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Food Choices

Mention the word "diet" and we all think of reductions, restrictions or uncomfortable changes in the way we eat. That's why calling it Food Choices not only feels better, but is more directly to the point of why America's population is having health and weight problems. Our food choices have taken us to a point of bad health. Good news is, they can also take us back to healthy.

Nurturing Your Good Bacteria

As it turns out, soluble plant fibers are what the probiotic (good) bacteria in your gut need to thrive. Your GI tract ferments these prebiotic fibers to create their nourishment (see Fiber Fermentation). Prebiotic fibers come primarily from whole foods. Mostly grains, vegetables and fruits. So if you're eating enough of these high prebiotic fiber sources in these food groups, you might be doing just fine. Foods like whole wheat, oats, barley, rye, onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, chicory root and bananas. If you're not, a prebiotic fiber source like ProBiotein can help.

Avoiding The Trouble Foods

Part two of the plan, is to reduce or avoid the bad foods that cause trouble. Sugars, starches, processed foods, salts, added fats. Pretty much what you'd expect. The bad foods can fuel the pathogenic bacteria, and cause trouble like unfavorable pH shifts and dysbiosis – a microbial imbalance.

Cue The Village Elders

Humans have always relied on whole foods in nature that we found, or hunted, or eventually cultivated. Our gut microbiomes seem better suited for those foods than most of what we eat today. Our ancestors learned through generations of trial and error, what kept the village healthy. It was the job of the tribal leaders to enforce those rules for the survival of the community. Lately we've lost track of that and often make bad food decisions that are putting our villages in jeopardy and dragging us all down.

Boosting The Good Foods

Pretty much everything you need can be found in plants. Natural foods, including grains, vegetables and fruits, are chock full of thousands of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and protein. Yup, protein. Look at elephants. Big, strong, muscular vegetarians. Same with cows, horses, etc. There's plenty of protein in plants. But animal protein – meat, fish, dairy – can be good food too. The main thing to keep in mind, is to just make sure you let natural plant-based foods be the more significant part of what you eat, and let the other foods be the accents.