Science is starting to uncover the many ways our gut flora affect our health. While many of us still believe the beneficial bacteria is good for digestion (and it is), it does a whole lot more. 

Dr. Anna Garrett chats about the "Gut-Brain Axis"

In this podcast, metabolic surgeon and gut expert Dr. Erika La Vella talks with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about the bi-directional relationship between your gut and your brain.

The "Gut-Brain Axis" affects your perception, cognition, your nervous system, your mood, pretty much everything. Given that, and how cattywampus everything can be during menopause anyway, doesn't it make sense to be sure your gut is getting exactly what it needs?

This is why we bang on about nutrition here at Gennev — it's so important to feed yourself well, because it literally affects everything in your body. Good fiber helps the beneficial flora in your gut to thrive so it continues pulling nutrition from the food you eat and sending it where it does the most good. 

Like virtually everything in nature, diversity is best, so eat lots and lots of veggies: 30 different kinds a week, according to Dr. La Vella. The more diverse your vegetable selection, full of vibrant colors and flavors, the better. Because different micronutrients have different functions in the body, "eating the rainbow" really does provide the most comprehensive care.

And if you can't get them all, supplementation can help fill the gaps, so consider Gennev's Vitality pack. Thirty veggies is a lot, and if that means you're bumping up your fiber, you'll want to take it slowly. While Dr. La Vella assures us that gas is normal and means your gut flora is doing their job, ramping up fiber too fast can cause more than ordinary gas!

TRANSCRIPT TO FOLLOW

Are you taking care of your microbiome? What do you do to keep those good bacteria healthy and thriving? We'd love for you to share your tips for eating the rainbow, getting good probiotics, protecting beneficial gut flora, etc., so please join the conversation on the Gennev Community forums!