A Living World Inside You: The Inner Ecosystem
Tara Carpenter, NC.
Nutrition Consultant helping people of all ages heal with therapeutic nutrition.
Originally published on November 2, 2014.
Like earth, the human body has an inner ecosystem made of a diverse world of microflora (beneficial bacteria, friendly yeast, commensal viruses) living in the digestive tract. Every living being, including fish, birds, insects and humans have an inner ecosystem with microflora working day and night to keep the body healthy and in a state of homeostasis/balance.
The inner ecosystem stretches from the mouth to the rectum and is approximately 30 feet long. Neatly packed in this space are millions of micro-flora organisms, both good (probiotics) and bad (pathogens), that intermingle in a delicate balance of harmony.
Photo Credit: Buddha Doodles
The good flora keep bad flora “in-check” with a 10:1 ratio of good flora to bad flora. Yet, if the bad flora have the opportunity to overtake the good flora they can quickly establish higher rank and the body (host) might become overpopulated with yeast, bacteria, parasites, or viruses.
This can happen if YOU (the host of these microorganisms) experience prolonged stress, indulge in processed sugar/refined food, take antibiotics, swim in chlorinated pools, receive a vaccination, take “pill”, get pregnant. Many women find themselves with a vaginal yeast infection after being sexual with a partner who has oral or penile thrush. All these examples can cause a disruption in the overall balance of the inner ecosystem.
An imbalanced inner ecosystem can also cause food intolerances to crop up because of an enzyme deficiency and/or immune reaction. In fact, the gut and immune system are so closely linked that some say the relationship is so strong “we are married to our gut microbes.”
Take this quiz to see if yeast overgrowth may be affecting you.
Heal your delicate inner ecosystem with ‘body ecology’ products that are high-quality; first time customers can enter the code BE-TARA for 15% coupon.
How Bad Flora Overtakes Good Flora
Bad pathogenic flora love alcohol, sugar, hydrogenated oils, refined flour, drugs of any kind, adrenaline (stress), estrogen, chlorinate, corticosteroids, antibiotics, birth control pills, and anything else that creates an acidic environment for them to live in. This is their happy place! When the bad flora have enough of these ‘foods’ at their disposal, they breed quickly and can build colonies/populations the size of New York City!
YOU are in control here. As the host, you can shut them down effectively by stopping the very things they thrive on. Turn a blind eye and they will happily thrive inside your inner ecosystem for as long as you (the host) “feed” and give them what they want (sugar, drugs, alcohol, etc.).
Cinnamon kisses can combat sugar cravings!
Bad flora produce toxins…
Too much pathogenic bad flora creates a toxic situation for YOU/the host and a perfectly ideal one for bad flora. There is nothing better to bad flora (a.k.a. harmful pathogens) than a toxic, acidic environment to live and grow a family. If allowed to get to this point then they will next burrow in to the soft digestive tract lining to establish a population that will naturally produce harmful gases/toxins the pollute and irritate the digestive tract lining from the mouth down to the anus which is the digestive tract.
If bad flora build up in the gut lining this can cause the tissue of the digestive tract to become inflamed, even ‘leaky’. If this happens then you might feel bloated and develop food sensitivities because the gut and immune system are interconnected (married) then if your gut/digestive tract heats with inflammation and gets stimulated the immune system can kick into high gear; potentially making you susceptible to autoimmune diseases such as Celiac Disease, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Keeping the living world of good and bad flora in inner ecosystem healthy and balanced each day, every meal is one way to better health!
Unsalted Cultured Vegetables are a wonderful addition to meals (and your gut); a probiotic food made without salt is full of hearty diverse forms of good gut flora.
Possible Signs of Imbalanced Inner Ecosystem
- Candidiasis (i.e., vaginal yeast infections, dryness)
- Food sensitivities
- Skin conditions
- Leaky gut
- Bacterial infections (i.e., GBS+)
- Viral infections (i.e., hepatitis)
- Autism
- Digestive disorders (i.e., bloating, diarrhea)
Cleanse & Replenish
The best way to keep bad flora in check is to keep the digestive tract balanced. This can give good flora an upper hand naturally. You are in control of creating this harmony for your health with food choices (and food combinations) and by avoiding chlorinated swimming pools and antibiotics when you can. Your body is a self-healing living organism always seeking balance so help your body to do this job. By keeping up with your health every day, every meal you may be less likely to have a yeast, bacteria, parasitic, or viral overgrowth/infection root in.
Tara Carpenter, NC.
Nutritional Support with Tara
A key way to return the inner ecosystem to equilibrium is to restore good digestion with specific foods and food combinations like demonstrated with Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.). This is a complete system designed to support the immune system, organs and digestive tract. This dietary protocol starves out bad flora in order to restore natural balance to internal chemistry and gut flora by applying key principles for health and healing that draws on the wisdom of ancient and modern medicine and nutrition (i.e., Chinese medicine, Ayurveda).
Tara is a Therapeutic Nutrition Consultant that works with each client to pave a path that is customized to meet individual dietary and health needs.
Ways to balance your inner ecosystem…
- Unsalted probiotic-rich food (i.e. milk kefir, cultured vegetables).
- Colonics or enemas on a regular basis.
- Raw apple cider vinegar in the morning.
- Extra-virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil
- Digestive enzymes and/or probiotic supplement
- Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)
References
Campbell-McBride, N. MD. (2011). Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Soham, Cambridge; Medinform Publishing.
Gates, D. (2010). The Body Ecology Diet. Bogart, GA: B.E.D. Publications.
May all bellies be happy!
Disclaimer: Tara is not a licensed physician who treats, manages, diagnoses, or prevents medical, psychological, or nutritional condition/disease. Her service is primarily educational in nature and thus subject to interpretation; doesn't constitute medical advice nor make promise or representation, expressed or implied, to a result that will be obtained by adhering to any recommendations given. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before changing diet, lifestyle, health, or prescribed drug. By utilizing this site, or a service offered, you acknowledge to have read disclaimer and understand that affiliate links may be used in this post/page, you assume responsibility for use or misuse of information. You agree to contact a licensed health-care provider if problems arise in our time together, or thereafter.
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