This 3-Day Microbiome Cleanse Will Eliminate Bloat, Improve Digestion & Reboot Your Gut Health

Over two decades as a holistic, functional doctor in New York City, I have treated tens of thousands of patients who have brain fog, anxiety, and lack of clarity. I’ve developed an approach to brain and microbiome health that goes far beyond conventional medicine, which I detail more in my book, The Whole Brain: The Microbiome Solution to Heal Depression, Anxiety, and Mental Fog Without Prescription Drugs.

The diet couldn’t be simpler. To reap the benefits, you don’t need to worry about how much you’re eating, as long as you are careful to stick to the right foods. The good news is that I don’t want you counting calories, fretting over such things as grams of carbs, or measuring out amounts. I just want you to focus on making good whole food choices at every meal, and this will do the work of rebalancing your microbiome, healing your gut, and supporting your brain.

Because your brain is composed primarily of fat, you need healthy fats to support your brain. Healthy fats are first and foremost those found in nature. Thus trans fats, which are made only in factories, are not healthy—your cells don’t know what to do with them, and these fats can actually damage your cells and, therefore, your brain.

The rest of your brain is composed of protein; therefore, your brain needs healthy proteins as well. Proteins contain amino acids, which are needed to preserve the integrity of your cells and to produce the enzymes necessary for digestion and other aspects of metabolism. Any organically raised protein can be healthy; however, studies have shown that when proteins are too high in fat, your microbiome can suffer. I recommend "clean, lean proteins."

It’s not just WHAT you eat; how you eat is just as important. What is crucial is that you eat in a stress-free way, taking time to enjoy every bite of food.

One of the saddest things I see as a physician is when patients come to me at odds with their own bodies. I understand how it can happen. You come in with painful digestive issues and perhaps also struggle with excess weight, and you’ve learned to view both food and your own body as your enemy. Each meal is a challenge, full of temptations, obstacles, pitfalls, dangers. In such circumstances, it’s very difficult to find pleasure in a delicious taste, a shared meal among friends, the joy of feeling full and satisfied.

Rushed, stressful eating activates the nervous system, which triggers a cascade of stress hormones and disrupts digestion, with disastrous consequences for your brain. A calm mealtime, with gratitude for the food and the mental space to savor every bite, triggers the parasympathetic nervous system and creates significant benefits for gut and brain health, as well as weight. Chew each bite 20 times longer than you are used to, which literally cues your relaxation response.

If you can rediscover the joys of eating, the pleasures of food, the value of a meal with people you love, you will go a long way toward healing your gut—and your brain.

Now that you’ve added the essentials, the next step of this challenge is to eliminate the foods that disrupt your ecology: toxins, inflammatory foods, and foods that undermine your brain function.

This energizing hot breakfast contains plenty of fiber to nourish your microbiome, as well as healthy fats to heal your gut wall and feed your brain. The microbiome super spice cinnamon balances your blood sugar and reduces inflammation.

Bone broth is an extraordinary gut-healing soup that also gives super support to your immune system. The secret is to include the bones themselves with the stock. Freeze this basic recipe in small containers for use in soups and stews or use a double shot for a savory snack.

A zesty, addictive snack! Leftover spices can be used for other snacks or as a rub for fish and poultry. The garbanzos are a terrific high-fiber source of protein that your microbiome will love, and the microbiome super spices turmeric and cinnamon help reduce inflammation, which your brain loves, too.

This unusual piquant stew is finished with feta cheese and walnuts. The garlic and onions nourish your microbiome, while the walnuts nourish your brain with healthy fats, and the microbiome super spice cinnamon adds a healthy twist. Serve it with herbed organic brown rice, a resistant starch that supports both the gut and the microbiome.

As probiotics have been getting more media attention these days, you may have read about "supporting the good bacteria" and "eliminating the bad bacteria." To me, that’s a human-made construct that has nothing to do with how nature actually works. My approach understands there are no "bad" bacteria. In the right context, all bacteria have the potential to do good, contributing to the health of the whole body ecology. Health problems occur when some bacteria proliferate unchecked. So our goal is not to "eliminate the bad" but rather to restore balance, pruning the naturally occurring bacteria in your gut that have overgrown to excess while still maintaining a diverse and vibrant ecology.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) offer enormous benefits to digestion and gut function. They are a fuel source for the cells of your large intestine, improve insulin sensitively while increasing energy expenditure, modulate your immune system, and protect against inflammation. SCFAs have also been shown to be neuroprotective, which is important for your brain, while also improving brain plasticity for those with neurological disease.

In my practice, I work with individual patients to create their own personal probiotic combination based on their blood work and other testing—probiotics are not, unfortunately, "one size fits all"! Hence the term "Microbiome Medicine"—I find what particular bacteria strains are deficient and causing the brain fog or other health symptoms.

