| š« Blueberries vs. Fancy Probiotics ā whoās the real MVP for gut health?If your gut microbiome is off, hormone balance becomes way harderāespecially as you get older. And youāre more likely to struggle with tolerating hormone replacement therapy (HRT), too. Hereās why that matters:Your gut isnāt just for digesting your lunch. Itās a major player in both your immune system and your nervous systemāthe two systems you want balanced before ramping up hormone support of any kind. Doesnāt matter if youāre male or female. Recently, I stumbled across a great 2020 study in Frontiers in Nutrition that made me rethink the probiotic obsession. š¬ The study found that blueberry polyphenols (plant compounds) helped modulate gut bacteria, reduce inflammation, and support metabolic health. In other words? š More polyphenols = more good bugs in your gut. š More fiber + variety = stronger microbiome. š” What they concluded: Youāre better off feeding the good bacteria already living in your gut with foodālike berries, veggies, and legumesāthan relying solely on a pricey probiotic capsule. Of course, probiotics can be helpful (more on that in a second), but if youāre already eating 3ā5 servings of veggies a day, you may not need one. And if you’re not eating that much fiber-rich, colorful food? You probably wouldbenefit. But hereās the catch: Even a “healthy” diet can fall short if it lacks variety. Avoiding entire food groups long-term? That may shrink the diversity of your microbiome. Over the last 18 years, Iāve seen firsthand how extreme restrictionālike the 100% carnivore dietācan backfire. Sure, people may feel better initially. But thatās often because theyāve removed foods they couldnāt properly digest in the first place. Why couldnāt they digest them? They were missing the bacteria needed to break them down. āSo why not just take a probiotic?ā Good question. But hereās the thingāI’ve seen a lot of people react poorly to probiotics. From head-to-toe rashes to histamine flares. Because their gut immune system wasnāt ready for 30 billion new friendsovernight.š” Thatās why I always recommend supporting the immune system first, and then feeding the beneficial bacteria with fiber and polyphenols to help them thrive naturally. Hereās another fun fact: as estradiol levels drop with age, your gut barrier and immune function can decline, which is why gut issues often flare up in peri-menopause or andropause. So just throwing a probiotic at it? Not always the fix. Iām not anti-probioticāthey have their place. But what if you could nourish your microbiome from the ground up instead? The GAPS Diet is my go-to for rebuilding gut health (with tweaks based on each clientās unique needs). You can check it out here: https://www.gapsdiet.com/about/ Now, if you’re not in the middle of a full-blown bloating crisis, start small:Add Ā½ cup of blueberries, cherries, beets, red cabbage, or raspberries.Watch how your digestionāand maybe even your moodāresponds. šØ Bonus tip: The more color in your food, the more polyphenols your gut bugs will thank you for.Your microbiome wants to thriveāyou just have to feed it right. Hereās to eating your medicine (instead of taking more pills),Dr. J PS: Rich Relationships is my new favorite book! Get $297 in bonuses when you pre-order your copy – $19.99 by Tuesday, May 13th š Click the button below! |
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