antibiotics

Symptoms & Causes of a Microbiome Imbalance

Symptoms & Causes of a Microbiome Imbalance
In the last blog post we discussed what the microbiome is and how it can be impacting your hormones.
 
Perhaps you aren’t experiencing hormone issues, specifically, but you may still have an imbalance in your microbiome.
 
Do any of these symptoms resonate with you?
 
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Bloating
  • Stomach Pain
  • Autoimmune Conditions
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Chronic Colds or Infections
  • Skin Issues (Rashes, Acne, Eczema)
  • Nausea
  • Allergies
  • Food Intolerances
  • Joint Pain
  • Brain Fog
  • Asthma
     
     If you answered YES to any of those…well, your microbiome may be out of whack!
     
     That just means the good and bad bacteria in your gut may not be in the right balance.
Let’s discuss some things that may cause an imbalance in the microbiome.
 
First up is stress. It can decrease the diversity of the microbiome and you don’t want that! You need a range of species in the gut to function optimally. 
 
Stress can increase the number of bad bacteria in the gut, while at the same time decreasing the number of good bacteria!
 
But be aware, stress and the microbiome is a two-way street. Stress negatively impacts the microbiome -- but when your microbiome is off, you are more likely to feel stressed! So it becomes a really vicious circle.
 
Diet is huge. Eating a diverse range of foods increases microbiome diversity. The food you eat is what feeds the bacteria in your gut. The more diverse your food, the more diverse nutrients you provide, and thus assisting the growth of different types of bacteria. 
 
This is great as diversity can assist in recovering from things like exposure to infections or antibiotics.
 
But, a diet diverse in healthy foods is key as refined carbohydrates & sugar can feed the bad bacteria as well as the commensal (neither good nor bad) bacteria. This can push the commensal bacteria from beneficial to harmful. 
 
Alcohol can cause dysbiosis - an imbalance between the good & bad bacteria. 
 
Candida, parasites and chronic infections can also cause dysbiosis.
 
Sleep. This is a big one for so many things - mental health, hormone health...and yes, gut health! That’s because our body has our internal clock - the circadian rhythm. If you aren’t sleeping enough, it disrupts the circadian rhythm - and this not only has negative effects on the gut bacteria, it encourages the microbiome not to act as it should.
 
Antibiotics. I doubt this surprises anyone. Even when used short-term, they decrease the number of good bacteria and the diversity of the bacteria in your gut. These side effects can last up to two years after use! Pretty scary.
 
Medications and the OCP also disrupt your microbiome.
 
What are some things that you need to change to better support your microbiome?


MEET JEN

 
Hello! Thank you popping by! I’m Jen. I'm a wife, a furmama to two gorgeous dogs, a Naturopath, Nutritionist, and an advocate for natural ways to support physical and emotional wellbeing. Oh, and I’m a CEO! 

My journey originally started in Psychology. You see, when I was 16 my father took his own life after suffering years of a debilitating gambling addiction. I did a Bachelor’s in Psych as I wanted to understand why he made the choices that he did. I also wanted to ensure that I never went down that path and also help those suffering as he did. I loved it so much I went on to do a Masters.

It was during that time I got sick. I’m talking woke up one morning and couldn’t get out of bed, sick. For many years I felt helpless and frustrated!

Let me back up for a second. Prior to this life consisted of pain and fatigue. I had digestive issues and IBS from childhood. Through my teens and early 20's I was getting 2-3 migraines a month around my cycle and headaches more than half the month. My periods we very painful – I had to miss work or school the first 1-2 days. I would literally lie on the floor or the bed curled in the foetal position and cry from the pain. I could easily talk a full packet of Ibuprofen and still not get much relief.

Then, at 26, my period stopped altogether and things went downhill fast! For the first time in my life I was feeling apathetic and overwhelmed. Over the course of the next two years I was diagnosed with a host of conditions – are you ready for the laundry list? The first diagnosis was PCOS. I was told that I was infertile, that I would never have children, and that IVF wasn’t an option for me. I was also told that I was pre-diabetic, that my liver was worse than an alcoholic’s (and I don’t drink), that I had migraine disorder, vertigo, and adrenal fatigue. The cherry on the cake was a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s at 28.

I was in complete and utter shock. I couldn’t fathom that a 28-year-old Personal Trainer, who looked fit and healthy on the outside, could be in such disarray on the inside.  

Over the two years I saw five doctors and a Naturopath and nothing improved.

And then one day a friend and I got in touch. She told me to change my diet and take specific supplements. I figured I had nothing to lose, and so I did! I went onto a low-carb diet and was taking upward of 30-40 pills a day…and guess what?! Three months later my period started!! How incredible is that?!

Over the next two years all of my health ailments rectified! Well, all except my Hashi’s – more on that in a minute. My cycles became clockwork, they were manageable, the migraines and vertigo disappeared and my liver and blood sugar levels returned to the normal range! How exciting is that?! The best part, I can now have children should I choose! Having that option is incredible!

Of course I was so excited and inspired that I had to go to school and study Nutritional Medicine and Naturopathy.

Now, let’s talk about my Hashi’s. That only went into remission when my toxic load was decreased. That was a lightbulb moment for me and the moment I got fired up to share with others the importance of leading a low-tox life. I love educating people where toxins are found, what impact they have on physical and emotional wellbeing, and what products to replace them with to support your wellbeing. 

I sincerely believe that many of my health issues would not have presented if I were living a low-tox life. My Hashi’s has been in remission since I was 31 and I am so proud to say that! Praise God!

Life is so different to what it was 10 years ago. I have the energy and the mental capacity to engage in life! I am present and am thriving. Oh, and I laugh! I actually laugh out loud, something that eluded me for many years.

I am happy and healthy and it is my mission to help YOU be the happy, healthy person you are meant to be!
I would love for you to join our exclusive community and learn how you too can find freedom from physical and emotional barriers. I look forward to seeing you there!
 

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