The Microbiome: Your Body’s Hidden Operating System
Are You Actually Feeding the Enemy in Your Gut?
If you have bloating, brain fog, skin issues, fatigue, or anxiety—you’re not just dealing with isolated symptoms. You may have an imbalanced microbiome, and most people don’t even know it’s there.
Your microbiome is the invisible community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living in your gut—and it’s not a side character in your health. It’s the control panel for digestion, immunity, inflammation, and even mood.
The problem? Our modern lifestyle—gluten, sugar, stress, antibiotics, and processed foods—wipes out the good bugs and allows harmful ones to take over. And when the gut gets inflamed, everything can feel off.
Why Your Gut Bacteria Shape Your Entire Health Story
🧬 What is the Microbiome?
It’s made up of 100 trillion microbes that live mostly in your large intestine.
These microbes digest your food, create vitamins, and even send messages to your brain.
A diverse, balanced microbiome protects against inflammation and chronic disease.
🚨 What Harms It?
Antibiotics, pesticides, and food additives
Processed foods, excess sugar, and low fiber intake
Chronic stress, which impacts gut lining and immune response
Alcohol, poor sleep, and environmental toxins
🧠 Symptoms of an Imbalanced Microbiome:
Bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
Brain fog, fatigue, and poor memory
Rashes, acne, eczema, or food sensitivities
Depression, anxiety, or mood swings
Hormonal imbalance and autoimmune flares
As Dr. Zach Bush notes in his work on gut permeability:
“When the microbiome loses diversity, we lose the language of health itself.” (source)
How to Restore Your Microbiome—Naturally
At Liberty Functional Medicine, we use stool testing, food plans, and targeted protocols to help rebalance your gut flora and repair your gut lining. Here’s how to start at home:
🥦 Eat for Your Microbes:
Add prebiotic-rich foods: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, green bananas
Eat fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir (if tolerated)
Choose high-fiber, colorful, whole foods daily
Avoid gluten, refined sugar, alcohol, and ultra-processed products
💊 Support Gut Health with:
Probiotics (strain-specific, based on testing)
L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and slippery elm to heal the gut lining
Polyphenols from herbs, teas, and berries to reduce inflammation
💡 Lifestyle Habits That Heal:
Reduce stress with breathwork, prayer, or mindfulness
Sleep 7–9 hours consistently to allow gut repair
Get outside—contact with soil and nature boosts microbial diversity