“Live Dirty, Eat Clean! is the mantra of Dr. Robynne Chutkan. Dr. Chutkan is an Integrative gastroenterologist, microbiome expert and author of the book Gutbliss. Her mission is to bring to all of us the understanding that what we feed our microbiome determines our health. More specifically, what we eat determines that bacteria we grow and in turn these bacteria turn on and off specific genes that guide our health down one pathway or another.
I found it very interesting to listen to what she had to say in this brief talk especially in light of the fact that many people are turning towards high fat as the underpinning of their daily diet. In my opinion perhaps one of the most overlooked and undervalued components of a healthy diet is adequate fibre intake. Fibre is the indigestible part of plants that passes pretty much unchanged as it goes through the digestive system. The more common understanding of the value of fibre is it importance for a healthy digestive tract. A lesser know reason for the importance of fibre however is it’s function for maintaining a healthy microbiome. As explained by Dr. Chutkan the microbiome is:
“all microbes that live on or in the human body… and all their genes…making you more microbe than human…(they are an) essential part of our ecosystem and they’re vitally important for keeping us healthy”
As we become more and more aware of just how many aspects of our health are affected by our microbiome, it becomes imperative that we understand how to propagate its health. And the first place to start is with a plant-based diet.
I’ve included the link to her talk below. Do take a few minutes to listen to it. It’s both interesting and informative.
