Five ways to nourish your microbiome.
Super simple things you can do right now to create more health and vitality by creating a healthy foundation.
1. Build a diverse and healthy gut flora.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that digest our food so we can absorb nutrients, create energy, and our bodies can perform every single aspect of living. Needless to say, our gut flora are the absolute foundation of our health. New research is finding a connection between the make up of our gut bacteria and our mental, physical, as well as emotional health.1-5
The best way to begin building healthy gut flora is to include probiotics in our diet. Fermented foods and probiotic supplements are excellent ways to increase the strains of beneficial bacteria that will support our long term health and vitality.
Foods high in probiotics include:
miso paste (must not be boiled)
kombucha get $10 off with our link!
sourdough (although the probiotics are killed during baking, the fermentation makes the grains more digestible and encourage good bacteria)
Sometimes it can be difficult to rebuild a suppressed gut microbiome through diet alone and even when we may be eating the most biome friendly diet, our modern environment makes it nearly impossible to maintain healthy flora on our own. The problem with many probiotics is they do not have the potency or resiliency to populate the digestive system past the stomach. It's important to choose a supplement that has the right beneficial strains of bacteria, as well as the right delivery method.
Our favorites are listed below. They are curated for the highest quality and benefit for building your gut flora:
Amare Happy JuiceTM pack get $10 off with our link!
LeanBiome save up to 70%
Amare Probiotics get $10 off with our link!
Daily Greens get 10% off with our link!
Get up to 70% off.
LeanBiome provides multi-strain probiotics for targeted support of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
2. Include more prebiotics in your meals.
Prebiotics are indigestible fiber components of plants that provide fuel for healthy gut bacteria. By providing beneficial bacteria plenty of fuel, the balance of flora in your microbiome will be going to work for your health--rather than working against it. Prebiotic fiber is just as important as bulking fiber in your diet.
Foods high in prebiotic fiber include:
Legumes: kidney beans, black beans, peas, chickpeas or garbanzo beans, cannelini beans, organic soy beans etc.
Alliums: garlic, onions, leeks, chives
Chicories: dandelion greens, radicchio, endive, frisée, chicory root powder
Root vegetables: burdock root, beetroot, fennel bulb, sunchokes, konjac, jicama, yacón
Other vegetables: asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, eggplant, green peas, snow peas
Seaweed: wakame, kombu, nori, hijiki, umibudo, kelp
Fruit: apples, blueberries, nectarines, white peaches, persimmons, watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate, dates, figs, bananas and plantains
Whole grains: organic and heirloom whole wheat, barley, rye, sprouted oats, raw cacao, flax seed
Including as many of these plants in your routine will nourish your gut flora.
Foods high in prebiotic fiber include:
Legumes: kidney beans, black beans, peas, chickpeas or garbanzo beans, cannelini beans, organic soy beans etc.
Alliums: garlic, onions, leeks, chives
Chicories: dandelion greens, radicchio, endive, frisée, chicory root powder
Root vegetables: burdock root, beetroot, fennel bulb, sunchokes, konjac, jicama, yacón
Other vegetables: asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, eggplant, green peas, snow peas
Seaweed: wakame, kombu, nori, hijiki, umibudo, kelp
Fruit: apples, blueberries, nectarines, white peaches, persimmons, watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate, dates, figs, bananas
Whole grains: organic and heirloom whole wheat, barley, rye, sprouted oats, raw cacao, flax seed
Below are our favorite and most convenient ways to include Prebiotics in your diet without making huge changes in your routine or learning new chef skills.
Amare GBX SeedFiber supplement powder save $10 with our link! Cold pressed seed powders including Black Cumin, Concord Grape, Cucumber, Cranberry, Sunflower, and Blackberry seeds make this an exceptional fiber supplement. It has adaptogenic mushroom mycelia extract and supports the gut-brain axis and mood. Mix with smoothies or juice for an easy fiber-boosting drink that will seamlessly integrate into your day.
Amare MetaBiotics prebiotic, phytobiotic, and probiotic powder save $10 with our link! The only probiotic we've found that focuses on mood by bringing harmony to the three brains of our bodies, gut, heart, and mind. A unique blend of prebiotics that optimize the included probiotic strains for greater vitality, along with targeted phytobiotics for gut and brain health.
Microingredients Triple Fiber Powder with Psyllium Husk fiber, prebiotics Chicory Root and Acacia fiber this all-in-one supplement is perfect for getting your gut health journey started.
Microingredients Organic Papaya Powder loaded with beneficial papaya enzymes, this organic and non-irradiated papaya powder has a subtle but delicious papaya flavor for fruit smoothies that will support healthy digestion.
