What is the Microbiome and How Does it Make me Happy?

October 04, 2021

Information

Smilow Wellness Workshop | September 30, 2021

Presented by Joan Palmer, MS Moderator: Nicole Larizza, MS, CDN

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00:00Frontiers and staff.
00:01With the mission of empowering
00:03individuals to take control of
00:05their own health and Wellness,
00:07the program features free interactive
00:09workshops which are now in this
00:11format unzoom a few times per year
00:14that reaffirm the importance of
00:15caring for the person as a whole.
00:17Body, mind and spirit.
00:19Designed to complement traditional
00:21lectures and health talks,
00:23each workshop focuses on
00:25some component of Wellness.
00:27The committee who plans and
00:30conducts these workshops
00:31consists of Geesala Boxleitner.
00:33Bud well sell Denise Romano.
00:36Danielle sagnella.
00:38Beverly Block and myself.
00:41I also would like to recognize
00:43and thank Lisa Adams from our
00:45audiovisual department who always
00:46helps us immensely with the
00:48technology behind the scenes,
00:50so that this can be possible.
00:51Please let us know after the program
00:53if you have any suggestions for
00:55future topics and remember to
00:57complete the evaluation at the end
00:59as we value all of your feedback.
01:02So last little bit of housekeeping once
01:05Joan is done with her presentation,
01:07we will have time for interactive
01:09questions and answers.
01:10Please use the Q&A feature in Zoom.
01:13That is how we will collect those
01:16questions and then be able to
01:17talk about them during the Q&A.
01:19Will make every attempt to get
01:21to all of your questions.
01:23OK, I'm going to introduce Joan Palmer,
01:26our guest for today, and speaker.
01:28Joan is the founder,
01:30director and an instructor at the
01:32Institute of Sustainable Nutrition.
01:34She has a Masters degree in Human Nutrition,
01:36a Bachelors in education,
01:38and is certified as a family and community.
01:41Herbalist Joan teaches the art and
01:44science of eating at the Graduate Institute.
01:47As well as food as medicine at
01:50Quinnipiac University, she raises plants,
01:53chickens, bees and boys.
01:55Love that in the beautiful hills
01:58of West Granby,
01:59CT and we're grateful to have her here
02:02with us, from Granby
02:04for today's program. So with that,
02:06I'll turn it over to you.
02:07Joan, thank you for being
02:08here and sharing your wisdom
02:09with us. Oh, thank you Nicole.
02:12I do have to say that those chickens.
02:15Actually were all eaten by a bobcat,
02:19so I have to take that off.
02:21The bio for this year,
02:23which is rather sad, but uhm,
02:28so thank you everyone for joining
02:31us to talk about the microbiome.
02:33It is really a.
02:38Kind of a new area of research,
02:40or it's it's a burgeoning area of research?
02:44There are.
02:47A lot of studies out there that are
02:50exploring the the different aspects of the
02:54microbiome and how that influences us you.
02:58You need to remember that we
03:01have evolved with these bacteria.
03:04We are.
03:05We are more of the bacteria
03:08than we are of us,
03:10and I'll explain that as we go,
03:12and so they it really is an important.
03:16Aspect of our health and an important
03:19thing for us to to have an understanding
03:22and a knowledge base to nurture
03:25these microbes for both our physical
03:28health and our emotional health.
03:31So I am going to share my screen
03:33with you and we're going to do a
03:36PowerPoint and then we're going
03:38to talk about some of these
03:40delicious foods behind me.
03:43So.
03:45Hi.
03:48I'm going to.
03:58OK, uhm. So. I, I think this this
04:06saying is so true. You can pay the
04:09farmer now or the doctor later.
04:11Real food matters that we are discovering
04:15the health benefits of real food
04:18and the the importance of of that
04:21in part of our health routine so.
04:27Anyway, so thanks, we're going to talk
04:30about today are what is the human microbiome?
04:34What are the benefits of
04:37a healthy microbiome?
04:39How is that acquired?
04:41And then disorders associated,
04:44not necessarily causing associated
04:47with an unhealthy microbiome.
04:49What contributes to an unhealthy
04:52microbiome and then what contributes to?
04:55How do we support and grow
04:58a healthy microbiome?
04:59And then we have to take a few minutes
05:02to talk about fermented foods.
05:04So I am going to.
05:08Minimize that,
05:09so the microbiome is a unique make
05:12up of colonies of microorganisms
05:15that live on and inis.
05:17In fact, we each have our unique.
05:23Colony of microorganisms that is
05:26as unique as your fingerprint.
05:29So if we were able to do a snapshot
05:32of each person's microbiome,
05:34each one would be.
05:37Uniquely yours and not anyone elses.
05:42So we we acquire these throughout our lives,
05:46from from birth to death,
05:49we are acquiring our specific microbiome,
05:53and there are lots of things we
05:55do that enhance and and cause
05:58that microbiome to flourish,
05:59and many things that caused it to die back.
06:03And so we'll talk about all of those.
06:06These colonies come.
06:08Are deeply influenced by our
06:12diet and our lifestyle.
06:15And we'll talk about all of that.
06:19So the microbiome is they are.
06:23The bacteria were talking about
06:25the bacteria that is on our skin,
06:28our hair, our face, and also in US.
06:33And it's really interesting,
06:35because if we took a snapshot and
06:37were able to look at the the microbes
06:40here in the crook of your arm,
06:42they'd be really different than, say,
06:45the microbes on your calf. They are.
06:49Unique to that area of the body
06:51and they all have unique functions.
06:55Here are some of the bacteria,
06:57Archaea, fungi, viruses,
06:58yeasts and other microbes.
07:01The fascinating thing about that is that
07:05those are the same microbes that we see in.
07:10The microbiome of the soil or the
07:13rhizosphere of the soil and that
07:16we know there are deep similarities
07:19between the soil and plant
07:23microbiomes and the human microbiome,
07:26which is just a fascinating topic.
07:32So we're going to look at this.
07:40Sorry. We're going to look at
07:43this for just a moment. This is a
07:47picture of the digestive system.
07:54The two peer at the top that
07:56is your esophagus, food cup.
07:58You chew your food.
08:00It comes down goes into the stomach
08:04where this chemically and mechanically
08:07broken down into smaller particles
08:10and then it leaves the stomach.
08:13And enters here the small intestines
08:17and the small intestines are where
08:21most of our digestion happens,
08:24so it continues to break the food
08:26down into its smallest particles,
08:28and when it gets to the smallest particle,
08:32it will be able to move through the cell.
08:35The cell walls of the intestine and
08:38go through the rest of the process
08:41to be absorbed into the body.
08:43This is about. 21 to 23 feet long.
08:48The small intestines,
08:49which is quite remarkable
08:51that you have that in you.
08:54That that's in order for us to get
08:56as much nutrition as possible,
08:59so we want a really long.
09:02Right for that food to try and
09:05extract as much as we can.
09:08What it's done that and moved
09:11through it enters here down
09:15here into the large intestines.
09:18Now the large intestine are only
09:20between seven and nine feet long,
09:22but they're bigger in diameter.
09:25And what happens here is much less of the.
09:31Option is happening here.
09:34This is more.
09:36Reabsorption of water and things
09:38like that and getting the food the
09:41undigested part of the food ready
09:43to leave the body in our stool so.
09:46This section the large intestines is
09:50where most of our bacteria reside.
09:54There are. Up to.
09:58I think we think 100 trillion bacteria
10:02residing in this area of the body
10:06and what is moving into that area is
10:09the undigested part of the food or
10:12the fiber of the food we always hear.