The most important two strains are called bifidobacterium (B.) and lactobacillus (L.), which have been shown to aid in improving a number of neuropsychiatric disorders and dysfunction including anxiety, depression, OCD and memory issues.

Here’s your chance to use up the leftover chicken from the Chicken Bone Broth. The jicama, radishes, and tomatoes are all "microbiome superfoods," loaded with just the kind of prebiotic fiber that your microbiome needs to be diverse and strong. The healthy fats in the nuts and vinaigrette help support your brain, plus the nuts, fennel, and garbanzos have plenty of microbiome-friendly fiber.

This quick-and-easy fish stew can be made with a variety of firm-fleshed white, low-mercury fish, such as cod or halibut. The onions and carrots are "microbiome superfoods" that nourish and replenish your gut bacteria. The fat in the fish and salad vinaigrette helps support your brain cells and the cells in your gut wall while the resistant starch in the Herbed Rice is terrific for both gut and microbiome.

The foundation of healing is to activate your will—to tap into your own innate desire to receive and to give. This can be done at a very fundamental level, by connecting to your purpose or through a sense of awe. Let your gut instincts guide you to which suggestions will be most healing for you.

Some of these suggestions may strike you as difficult. That’s because your will may be a bit out of shape, just as your body gets out of shape when you don’t exercise. Those first few exercises can be scary and uncomfortable—but soon your body welcomes the exertion. In the same way, I invite you to train your will, making it stronger and more muscular. Slowly but surely, you will feel more empowered and strong, in both your receiving and your giving.

Quiet time: Find a safe, comfortable place where you can sit or lie quietly for at least five minutes: in a cozy chair, on a couch or bed, in a scented bath. Allow your body to relax and simply be quiet. Allow yourself to receive the physical comfort of that moment. Then think of a time when you received something—from a family member, friend, stranger, animal, or even a special place. What you received might have been a helping hand, a smile, a sense of peace—something large, small, or in between. Sit or lie quietly, receiving now what you received then.

Reach out: Think of something you need that would make you feel cared for and nurtured. It might be a physical object, or it might be someone to help you clean your house or take care of your kids for an hour. Find a person you trust and ask for what you want. Allow yourself to receive it.

Say hello: Next time you are in a public situation—at work, in a store, or walking down the street—say hello to at least one person with your warmest smile. This is an especially good exercise if you don’t feel like smiling—if you’ve been having an awful day or feel especially depressed. See whether you can activate just a tiny flicker of connection with other people—a smile as they hand you change or as you pass them by. Notice their response and how it makes you feel.

Shift the focus: In a situation where you feel hopeless and powerless—a long line, a doctor’s waiting room—find someone else to focus on. Ask someone how he or she is doing or comment on your shared situation in a sympathetic way. Make it your secret project to cheer the other person up for just 60 seconds. I bet you’ll emerge from the experience feeling more empowered and cheerful than you were before.

Music: Choose a piece of music that you enjoy. Sit quietly for five to 30 minutes and savor the music, allowing yourself to receive whatever it offers. If you’d rather sway, tap, clap, or dance in response to the music, by all means, let your body go! Sing or hum or shout along, as the spirit moves you. In a very real sense, listening is your receiving of the music; dancing and singing are your giving back to it.

Team sports: There’s nothing like a team sport for giving and receiving—for experiencing how those two aspects of your will are really one. If you like sports, or think you might like them, go for it!

Group projects in the arts, politics, etc.: Joining a group of any kind, for any purpose, can set off a powerful exchange of receiving and giving. Find an activity you like or would like to know more about. Join a group, and discover the pleasures of giving and receiving.

Then, for five to 30 minutes, write whatever comes to mind. Set a timer for the duration of your choice and don’t stop writing until it goes off. If you don’t know what to say, write, "I don’t know what to say" over and over until you find yourself writing something else. Unless you truly hate the physical act of writing, use a pen and notebook; otherwise, a computer is OK.

Jicama and tomatoes are microbiome superfoods that nourish your gut bacteria, as do the black beans. The healthy fat in the fish, avocado, and Lemon Vinaigrette helps keep your cell walls strong, which is especially important for brain health. This is a wonderful meal for a satisfying, protein-rich lunch, giving you the wherewithal to get through your afternoon energized and alert.

Prepare this savory chicken dish for one dinner and refrigerate or freeze the second portion for another dinner. You’ll love the full flavors from the tangy marinade and the variety of textures from the different vegetables. Your brain will love the fiber in the fennel and turnip and the healthy fats in the olive oil.

Good luck with this reboot! I know I’ve given you a lot of information and asked a lot of you in just three days. Take your time, follow my suggestions, and soon enough you will start to notice that your microbiome—and your overall health and vibrancy—is back to its optimal function.