Give Your Microbiome Some Love!
In our last blog , Is Dry January Good For Your Microbiome, I talked about the microbiome, which is the collection of bacteria in our guts that impact our health in a variety of ways. I spoke about what it is, why it’s important, and how cannabis can affect it. In addition to consuming cannabis, which I know you love to do, there are some other ways you can focus your diet and lifestyle to promote a healthier microbiome.
1) Take a probiotic on the daily.*
A probiotic is a supplement that contains different strains of beneficial bacteria and is a great way to boost the diversity of microbes that live in your gut.
2) Eat more soluble fiber.*
Not only do you want to increase the number of beneficial bacteria inhabiting your gut, you also need to feed them so they can stay alive and proliferate. There are many foods that contain soluble fiber, but here are a handful to get started with: black beans, pinto beans, artichokes, asparagus, apples, ripe bananas, and oats. Bon Appetit!
3) Up your stress management skills.
Chronic stress has shown to adversely affect the health of the microbiome in a variety of ways. Need a little help with managing your stress? Humboldt Apothecary’s Calm is profoundly effective at calming the nervous system to help you handle life’s daily stressors with more grace and ease.
4) Sleep the night away.
Like with most aspects of health, poor sleep reflects poorly on the quality of your microbiome. If getting a great night’s sleep isn’t your jam, try Humboldt Apothecary’s Deep Sleep to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up fully rested with no grogginess.
5) Move around!
No big surprise here. It seems there are very few aspects of health that don’t benefit from regular exercise. Studies show that the microbiome improves after 6 weeks of regular physical exercise. Don’t worry if your muscles get sore from working hard to make the microbes in your gut happy. Humboldt Apothecary’s Wintergreen Stick and Juniper Balm are just the trick to relieve sore muscles.
6) Kombucha with a splash of Humboldt Apothecary’s Inflammation Soother.
As many of you know, kombucha is a fermented food, and guess what? Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria that can improve the quality of your microbiome. Additionally, turmeric is one of the ingredients of Inflammation Soother, and studies have shown that it may increase the diversity of microbes in the microbiome.
*Some people with GI disorders may find consuming these to be irritating to the gut.
Herb of The Month: Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet is also known as queen of the meadow with the Latin name of Filipendula ulmaria. It’s a perennial shrub that is native to Europe, but it also grows in North America in damp environments. The flowers, which are the part of the plant commonly used in herbal medicine, are a creamy, yellow white and have a delightful, sweet aroma. Meadowsweet contains salicylic acid which is the constituent that was synthesized to make aspirin. The name aspirin was partially derived from Spiraea, the scientific name of meadowsweet. Not surprisingly, meadowsweet is a great remedy for pain and inflammation. Traditionally, it has also been used to treat stomach issues such as heartburn and stomach ulcers. Meadowsweet is one of the key ingredients in Inflammation Soother which helps make that formula so effective at reducing pain and inflammation.