10:15Oh you need to eat more fiber.
10:17You need to have lots of fiber in your diet.
10:18Well,
10:19one of the main reasons for that
10:22is to provide food to the microbes
10:26that colonize the large intestines.
10:29OK,
10:29so that's where we're going to
10:31spend the most time today is in the
10:34large intestines talking about.
10:35About those microbes.
10:39So the purpose of that is to
10:42feed those microbes OK?
10:46So. Why is the microbiome important?
10:50And again, we're talking
10:52about the ones that reside in
10:54those in the large intestines,
10:56so they act as immune modulators.
10:59That means that they kind of are
11:02are training your immune system.
11:05They they keep your immune
11:07system from getting out of hand,
11:09as in autoimmune issues.
11:13And keep it active enough so that
11:15it is your immune system is is
11:18steady and and healthy for you,
11:20so it it keeps your immune system
11:23right where it needs to be.
11:24It helps to modulate that they
11:27actually key late heavy metals
11:29and other toxins from the body.
11:32And key light means that they kind
11:34of grab onto and have a way of
11:37bonding to get those toxins and
11:38heavy metals out of your body so
11:41that they don't stay in the body.
11:43And lodge in areas that you don't want
11:45them to get reabsorbed into the body.
11:48We want to get toxins out of our body
11:51as easily and quickly as possible
11:54and these microbes help do that.
11:57They convert that undigested food into many.
12:02Of our B vitamins.
12:05So we are actually getting a lot of our
12:10nutrition from these microbes in our gut,
12:14especially B12.
12:15And we have large stores of B12 in our body.
12:20But if we use that B12 up.
12:23We we can't survive,
12:25so these bacteria are actually
12:27in there helping to convert the
12:29B12 to a usable form for us.
12:32They make vitamin K2.
12:34Vitamin K2 is helps to dry bone
12:37or calcium into bone. It helps.
12:41Vitamin D converted to a usable form.
12:45It's it's.
12:46It's just a really important.
12:51Nutrient in our body and they
12:54are responsible for that.
12:55So they also help make
12:58short chain fatty acids.
13:00What the heck is it?
13:00Short chain, fatty acid they are.
13:05Uhm? Short change fats
13:09that we use for different.
13:14Different issues, different uses,
13:17so they make butyric acid which
13:20actually feeds our intestines.
13:23So these bacteria then make.
13:27Fatty acids to feed the
13:29cells in our intestines.
13:31Right now we see a lot of people
13:33who have digestive issues going on
13:36a lot of intestinal issues going on,
13:40and these short chain fatty
13:42acids that are assisted by these
13:45microbes actually help to feed and
13:48take care of that lining of your
13:51intestines to keep them healthy.
13:53They reduce short chain fatty acids,
13:56actually reduce inflammation,
13:57and we know all disease.
14:00Almost every disease I can think
14:02of is caused by inflammation,
14:04so these short chain fatty acids helped
14:07to modulate that that inflammation,
14:10reduce it,
14:11and that is helped by these microbes.
14:15So they also.
14:17And here's the part about the happiness.
14:21They also help to.
14:24Make chemical neurotransmitters,
14:27neurotransmitters,
14:28armes or chemical messengers
14:30in your body that allow your
14:33brain to communicate to the rest
14:35of the body of what to do.
14:38These are things like serotonin, GABA,
14:41dopamine, these neurotransmitters,
14:44knitters help you to improve in sleep,
14:50and your mood. It's they.
14:53They are hugely important.
14:55There is some there actually,
14:58so we know that there are receptor
15:00sites for these neurotransmitters
15:01and we used to always think
15:03that most of the serotonin.
15:05Most of these receptor sites were
15:08in the brain that serotonin was
15:10something that that your brain
15:13was producing and it was there.
15:15But we've recently discovered with
15:17the study of the microbiome that
15:20most of your receptor sites more.
15:22A few receptor sites,
15:24serotonin receptor sites,
15:25are in your gut, not the brain,
15:28so quite remarkable and again
15:31showing the importance of that.
15:34Uhm? Of those neurotransmitters
15:37and that microbiome.
15:39So healthy microbiome helps make a healthy,
15:43healthy, happy person.
15:45OK. So how do we do that?
15:48How do we create a healthy microbiome in us?
15:56When and we used to believe that
15:59the womb was completely sterile,
16:01when you are when the the
16:03fetuses in the womb that bats are
16:05completely sterile environment,
16:07we're learning that it's not
16:08quite as sterile as we thought,
16:09but it is very controlled over what can
16:13cross that placenta into that environment.
16:16So basically the baby is is sealed off
16:20from a lot of the the bacteria and and
16:24microbes of the world, but at birth.
16:26And I'm talking about a vaginal birth as
16:30the baby moves through the birth canal,
16:33that baby is coded in the mothers
16:37microbes that line her birth canal and
16:40so that baby is a is first inoculated
16:44at birth and we've now know the
16:47importance of that first inoculation.
16:49And So what they've been doing in a
16:51lot of hospitals his that C-section
16:54babies who do not get that exposure.
16:57Two, those microbes are actually being
17:01swabbed by the doctors with the mothers.
17:05Microbe so they they take a cloth
17:07and they they swab the mother with
17:10that and then they swab the baby
17:13with it to introduce that to the
17:15baby and so at that moment.
17:19Your baby's microbiome looks very
17:22much like the mothers microbiome
17:25because that has been the introduction
17:28that that baby's gotten up,
17:30and then the baby is maybe breast
17:33fed and the mother is holding that
17:36baby and the baby is up against her
17:39skin and getting milk from from her,
17:42and that's another inoculation of
17:45microbes to that baby, and then that baby.
17:49Gets passed from.
17:51Aunts and uncles and grandparents
17:53and siblings and parents and and
17:56that skin to skin contact that
17:59that baby is getting the kisses.
18:01The you know just the resting on your
18:05skin on the on the chest of a parent that
18:09is introducing more microbes to that baby.
18:14When baby gets older and it becomes a
18:16toddler and starts playing and putting
18:19every dirty thing in their mouth.
18:21Playing outside in the dirt,
18:23petting all of their animals.
18:25That is another introduction to
18:29microbes in the environment that
18:32train your immune system.
18:34Keep you healthy and and expose
18:38and build your microbiome,
18:41your specific microbes.
18:43They have actually done studies and
18:47found that kids raised on farms with.
18:51A lot of animals endure in the
18:53dirt and out helping,
18:54and you know,
18:55doing all of those things tend to
18:58have lower rates of things like asthma
19:00and other childhood diseases that.
19:03Debt.
19:03Are maybe inflammatory based because
19:06they have gotten a larger exposure
19:09to all of these different microbes
19:12in their environment,
19:14training their immune system to
19:17be more robust.
19:20And so exposure to a less than perfectly
19:22clean environment isn't such a bad thing.
19:25I know many people are probably
19:26cheering right now that you don't
19:28need to keep everything sterile
19:30when you have an infant,
19:31that,
19:32I mean you want you want to use common sense.
19:36Uhm,
19:36when we eat raw foods when we go
19:39out to the farm all the beautiful
19:42sea essays and farms
19:43serves our community supported agricultural.
19:45You get to go out and pick your own
19:49vegetables or you you head out there and
19:52you're picking things and nibbling then.
19:55Eating things directly from
19:56your garden or the farm.
19:58Those all plants are coated with
20:01microbes that help protect those plants.
20:04And when we eat those we're
20:08adding to our microbiome a lot
20:12of virulent microbes would get.
