“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
— Henry Ford
“Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill
I do not know who said this one, but I wanted to add it:
“Failure is not the opposite of success it’s part of success.”
“God’s Process” (Posted at this Website) is what keeps people “Continuously Growing.” I said in my “Are You Balance?” Blog “Finding ‘Balance’ works like a Slingshot. To find how the Slingshot works people must pull it all the way back or to the extreme to see how far it will go.” While people are trying to find “Balance” they will have Failures along the way.
I said in my “Are You Fighting Aging?” Blog “For ‘Fighting Aging’ for my Body my Focus is my Core, my pH and my Gut” and I received the following comment on my “Are You Getting To The Gut Of The Matter?” Blog:
I didn’t know that our gut had a very important role in our digestive system. I haven’t taken notice of it before. I will surely take note of this and hand it over to my nutritionist. Thanks for sharing this important health information. I'll share this with my friends as well. Again, thank you and have a nice day!
That started me to thinking there are probably a lot of people like this person. The importance of our Bacteria is pretty new to the health world. This e-mail article “Think You Know Everything About The Microbiome? Here’s Your Gut Health Checklist For 2017” from “MGB” shines more light on the subject:
The bacteria in our gut has become a very hot topic in both the eye of the public and under the microscope of researchers. Doctors and scientists are beginning to realize that our gut flora is responsible for more actions in the body than we ever imagined, and research shows that even the bacteria in our gut have their own microbial communities living within them.
Our microbiome is constantly working to protect us.
For now, let’s keep it simple and focus on the best ways to keep our own gut flora happy so that they can help us in the following areas:
1. Vitamin synthesis and nutrient absorption
One of the earliest known functions of gut microbes is the production of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and healthy blood circulation. Bacteria live in the gut, feed off of our undigested food, and in turn produce vitamin K for the body to use. The bacteria also help to produce B vitamins, which help the body generate and maintain energy. Studies also point out that these microbes help promote the absorption of antioxidants, which are important compounds with anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
2. Immune system regulation
Research shows that our gut flora is responsible for the development and regulation of the immune system—80 percent of it, to be more exact! Babies born via C-section have a much different colonization of gut bacteria than babies born vaginally, and therefore their immune system development is different. Autoimmune disorders like IBS, type 1 diabetes, lupus, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis are also associated with a dysfunctional microbiome.
3. Mental health and brain function
One of the most profound ways the microbiome affects our well-being is by assisting in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter and hormone responsible for moods and feelings of positivity. Gut microbes work in conjunction with human cells in the gastrointestinal tract to produce over 90 percent of the body’s serotonin. The gut flora may influence the body’s stress response, sleep regulation, and even pain sensitivity. More research is needed to understand the complex relationship between the gut and the brain.
4. Weight status
Research shows that the microbiome of obese individuals is markedly different from those of lean individuals. And studies in mice show that when changes are made to the microbiome in mice, weight status is greatly affected; gut microbes also seem to have the ability to influence appetite regulation.
Diet, stress, sleep, exercise, and environment all affect the health of your microbiome. Diet plays a huge role in the type of bacteria that colonize in the gut, affecting everything from weight to mood, energy levels, and immune health.
We should nourish our gut bacteria so that they continue to nourish us.
1. Probiotic-rich foods
These foods include yogurt, kefir, kimchee, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, and other cultured and fermented foods. Probiotic-rich foods help to boost the microbiome by increasing the number of bacteria in the gut. The gut is colonized by over 400 different species of bacteria. It is important to eat a variety of cultured foods as a means of ingesting a variety of bacteria strains.
2. Prebiotics and fiber
One of the best and easiest ways to increase the health of your microbiome is through fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides—also known as fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that humans cannot digest because we lack the enzymes to break it down. However, our gut bacteria have these necessary enzymes and can break down and utilize fiber for their own energy and health. Prebiotics help increase the absorption of calcium and magnesium, minerals essential for bone health. Good sources of prebiotics, the food for your gut flora, include onions, garlic, legumes, oatmeal, bananas, apples, berries, leeks, leafy greens, and whole-wheat grains. Consider combining cultured foods with foods rich in prebiotics for a synergistic effect.
3. Avoiding antibiotics
Antibiotics are lifesaving and they absolutely have a time and a place in our health. However, antibiotics tend to be overprescribed especially for things such as the common cold, which is a viral infection and untreatable with antibiotics. A course of antibiotics not only kills the “bad” bacteria causing the infection but also the “good” bacteria that is beneficial to our health. Antibiotics can throw off the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut. It can take months for the microbiome to rebound and rebuild after a course of antibiotics. And this is where No. 4 comes into play.