Health Helpers Pro X Digest probiotic with enzymes save up to 70%! A combination of digestive enzymes for properly breaking down meals, plant-based ingredients, and great probiotics, this is an excellent choice for a simple supplement for digestive health.
Gut Vita prebiotic, probiotic, fiber and detox formula save up to 70%! If you have symptoms of digestive upset that may be from an overload of toxins or parasites, this is a the perfect supplement for getting back on track. It contains plant-based prebiotic soluble fiber including apple pectin and konjac, natural detoxifying ingredients like Black Walnut and Bentonite Clay, as well as probiotics and aloe to rebuild gut-health.
3. Cultivate a healthy home.
Household cleaners and scented products contribute to in home pollutants that challenge keeping a healthy microbiome. Our obsession with "cleanliness" and fear of "germs" has wreaked havoc on our natural inner and outer ecosystem, which are meant to be complex, stable, and symbiotic. We are made up of trillions of cells and microbes that live in harmony when we are in good health. Unfortunately, media and cultural expectations have taught us to feel shame regarding our bodies in a way that has been exploited to sell more and more products that actually do more harm than good.
So how do household cleaners and scented home products fit in to building our biome? Don't we want our spaces to be clean and smell fresh?
Sure we do! But having a hygienic home does not need to destroy our body's microflora or disrupt our hormonal systems either. Chemical cleaners and synthetic fragrance contribute to poor indoor air quality,
Household cleaning products that support a healthy, clean, microbiome:
Distilled White Vinegar antiseptic, deodorizing, fabric softening, glass cleaning, drain clearing, hard water spot removing, vinegar can do it all! We get ours at Costco, it's super affordable.
Lemon Essential Oil degreasing, adhesive removing, antiseptic, refreshing this oil is a cleaning powerhouse. We use doTERRA, because it's legitimately pure and we get it for free with their loyalty rewards program.
Baking Soda odor neutralizing, scrubbing powder, drain clearing, laundry boosting and nontoxic. Another great Costco buy, but can be found on Amazon etc too.
Fine Sea Salt for scouring on surfaces when scratching isn't a concern.
Coconut Coir scrubbing pads are super effective for dishes and safe for scrubbing delicate surfaces. I love these because once their worn out, I know they won't be hanging around on the planet longer than I will.
Hypochlorous Acid Spray for food-safe cleaning, including produce washing. Hypochlorous acid is an effective disinfectant that will not upset the body's natural flora. It is actually produced naturally by the human body during the healing process, making it a great alternative to chlorine bleach and other highly caustic cleaning products.
Onguard Cleaner Concentrate or Abode Cleaner Concentrate from doTERRA. It's super concentrated and the essential oil blends are very effective at disinfecting surfaces. Again, we often get this free because of the loyalty rewards program but they are a great deal even at the full price.
Biokleen unscented dish soap if you're concerned about adding additional cleaning power to your dish soap, use Onguard essential oil blend or Abode essential oil blend. Both are formulated to be very effective at killing bacteria without harming your own microflora balance in the same way petroleum based products might. With one gallon of dish soap and one bottle of either blend, you will have tons of dishes done for less money and no toxicity.
If You Care automatic dishwasher tablets use these instead of petroleum based, chemically scented, pods that create a steam of unhealthy air. If you have hard water, place a cup of vinegar in the machine on one of the racks to remove water spots. If you prefer a clean scent in your dishwasher, put a couple of drops of lemon or orange essential oil on the tablet before shutting it in the machine.
Use genuine, plant-based, aromatherapy rather than air fresheners. Cold water or direct atomizing diffusers are best. DO NOT USE PLUG IN AIR FRESHENERS, OIL BURNERS, or aerosolized sprays.* This is our favorite set of aromatherapy oils for home, you can get a better price by setting up a wholesale customer account for free.
These are our top picks for creating a biome-healthy home.
Get the full Abode cleaning product kit to transform your home to a non-toxic paradise.
4. Manage stress in a healthy way.
Stress is inevitable in life, but how we care for our stress can make a big difference to our health--including our microbiome. Science is beginning to understand how our gut bacteria and our mood are interrelated, studies such as this one make caring for our stress and our biome a good idea for overall health. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, our microbiome may also influence how we cope with stress in a positive way. This circular relationship between our stress and our gut gives us a new way to support our coping skills. By including beneficial probiotics, foods that nourish them, reducing toxins in our home environment, and managing stress in a healthy way we can actually create vibrant health.
Our favorite ways to manage stress and support our microbiome:
Breathing exercises and yoga. Practicing long, slow, deep belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and helps the body get into a relaxed state. Science is finally acknowledging what yogis have known for millennia.