20:15Killed by our digestive system,
20:19but some of the ones that we want to.
20:24Colonize are able to get
20:26through and into our system.
20:31And then fermented foods fermented
20:34foods are having a revival this
20:37last decade, and we're going to
20:40talk more about those at the end.
20:43To introduce you to some of these
20:47delicious and microbial rich foods.
20:55OK, so who is actually in charge?
20:59So if we look at the microbiome in humans,
21:04we know that we have 10 times more microbes.
21:11In an honest then we have our own cells.
21:16Which equates to more microbial
21:19DNA than human DNA on us.
21:23So if we are more microbes.
21:26Who's really in charge here is it?
21:28Is it us making the decisions and
21:33deciding what we're going to eat?
21:35Or is there other?
21:38Are there other influences so
21:41we know that these microbes,
21:44when they get to a critical mass,
21:47meaning whoever gets to a certain
21:50population in your large intestines?
21:53Is the one that's going to
21:56send the loudest signal.
21:57So in the positive sense,
22:00if you are eating really well
22:03and you're living a stress free
22:06life and living pretty healthy,
22:09you're going to feed the
22:12microbes that are going to be.
22:16Benefiting you and your health,
22:18and they are going to therefore
22:20reproduce and build up their population.
22:23And that's who's going to be signaling you.
22:27And then you tend to have
22:30much better results with.
22:32With what's being produced in your body,
22:34those neurotransmitters and things like that,
22:37and the foods you crave.
22:39Conversely,
22:39if you are eating a lot of
22:43sugar and refined foods.
22:45Uhm, a lot of foods that just
22:49aren't really nutrient dense,
22:51and we'll get to that too.
22:52In a minute you tend to allow.
22:57The bacteria that thrive on
22:59those foods to become dominant.
23:01They are getting all the nutrition,
23:03so they're growing and re
23:06populating and their population
23:08gets big enough where it actually
23:10sends the signal to the brain.
23:13And in the case,
23:14let's look at something like
23:16Candida where we know that that is
23:18something that thrives on sugar and
23:20if their population you be needed,
23:22a lot of sugar you haven't been
23:24needing a lot of high fiber foods,
23:26sugar will become.
23:27Almost addictive and what's happening
23:30is that that microbe is actually
23:34increasing population enough to
23:36send the signal to your brain.
23:38To say sugar,
23:40you want sugar and you start thinking,
23:44Oh my gosh, I finished dinner.
23:45I just need some sugar and there are
23:47a lot of factors that influence that.
23:49But they have a strong message to your
23:54brain to get you to crave those foods.
23:58It is the same the other way.
24:01You eat really well and
24:03those others populate,
24:05and the signaling is going to be oh,
24:07I would love a beautiful
24:09crisp apple right now.
24:11And you know,
24:12if you start training yourself,
24:14we think it's ourselves the other way.
24:17But is it up training us or is
24:19it training those those microbes
24:21in helping them to populate?
24:23That's something that's being researched
24:25more and more and is quite fascinating.
24:28So what we do in our life.
24:30Determines which microbes will
24:32dominate our body and our brain.
24:35UM so.
24:42OK, here are some of the disorders that
24:45are associated with an unhealthy microbiome
24:48and I am not saying necessarily cause,
24:52but definitely play a role in and
24:56and that when we have a really
25:00healthy microbiome it helps too.
25:03Helps to keep this in check and we've
25:06talked about some of the reasons
25:08why and we'll go through that so
25:11oddly munitions where your immune
25:13system is is really running on high.
25:15Remember, we talked right at the beginning.
25:17These microbes are immune modulators.
25:20They help tame that and keep that at
25:24an even keel, anxiety and depression.
25:26Those a lot of times are the
25:29neurotransmitters we aren't
25:30producing enough of those.
25:32And so when we.
25:34Increase healthy microbes to our gut.
25:37They can help with those neurotransmitters
25:40that will help with our dopamine
25:42and our GABA and our serotonin.
25:45Those are things that make us feel good,
25:47sleep well,
25:48and can help with anxiety and depression.
25:52Obesity, we have. Actually,
25:54we meaning scientists in labs, have.
25:57Actually they breed mice to have obesity,
26:02genes, and be so they'll.
26:04Use those obese mice in studies they have
26:09actually taken microbes from obese mice,
26:13inserted them into lean,
26:16non obese mice and induced obesity
26:21to them so.
26:22Microbes definitely play a role
26:25in in your the weight and and
26:29Parkinson's bowel disorders.
26:31Ms, Alzheimer's, autism,
26:33all of those are inflammatory based.
26:36And remember,
26:37we talked about microbes help produce
26:40those short chain fatty acids which are
26:43anti inflammatory so they help keep
26:46the inflammation suppressed in our
26:49body and all disease has an inflammatory.
26:53Factor so.
26:56So many of our maladies that are
27:00we are seeing increasing right now.
27:03Can be linked to an unhealthy microbiome.
27:09OK, what are the contributors
27:12to that unhealthy microbium
27:15antibiotics now antibiotics? R.
27:18So important they actually extended
27:23our lifespan when we started when we
27:26discovered and began to use antibiotics.
27:30The lifespan of of people
27:33went up substantially.
27:34They are really essential,
27:36but they have been overused.
27:39As we all know and we're producing
27:41virulent strains of bacteria that no
27:44longer are responding to antibiotics.
27:46They are in our food system.
27:49They are being used in
27:51feedlots where we come.
27:54They they're used to fatten the
27:57animals in feedlots and they are used
28:01to keep them from getting sick and
28:04dying because they are in less than
28:08optimal conditions in being raised.
28:11So we have been ingesting an awful lot of
28:15those antibiotics through our lives and.
28:19That their outline that in a
28:21lot of the the food industry,
28:24poor diet and not enough fiber.
28:27So if we're not eating enough fiber,
28:29we're actually starving those microbes.
28:32Those beneficial microbes are starving
28:35in our system and they aren't being able
28:40to reproduce and colonize our intestines.
28:43The same junk food at the chemicals,
28:45refined carbs,
28:47unhealthy fats, those all.
28:49Come first,
28:50don't serve to feed and
28:54stimulate those microbes,
28:56and some of those can actually kill the
28:59microbes sugar we talked about that
29:02it stimulates bacteria that we don't
29:05necessarily want to have thriving.
29:08Artificial sweeteners go into the chemical.
29:12Realm, and some of those were actually.
29:16Have some some toxicity associated with
29:20them and then environmental toxins.
29:23You know if you're ingesting
29:25environmental toxins,
29:26which is really hard not to do.
29:28A lot of that kills our microbiome.
29:32Glyphosate that's in genetically
29:36modified organisms.
29:38Glyphosate is used on some
29:39of the fields for that,
29:41and actually is the number one.
29:44Herbicide used out there
29:48and pesticide herbicide.
29:51It is dumb.
29:53It is found on in soil infants water.
29:59It is everywhere and it was
30:02first patented as an antibiotic.
30:04So it is really causing some
30:08problems with our our microbiome.
30:12So the only way to it,
30:15well, it's hard to avoid,
30:16but eating organically where
30:18possible is a way to avoid that.
30:21So or go into a local farmers.
30:23Market that doesn't have
30:25to be labeled organic,
30:26but you can ask do you use glyphosate
30:29and if not then that's a good farm to
30:33support or growing your own food or.
30:36We'll talk about that more in a little while,
30:38and certain medications can
30:40disrupt the microbiome,
30:42but they can also save lives,
30:43so it's, you know we have to
30:46find ways to stimulate and feed.
