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{"id":5115,"date":"2023-11-03T17:59:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T17:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sixitstage.com\/kellmanmd\/who-are-we-really-maybe-our-bacteria-have-the-answer\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T15:39:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T15:39:32","slug":"who-are-we-really-maybe-our-bacteria-have-the-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sixitstage.com\/kellmanmd\/who-are-we-really-maybe-our-bacteria-have-the-answer\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Are We, Really? Maybe Our Bacteria Have the Answer"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"tgMH9T\">\n<div class=\"HW6ttf\">\n<header class=\"PhCafd\">\n<div class=\"PKQ95p\">\n<div class=\"MbPQSQ\">\n<div class=\"a5JqMF\">\n<div class=\"hSZsuG\">Most of us have grown up thinking of ourselves as an independent, autonomous <em>I.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"VQDdIN\">\n<div class=\"moHCnT\">\n<div class=\"moHCnT\">\n<div class=\"fTEXDR\" data-rce-version=\"10.144.0\">\n<div class=\"tw3v6\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"--ricos-text-color: rgb(var(--textParagraphColor-rgb)); --ricos-text-color-tuple: var(--textParagraphColor-rgb); --ricos-action-color: rgb(var(--postButtonBackgroundColor)); --ricos-action-color-tuple: var(--postButtonBackgroundColor); --ricos-background-color: rgb(var(--postBackgroundColor)); --ricos-background-color-tuple: var(--postBackgroundColor); --ricos-fallback-color: #000000; --ricos-fallback-color-tuple: 0, 0, 0; --ricos-settings-action-color: #000000; --ricos-settings-action-color-tuple: 0, 0, 0; --ricos-text-on-action-color: rgb(var(--postButtonTextColor)); --ricos-text-on-action-color-tuple: var(--postButtonTextColor); --ricos-action-color-fallback: #000000; --ricos-action-color-fallback-tuple: 0, 0, 0; --ricos-custom-p-font-weight: var(--textParagraphFont-weight); --ricos-custom-p-font-style: var(--textParagraphFont-style); --ricos-custom-p-line-height: max(calc(var(--textParagraphFont-size) * 1.5), var(--textParagraphFont-line-height)); --ricos-custom-p-font-size: var(--textParagraphFont-size); --ricos-custom-p-font-family: var(--textParagraphFont-family); --ricos-custom-p-text-decoration: var(--textParagraphFont-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-p-color: rgb(var(--textParagraphColor)); --ricos-custom-h1-font-weight: var(--textH1Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h1-font-style: var(--textH1Font-style); --ricos-custom-h1-line-height: var(--textH1Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h1-font-size: var(--textH1Font-size); --ricos-custom-h1-font-family: var(--textH1Font-family); --ricos-custom-h1-text-decoration: var(--textH1Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h1-color: rgb(var(--textH1Color)); --ricos-custom-h2-font-weight: var(--textH2Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h2-font-style: var(--textH2Font-style); --ricos-custom-h2-line-height: var(--textH2Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h2-font-size: var(--textH2Font-size); --ricos-custom-h2-font-family: var(--textH2Font-family); --ricos-custom-h2-text-decoration: var(--textH2Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h2-color: rgb(var(--textH2Color)); --ricos-custom-h3-font-weight: var(--textH3Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h3-font-style: var(--textH3Font-style); --ricos-custom-h3-line-height: var(--textH3Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h3-font-size: var(--textH3Font-size); --ricos-custom-h3-font-family: var(--textH3Font-family); --ricos-custom-h3-text-decoration: var(--textH3Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h3-color: rgb(var(--textH3Color)); --ricos-custom-h4-font-weight: var(--textH4Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h4-font-style: var(--textH4Font-style); --ricos-custom-h4-line-height: var(--textH4Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h4-font-size: var(--textH4Font-size); --ricos-custom-h4-font-family: var(--textH4Font-family); --ricos-custom-h4-text-decoration: var(--textH4Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h4-color: rgb(var(--textH4Color)); --ricos-custom-h5-font-weight: var(--textH5Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h5-font-style: var(--textH5Font-style); --ricos-custom-h5-line-height: var(--textH5Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h5-font-size: var(--textH5Font-size); --ricos-custom-h5-font-family: var(--textH5Font-family); --ricos-custom-h5-text-decoration: var(--textH5Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h5-color: rgb(var(--textH5Color)); --ricos-custom-h6-font-weight: var(--textH6Font-weight); --ricos-custom-h6-font-style: var(--textH6Font-style); --ricos-custom-h6-line-height: var(--textH6Font-line-height); --ricos-custom-h6-font-size: var(--textH6Font-size); --ricos-custom-h6-font-family: var(--textH6Font-family); --ricos-custom-h6-text-decoration: var(--textH6Font-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-h6-color: rgb(var(--textH6Color)); --ricos-custom-quote-line-height: var(--textQuoteFont-line-height); --ricos-custom-quote-font-size: var(--textQuoteFont-size); --ricos-custom-quote-font-style: var(--textQuoteFont-style); --ricos-custom-quote-font-family: var(--textQuoteFont-family); --ricos-custom-quote-font-weight: var(--textQuoteFont-weight); --ricos-custom-quote-text-decoration: var(--textQuoteFont-text-decoration); --ricos-custom-quote-color: rgb(var(--textQuoteColor)); --ricos-custom-quote-border-color: rgb(var(--textLinksAndHashtagsColor)); --ricos-custom-quote-margin-inline-start: var(--ricosQuoteMarginInlineStart); --ricos-custom-code-block-line-height: 1.5; --ricos-custom-link-font-style: inherit; --ricos-custom-link-font-weight: inherit; --ricos-custom-link-text-decoration: inherit; --ricos-custom-link-color: rgb(var(--textLinksAndHashtagsColor)); --ricos-custom-hashtag-font-style: inherit; --ricos-custom-hashtag-font-weight: inherit; --ricos-custom-hashtag-text-decoration: inherit; --ricos-custom-hashtag-color: rgb(var(--textLinksAndHashtagsColor)); --ricos-custom-footer-toolbar-padding-inline-start: var(--ricosFooterPadding); --ricos-custom-footer-toolbar-padding-inline-end: var(--ricosFooterPadding); --ricos-custom-editor-add-plugin-button-position-inline-start: var(--ricosAddPluginButtonStart); --ricos-breakout-normal-padding-start: var(--ricosNormalPadding); --ricos-breakout-normal-padding-end: var(--ricosNormalPadding); --ricos-breakout-full-width-padding-start: var(--ricosFullWidthPadding); --ricos-breakout-full-width-padding-end: var(--ricosFullWidthPadding);\" data-id=\"content-viewer\">\n<div class=\"Jh16y\">\n<div class=\"Hy1uF\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-1vgef\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">But what if we are really an interdependent, multi-organism <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">we?