gut health & microbiome

Here you’ll find articles related to gut health and the microbiome. Your gut is at the core of your health (pun intended!), and so it should come as no surprise that many of our articles touch on the topic. The term microbiome refers to all of the microbes that reside within your body, while your gut refers to your entire digestive tract — all the way from your mouth down to the other end. 

Countless tiny microbes reside in your gut, and the delicate balance of these organisms is central to your body’s ability to function properly. When the balance of bacteria in your microbiome gets thrown off, your gut health suffers, and this has a cascade of effects on your health. Your gut health plays a pivotal role in not only digestion and nutrient absorption, but also immune function, metabolism, mental health, and many other areas.

Read these articles to learn more about the ways that your gut affects your overall well-being, as well as what you can do to support a healthy gut and microbiome.

What Are the Root Causes of Eczema? A Holistic Nutritionist Explains

What Are the Root Causes of Eczema? A Holistic Nutritionist Explains

Abby Tai dealt with severe eczema for much of her childhood and into her young adult years—until she finally was able to get to the root causes of eczema and heal. When she was suffering, she made a promise to herself that if she ever got better, she would share her story with as many people around the world as she could and help them overcome the crippling skin condition like she did. Today, Tai is a holistic registered nutritionist, founder of Eczema Conquerors, and host of the The Eczema Podcast, and she joined WellBe to share what she's learned on her personal and professional eczema journey. Read on to learn more about the root causes of eczema, the connection between gut health and eczema, differentiating eczema versus psoriasis, the side effects of topical steroids, and more. 
2022’s Ten Most Important Health & Wellness Stories

2022’s Ten Most Important Health & Wellness Stories

In lieu of our normal Q4 wellness and health news wrap-up, we’re ending the year with a different sort of news roundup. In the spirit of end-of-year reflection, we’ve put together a list of the most important stories related to health and wellness from all of 2022, rather than just the last three months. Some of these stories are brand new, some were highlighted in past wrap-ups — and all of them have implications for the health of you and your loved ones.
Holistic Nutritionist Maria Marlowe on the Link Between Gut Health and Acne

Holistic Nutritionist Maria Marlowe on the Link Between Gut Health and Acne

For years, Maria Marlowe struggled with acne. She tried every product and prescription she could find to clear up her skin, but nothing works. It was only when she began learning about nutrition that she understood the role that diet plays in skin health — and after changing what she ate, her skin cleared up in months. Today, Marlowe is a holistic nutritionist, author, and host of The Glow Life podcast, and helps others clear their skin through food. Watch the interview or read on to learn the link between hormones and acne, how gut health and acne relate, the best diet for acne, and more. 
Dr. Kasey Holland on EBV Reactivation Symptoms and How EBV Triggers Autoimmune Disease

Dr. Kasey Holland on EBV Reactivation Symptoms and How EBV Triggers Autoimmune Disease

When Dr. Kasey Holland was in naturopathic medical school, she was experiencing a cluster of mysterious and sometimes debilitating symptoms, and didn’t know what they were, despite the fact that the answer was staring her right in the face (Literally! She was busy diagnosing patients with the very thing she had! ). When she eventually figured out that she had reactivated EBV, and then healed herself, she decided to make this complex virus her specialty. Read on to learn Dr. Holland’s insights on EBV reactivation symptoms, the best EBV treatment, how EBV might explain what triggers autoimmune disease, and much more.
What’s the Difference Between a Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance? Dr. Will Bulsiewicz Explains

What’s the Difference Between a Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance? Dr. Will Bulsiewicz Explains

It’s not often we have repeat interviewees here at WellBe, but sometimes a person just has too much valuable expertise to unpack in one interview. One of those people is Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (aka Dr. B). Dr B is a double board-certified physician, gut health expert, and author of Fiber Fueled and the brand new Fiber Fueled Cookbook, which he describes as “the ‘how’ of gut health.” While Dr. B’s first WellBe interview focused on the importance of fiber and dietary diversity, this one is all about the causes of food intolerance. Read on to learn the difference between a food allergy vs food intolerance, the most common food intolerances, and much more. 
How to Identify a Food Sensitivity with a Food Elimination Diet

How to Identify a Food Sensitivity with a Food Elimination Diet

As we say often here at WellBe, the things you choose to put in your mouth have a bigger impact on your health than anything else. So if you’re experiencing mysterious symptoms or chronic issues and can’t figure out why, a food sensitivity could be the culprit. Of course, we all eat a huge variety of different foods each day, so figuring out the source of your symptoms can be tricky. Enter: elimination diets. Read on to learn the benefits of a food elimination diet, best practices for how to do an elimination diet, and even a basic template for your own elimination diet plan. 
Valencia Porter, MD, MPH on How Exposure to Chemicals Affects Your Health, and What to Do About It

Valencia Porter, MD, MPH on How Exposure to Chemicals Affects Your Health, and What to Do About It

Growing up interested in science and medicine, Dr. Valencia Porter always knew she’d become a doctor. What she didn't know was that, after working for several years working as a conventional physician, she would pivot to a completely new approach. Today, the double-board certified doctor is also a functional medicine practitioner and an author with a masters in public health focusing on environmental health. She has spent years working as the lead physician and educator at The Chopra Center, and much of her work centers around the health impacts of exposure to chemicals. Read on to learn about the risks of environmental toxicity, the different types of toxins, how to remove toxins from the body, and more.