The Good Gut by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg

The Big Idea: eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fermented foods to maintain a healthy microbiome and discourage disease.

• An unhealthy microbiome is associated with: infant colic, allergies, autism, auto-immune diseases, obesity, depression, schizophrenia, OCD, stroke, heart disease, systemic inflammation, and cancer.
• Vaginal childbirth is preferable to C-section.
• Breast milk helps feed an infant’s microbiome.
• Take antibiotics only when necessary, since they can decimate benefit beneficial gut bacteria.
• If antibiotics are unavoidable, supplement with probiotics quickly afterwards.
• Wash children’s hands regularly during flu season.
• Start each day with kefir or yogurt.
• Being around dirt, animals and people helps expose us to beneficial microbes.
• Ease up on the need to sanitize everything.
• Feed your gut microbiome plenty of dietary fiber.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains.
• Limit red meat, which is converted to TMA and TMAO.
• Limit saturated fat, which feeds pathogenic bacteria.
• Consume fermented foods for probiotics.
• Consider following the Mediterrean diet or the traditional Japanese diet.