30:49The microbiome, if we're on medications,
30:53and I can't stress enough,
30:55this last one, stress,
30:58stress, stress,
30:59stress is it is so difficult to stay healthy
31:05when we have no way of managing our stress.
31:10I strongly recommend finding
31:13ways to to manage that.
31:17Meditation, yoga,
31:19walking.
31:19Hanging out with friends,
31:23watching something funny,
31:25reading something funny.
31:28Anything that will reduce your stress levels,
31:31finding ways to balance some of that.
31:35Some of the crazy.
31:37Schedules that we all have.
31:39It's really, really important and and it.
31:44Brings benefit to not just the microbiome,
31:47but in all aspects of our lives. Uhm?
31:53Alright, let's get to some of the good stuff.
31:55So how do we strengthen the microbiome?
32:01Let's look at foods high fiber foods.
32:04You hear this all the time,
32:06so you need a diet rich in fiber and and
32:09I don't think we ever really say why.
32:12But when we have a lot of
32:14fiber in our food, that's food.
32:16That's the part that can't be digested
32:18from our food and what it does is
32:21it actually acts like a almost like
32:23a scrubber as it goes through your
32:25intestines it it cleans things out.
32:28It feeds your microbes.
32:30Your microbes help too. Uhm?
32:34Hang on to the toxins and get
32:36them out and the more fiber.
32:39And I'm not talking about so much that you
32:41end up with an irritated intestinal tract,
32:44but fiber where it's moving your
32:47bowels where you have a healthy
32:51bowel movement every day.
32:53That is really important.
32:55It moves things through and it
32:59has health implications that are
33:01really far reaching so fiber.
33:04Is important and we don't have to take
33:08necessarily a supplement for that.
33:10I would say you're better eating
33:12fruits and vegetables and nuts and
33:15seeds and legumes and mushrooms
33:16and herbs and healthy fats,
33:18because you're getting all those other
33:20compounds that are in those foods.
33:22Those higher order compounds that are.
33:28That are like medicine in our in our food.
33:31So really important and the more variety
33:35of fruits and vegetables that you eat,
33:40especially vegetables.
33:43The healthier you are going to be,
33:45we tend to get very narrow in our food
33:49choices, and they've done studies
33:52with kids where they find they eat
33:55the same 10 foods all week and it
33:58really doesn't vary and so we always
34:00like to say if you go to a farm,
34:03try some new things,
34:04things you've never tried before,
34:06try to get expensive in the
34:08variety of things you eat because
34:11they all have different.
34:13Plant medicines in them that act as dumb.
34:17As is deep.
34:19Nutrition for us so.
34:23Well, let's go back to the list.
34:25Healthy fats and animal products.
34:29When you're eating those,
34:30you really you know,
34:31want to get those that have been
34:34eating what they're meant to
34:36eat so that they are healthy.
34:37Because if the foods
34:39you're eating or healthy,
34:40you're going to be healthy and it
34:43reduces your chance of of having
34:45a lot of toxins in the food.
34:47Organic, where you can.
34:49There is an organization
34:51called Environmental.
34:53Working group or EWG and UM if
34:57you go to their site they have
34:59something called the clean 15
35:01and The Dirty Dozen and it lists
35:04the foods that they every year.
35:07They do tests and they find which.
35:11Fruits and vegetables have the
35:13highest level of toxins and those
35:15are the ones who say if you're
35:17limited on what you can spend.
35:19Buy those organically if you can,
35:23or go to a farm that has good practices.
35:27And then the the clean 15 are the
35:30ones that you really you can eat
35:34without worrying about the organic.
35:37Label on them.
35:38OK, you can grow your own food,
35:40even if it's just a couple
35:42of peas out in the garden.
35:44A couple of heads of lettuce.
35:46All of that is so great.
35:48We know that there is a bacteria
35:51in the soil that mimics serotonin.
35:54Serotonin is one of those
35:56neurotransmitters that makes you feel good,
35:58and there are lots of benefits
36:00to being in a garden.
36:02We use garden therapy everywhere in prisons,
36:06in schools and nursing homes.
36:08In it's used because it.
36:12It really helps your microbiome and
36:18your thumb. I think your mental health.
36:21I think it's just a really
36:23important thing to do.
36:25And then again, fermented foods,
36:28so I think I'm gonna say
36:30fermented foods till the end.
36:32But I do just want to say here.
36:35Every culture.
36:37Every culture has fermented foods.
36:41Fermented foods have been
36:43used for thousands of years
36:46when we have foods that are.
36:49Perishable fruits and vegetables and
36:51meats and fish things like that.
36:53Before we had refrigeration,
36:55people had to have a way of.
36:59Preserving that to keep it from
37:00going bad before they could eat it,
37:02especially when they depended on that.
37:05At the end of the season.
37:06Let's say you you grew a field
37:09of cabbage and at the end of the
37:11season when it was time to pick it,
37:14you can only eat so much cabbage.
37:15So what do you do with all that
37:17so it doesn't go bad?
37:19They begin to ferment it and make sauerkraut,
37:22and they can take that and have
37:25that last for an entire year.
37:27And when you do that.
37:29It increases the nutritional content.
37:32It helps to pre digest it and
37:35it's teeming with microbes that
37:38are beneficial for us and it's
37:41very safe and stable.
37:43People make Crocs barrels of that
37:46and put it into their basement
37:48and it got them through the
37:50winters in but high in vitamin C.
37:52So in the deep winter when
37:54there weren't a lot
37:55of things you could eat these fermented
37:57foods and stay healthy really important.
38:00And some of our best,
38:02most delicious foods are fermented.
38:05So I think right now I'll just
38:07give you the list even though
38:08we're going to talk about it again.
38:10Things like cheese hard
38:13cheeses are fermented we have.
38:17Sauerkraut we have kimchi,
38:21which is spicy cabbage and other vegetables.
38:28We have tempeh and I'm trying
38:31to save the good ones for last,
38:34so going through the rest Nisou.
38:37Chocolate, coffee, wine, beer, kombucha.
38:44The list goes on and on.
38:47Those foods are all fermented and
38:51increased their nutritional value,
38:54nutrient density, and.
38:57Shelf life so really important?
39:02OK.
39:04Oh, so here's just a reminder
39:07of eating things in season.
39:09This is a beautiful Peach
39:11tree from this summer.
39:18Colorful vegetables these
39:20are carrots and potatoes.
39:22These are purple potatoes and red outside
39:27potatoes and the creamy white inside.
39:30These are the different colored carrots.
39:33Brussels sprouts.
39:34All of those things are high in fiber
39:37and this time of year they're all
39:39coming into season and fresh at the
39:42farms and really much more nutrient.
39:45Dance for us.
39:48And and we tend to crave these
39:50things this time of year because
39:52of the temperatures going down and.
39:54And our bodies craving warmth.
39:57Here's another picture with some herbs in it,
40:00you know,
40:01and the garlic such a powerhouse food
40:04and sage and thyme and Brussels sprouts and.
40:09I'm carrots and potatoes OK.
40:13Legumes, beans and seeds and nuts,
40:17and those beautiful foods and then mushrooms.
40:22You don't have to go out and forage.
40:24I just loved this photo of these
40:26mushrooms growing up this tree.
40:28This is a local picture and this time of
40:32year the mushrooms are prolific outdoors
40:35but also local farmers now are growing.
40:37A lot of mushrooms and so you could go to
40:41farmers markets and other grocery stores.
40:43And find local mushrooms that
40:46have been grown in the area.
40:49Sell. What else helps?
40:52We've talked about lifestyle,
40:54so playing in the dirt,
40:55we said gardening really helps too.
