from chronic yeast infections (defined by 4 or more per year) because of an overgrowth of harmful
bacteria. These can be painful and often have us reaching for over-the-counter products, or even calling our GP to prescribe antibiotics. However,
antibiotics kill all our bacteria – both good & bad…

Furthermore, 30-40% of these antibiotic-treated UTI infections reoccur, due to antibiotic resistance.
In contrast, probiotics can both prevent & cure yeast infections by killing the candida and establishing a well-balanced gut microflora.
Eating fermented foods regularly increases your number of antibodies which naturally improves your immunity.
In the process, these probiotics will encourage a healthy urinary tract, which will also prevent re-occurring, painful, urinary tract infections.

Making kombucha

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Your gut microbes determine how much energy to extract from your food & in the process help you to maintain a healthy weight by regulating hunger hormones. Optimum gut health also reduces sugar & carbohydrate cravings! As women, we experience hormone imbalances frequently over the course of our life which can also lead to digestive health issues i.e., sluggish metabolism & constipation. By re-focusing your efforts on optimising the number of friendly bacteria in your gut microbiome, you will find it easier to maintain a healthy weight. So by now you know - what’s going on in your microbiome matters and if you have experienced any of the health issues listed above then it’s likely that you could benefit from a gut reboot!

The first thing to do is clean up your diet – remove any foods that can potentially trigger an immune response or inflammation like gluten and dairy. If your gut were a garden, this would be the equivalent of weeding.
Then, introduce some anti-inflammatory foods like dark leafy greens and avocado, as well as some fermented foods like miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, etc.
Thirdly, get moving – whether daily walks, swimming, cycling or yoga, exercise will really help your digestion & gut motility, not to mention reduce stress & release your happy hormones.
Lastly, I believe that women should add a digestive check-up to their yearly health screening. Typically, it involves routine blood tests as well as dietary stool analysis with a designated lab. The insight these tests provide is extremely valuable.

Anti-inflammatory golden turmeric

4 Seed Rye Sourdough

Dietary stool analysis

This functional test carried out by a specialised lab is different from the tests run by your GP (which is usually only trying to rule out a bacterial infection) Dietary stool analysis can reveal the type of bacterial strains as well as the balance of microbes in your gut - whether harmful or beneficial. Both strains live commensally in your gut, however, you want more of the beneficial strains. This delicate balance of gut microbes (tipped in your favour) is associated with good nutrient absorption, heightened immunity and even cancer prevention. A nutritional therapist can analyse the lab results & personalize your regimen, recommending digestive enzymes and probiotics that have more of the bacterial strains you need in abundance. This is further proof that there is no “one size fits all” -vyour microbiome is as individual as your fingerprint! Without a doubt, optimising your gut health is your secret weapon to long-term health. If you look after your gut bugs, they will look after you!.... For further information or to request a consultation just get in touch…

Rachel Graham Nutritional Therapist, Medicinal Chef and Author

Rachel's Resources