4. Supplements
Probiotic supplements are a great way to boost gut bacteria variety and amount. However, not all supplements are created equal. Look for a probiotic supplement that is refrigerated and contains at least 30 different strains and 50 billion live cultures. This may seem like a lot, but the gut has trillions of bacteria living in it. Also, not all the probiotics in a supplement will survive the gastrointestinal environment on their way to making a home in the large intestine.
Remember that you are unique, and so is your microbiome.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the health of your gut flora. An individual’s microbiome is as unique as their fingerprint. More research is needed to continue to answer questions on how bacteria, as separate living organisms, can affect the health and well-being of their host. However, we do know that a diet high in fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as consuming cultured and fermented foods can greatly affect the health of the microbes inhabiting your gut. Nourishing these microbes is a vital part of optimizing well-being—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Consult with a registered dietitian or physician for personalized health advice.
“Health Tip” from “Healing With Nutrition” adds:
The gut is the center of good health. When good and bad bacteria are out of balance, both mental and physical illnesses increase, and most illness will not resolve until the gut is healed. Be sure you are consuming probiotics in some form (especially after antibiotic treatment), and consume lots of healthy fruits and veggies to keep your gut happy.
Antioxidants is another part of my Gut and pH Focus. I am cautious about dietary supplements so I get my Probiotic, Prebiotics and Antioxidants from Food. Another “Little Things” about Vitamin K2 is it keeps Calcium out of our Arteries, which is one of the things that cause Plaque. This e-mail article, “What Are the Benefits of Antioxidants?” from “Verywell” gives some information about Antioxidants:
Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells in your body from free radical damage that can occur from exposure to certain chemicals, smoking, pollution, radiation, and as a byproduct of normal metabolism. Dietary antioxidants include selenium, vitamin A and related carotenoids, vitamins C and E, plus various phytochemicals such as lycopene, lutein, and quercetin.
You can find these antioxidants in many different foods that you’re probably eating right now.
There are large amounts of antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains and smaller amounts of antioxidants in meats, poultry, and fish. Junk foods, such as highly processed fast foods tend to be much lower in antioxidants. No surprise.
Health Benefits of Antioxidants
Consuming foods rich in antioxidants may be good for your heart health and may also help to lower your risk of infections and some forms of cancer. Increase your antioxidant intake by eating more nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Antioxidants in Dietary Supplements
Antioxidants are available as dietary supplements, but research doesn’t indicate that these supplements are beneficial. While research supports increasing your intake of dietary sources, the results are not as impressive when the individual antioxidants are extracted and studied alone.
Antioxidant extracts often show remarkable results in laboratory studies (test tubes, lab dishes and sometimes in lab animals), but when they’re used in human clinical trials, the results for disease and death prevention have been disappointing.
One exception was the National Eye Institute study of age-related eye disease, which suggested that a combination of antioxidants reduced the risk of developing advanced stages of age-related macular degeneration.
More Is Not Better!
Some antioxidant supplements may be detrimental to your health when taken in large doses and may interact with certain medications.
Large amounts of vitamin A supplements may cause birth defects when taken by pregnant women, and may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Taking large doses of vitamin E (over 400 International Units per day) has been associated with a possible increase in overall mortality. But, this risk doesn’t apply to a typical multivitamin supplement. The amounts of vitamins A and E included in multivitamin tablets are small in comparison.
If you’re thinking about taking larger amounts of any antioxidant supplements, you should speak with a healthcare provider first.
“Health Tip” from “Healing With Nutrition” adds:
Antioxidants are nutrients that counteract free radical oxidation from toxic exposure, rancid oils, junk food, and normal bodily functions. Many antioxidants are found in brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables, and in many spices like garlic and turmeric. Increase consumption of raw, fresh fruits, vegetables and spices to maximize antioxidants naturally.
People must be “Continuously Growing.” The biggest reason people have not “Failed Lately” is PRIDE. The second reason people have not “Failed Lately” is FEAR. I also said in my “Are You Balance?” Blog “I am a firm believer that a TRY never hurts anything when the TRY is for the GOOD.” TRY is what our Acts of Faith in God’s Process are. Do not let Pride and Fear stop you from getting what God has already Put in Place for you. There is NO shame in Failure. All Failure means is you TRIED. Another good thing about TRIED is it eliminates “Wonder If.” There is nothing more horrible than going through Life with “Wonder If” and “Regrets.”
ARE YOU CONTINUOUSLY GROWING?