Gut Flora: Living Nutrition for a healthy body

Author: Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Bacteria are everywhere, in and on your body, your clothes, your pets, the roots of plants ... Although many people still get shivers at the thought, most bacteria are not harmful but indispensable for all life on earth.

Your beloved cannabis plant, for example, cooperates with various beneficial bacteria that ensure a healthy growth and flowering phase and thus guarantee strong weed buds. The plant provides the bacterium with food and in return the bacterium extracts nitrogen from the air and makes it available to the plant. This relationship that benefits both parties is called symbiosis.

Hygiene during the corona pandemic

In times of corona, of course, people wash their hands much more often and everyone seems to have more symptoms of mysophobia. The fear of the virus turns into fear of everything that is 'dirty'. Let's not forget that nature makes us stronger through certain good bacteria and that this can support us in a healthier life. In this blog we look at the role of bacteria and focus on the positive influence of good intestinal bacteria on our energy level and our resistance to diseases and infections.

Of course, in this day and age we have to be very careful about the possibility of spreading viruses, diseases and bad bacteria. Especially if you already have a bad resistance, or are old, you have to be extra careful and it is important for 'healthy' people to realise this. 

Don't get sick through fear

The fear of becoming ill can, in many cases, cause illness. If you avoid everything that you love and lock yourself away in the house, for example, are you really less likely to become ill? This reasoning is understandable but also very illogical. Children who grow up on an (organic) farm can generally be described as much stronger and less prone to disease. Why is this? Because they are exposed to 'filth' at an early age and their bodies learn to build up a certain resistance. Protecting yourself and your loved ones against these 'scary' bacteria is therefore actually an action that is counterproductive. Your body becomes weaker and weaker and less able to protect itself from outside attackers. The fear of bacteria is real and may have something to do with the fact that the 'enemy' is invisible and can therefore take on superhuman proportions. It feels like a battle in which we can do very little because we cannot absorb the blows. Fear is a bad counsellor and does not help to do what is in your power to protect yourself and others from negativity. 

Fun fact: Most bacteria live very deep underground. No less than 90% of all bacteria live under the sea. 

The important function of bacteria

Bacteria play an important role in breaking down dead organic material into simple compounds. Cleaning up all this dead 'waste' is done in nature in a super smart way, making everything reusable. Hopefully, as humans, we will look more closely at the way this system works and live by it, instead of producing junk that does not fulfil any reusable function. 

Bacteria in the body

Bacteria in the intestinal flora play an essential role in the development of a healthy digestion. Only 1 in 2 cells in your body is yours. The other 1 in 2 cells contains DNA that is not yours. This enormous 'external' quantity helps you and works with you to digest food, protect you against diseases, break down toxins, produce certain vitamins (micro-nutrients), help our immune system in repelling unwanted intruders... You could say that you are a composition of many different organisms. That may sound a bit strange, but it also gives a different view on you as a human being and on the important role of bacteria (it's a part of yourself, so why fight it?).

Beware of preservatives

When one does have to deal with a bad kind of bacteria, different techniques are applied to reduce the growth of this bacterium. In food, for example, various preservation techniques are used to reduce the growth of certain bacteria. Unfortunately, many preservatives are very bad for your intestinal flora and kill not only the bad, but also the good bacteria. In our intestines there are trillions of microorganisms that all fulfill their function in keeping our system healthy. Our immune system owes a lot to our intestinal bacteria. You are less susceptible to diseases and infections when you have a healthy intestinal flora.

Research shows that the Western diet causes a sharp reduction in beneficial intestinal bacteria. Certainly in comparison with more traditional lifestyles, Western people eat without much variation. Lots of fat and simple sugars, very low in fiber. When this is passed on to future generations, these important intestinal bacteria cannot be transmitted and it is possible that they will become extinct. So it is very important that we take good care of our bodies now, in order to maintain future health, even if it is not ours!

Tips for a healthy intestinal flora

Do you have a disturbed intestinal flora? Although you can have a special examination done for this, it is often already clear from your body that it is telling you how it is. Take a look when you have been to the toilet. Your stool consists for a large part of dead bacteria and are a direct indication of the health of your intestinal flora. Poor bowel movement, diarrhoea or constipation indicate an unhealthy or disturbed intestinal flora. Puori SB3 offers an enormous load of probiotics (no less than 13 trillion good bacteria) to help them. Follow this course to give your body a first push in the right direction, but also ensure a healthier lifestyle with lots of exercise and fresh food.

Don't eat processed food. This means food that is not, or minimally processed and contains no preservatives. How difficult is it to find unprocessed food in this day and age? At a gas station you should indeed do your utmost to find anything that is a bit healthy for your intestinal flora. It's unfortunate that very little is still being done about this, although people are starting to realise more and more that the role of food is crucial in having good health. Hopefully soon you'll not only get green energy for your means of transport but also for your body at petrol stations. How about a large fruit orchard surrounded by fruit bushes and nut trees?

If you want to keep food longer, use techniques that do not involve disrupters of the intestinal flora, but rather strengthen it:

Fermentation: Fermented food can be kept for a very long time and also contains many healthy bacterial cultures that have a positive influence on digestion, energy levels and resistance. Examples are sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough bread, fermented vegetables, yoghurt, kefir and kombucha. Not only is it very tasty and fun to make yourself, it is also super healthy. But it does cost you some time and energy that you have to have for the process. It's mainly so-called lactic acid bacteria that need to be given the chance to develop. Lactic acid bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid.

Living Nutrition: Capsules in which the fermentation techniques are applied to make kefir and kombucha. These probiotic drinks are full of good bacteria that largely help to strengthen your body. The capsules are made in such a way that they do not need any preservatives other than their organic ingredients!

You can choose from different herbal blends of, for example, peppermint, lemon balm. There are also combinations with medicinal mushrooms, which in turn contain numerous health benefits. 

Natural supplements: Choose health products that avoid instead of cure. Nature contains many herbs that can help in balancing your body. Avoid as many antibiotics as possible, which seriously disrupt your body's natural balance. Of course, in some cases it is unavoidable and you should always consult a doctor before you decide to stop taking medication. 
 

Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Elena studies Organic and Biodynamic agriculture because, besides psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants, she also has a passion for healthy food. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different cannabinoids and terpenes is super interesting.

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