40:59Enhance your microbiome,
41:01but kids.
41:02Being able to play in the dirt and
41:04get dirty is so important for their
41:07immune system and training their their
41:10microbiome and their immune system.
41:13Exercising there isn't really anything.
41:16Exercise doesn't help.
41:19Yeah, eating organic food where possible,
41:23avoiding.
41:23Chemical toxins were possible
41:27and again reducing stress.
41:30And hanging out with with family and friends,
41:34which hasn't been easy this last year,
41:37but really important.
41:38And I think even zoom has a place
41:42during during these last year.
41:44So diet and lifestyle contribute
41:47to a healthy microbiome.
41:52So here are some of the summaries.
41:54UM, it's acquired through our lifetimes
41:57and is influenced by our diets and
42:01lifestyle healthy microbes make our
42:04neurotransmitters that are responsible
42:06for mood and sleep healthy microbes make
42:10nutrients that are essential for our health.
42:13Healthy microbes keep our
42:15immune systems healthy.
42:17Eating a diet rich in vegetables,
42:19fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, heaps.
42:24Alpha didn't didn't check that
42:26one helps to feed the microbes we
42:29want to flourish in our guts. OK.
42:36All right?
42:41So. Let's go to, UM, Nicole,
42:49do we have? Thank you Joan.
42:53Yeah we do have some questions
42:54if you're ready for them.
42:55We have some great questions in the Q&A.
42:57OK good good. OK so I am going to.
43:01I'm going to stop sharing my shirt. Sure. OK,
43:06so we have some very specific but great
43:10questions that get into some of the
43:12topics that you start that you introduced.
43:14So we first have someone asking about
43:17medications and the effects that
43:20potential effects of medications.
43:22Such as view prior bupropion the
43:26the mental health behavioral health
43:30agent that is a norepinephrine and
43:32dopamine reuptake inhibitor that
43:35can cause significant Constipation.
43:37Does that have any relationship
43:39to the microbiome?
43:41You know, I don't know that specifically,
43:44but what I would say is that because the
43:48microbiome is just a part of our bodies,
43:52our systems. That it it.
43:55I cannot see that there would be any.
43:59There's no downside to enhancing
44:02your microbiome to eating
44:04fermented foods, I do say.
44:07When you're introducing fermented
44:09foods into your diet, like fiber,
44:12you if it causes Constipation,
44:14we know then you really need to eat
44:17high fiber foods and a lot of them,
44:19and fermented foods can help with that,
44:23but I would say to start very
44:25small when there are some people
44:28who have absolutely no reaction.
44:30I mean, I could put a half a cup of
44:33sauerkraut on my sourdough bread and
44:35and I would just think I was in heaven.
44:38But other people need to start with more
44:40of a teaspoon to start as a condiment
44:42and just put a little bit on their
44:44plate and try to increase that as they
44:47go to start building that microbiome.
44:49And I would imagine that that
44:52would modulate out I, I, you know,
44:56I'm not an expert in that
44:58medication so I am not sure,
45:00but that would be my reaction.
45:02OK
45:02great another one is from someone who
45:06is on medication for type 2 diabetes.
45:09And the medicines work by causing the body
45:12to get rid of extra sugar through the urine.
45:15This person has noticed that they
45:17have started getting yeast infections
45:19for the first time and don't have the
45:21option to stop taking the medication.
45:22So what can? What can he or she do
45:25to reduce the yeast taking over?
45:28Yeah well and and that's really
45:31interesting because one of the.
45:33Somebody who wasn't on medication,
45:35we would just definitely say start
45:39upping your fermented foods and fiber,
45:42and I would say that to you too, although.
45:46You know the medications may be
45:48contributing so that you're going to
45:50have to work a little harder at that.
45:52The The thing is,
45:54is not consuming sugar.
45:56And when I say sugar,
45:57I also mean a lot of refined flour.
46:00So white flour in the form of breads
46:04and cakes and crackers and all of
46:07that which you probably already know,
46:10acts like sugar in the body.
46:12And so if we can replace that with.
46:16You know all of these incredible
46:20colorful vegetables and which adds
46:23to the fiber which helps keep things
46:27moving through and then adding some
46:31beautiful fermented foods which I really.
46:34I will spend a minute talking
46:37about some of these.
46:38I would say that would really
46:40help if you are.
46:43I would also say that eating some of
46:47these fermented vegetables and things
46:48are going to help with the potassium,
46:50which is going to help keep that
46:53diuretic aspect in a little bit in check.
46:58Did that answer your question
47:00or did that help?
47:01Because Pro Biotic foods OK,
47:03so let me back up the second.
47:06The foods we eat.
47:09That have bacteria in them.
47:10Those are called the the.
47:14Microbial foods the the the probiotics.
47:19OK, we're going to call in
47:21probiotics there for life.
47:23There are helpful to life.
47:24That's the microbe rich foods.
47:27When we eat the fruits and vegetables,
47:32they are actually the food for
47:34those microbes that we call those.
47:37Pre biotics so we have the biotic
47:40rich and then the prebiotic.
47:43So eating those things.
47:44Lots of fibers, foods,
47:46lots of fermented foods,
47:48fermented foods that are vegetables
47:50that will help your body fight
47:53some of those infections.
47:55It's just it can be a vicious cycle though,
47:58because you probably are being put on
48:00antibiotics to fight the infection,
48:02which kills off the bacteria.
48:03They're going to help help with it,
48:07so there yeah, so it's it's tough,
48:10but I would start finding those
48:12fermented foods and I'll tell you where
48:14and how and all of that in a few minutes.
48:17Yeah, I think you actually got.
48:19You know our next question
48:20was the difference.
48:21I think you just answered it, John.
48:22The role of probiotics and
48:24the difference in probiotics.
48:25Versus prebiotics,
48:26so if there's anything else that
48:28you wanted to add about that.
48:29But I think you just touched on that.
48:31Yeah, yeah, the pre buy the prebiotics
48:34are just making sure that the
48:37bacteria we the bacteria we want to
48:39colonize are well nourished, well fed.
48:43So it it offers us all the
48:46nourishment of those vegetables,
48:48keeps our bowel moving which means
48:51we keep all that back that the toxins
48:54from building and feeds our bacteria.
48:56So those it's just a win win to have
48:59the prebiotic, the food and the.
49:03The microbes great
49:06and just going back so to the previous
49:08question because there's a follow up
49:10about the sugar and eliminating sugar.
49:12I think it was an important distinction
49:13that you made that it's not just sugar.
49:15Sweet sugar, right?
49:16But the refined carbohydrates in our
49:19turn into glucose in our blood stream.
49:21So it's any of those kinds of
49:24carbohydrate refined foods.
49:25But so there's a follow-up question.
49:26Eliminating sugar altogether is really tough,
49:28right? And this person has done it,
49:31but eventually wore down and
49:32is now eating some.
49:33Is there a small amount that is OK?
49:36Can you talk a little bit
49:37about balance Joan in terms of,
49:39you know, not all or nothing,
49:41but you know what's OK?
49:44Right, well, so let's say we need to talk
49:47about you know where do I eat sugar?
49:49Of course I do. I have a lovely
49:52piece of chocolate at the end of a
49:55meal or or if I just feel like that,
49:58but it's it's when you find
50:02yourself craving sugar.
50:04You have to take a step back and say OK what?
50:06What signals am I getting and why am I?
50:11Am I turning to that so you don't have to?
