Do you long for foods that aren’t good for you? Is your metabolism sluggish? Do you retain body fat and gain weight easily? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to take stock of your gut microbiome – the collection of microbes that live in your digestive tract. These… Continue Reading
The Microbiome
Do You Have a Healthy Microbiome? Here’s How to Find Out!
Yvette La-Garde Well Blog Editor, VitaMedica Are you having a hard time losing weight? Do you suffer from bloating, indigestion or gas? Is your mood more sullen than sunny? If so, your gut microbiome – the collection of microbes that line your digestive tract – may be at fault. You may be… Continue Reading
What are Prebiotics?
By David H. Rahm, M.D. Q: I’ve been taking a probiotic for years but lately I’m hearing more about prebiotics. What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics? And, should I be taking a prebiotic supplement? Emerging research over the past decade, has given us a greater appreciation for the role that probiotics –… Continue Reading
Artificial Sweeteners Alter Blood Sugar & Gut Bacteria
Sometimes, you just need something sweet. Whether it’s for your morning coffee, in your diet soda, or for “better-for-you” home-baked goods, who hasn’t tried a sugar-free sweetener in the name of health or weight loss? But what if your efforts to reduce your sugar intake were actually making you fatter? What if you are… Continue Reading
The Microbiome: Our Microbial Fingerprint
If you’ve ever seen a Peanuts cartoon, you might remember Charlie Brown’s friend Pig-Pen, a little boy who travels with his own personal dirt cloud everywhere he goes. And while we may be a little more sanitary than Pig-Pen, it turns out we also travel with our own personal cloud of, not dirt, but… Continue Reading
The Microbiome: Our Symbiotic Partner in Health
By David H. Rahm, M.D. Q: It seems like each week a new study or article comes out talking about the importance of the microbiome. What exactly is the microbiome and why are we hearing so much about this topic lately? Your observation is correct. The microbiome (defined as the collection of microbes… Continue Reading
New Discoveries about the Microbiome
Emerging research is revealing how the microbiome not only affects digestion, but joint, skin, cardiovascular and immune health. Numerous studies also suggest that the health of our microbiome determines whether we are lean or obese. Here are some of the latest findings that scientists have discovered about the microbes that live on and in… Continue Reading
Are Your Gut Bacteria Causing Your Cravings?
It’s happened to the best of us. Suddenly, you’re hit with a craving for chocolate, ice-cream or something good and greasy, and as healthy as you’ve been and want to be, you give in. Stress, hormones, or a lack of willpower usually get the blame, and you feel guilty for days. But what if… Continue Reading