Sheila Bean

Sheila Bean is a retired teacher in Calgary. After reading about Heather Armstrong’ s microbiome research at the University of Alberta, Sheila has started blending half an orange( including peel and pith) into her morning smoothie. It’ s part of the Mediterranean diet.

To learn more about your gut visit:

Canadian Digestive Health Foundation cdhf. ca

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research badgut. org

Any part of the digestive system can go haywire. Digestion starts in the mouth, where chewing and saliva break down food. As that food travels down the nine-metre digestive tract, nutrients are absorbed and unused material is expelled.

Countless problems happen in the gut, which encompasses the large and small intestines. The small intestine is relatively sterile, but the large intestine, or colon, is a teeming populace of more than 100 trillion microorganisms weighing one kilogram! We call this community the gut microbiome. Most of these tiny beings are friendly bacteria that keep harmful bacteria at bay. In fact, the number of bacteria in our colon roughly equals the number of cells in our entire body. Chew on that!

Dr. Maitreyi Raman is a gastroenterologist and physician nutrition specialist, as well as associate professor of medicine at the University of Calgary. Raman says that as we age, our digestion and absorption slow down, which can lead to chronic constipation.“ Change in bowel movements is a huge and common problem,” Raman said.

Digestive difficulties can be magnified as we age because we tend to reduce our physical activity, drink less fluid, eat poorly, and take medications— or don’ t take what’ s been prescribed. Disease can also hasten the decline of gut function.

When our gut feels“ off,” our mood can tank. Conversely, when our mood is off, sleep is disrupted, or stress is high, our gut microbiome can take a nosedive. The gut and brain are in constant conversation. Raman describes irritable bowel syndrome as a gut – brain interaction.

The gut also talks to the skin, heart, and lungs, produces hormones and, Raman says, is the powerhouse organ of the immune system. So, it’ s super important for various vital functions.

To help my gut, I’ ve taken storebought pills labelled“ prebiotic”( food for the bacteria already in our gut) or“ probiotic”( live or dormant bacteria that can help our gut health), but Raman advises us that it’ s best to obtain these from our regular food instead.“ Supplements are unnecessary,” she says,“ unless you have a diagnosed condition and your doctor tells you to take them.”

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