Did you know that there are ten times more bacteria in your digestive tract than there are cells in your body?

Called the gut microbiome, these tiny bacterial allies play a fundamental role in the immune system. When the delicate balance of these bacteria are disrupted, it sets the stage for inflammation, which is at the root of virtually every chronic illness — from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, to autism, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease. Even a depressed mood, an out-of-control appetite, joint pain, allergies, and thyroid symptoms can have their roots in your gut microbiome.

Watch my latest appearance on Eat Real Food TV to answer many questions about the gut microbiome, including:

• What is it, and why is it so important?
• What factors disrupt its delicate balance?
• What can we do to optimize the health of our gut microbiome?
• What is the role of fiber, and which fibrous foods should we be looking for?
• What should we be looking for in a probiotic supplement?
• What is the best resource for more information on this topic?

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And now I'd love to hear from you. What would you bring with you to a desert island after watching this episode? What is one thing you can commit to start doing to improve your own micro biome? Let me know in the comments below and I'll have a new article for you next week on Doctor as Teacher Tuesdays!

Would you like to take your learning about health to the next level? Take the Eat Real Food Academy online course to learn more about nutrition and the optimal way to fuel your body. Registration is open until Monday January 25th, 2016.