The most obvious first step in maintaining a healthy gut is to avoid all of the things I listed above that destroy gut flora and damage the intestinal barrier. But of course that’s not always possible, especially in the case of chronic stress and infections. Nor did we have any control over whether we were breast-fed or whether our mothers had healthy guts when they gave birth to us.

If you’ve been exposed to some of these factors, there are still steps you can take to restore your gut flora:

■ Remove all food toxins from your diet
■ Maximize your digestive capacity using supplemental acid and enzymes
■ Eat plenty of fermentable fibers (starches like sweet potato, yam, yucca, etc.)

Eat fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc., and/or take a highquality,
multi-species probiotic

■ Treat any intestinal pathogens (such as parasites) that may be present
■ Take steps to manage your stress

Focusing on reducing stress is a key component of weight loss, longevity, and mental health. Stress may even cause hypothyroid symptoms such as weight gain, blood sugar swings, fatigue, decreased immunity, and sleep disturbance. I highly recommend that anyone struggling with these types of symptoms evaluate the level of stress in their life, and incorporate different strategies for minimizing stress on a regular basis.