👍 Microbes Saved My Life and Can Save Yours and the Planet’s, Too
My wake-up call came when I was 37 years old. I was fat, sick, and could barely function. At my annual woman’s check-up, the scale popped up to a devastating 204 pounds. My 5 foot - 2 inch body was severely out of proportion, and I was mentally drained. That winter, I learned about the healing effects of microbes and started my healing journey from the inside out. Without these tiny, single-cell organisms, we couldn't survive, yet microbes can survive without us.
In last week's article, I touched upon our microbiome. This week I’ll dig deeper into the guts of the matter and show how our guts relate to the planet as well. This topic is so important because our lives and the planet's life depend on this microscopic organisms for survival. If everyone spent as much time understanding this reality as they do watching reality TV or consumed by the unfulfilling matrix, humankind just might last another century.
So let's dig in …
A microbe is a microorganism, - a bacterium either causing disease or fermentation.
Whoa.. disease or fermentation? What does that mean? Are they good or bad?
Microbe is the term for tiny creatures that are too small to be seen with the unaided eye. It's hard to imagine that millions of them can fit into the eye of a needle. Microbes include bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists.
Microbes are the oldest life form on Earth, and were present hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, dating back over 3.5 billion years.
Microbes are everywhere. They are in the air you breathe, the ground you walk on, the food you eat, and inside your body. The human body contains trillions of microorganisms — outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1. There are more of them on your hand than there are people on the entire planet! However, because of their size, microorganisms make up only about 3% of your body's mass (in a 200-pound adult, that's 2 to 6 pounds of bacteria) but they play a vital role in your overall health.
Without microbes, we can’t digest food, plants won’t grow, garbage won't decay, and there wouldn't be enough oxygen in the atmosphere to breathe.
So How Do We Get Healthier?
We welcome healthy microbes into our body with a healthy mindset.
If you suspect you have leaky gut, chronic diarrhea, or constipation, I suggest checking out Dr. Natasha Campbell’s wealth of knowledge on these subjects. She is known for the GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) and has helped thousands of people reclaim their gut microbiome health, which is linked to most chronic diseases.
If you can change your gut, you can change your life.
Most people don't realize that what we eat, how we think, and how we live affects the makeup of our gut bacteria. It can be one of our strongest allies or one of our worst enemies.
The connection between gut bacteria and practically every other aspect of your health, including mental health, is affected by what is in your gut.
Studies have shown that gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters that affect the health of your brain. Believe it or not, your gut could be to blame for certain mental disorders.
🌏 Everything is Interconnected
~ Microbes in the Soil
It is no surprise that the Soil, the source of most of our food, is full of microbes. Soils contain about 8 to 15 tons of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms, and arthropods.
Eating healthy, live food lays the groundwork for beneficial microbes to thrive. When the Soil gets blasted by chemicals, like when you eat processed foods, too much sugar, or junk food, and the results are SICK! Dead food invites nasty bacteria to settle in your gut and harbor disease.
🌏 The health of the Soil is affected
by what it is fed, just like us.
How does healthy soil benefit humans?
According to a Harvard Study, healthy, biodiverse soils are crucial for human health and well-being for several reasons: biodiversity controls populations of pathogens, healthy soils can reduce disease outbreaks, and carbon-rich soils may also reduce outbreaks of human and animal parasites.
How to restore and improve your gut bacteria
Add fermented foods to your diet
Eat only organic fruit and vegetables from local farmers
Reduce stress
Reduce or eliminate processed sugar and processed foods
Stay healthy so you can avoid antibiotics if possible
Get a daily dose of grounding by walking barefoot, or getting your hands in the Soil
Spend time in Nature and breathe in fresh air.
Never use antibacterial products that have Triclosan as an ingredient.
Covid has perpetrated the use of antibacterial products, such as hand soaps, mouthwashes, cleaning products, cosmetics, and products containing the chemical Triclosan. According to many reputable sources, including Beyond Pesticides, the antibacterial compound Triclosan has been linked to numerous human health problems. Exposures come mainly by absorption through the skin or through the lining of the mouth. These exposures have resulted in contact dermatitis, skin irritations, and increased allergic reactions, especially in children.
It has been added to many consumer products—including clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and toys—to prevent bacterial contamination. Yes, it is important to be sanitary, but make sure you understand what these products are doing to you and the earth. There are many natural alternatives mega corporations would prefer you not know about. Check out this article from Center Springs MD.
In Summary:
I care deeply about you and the Earth. There are more microbes in a tablespoon of healthy Soil than people on Earth. We are made up of the Earth's elements. 99% of the human body's mass comprises: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. When the Earth microbiome is healthy, it means we are relating to the Earth and working with the systems and cycles of Nature, and we are healthier. Eat to live.
I hope this post piques your interest to learn all you can about the value of healthy microbes in your gut and in the Earth. My message to you is to get down to Earth, touch the soil, and satisfy your soul.
References:
Does Soil Contribute to the Human Gut Microbiome
🥰 A Dose of Positivity
The healthier we are, the healthier the world can become. This week, March 31st, Sally Fallon Morell, our special guest on A Dose of Positivity, will shine a light on how nourishing traditions is more important than ever. Get inspired to ride the wave of personal responsibility and the health of all lifekind.
Join us for a weekly uplifting discussion every Thursday at 4 pm PST, 7 pm PST.
This week, let’s learn some good nutrition tips! 🍓
Sally Fallon Morell is the founding president of The Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org), a non-profit nutrition education foundation dedicated to returning nutrient-dense food to American tables.
She is also the founder of A Campaign for Real Milk (realmilk.com), which has as its goal universal access to clean raw milk from pasture-fed animals.
She is the author of the best-selling cookbook Nourishing Traditions (with Mary G. Enig, PhD); The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care (with Thomas S. Cowan, MD); Nourishing Broth (with Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN); Nourishing Fats; and Nourishing Diets.
Her latest book is The Contagion Myth, co-authored with Thomas S Cowan, MD. She and her husband Geoffrey Morell are owners of P A Bowen Farmstead (pabowenfarmstead.com) in Southern Maryland, which produces raw cheese and milk from pastured cows, woodlands whey-fed pork and grass-fed poultry and eggs.
Visit her blog at nourishingtraditions.com.
Here's the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3HlyUfj
I'll remind you again on Thursday morning 😉
Are you a change maker, thought leader, or health and wellness professional? I would love to interview you in one of our episodes! 🌈
Join our uplifting Facebook Group for A Daily Dose of Positivity. Contribute your positive vibration and receive from others. 💕
Need some Mama Donna love? 🥰
Book a free discovery call ✨