50:13Avoid all. Sugar you don't have
50:17to avoid all refined carbs,
50:20but it is difficult to eat from our
50:24grocery stores these days and not have
50:27sugar laden and refined carb laden foods.
50:30So I would say you do.
50:33You never have to be a purist.
50:36But you need to find what works for you,
50:38and so maybe for a little while.
50:40Like you said,
50:41you went sugar free for awhile and
50:44now you're kind of breaking down?
50:46Well, that's OK to try to.
50:49You're working on an issue you're trying
50:51to get through some health issues,
50:53so you're going to be really good for awhile.
50:55And that's great.
50:57Maybe introducing fermented
50:59foods and upping your your your
51:02vegetables will help with that a bit.
51:05And then you have room.
51:07For a little bit,
51:08but you because it's been an issue before
51:11or you have signs of it being an issue,
51:14you need to pay attention,
51:15right?
51:15So it's not like if somebody makes
51:18you some beautiful thing and
51:20brings you a beautiful piece of.
51:23High that they've made you have a
51:26small piece of it and know that
51:28that's just was made with love
51:30for you and you're gonna do,
51:32you know,
51:33try to not consume a lot of sugar
51:35after that for a little while.
51:36It's it's when it becomes everyday
51:39when it becomes every meal when
51:41it's the thing you first think
51:43of because you can't think of
51:45other things to make or or grab.
51:47And so I think that you never
51:49have to be a purist, but.
51:51You need to listen to your body and pay
51:54attention to when it becomes a problem.
51:57So great,
51:58thank you.
52:00OK, next one is there great question.
52:02Is there a way to measure the
52:04health of one's microbiome?
52:06In other words,
52:07other than having symptoms,
52:09how does one know the condition?
52:11Of our microbiome?
52:13Yeah, that is a good question.
52:14It's so fascinating because there are actual.
52:19There's there are research groups,
52:21they're out there measuring the microbiome,
52:25and they're they're telling you you know
52:30where your microbiome may have originated.
52:33Actually, there are labs
52:35when you go to the doctor.
52:37Sometimes they'll do.
52:39They'll culture stool samples to see
52:42what bacteria are in your your gut.
52:45If they think if they suspect
52:47there's a problem, but in there.
52:49Are also I think it's called the microbiome.
52:53Study it may I?
52:55I'm I'm you can't quote me on that because
52:57I don't know the name but it is where
53:01they're actually trying to map and.
53:04Start checking the the microbes
53:06and see if they can tell where
53:09people may have originated from.
53:11Because we know that certain regions
53:13of the world have certain types of
53:16bacteria and other regions have
53:18other types and they just did a
53:20study on bakeries that do sourdough
53:24breads and that have their starter,
53:27which is a microbial starter,
53:29it's a fermentation and they
53:32had bakers send their ferments.
53:35In and they analyzed them from where to
53:38try and see where those microbes originated,
53:42and they were able to categorize
53:44people in certain groups.
53:45It was a fascinating.
53:48Piece of research.
53:50So I I don't you could try to find
53:53that group and then maybe see about
53:57getting your microbial volume studies.
54:02I believe vyram studies.
54:03The microbe I can only see part of it
54:06so somebody just put that in the chat
54:09I see Yep Biome VIOME someone mentions
54:13so and then you know I was just going
54:16to say it sounds like definitely more to
54:17come research in this area and hopefully
54:19the availability for lay people like
54:22us to have some kind of assessment.
54:25It's remarkable,
54:27so there was also a journalist who.
54:31Ended up he had something that
54:33happened to him and so he was
54:35going to try and re inoculate.
54:37That's what we call it when you're
54:39trying to build up your microbiome.
54:40Re inoculate his microbiome and he
54:42was getting he was testing it every
54:44day now I don't it was stool samples.
54:47I don't know he was working with
54:49some scientists and stuff to see
54:51how long it took to build it back
54:54up and it it it isn't a fast thing.
54:59Uhm? Uh, the somebody else is
55:02talking about the plant paradox.
55:04Yeah,
55:04that was another one of
55:05other questions in the Q&A.
55:06Two, we have a couple about
55:08foods specifically so good
55:09because I would love to just quickly talk
55:12about them before we run out of time.
55:14Yeah, we're we're OK now.
55:16We're a few minutes before before
55:185 and we had allowed for 5:15,
55:20so hopefully folks can stay on
55:21because we do want to see all of the
55:23beautiful things that you have there.
55:24Joan, let me just throw a couple
55:26of these food questions at you.
55:29Should people with autoimmune disease avoid
55:31vegetables from the nightshade family?
55:35I think that's really dependent
55:38on each individual. You know,
55:40there I, I know people who have no
55:42issue at all with the nightshade,
55:45and I know others who eat even a small
55:48amount of pepper and will wake up with
55:52stiff joints and things like that.
55:54So I think it's that's a really individual
55:58question and not a blanket question.
56:02Gotcha, what would you recommend
56:03for someone who does not like many
56:06vegetables or fruits, so a picky eater?
56:08What would your recommendations be?
56:10Is this an adult or a child? Let's say,
56:13yes, let's let's say it's an adult. I'm
56:15not sure on the question, but we're gonna.
56:18OK, well you know.
56:20First of all there are people who
56:23have more taste buds in their mouth
56:26and they tend to be sensitive to
56:29textures and things like that so
56:32they they eating a lot of fruits
56:34and vegetables can be difficult.
56:36I would say though,
56:38it's also what you were brought up on and
56:41what you've kind of trained yourself to like.
56:44So what I would would say is to begin.
56:48Introducing a couple of new things. Uh,
56:51we can find a way that you like to cook it.
56:54You know, pure rain things into your soups.
56:58You know if you take carrots and kale
57:02and and you know beautiful. Like you,
57:06you said and things like that and then
57:10puree it into a really lovely textured soup.
57:13You you may.
57:15It may not be as difficult to do that.
57:19I would say you just you really.
57:21It's kind of a a mind over if
57:24it isn't a physiological thing.
57:26It's something that you just
57:28kind of have to develop,
57:29and that's a slow process.
57:31You know.
57:32They, what do they say nine times?
57:33Sometimes you have to have food
57:36nine times before you Start
57:39Stop having an aversion to it.
57:42And Pureeing seems to be a
57:43great way to do it,
57:44and we're heading into soup season.
57:46We're heading into the time where we
57:48want warm and wet foods and Hardy,
57:51so that might be a good time to try roasting
57:54brings out the sweetness in vegetables,
57:57and so if you do a big beautiful tray of
58:02vegetables with some herbs and spices
58:05and salt and pepper and olive oil,
58:09and you roast it,
58:10just sell,
58:11it gets nice, and.
58:13Kind of karmely bringing out its
58:15natural sugars that sometimes will help,
58:18and then you could even puree
58:20that into a soup.
58:23So you know it's it's just
58:27a training of our palette.
58:30Taste for wine. You know you.
58:32You develop that with experience.
58:35Great ideas, UM smoothies
58:37two or another.
58:38I think you know way of getting things in.
58:40You know that kind of liquid form, right?
58:43But people like so did you have?
58:46So there are a couple of questions
58:47about the plant paradox.
58:48Did you have any thoughts on Doctor
58:51Gundry's plant paradox protocol?
58:54I have not read the protocol,
58:57so if. The the premise is that.
59:03I believe he focuses on some of these
59:05very same foods that we're talking
59:08about are beneficial for cultivating the
59:11microbiome and and potentially sometimes
59:13limiting nightshades and things that
59:15might cause information, inflammation,
59:17or discomfort in certain individuals so
59:21well, because what we know about
59:23plants is that when they are healthy
59:26when they grow in healthy soil
59:28and they are able to produce what
59:31we would call a nutrient dense.
