Main Content
Causes / Why it Happens
- Low-fiber, high-processed diet: Without plant fiber the microbes that produce SCFAs decline; SCFAs are key for immune balance.
- Antibiotics and some meds: They can knock out beneficial strains and allow resistant organisms to take hold.
- Stress and sleep loss: Stress hormones change gut motility and secretions; poor sleep alters microbial rhythms.
- Lack of movement: Exercise shapes the microbiome — more active people tend to have more diverse microbes.
- Environmental and aging effects: Reduced exposure to diverse microbes (urban living) and age-related shifts can lower diversity.
Solutions / Practical Tips
Start with food and habits — the biggest effects are surprisingly simple.
Food-first approach (prebiotic + probiotic):
- Prebiotic foods (feed your microbes): garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, bananas (slightly green), oats, barley, legumes. Aim to include at least one prebiotic source daily.
- Probiotic foods (introduce live microbes): natural yogurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh. Add small servings several times a week.
- Polyphenol-rich plants: berries, green tea, cocoa, coffee and colorful vegetables feed beneficial microbes and act as antioxidants.
- Diverse plants: aim for 25+ different plant foods per week if possible — diversity matters more than any single superfood.
Lifestyle hacks that matter:
- Move daily: 20–30 minutes of moderate activity improves gut transit and microbial diversity.
- Sleep and stress: prioritize 7–9 hours nightly; try brief relaxation tools (breathing, 5-minute walks) to blunt stress responses.
- Avoid unnecessary antibiotics and discuss alternatives with your clinician where appropriate.
- Moderate alcohol — heavy drinking harms gut integrity; moderate intake or abstaining benefits the microbiome.
Nutrition + Exercise + Lifestyle — sample day
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt with oats, berries and a sprinkle of ground flaxseed.
- Lunch: Mixed salad with lentils, onions, roasted seeds and a miso-tahini dressing.
- Snack: Banana + a handful of nuts.
- Dinner: Steamed vegetables, tempeh or grilled fish, and a barley pilaf.
- Movement: 15–20 minute walk after dinner to support digestion and post-meal glucose balance.
- Before bed: Chamomile or green tea (decaf if caffeine-sensitive) and 10 minutes of relaxation.
(Optional) Supplement / Product Section — Probiotics, DXN Morinzyme & Spirulina
Supplements can accelerate or stabilize improvements when food and habits are in place. Use them deliberately.
Probiotics — when and how
- Choose strain-specific products for the condition you’re targeting: for general maintenance, multicompound probiotics with common strains (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species) are a reasonable start.
- Dose: many consumer probiotic products range from 1 billion to 50+ billion CFU (colony forming units). For general maintenance, a product in the 1–10 billion CFU range is common; higher doses are used clinically for specific conditions. Follow product instructions or a clinician’s advice.
- Duration: try a probiotic for 4–12 weeks and assess changes in digestion, bloating or mood; discontinue if adverse effects occur.
- Safety: in severely immunocompromised people, use under medical supervision.
DXN Morinzyme (digestive enzyme beverage)
- What it is: a fermented drink based on Noni concentrate and claimed to contain digestive enzymes and bioactive compounds. Digestive enzyme support can relieve occasional bloating and improve nutrient breakdown for some people.
- How to use: follow label directions; use as a complement to a fiber-rich diet and not as a replacement for whole foods.
- What to check: request Certificates of Analysis and manufacturing standards; if you are on medication, consult a clinician.
Spirulina — nutrient-dense microalga
- Benefits for gut/mood: Spirulina supplies concentrated protein, micronutrients and antioxidants which can support overall nutrition — an indirect benefit to gut health and resilience. Some studies report anti-inflammatory effects that may support gut barrier health.
- Dose: typical doses in trials range from 1–3 g/day, though some products use higher amounts. Start with a low dose (1 g/day) and increase only if tolerated.
- Safety: pick brands with third-party testing to avoid contaminants (heavy metals, microcystins). DXN offers Spirulina in various formats — if you choose DXN, ask for batch testing and COAs to confirm purity.
How to evaluate any supplement brand (short checklist)
- Certificates of Analysis (COAs): independent lab tests for contaminants.
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): facility standards reduce risk.
- Clear labeling: species/strain names, dose per serving, storage instructions.
- Conservative claims: beware of products claiming to “cure” conditions.
- Clinician conversation: especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medicines.