It’s a war out there - or should I say, in there. Trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses are battling it out to survive in your body. Some are beneficial, assisting with cognition, immunity, and mood, others try to take down your system, growing into superinfections, upsetting the finely tuned orchestral balance within.
We as the “host organism,” try to keep the microbes on a leash. We can do this by eating well, exercising and sleeping well to create an environment which favours the “commensal” bacteria - the good ones. These commensal bacteria help us to manage the rise of the “pathogenic bacteria” - the ones that drive superinfections.
What’s interesting is that we, the hosting humans have co-evolved with these bacteria. Our bodies try to manage the microbes; but the microbes, evolve at a faster rate than we do. Sometimes our body is playing catch up. Right now, our bodies are struggling to evolve quickly enough for what modern life throws at us.
And we sure throw a lot at the microbes - good and bad (see graphic below for lifestyle influences).
The interactions of microbes with their human host are complex; living to their own rhythms and cycles, like any ecosystem in nature. Subtle changes made to your routine every day can shift this ecosystem for the better.
A diet high in plant fibres and fermented foods, good sleep, low stress, exercise and exposure to environmental microbes, from the garden, or pets all contribute to a healthy, biodiverse microbiome.
So today, make it a day to munch on a carrot, walk in the trees, cuddle your cat, sleep like a king (or queen) and spend time appreciating the world you live in. Your microbial ecosystem will love you for it!