Microbes in our guts control immunity, help us access vitamins and amino acids, protect us from toxins and inflammation, and communicate with our brains
I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease 30 years ago and wish I had access to this information years ago. But it's never too late. I focus on my diet and gut biome and it has made a huge difference in my life.
Yes, this is definitely cutting edge information in clinical medicine. I suspect it is not in other healing modalities because the things we have to do to keep our microbiomes healthy are just better for our health overall, but also very vulnerable to systemic cultural and economic forces (e.g. clean air, clean water, healthy soil, maternity leave, etc) More on that next week though.
Thanks Kate, it did take a while, but it’s such a fascinating topic, it’s easy to get sucked down rabbit holes. My daughters are definitely sick of hearing about microbiomes :)
Thank you. It did take a lot of time, but it's such a fascinating topic it's easy to go down a few rabbit holes. My daughters are definitely sick of hearing about microbiomes :)
This is fascinating! When I worked as a nurse in the ICU I noticed so many “lifestyle” diseases that we could only manage not cure. Intuitively, I was like, “What’s the one thing we all do three times a day? EAT!” I started an apprenticeship at an urban organic farm to learn more about what it means to grow and eat healthy food and I haven’t looked back since!
Seeing doctors and sustainable agriculture practitioners (farmers) develop a true partnership would be the coolest thing ever. ☺️
Yeah, we get very little nutritional education in medical school (as you probably know), so if you don’t come in with that interest and knowledge you don’t have much info to advise patients with. That said, the foods that make a healthy microbiome generally make everything else healthier too (high fiber, veggies, fermented foods, low salt, low sugar, high protein) so it would definitely be beneficial, especially if it resulted in improved access to healthy food. My local CSA and I partner to host a plant walk of wild edible plants at their farm, so we’re starting to flesh this out :)
Oh man, I love this! I have a vision of doctors someday writing prescriptions for local CSA’s and having insurance companies pay for it. I like to dream BIG! 😅🙌
Haha, yes to that too! Maybe there are stair step solutions? I couldn’t figure that one out so I just bailed from the system altogether but I believe like anything, there’s both/and work at play.
Yes, I think we get really trapped by trying to imagine what is practical in such a dysfunctional system and it limits the possibilities we are even willing to consider. My book I’m working on is a real pie in the sky dream about what the future of healthcare could be.
I can’t wait to read it! We need visionaries (and garden/plant rooms in hospitals like the one in Grey’s Anatomy). There’s so much good that can and will be done. Cheering for your journey and book writing!
I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease 30 years ago and wish I had access to this information years ago. But it's never too late. I focus on my diet and gut biome and it has made a huge difference in my life.
Yes, this is definitely cutting edge information in clinical medicine. I suspect it is not in other healing modalities because the things we have to do to keep our microbiomes healthy are just better for our health overall, but also very vulnerable to systemic cultural and economic forces (e.g. clean air, clean water, healthy soil, maternity leave, etc) More on that next week though.
Fascinating, thank you full pulling this together it’s clearly a lot of research and time. Look forward to the next one! K
Thanks Kate, it did take a while, but it’s such a fascinating topic, it’s easy to get sucked down rabbit holes. My daughters are definitely sick of hearing about microbiomes :)
Fascinating, thank you full pulling this together it’s clearly a lot of research and time. Look forward to the next one! K
Thank you. It did take a lot of time, but it's such a fascinating topic it's easy to go down a few rabbit holes. My daughters are definitely sick of hearing about microbiomes :)
This is fascinating! When I worked as a nurse in the ICU I noticed so many “lifestyle” diseases that we could only manage not cure. Intuitively, I was like, “What’s the one thing we all do three times a day? EAT!” I started an apprenticeship at an urban organic farm to learn more about what it means to grow and eat healthy food and I haven’t looked back since!
Seeing doctors and sustainable agriculture practitioners (farmers) develop a true partnership would be the coolest thing ever. ☺️
Yeah, we get very little nutritional education in medical school (as you probably know), so if you don’t come in with that interest and knowledge you don’t have much info to advise patients with. That said, the foods that make a healthy microbiome generally make everything else healthier too (high fiber, veggies, fermented foods, low salt, low sugar, high protein) so it would definitely be beneficial, especially if it resulted in improved access to healthy food. My local CSA and I partner to host a plant walk of wild edible plants at their farm, so we’re starting to flesh this out :)
Oh man, I love this! I have a vision of doctors someday writing prescriptions for local CSA’s and having insurance companies pay for it. I like to dream BIG! 😅🙌
My dream has more to do with insurance companies being out of the picture altogether 😂
Haha, yes to that too! Maybe there are stair step solutions? I couldn’t figure that one out so I just bailed from the system altogether but I believe like anything, there’s both/and work at play.
Yes, I think we get really trapped by trying to imagine what is practical in such a dysfunctional system and it limits the possibilities we are even willing to consider. My book I’m working on is a real pie in the sky dream about what the future of healthcare could be.
I can’t wait to read it! We need visionaries (and garden/plant rooms in hospitals like the one in Grey’s Anatomy). There’s so much good that can and will be done. Cheering for your journey and book writing!