"You are what you eat!" Or should I say "You are what your gut microbes eat!"
- Kristen Gaudet, RD
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
"You are what you eat!" Or should I say "You are what your gut microbes eat!"
???? Please explain 🤔
We have choices in life right? We choose our foods, when to eat, how much to eat, where to eat, how much to sleep, whether or not to exercise.......
But what if I told you it goes a lot deeper than that. We have trillions (38 trillion actually) of gut microbes - a mix of mostly bacteria, some fungi and viruses, that start to grow in our digestive system (mainly large bowel/colon) at birth. What we feed ourselves and our gut microbes determines our health early on or later in life.
Gut microbes 🦠 influence food cravings, anxiety, memory, mood and how easily we lose or gain weight.
Have a sweet tooth? 🦷
Eating sugary foods create sugar loving microbes that want and crave more. Their goal is to ensure their survival so they direct us (humans) to behave in certain ways such as eating more sweets despite its negative effect on our health.
Are you telling me that it isn't all about lack of willpower? That it is my gut bacteria that is influencing my decisions? Yup!! This may explain why so many people feel powerless to resist certain kinds of foods (those loaded with sugar, fat and salt). Our gut bacteria influences our food choices by releasing molecules that affect our brain, including hormones such as serotonin that impact our mood and make us feel good 😁 after eating certain foods.
What foods are you eating?
Are you eating a lot of processed foods? 🍟🧁🍩🍫 Lover of regular or diet pop? 🥤Not making fruits 🍎🥑 and vegetables 🥬🥦 a daily priority?
Bottom Line:
Unhealthy foods = Unhealthy gut microbes = lack of control = poor health (today or in the future) 😔
Healthy foods = healthy gut microbes = more control = optimal health. 😆👍
If I am not feeling well now or I want to prevent getting sick later, is it too late? NEVER!
Your body can heal and can get healthier if you feed it the right foods:
🥦 Vegetables - especially leafy greens
🍎 Fruit - especially berries
🍞 Intact whole grains
🫘 Legumes and plant proteins
🍗 Lean animal proteins and eggs
🥑 Healthy Fats
Contributed by Kristen Gaudet, Registered Dietician (RD). March 29, 2026.
Book nutritional counselling in Dartmouth to support your health, recovery, and overall well-being. Our registered dietitian at Maritime Physiotherapy, Kristen Gaudet, provides personalized nutrition plans to help you build sustainable habits, improve energy, and support injury recovery. Paired with physiotherapy and our other services, nutritional counselling helps optimize your recovery and overall health outcomes. Serving Dartmouth, Halifax, and HRM.
Have questions, or want to learn more? Looking for a dietician in Dartmouth?
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