Our gut has a complex ecosystem, like a forest floor. Even though it is located within our body, we have more living gut biome cells than in our bodies. Most people think the gut is just a food tube, but those residing cells in our gut dictate much of what makes us healthy. Let me paint a picture of this most interesting world that I will call the GUT FOREST.

The GUT FOREST has an active microbial flora home to bacteria, yeasts, molds, viruses, and other cells that help or challenge us. Going to a forest analogy, if there were only one type of tree, plant, moss, or other living thing, it would have a hard time surviving. A forest needs diversity and competition to grow healthy and strong. That is true of plants, moss, and fungus within the forest.  It is also true of the microbial flora that grows in our gut.

Our GUT FOREST gets a jump start beginning with birth. A baby going down the vaginal birth canal picks up various microbes from its mother that is missing with a C-section delivery. Other specialized nutrients with breastfeeding help establish the GUT FOREST microflora, which is more diverse and beneficial than any processed formula. Also, a natural delivery would eliminate the chance of antibiotics being used before birthing, which would suppress the chance of the baby's growth of its GUT FOREST biome. The greater the diversity and size of the baby's GUT FOREST, the healthier the baby responds to its many upcoming challenges in early life.

Growing up, the children's diverse GUT FOREST is negatively affected by junk food. The analogy is that junk food feeds invasive weeds and brush versus desired species of plants. Less healthy food biome diversity reduces the gut and body defenses, allowing more inflammation and less immune protection. This can lead to diseases including obesity, diabetes (Type 1 and 2), depression, and food allergies for children.

Chronic use of certain pharmaceutical medications also impacts the GUT FOREST biome. Some pharmaceuticals may affect the biome's health and diversity or irritate the intestinal lining; others may reduce the production of the protective mucus barrier to the intestine. Look at the mucous barrier as the MOAT and the intestinal wall as the FORTRESS meant to allow entry into the body selectively. The place for many pharmaceuticals is as an intervention and less as a chronic cure. Your role as the GUT FOREST caretaker is to adjust the food types and environmental management.

Foods that feed the GUT FOREST microflora are typically not absorbed into the body. These prebiotic foods are digested by the residing biome's bacteria, yeasts, and molds. The purpose of our GUT FOREST is to help block the absorption of toxins, provide the first line of immune defense, create nutrients, including free fatty acids that fortify the body, and create neurotransmitters and hormones for the body. The vital activity of the body's FOREST acts as the second brain, helping the body perform more effectively.

When the body ingests organic whole foods, it does not include antibiotics of any form. Chemicals that harm the GUT FOREST biome can be found with GMOs or other foods with trace amounts of herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. If chemicals kill plants and pests, it also works like an antibiotic within your GUT FOREST. Antibiotics can be given to animals to treat infections or to speed the animal's weight gain (by reducing the animal's protective gut biome). Preservatives put into many foods act as antibiotics. They may prolong the shelf life of a food product, but they work against your GUT FOREST for best health and diversity.

What can you do to have the most diverse and vibrant GUT FOREST biome? It starts with eliminating preservatives and unnecessary additives, which are most often found in processed foods. Read your labels.

Select organic food products and preparations whenever possible. Eat the most diverse selection of foods possible. Diversity comes not only in the type of foods but also in the color of food. There is a rainbow of colors; the darker the food's color, the better.

You want to select more foods that are rich in plant nutrients. Proper fats and proteins effectively support the good biome, which reduces inflammation and improves your immune system against disease.

Avoid or minimize processed sugars and starches, processed fats, and processed meat proteins that support the inferior part of the biome. Future articles and blogs will help you understand the good, bad, and ugly foods, leading you to greater vitality and health like your GUT FOREST was meant to have.