59:33Plant, it's it has the ability
59:35to produce these higher order
59:38compounds which actually are.
59:42They can be. They they actually protect
59:46the plant from predators and disease,
59:49and they can actually be some
59:52of the bio flavanoids and those
59:54higher order compounds that we eat.
59:57Like antioxidants,
59:58we blueberries for the antioxidants,
01:00:01but those you know the the difference
01:00:04between a a poison and a cure is the dosage.
01:00:07So if if somebody has a sensitivity
01:00:10to some of those things they can
01:00:13cause irritation, but then.
01:00:15At the same time,
01:00:16some of those same compounds can
01:00:18end up being beneficial for us,
01:00:20so it's really learning to listen to
01:00:23your body, and I don't think we have a.
01:00:27A real blanket statement because
01:00:30it is so complicated.
01:00:32Nature is so complicated and fascinating.
01:00:37Yeah
01:00:37for sure. OK, I'm going to lump
01:00:39a couple of questions here
01:00:41together about probiotics.
01:00:43So are there any foods that
01:00:45actually contain the probiotics
01:00:47and then as a follow up to that,
01:00:49can you talk a little bit about over
01:00:51the counter probiotics supplements
01:00:52and and their effectiveness or
01:00:54their your point of view on not
01:00:56taking probiotic supplements?
01:00:58OK, well uhm so pro biotic means for life,
01:01:03so anything that is a fermented food is going
01:01:06to have is what we would call a probiotic.
01:01:09It's got the bacteria in it.
01:01:13So through the process of fermentation,
01:01:16we actually drop the acid level
01:01:18of of the food so that only the
01:01:21bacteria that we really want.
01:01:23This is called lacto fermentation.
01:01:25The Lactobacillus those
01:01:27things are able to thrive,
01:01:29and virulent bacteria are killed off,
01:01:32so these become loaded with bacteria
01:01:35that we do want and so this would be
01:01:40considered a probiotic food, not a prebiotic.
01:01:43To feed this, it's it's.
01:01:45It's in here,
01:01:47and so when we ingest it we are.
01:01:50We are helping to colonize our bacteria.
01:01:53It's the same when we drink kombucha.
01:01:58You know we're getting another
01:01:59kind of of bacteria in there.
01:02:02I'm not promoting these brands,
01:02:04it's just what I had in my house because
01:02:06my kombucha is very easy to make,
01:02:09but mine is in need of a new batch and this.
01:02:14Is I wonder if I can that is
01:02:17the thing the actual.
01:02:20Scobie we call it that makes up.
01:02:24Dip colonizes and takes sugar and tea,
01:02:28and makes it into this.
01:02:32It consumes the sugar and the caffeine
01:02:35so that there's really no very little
01:02:38sugar or caffeine left and it becomes
01:02:41this probiotic rich food or drink.
01:02:44And actually sometimes if you
01:02:46have like that gurgly stomach
01:02:48and you per meeting and you sip
01:02:50a little bit of this kombucha,
01:02:52it can really settle that.
01:02:55You
01:02:55must have seen our next question
01:02:56because that's what it was.
01:02:57Joey, right? You're way ahead of us.
01:02:59The sugar question about whether
01:03:01or not there's any residual
01:03:02sugar left in kombucha and beer,
01:03:05but you just answered that it
01:03:06eats the scobie in the process of
01:03:08fermenting eats most of that sugar,
01:03:10so the end product has very little right,
01:03:12right? But it does have some.
01:03:13It does have some you can taste,
01:03:15because when it doesn't,
01:03:18it becomes vinegar.
01:03:20And you end up having something very
01:03:22very tart and almost not palatable.
01:03:26OK, so I think we've got let me see.
01:03:29There are a few
01:03:29others, but I want to make sure to give
01:03:31you time to show us some of what you have.
01:03:33You know on your counter there some
01:03:35of the beautiful things that we
01:03:36haven't seen yet and to talk about
01:03:38any of the other food recipe type
01:03:41things before we end at 5:15. So
01:03:43OK. Well, one of the things that.
01:03:47Hi really like first of all
01:03:49I'm going to tell you we
01:03:51have some local companies.
01:03:52I make my own sour crop.
01:03:55This is actually red cabbage,
01:03:57carrot, cilantro.
01:04:02Coriander seed and cumin seed in
01:04:04there and I make that and that's
01:04:08Mike Sauerkraut and I make that for
01:04:11eating with southwestern dishes.
01:04:14It's really good on.
01:04:17Tacos and fish tacos and regular tacos.
01:04:23But yeah, we have a few companies.
01:04:25This one is a local company.
01:04:27This is pretty expensive if you go look
01:04:30at this is another one out of New York.
01:04:33They're both cut considered local.
01:04:35This is a kimchi which is very
01:04:37spicy and this is a sauerkraut.
01:04:39So this one is Hawthorne Valley
01:04:41and this one is real Pickles.
01:04:44They are expensive if you look at
01:04:46the price for a jar like this is
01:04:49probably $8 that you're using very.
01:04:53Little and so these last a long time
01:04:56and then once you learn to make it,
01:04:59it's so inexpensive to make your
01:05:04own sauerkraut fast easy fun.
01:05:09One year for Christmas we gave
01:05:11all our friends and family Crocs,
01:05:13small Crocs and then for New Years
01:05:16we had a fermentation party and
01:05:19we all thought we taught them
01:05:20all how to make sauerkraut.
01:05:22It was really fun and.
01:05:25So ferment those ferments if
01:05:27you don't want to make your own,
01:05:29you go get some and just have a little bit.
01:05:32I have to share a story.
01:05:33I have a friend.
01:05:35He is a scientist and he is a
01:05:38skeptic and came to my house one
01:05:40day when we were about to eat lunch.
01:05:43We had beautiful sourdough bread,
01:05:45true 24 hour fermentation and
01:05:50yay fermentation parties.
01:05:52Thanks so and.
01:05:55With some really local beautiful
01:05:57cheddar cheese which is fermented,
01:06:00we had toasted that till it melted and
01:06:03then topped it with sauerkraut and
01:06:04when he walked in, he thought, Oh no,
01:06:07I'm going to have to eat lunch with them.
01:06:09And so we made him some.
01:06:13He ate it, asked for seconds and.
01:06:16Told me later.
01:06:19That he was not clear what was different.
01:06:25But he felt different and he.
01:06:31He said there's no no way
01:06:32to put my finger out.
01:06:34This is not his personality to get
01:06:37excited about something like that and
01:06:39he has been fermenting ever since.
01:06:41That was maybe eight years ago,
01:06:43and he has fermented constantly since then,
01:06:47so it can make I've seen with with
01:06:51clients I've seen some emotional
01:06:54things that seem to be helped
01:06:56by adding fermented foods,
01:06:58so it I've seen a lot of it.
01:07:01Uhm, I you cannot,
01:07:03though I don't think stay really
01:07:05healthy if you just don't want to cook.
01:07:08I think it's just so hard these days.
01:07:10It's something we have to figure out
01:07:14how to fit back in and use it as a.
01:07:18A sense of of, well,
01:07:20first of all,
01:07:21privilege to be able to spend time
01:07:23cooking our food and really realize
01:07:25that we are fortunate and it tastes
01:07:28so good when you get better at it.
01:07:30And it's a great thing to do with your
01:07:34friends that to fix meals together and.
01:07:38You know,
01:07:38just sharing that it it feeds you on
01:07:41that anti stress level and it feeds
01:07:44your microbiome on the happy level.
