Healthy bacteria and microflora are essential to gut health. When your gut microflora is imbalanced, you are more vulnerable to diseases and discomforts. Stealth viruses play a huge role in offsetting the sensitive microclimates in our body. A stealth infection is just what it sounds like – a hidden infection, viral, bacterial or otherwise, that invades the body. These stealth pathogens may even change the way our immune system behaves in our body. If a stealth pathogen has the right characteristics in structure, and the proteins they express, the body can mistake them for its own tissue. Stealth viruses are very common. You get past the symptoms, but never actually rid your body of the virus, much like the herpes virus. It is a mystery why an early infection does not leave the body entirely and often reappears later in life when the immune system is not as strong.
So, the aforementioned begs the question: what is the best way to protect yourself from exposure to stealth pathogens and infectious bacteria? Keep your gut healthy and flourishing with all the good bacteria you can find!
One of the most important things you can do for your gut, and body for that matter, is use food as medicine. Eating whole foods that resemble the source, versus processed, saturated fatty foods, is ideal. Reach for low sugar, complex carbs, and avoid foods that ignite inflammation (foods known to be inflammatory triggers are gluten, corn, dairy, soy, peanuts, and sugar). Increasing the fiber via your food selections daily will also promote good gut health by feeding the good gut microflora. Another contribution to a healthy gut is taking a daily medical grade probiotic, such as Xymogen ProbioMax Daily DF. Medical grade probiotics are an excellent way to promote good microflora in the gut, in turn improving its health. Drink plenty of water daily and exercise; try not to be sedentary. Remember, good gut health improves the lining of the intestines, creates a thicker mucus wall and a stronger barrier between our body and the stealth infections that want to attack.
As you improve the health of your gut, you should begin to see changes in your overall health and wellbeing including mental health and mood, hormone balance, digestive health, vaginal health, more regular bowel movements, better weight management, increased energy and improvement in disease states and infection.
At OBI BioAesthetic Institute we are honored to partner with our patients in their care, to help bridge the best inside with the out. Call 904-273-5454 to schedule your Integrative Medicine consultation to learn more about how our Nurse Practitionerscan help you improve your gut health.
Sekirov, I., Russell, S., Caetano, L., Antunes, M., & Finlay, B. (2010).Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews.
Retrieved June 2018 from https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00045.2009