Daily Meditation Practice. Meditating isn't about not thinking, it's about asking your body to sit in one spot and asking your mind to focus. Even if focus is broken, bringing your mind back to focus is a simple meditative practice that can help reduce stress and anxious feelings. Using deep breathing while focusing on the breath and gently observing thoughts as they arise but not following them is an easy way to meditate that nearly anyone can do. Trying this practice for just 5 minutes is a great place to start.
Aromatherapy. Pure, natural plant essences have been studied for their effectiveness at reducing stress. It is vitally important that unadulterated essential oils be used, so we choose to use doTERRA, House of Aromatics, Florihana, and Anima Mundi as our suppliers. Most companies, especially those you will find in grocery stores, dollar stores, and on Amazon, are not authentic--even if they say they are pure. The best practice to use is to source from verifiably tested distillers. Don't let your aversion to MLM's or your desire for a good deal to keep you from the real deal. PS not all great essential oil companies are MLMs, but for us it's more important to center the testing over opinions about brands.
Household cleaning products that support a healthy, clean, microbiome:
Distilled White Vinegar antiseptic, deodorizing, fabric softening, glass cleaning, drain clearing, hard water spot removing, vinegar can do it all! We get ours at Costco, it's super affordable.
Lemon Essential Oil degreasing, adhesive removing, antiseptic, refreshing this oil is a cleaning powerhouse. We use doTERRA, because it's legitimately pure and we get it for free with their loyalty rewards program.
Baking Soda odor neutralizing, scrubbing powder, drain clearing, laundry boosting and nontoxic. Another great Costco buy, but can be found on Amazon etc too.
Fine Sea Salt for scouring on surfaces when scratching isn't a concern.
Coconut Coir scrubbing pads are super effective for dishes and safe for scrubbing delicate surfaces. I love these because once their worn out, I know they won't be hanging around on the planet longer than I will.
Hypochlorous Acid Spray for food-safe cleaning, including produce washing. Hypochlorous acid is an effective disinfectant that will not upset the body's natural flora. It is actually produced naturally by the human body during the healing process, making it a great alternative to chlorine bleach and other highly caustic cleaning products.
Onguard Cleaner Concentrate or Abode Cleaner Concentrate from doTERRA. It's super concentrated and the essential oil blends are very effective at disinfecting surfaces. Again, we often get this free because of the loyalty rewards program but they are a great deal even at the full price.
Biokleen unscented dish soap if you're concerned about adding additional cleaning power to your dish soap, use Onguard essential oil blend or Abode essential oil blend. Both are formulated to be very effective at killing bacteria without harming your own microflora balance in the same way petroleum based products might. With one gallon of dish soap and one bottle of either blend, you will have tons of dishes done for less money and no toxicity.
If You Care automatic dishwasher tablets use these instead of petroleum based, chemically scented, pods that create a steam of unhealthy air. If you have hard water, place a cup of vinegar in the machine on one of the racks to remove water spots. If you prefer a clean scent in your dishwasher, put a couple of drops of lemon or orange essential oil on the tablet before shutting it in the machine.
Use genuine, plant-based, aromatherapy rather than air fresheners. Cold water or direct atomizing diffusers are best. DO NOT USE PLUG IN AIR FRESHENERS, OIL BURNERS, or aerosolized sprays.* This is our favorite set of aromatherapy oils for home, you can get a better price by setting up a wholesale customer account for free.
These are our top picks for creating a biome-healthy home.
Get the full Abode cleaning product kit to transform your home to a non-toxic paradise.
This website contains affiliate links. We may make a commission when you purchase through our links, but you will never pay more because we receive commissions. Please see our policies page for full terms, conditions and policies.
*Essential oils are not regulated by any government agency and are more often than not adulterated with very sophisticated chemical mimics, making even common testing methods inadequate to detect fakes. Using oils that provide an array of testing from a reputable lab is the safest way to use them in your home, on your person, or for therapeutic purposes. We only recommend doTERRA, Florihana, House of Aromatics, and Floracopeia. Three of those are not MLM's if you're opposed to that business model, check out this post on why we're not. All other popular brands are unlikely to be genuine, no matter what they may say in their marketing. It's just the nature of the industry, even well-meaning companies may be selling adulterated oils and not even be aware of it due to the sophistication of the black market adulteration. The only way to know an essential oil is pure and safe to use is if the company makes all of their testing available and they have done multiple types of testing.
Get all of our favorites with the LUXE-list, sent right to you inbox!
We'll send you all the best things holistic, health, and wellness related. Unsubscribe any time and we won't spam your inbox.