Webinar Summary & Resources

Eating for our Microbiome

(8:10) Dr. Gemma Newman is a practicing doctor of medicine in the U.K for nearly 17 years, where she is involved in holistic health, nutrition advocacy, and plant-based medicine. She is also the author of The Plant Power Doctor. Dr. Newman explains that the foods we eat nourish the microbes within us that help us digest, create hormones, maintain a functioning immune system and gut-brain axis and so many other vital functions. Medical science is just beginning to scratch the surface on how all of these systems are interconnected. She says that food is what can give us some of the fastest transformations when we are seeking a healthier lifestyle and being.

It’s become even more apparent… that we’re very much part of a larger whole. As humans, we’re very much part of a microscopic whole as well.

– Dr. Gemma Newman

(11:53) Dr. Newman lists some practical ways to care for our overall physical health. She recommends limiting antibiotics, as they destroy the microbiomes and the natural environment around us. It is best to limit the consumption of industrially processed animal products since there are a lot of antibiotics used and we consume the chemicals secondhand when we eat these animal products.

(14:58) Dr. Newman explains how alcohol also strips our microbiome and encourages us to not eat too late in the day. The gut microbes have a circadian rhythm, so it’s best to eat our largest meal earlier in the day. It’s also important to make sure we get good sleep for proper nutrient absorption and to allow for the body’s regenerative and metabolic processes.

Other things to look out for are emulsifiers in food as well in addition to the chemicals in our cleaning products. When we use “anti-microbial” products, we are stripping away beneficial microbes. They also disrupt the acid mantle of our skin, which makes us more prone to skin conditions like eczema.

Prebiotics are essentially dietary fiber in various forms. Prebiotics are, in fact, more important than probiotics because prebiotics are fuel for the gut microbiome. It’s important to maximize dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as much as possible. Much of the fiber that we consume goes right down to the large intestine where it gets processed by our gut microbes. The microbes then create short-chain fatty acids, which help our immune system function optimally and regulate our nutrient digestion. This reduces our risk of chronic illness. Garlic, leeks, oats, lentils, chickpeas, bananas, legumes are all examples of foods full of prebiotics. (19:01) Dr. Bush mentions that fiber is missed in a lot of nutritional understanding. Fiber functions like coral reefs in the ocean, allowing for diversification within us which is necessary for good health.

Eating for Brain Health

(54:50) An area of performance that is very important is the brain, yet we live in an environment that is taxing on the neurologic system. Rates of Alzheimer’s, autism, and ADD have accelerated in the past 20 years, and doctors now see neurodegenerative conditions presenting in younger age groups at increased rates. Dr. Peter Cummings recounts his experience as a forensic and neuropathologist where he saw so many preventable deaths. He realized that the food most people eat isn’t just making them feel bad, but it is literally killing them. Mid-career, Dr. Cummings decided he wanted to do more to help people by approaching lifestyle as medicine.

Medicine has it backwards. We spend so much time focusing on getting sick people better and so little time focusing on people keeping healthy people well.

– Dr. Peter Cummings

He also agrees that this idea of calories in and calories out is an oversimplified way to approach what food is doing for you. Burning 500 calories on the treadmill is different than burning 500 calories in the weight room, and not all calories are created equal. There are many other variables that change how the energy is assimilated into the body.

The health of our planet has a direct effect on the health of our bodies.

– Dr. Zach Bush

(1:02:45) In regards to the gut-brain axis, it’s important to remember the body is a holistic machine. If we change something in the brain, then we also change something in the gut and vice versa. This communication between systems is essential for overall health.

There are 12 cranial nerves, which enable the “Four F’s” needed for survival: Feeding, Fighting, Flight and Fornication. They also connect to our emotions, which affect how our muscles work. The Vagus nerve is the biggest cranial nerve, which goes directly from the brainstem to the gut. It functions as a 2-way neurological connection between the brain and the gastrointestinal system,telling us that our emotions and emotional response to food are a huge component of what we eat. For instance, if someone is stressed, the vagus nerve tone decreases and the sympathetic nervous system increases. This disturbs the gut permeability and also creates negative outputs within the body.

(1:06:04) Dr. Cummings explains that every neuropathology condition is the result of an energy imbalance within the brain cells. Astrocytes are the nurse cell for neurons which also store glycogen. However, the neurons don’t use glucose; the glycogen is broken down into lactate, which then powers the neurons. The human body is an incredible recycling plant. For instance, when you’re working out and your body produces lactic acid, the brain uses that lactate to fuel itself. When there is brain dysfunction, there is a breakdown in the relationship between the astrocytes, the neurons and the ability to energize the neurons. It is a very delicate balance.

How We Get Addicted to Food

(1:09:05) Since the 1950’s, the fat, salt, and sugar combinations of the Western diet have induced exaggerated dopamine responses in the brain. If we were to do a PET scan on someone who just ate a happy meal, their brain would look the same as someone who just did a hit of cocaine or another strong dopamine-inducing agent. This creates a vicious cycle of diminishing returns, where it takes more of the food to get that “feel good” neurological response. This quick dopamine hit feels like a reward and creates an addictive pattern, leading to overeating and undernourishment

Micronutrients + Fears Around Plant-based Diets

(1:11:58) Dr. Newman addresses some of the criticisms or fears about phytonutrients in regards to plant-based diets. While they sometimes reduce the absorption of some minerals, this is not detrimental when eating a varied diet. These nutrients are also helpful because they help regulate the nutrients coming into the body, since an excess can lead to oxidation. If we intake too much of something in the diet, the harms can outweigh the benefits, so these regulatory functions are valuable. It’s important to look at the whole synergy of what the body is doing and not just overly fixate on one particular nutrient’s role. As long as you have a varied diet and a healthy microbiome, you should be able to get all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need with a whole foods, plant-based approach to eating.

(01:15:09) Alex Guerrero encourages his clients to make small changes over a two-week period of time to help them develop new behavior pathways. As they begin to feel better, it motivates them to keep going and take another step towards taking better care of themselves. Start with small, manageable steps and take time to educate yourself on what you can do to improve your overall performance or experience in life.

Starting small is better than not starting at all.

– Alex Guererro

Why It’s Important to Manage Insulin

(01:17:30) Dr. Mindy Pelz says that insulin imbalances also lead to imbalances with sex hormones. Whether someone is menopausal or post-menopausal, it’s important to get the insulin under control before trying to address the hormones. Otherwise, the attempts to build progesterone won’t be effective. The majority of the world is not managing insulin, which results in severe hormonal imbalances. However, menopausal women seem to suffer the most obviously from these imbalances.

(1:19:30) Dr. Cummings criticizes the traditional approach to changing the diet which involves logging food and eliminating negative choices. This approach doesn’t address the emotional motivations for eating those foods in the first place. Instead, he proposes slowly integrating more high quality, nutrient-dense foods that help people feel better. He says that insulin isn’t itself causing the problem, but is a marker for other things that are going on. When we consume glucose challenge drinks, for instance, the blood vessels react negatively and no longer can adjust their size to accommodate blood flow.

Keep it Simple

(1:22:50) Dr. Newman says that all of the obsessive, complex rules about active diets are unnecessary for most of the population. Calorie counting, carbohydrate restriction and loading, carb-protein ratios can inhibit people from getting active because the information feels overwhelming. She encourages everyone to keep it really simple to avoid overly restrictive eating and disordered relationships with food.