This Is The Only Diet That's Healthy For Everyone, According To An Integrative Gastroenterologist

What diet do you follow? Paleo? Vegan? Mediterranean? Ketogenic? Or maybe somewhere in between? As an integrative gastroenterologist, one of the most frequently asked questions I get in my office is "So what should I eat?" And seeing as I'm an expert in all things digestion and gut health, you would think that the answer would be easy to give. Well, it is and it isn't.

We generally know which foods are healthy and which ones aren't. For example, processed foods, trans fats, sodas, fast foods, sugar, and genetically modified foods are at the top of the list of things to avoid1. Meanwhile, a wide array of colorful, organic vegetables and fruits, healthy fat sources such as olive oil and omega-3s, and immune-boosting herbs and spices are generally considered healthy. However, it is nearly impossible to guess exactly what diet an individual should eat.

First, let's briefly talk about the microbiome. The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria that live within our gastrointestinal tracts. If you were to collectively bunch them all up into a ball, it would weigh anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds, as much as the human brain! These bacteria, viruses, and fungi do a lot of things, including helping us digest our foods and making vitamins and nutrients2 for us. Human beings are only about 10 percent similar in their microbiomes, so these organisms are what make us so unique—and a good clue as to why the same diet doesn't work for everyone.

The way we develop a diverse microbiome is by eating a wide variety of healthy foods, such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, miso, kombucha), organic meats (if you choose to eat meat), nuts, whole grains, teas, coffee, spices, and herbs—I think you get the point. You've probably heard this before. But the key question is: Which vegetables, which herbs, and which spices will be best for your microbiome?

If we knew exactly what kinds of microorganisms we had within us, we could figure out what foods to feed the good guys so that they will prosper; because if they prosper, we prosper. It's sort of like having 10 toddlers over at your house for a play date and each one of them likes a different thing. The same concept applies to the microbes living in our gut. The microbiome diet is a specific diet for your specific gut bugs, and, luckily, there are now tests that can analyze your microbiome. With the amazing advances we have made in science and technology4, we are now able to help you figure out exactly what you should eat, not what you "probably" should eat.