01:07:46It it just is far reaching but I
01:07:48just want to show you a few things so
01:07:51this is something I grew this year.
01:07:53Can you see what is you have a guest?
01:07:55Nicole can you guess what that is?
01:07:57Oh let me see if anybody else
01:07:59wants to guess before I shout out.
01:08:03It's hard to tell in this
01:08:05in assume I would have to
01:08:06guess. Maybe currents
01:08:07would be my first guest.
01:08:09Oh, that's a really good guess.
01:08:11These are actually cranberry beans,
01:08:15cranberry beans.
01:08:15OK, we got some raspberries.
01:08:17Yeah, there's stunning.
01:08:19They're just absolutely beautiful.
01:08:21They they're delicious in a soup.
01:08:24They're really easy to grow.
01:08:25They were pulled.
01:08:26They grow as whole beings,
01:08:28and legumes are one of our big hitters.
01:08:32For fiber, they really are.
01:08:35They're inexpensive,
01:08:36they add body and and meat to a dish,
01:08:41so making a soup and
01:08:43finding ways to add beads.
01:08:44These are cranberry beads.
01:08:47These are.
01:08:48My black beans I grew this year
01:08:51and and they too are so much
01:08:55sweeter and delicious in Mexican,
01:08:57you know southwestern dishes and just really,
01:09:02really add a lot here.
01:09:05We have the red lentilles that
01:09:09add beauty to a lentil soup.
01:09:12Here are the.
01:09:14These are actually
01:09:15the little French lentilles
01:09:18in here. Let me just hold him up there.
01:09:23Yeah, I'm not going to be able to show you.
01:09:25Can you see those?
01:09:26Yes yeah, so the lentils.
01:09:29So lentil soup and and bazillions
01:09:31of recipes online.
01:09:33All you have to do is type in lentils
01:09:37and soup and you get a 10,000 recipes.
01:09:40So anything that adds these beans.
01:09:43Here are chickpeas.
01:09:45If you like hummus, adding these into
01:09:50a Mediterranean type dish, you know soup.
01:09:54It's fabulous all these vegetables.
01:09:58You can add.
01:09:59You know you've got your
01:10:00squashes this time of year,
01:10:02making this squash soup and
01:10:04adding some being to it.
01:10:06So now you've got the fibers
01:10:08for different sources.
01:10:10All of the tomatoes that are out
01:10:13there right now from the farm stands.
01:10:19Shallot onions. Garlic that is just
01:10:26prolific right now and so beneficial for
01:10:31our my our microbial health and our.
01:10:37Our health overall,
01:10:38so it's interesting with garlic is that
01:10:41garlic has been found to be as effective, uh?
01:10:47Antibiotic as tetracycline and penicillin.
01:10:50It actually in clinical studies has shown
01:10:54to lower blood pressure cholesterol.
01:10:57High blood pressure.
01:10:58It's it's really powerful,
01:11:01but the the medicine that actually does
01:11:04that doesn't exist in here right now.
01:11:07This that medicine that has that
01:11:10medicinal property doesn't exist until
01:11:13we break this garlic clove open.
01:11:17When you take a clove of garlic
01:11:19and you you smash it or chop it,
01:11:22or do whatever you're going to do the
01:11:25exposure to oxygen actually causes a.
01:11:28A chemical reaction and oxidative
01:11:31chemical reaction that does 11:50
01:11:34different enzymatic changes and it's
01:11:36so it starts as Alan in and develops
01:11:40into Allison which is the medicinal
01:11:43part of that and The thing is is
01:11:47we find it doesn't really come.
01:11:50It it you know it's so we call
01:11:52it anti microbial right?
01:11:53Because it's anti it's it's effective as
01:11:57effective an antibiotic but it doesn't
01:11:59seem to affect negatively our microbiome.
01:12:02So quite remarkable because we've
01:12:04evolved with that and the microbes
01:12:07in our body and the foods they we
01:12:10we it it knows how to work together.
01:12:12It's just it we've evolved together.
01:12:15So it's quite remarkable,
01:12:17quite fascinating and exciting.
01:12:19Also
01:12:20interesting, and it all looks so
01:12:21good behind you that I'm sure
01:12:23that we all wish we were coming
01:12:24to your house for dinner tonight.
01:12:25Gel we have no, I don't know if you do.
01:12:27There are nights where you I'm not sure
01:12:30mushrooms or the other one I wanted to
01:12:32mention this was a this is a mitaki or
01:12:35head of the woods that we have forged
01:12:39for mushrooms or prolific this year.
01:12:41I don't recommend doing that unless
01:12:43you're experienced and or go with people
01:12:45who are experienced but mushrooms.
01:12:47Actually I had something here I wanted to.
01:12:53Say that they actually come.
01:12:57Change cell proliferation have
01:13:00anti inflammatory and anti tumor
01:13:04tumorigenic effects on mushrooms.
01:13:06That's in research.
01:13:08These mushrooms are being studied.
01:13:11Extensively on for the microbiome,
01:13:15the immune system.
01:13:18For for Cancer Research and it is
01:13:21just incredibly prolific right now,
01:13:27and so you can get those local
01:13:30mushrooms you can in the stores
01:13:33now even the shataiki shikaki are
01:13:36incredibly great for the immune system,
01:13:39so adding some of those to your
01:13:41soup is a great idea.
01:13:44It will certainly. Yeah, yeah,
01:13:46it'll be interesting to see how you know.
01:13:49Overtime the research is
01:13:50presented on these compounds,
01:13:52certainly not to be a replacement
01:13:54for any of our current medications
01:13:55or therapies, right?
01:13:56But as an addition to you know in
01:13:59in conjunction with those things
01:14:00that we can do things for
01:14:02ourselves in our own kitchen,
01:14:04right? And they're not meant to take
01:14:05the place, and none of these foods
01:14:08are foods are really important in our
01:14:11lives and in how to live a healthy
01:14:14life or how to regain some health.
01:14:17But they are never meant they
01:14:19had met what we like to say.
01:14:21Medicine in the food.
01:14:22That's where a lot of our medicines
01:14:23have come from. Our from our foods.
01:14:26It doesn't mean replace.
01:14:28It means in conjunction
01:14:30it means preventative.
01:14:32Maybe that if eating really well can
01:14:35help prevent certain issues, it it.
01:14:38I would never suggest that someone say
01:14:41I'm throwing that medicine out and I'm
01:14:43gonna start being garlic every day.
01:14:45I would say eat garlic.
01:14:47Along with it, and make your soup said,
01:14:51yeah, for sure with point.
01:14:52Yeah.
01:14:53Well thank you so much Joan.
01:14:55This has been amazing and there's
01:14:57so much great feedback in the chat.
01:14:58We are at times so I want to
01:15:00make sure to respect your time.
01:15:01Joan and everyone else
01:15:02who's been with us today.
01:15:03Thank you so much for this
01:15:05enlightening presentation and all your
01:15:08information that you shared with us.
01:15:11I know we all look forward to going
01:15:12home and putting it into practice
01:15:13in our kitchens. Yeah, thank you for
01:15:16taking the time today to to join me. Thank
01:15:18you and thank you all for joining us and
01:15:20for your wonderful questions and comments.
01:15:23Please do complete the evaluation for the
01:15:25program that you'll get automatically
01:15:27after and send us any feedback or
01:15:29information for future topics and
01:15:31we look forward to seeing you all on
01:15:33a future Smilow Wellness workshop.
01:15:36Have a great evening everyone and
01:15:37thank you all for being apart.