How to Hit ‘Reset’ on a Broken Microbiome

Early Humans vs Modern Microbiome Challenges00:00

Early humans lived in dirt around animals in real sunlight with real darkness. Food was unprocessed, unsterile, and full of microbes that co-evolved with us. Guts and environments were in harmony. Today, microbes are under attack by sugary breakfast cereals, stressful jobs, pesticides, antibiotics, and long ingredient lists. We live in a world our biology doesn't recognize, reflected in health.

Speaker's personal story: As a newborn, had 106°F fever; doctors gave strong antibiotics, scarring microbiome for life, increasing inflammatory bowel disease risk by 500%, which developed.

Big question: If gut ecosystem is broken, can you hit reset?

Diversity and Microbiome Fitness01:01

Diversity breeds resilience. Fiber elimination diets induce remission in 60-85% of inflammatory bowel disease cases. Defines fitness as tolerance to challenge. Interventions can impair metabolic health through microbiome disruption.

Four Phases of Microbiome Reset01:30

Four phases: 1. Elimination, 2. Early Repopulation (or repopulation), 3. Advanced Repopulation and Challenge, 4. Maintenance. Covers diet specifics, food selection, sequencing, beyond diet.

Phase 1: Elimination02:00

Wipe slate clean like shaking an etch sketch, not making microbiome sterile (impossible, avoid antibiotics). Use elimination diet to starve bad bugs/pathogens. Most effective: animal-based carnivore-style for ~8 weeks. Removes plant material that feeds gut microbiota (good and bad), starves problematic pathogenic species and sugar feeders.