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An incredible daily battle is taking place on the microscopic level right in your own body. One that is so important that just about every system of your body is dependent on the outcome. That battleground is right in your digestive tract.

Your intestines are home to trillions of bacteria; tiny one–celled organisms whose proper balance can make or break your overall health. When too many of the bad guys rise up our immune system is set into action. “Good,” you say? Not necessarily. An overactive immune system is just as bad as a weak one. Ever suffer from congestion, foggy headedness, eczema, bloating, acne, depression or attention deficit? Look more closely inside for the likely answer.  

So important is this topic that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently conducting studies to look at the role that probiotics (foods or supplements that support healthy bacteria production) play in our daily immune function. Preliminary findings are encouraging. Probiotics may improve conditions commonly treated by medications such as Crohn’s disease, urinary tract and yeast infections, eczema, and dermatitis.

Some gut balancing strategies for you to consider:

First, give the good soldiers an edge by not feeding the fire. Unhealthy strains like Clostridia and Candida love to feed on low fiber carbs like bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, and candies. Start by cutting these out and replacing them with whole grain breads, brown rice, quinoa, and fresh vegetables. Because of their high sugar content, go easy on the fruits for a while till you get the problem under control.

Next replenish. Natural probiotic sources include live foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, kim chee, organic pickles, miso, live-cultured yogurt, and kefir. Numerous probiotic supplements (see ingredients such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidus, and thermophilus, and Saccharomyces) are sold in health foods stores. You may have to try out a few different brands till you find the right one for you.

Even a single dose of antibiotics can cause long-term micro-damage. If you must take an antibiotic be sure to supplement with one or more probiotics. Unfortunately we may not always know we’re exposed. Most hand soaps contain low levels of antibiotics, as do factory farmed animals and our municipal drinking water.  Better safe than sorry, I say.

A controversial topic indeed, but as research continues to show, we are not separate from mother nature and we can all learn a few more lessons in how to live more naturally.