Patience and Persistence: The Keys to Improving Your Gut Microbiome
Many of us hope for quick changes in our gut microbiome when we start making healthier choices. But the truth is, gut health is a bit more complicated than that. Understanding how your gut microbes work can help you set realistic goals and achieve lasting improvements. Here we explore why changes might happen slower than you'd expect and you can find some proven tips to support a thriving microbiome in the long run below.
Lower Microbiome score than you'd like?
If your gut health scores are not as expected, or you’re wondering why your microbiome hasn't changed as significantly as you'd hoped, don't worry, you're not alone. Your gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem that's constantly evolving. While dietary changes can cause shifts in as little as 1-2 days, our gut microbes have a preferred range they like to stick to. This natural tendency helps protect us through feast and famine.
This means that they tend to want to revert back to this range after around three days if you stop any dietary changes you’ve made - which can be frustrating! What we don’t know yet is exactly how long you need to change your diet for there to be permanent changes to your gut microbes ‘usual’ range.
Likewise, there are some bacteria that are more resistant to change than others, and some that are very responsive to diet, and this can also be highly individual to you.
What this means for you
So, what does this mean for you? Even if you don't see immediate changes, the positive steps you're taking are benefiting your gut and overall health. Remember, it's the long-term, consistent changes that make the biggest difference.
Here are some tips to keep your gut health journey on track:
Embrace variety: Aim for 30+ different plant foods weekly.
Experiment with fermented foods: Try kefir, yogurt, or kimchi.
Limit processed foods and focus on whole, nutrient-dense options.
Don't forget lifestyle factors: Sleep, stress management, and exercise all play a role.
Remember, everyone's gut microbiome is unique. What works for one person might not work for another. The key is to be patient and consistent with your healthy habits.
There's more to consider...
It is also important to note, there is more to consider than just the presence of these good or bad microbes. The chemicals our gut bacteria produce can exert a beneficial or negative influence on our health. Our gut bacteria produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids called butyrate, propionate and acetate. These short-chain fatty acids aren’t found in food, except a small amount of acetate is present in vinegar. They have many potential influences around the body including acting as neurotransmitters to support your gut lining.
In short, we have not measured how effectively your microbes are producing these chemicals. So, it’s likely with your great diet changes they’ll be working even harder! Even if your scores have not changed much, your good microbes may be producing more of these beneficial chemicals. We hope that as the science & technology in this area evolves, we’ll be able to test this in future 🚀
Next Steps
As you continue your gut health journey, take a moment to reflect on the positive changes you've made. Even small steps can lead to big improvements over time. Keep up the great work, and your gut will thank you!
Ready to take your gut health to the next level? Why not challenge yourself to try a new fermented food this week?
Check out our Gut Health, Microbiome and Fermented Foods Clubs for some great tips and discussions 💭