Hello there. This is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the Nutrition Diva

podcast. Welcome. We hear an awful lot about the microbiome these days, the trillions of probiotic

bacteria that live on and in us. And as we're starting to learn, these microbes

contribute to our health in myriad and

previously unamagined ways. The beneficial bacteria in your intestines for example

help you digest your food, manufacture nutrients for you,

protect you against food board pathogens,

and they even appear to play a role in regulating your body weight.

Now these helpful creatures can be wiped out by antibiotics and other drug

therapies, colonics, or even a bad case of diarrhea. And when this happens, you want

to restore those beneficial intestinal flora as quickly as possible.

In a couple of weeks I'm scheduled for a routine screening colonoscopy.

The preparation for this procedure if you've never done it

involves a 24-hour liquid fast and the administration of a strong laxative which is

designed to flush everything out of my colon so the doctor can have a good look around.

Unfortunately, this will probably also decimate my gut bacteria, presenting both a challenge as well as an opportunity.

The foods that I do and don't eat in the first few days following my procedure

are going to have a big impact on how quickly and how well my intestinal bacteria recover.

First, three foods that help replenish gut bacteria.

Number one, fermented and cultured foods.

Kefir, yogurt, mezzo, kimchi, nato, sourcrowd and naturally pickled vegetables,

each contain different types of probiotic bacteria.

...