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-8ti1n\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-bch7m\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">The past five years\u2019 explosion of research have revealed the importance of the <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">microbiome, <\/em>the community of trillions of bacteria that live within our bodies. We\u2019ve learned that far from being able to operate independently, we partner in a <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">symbiotic <\/em>relationship with these microscopic creatures. They depend on us to eat high-fiber foods to feed them. We depend on them for\u2026well, just about everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-3ar2k\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-4lu6s\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Microbial bacteria help us to digest our food. They help to regulate our immune system. They affect whether we feel anxious, depressed, foggy, or fatigued. The bacteria in our microbiome perform so many vital functions, we literally could not survive without them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-7boe0\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">But if nonhuman creatures are such an integral part of our biological function, what does it mean to be human? <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">Are <\/em>we really human? Or are we, as I jokingly tell my patients, just \u201cbacteria in a suit\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-ccurq\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-ql79\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\"><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">What Our Bacteria Can Teach Us<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-2ovl0\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-8o806\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">To me, we are neither \u201cjust human\u201d nor \u201cjust bacteria.\u201d Instead, we are a \u201csuper-organism\u201d\u2014not an individual, but a collective. I wonder, sometimes, whether the lessons of the \u201csuper-organism\u201d should not apply to our society as well as to our biology. Wouldn\u2019t we all be healthier living in a society that unites rather than divides; a society in which we all recognized our dependence upon one another and saw ourselves not simply as individuals but as part of a larger whole?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-1bo04\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-8q8q\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Another lesson of the microbiome has applications in many areas of our lives: <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. <\/em>In science, we call this <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">emergent properties: <\/em>what happens when something genuinely new emerges out of a collection of many individual elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-837nc\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-an713\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\"><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Feeding Our Kingdom<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-59fnv\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-6mh4k\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">So what happens if instead of viewing ourselves as one single human, we see ourselves as a zoo, or perhaps as an ecosystem? In this little kingdom that is our body\u2014a kingdom that includes trillions of bacteria\u2014we are the king or queen. As good leaders, how should we care for our subjects? Don\u2019t we want to eat the foods that will support and nourish them? Don\u2019t we want to make sure that they are living in a healthy, peaceful community that supports its host\u2014us? Don\u2019t we want to repay them for all the many tasks they perform for us?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-17aq7\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-fldr6\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">I believe that seeing ourselves this way makes it easier to follow through with healthy choices. Instead of thinking, \u201cWhat do <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">I <\/em>want to eat?\u201d we ask, \u201cWhat do my subjects\u2014my bacteria\u2014want to eat? What does my kingdom need for its benefit?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-jrtc\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-93smf\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">After all, a true leader cares first and foremost about his or her people. When we think of those trillions of cells that are depending on us for their nourishment, instead of being drawn to the instant gratification of sweet and starchy foods, we naturally choose healthy fats, high-fiber foods, and other microbiome-friendly items. These are the foods that leave us with a long-term feeling of satiety and the ongoing experience of wellness. Ultimately, taking good care of our \u201ckingdom\u201d is also our healthiest and best choice. It is a true lesson in the ways that giving to others is almost always a gift to ourselves as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-ffa6b\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-44del\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\"><strong style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Lead Your Kingdom Well <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div id=\"viewer-duh7u\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-casg0\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">The next time you are thinking about what to eat, consider not just your own needs, but those of your \u201ckingdom.\u201d Here are three key things to keep in mind as you nourish your \u201cpeople\u201d:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<ul class=\"e0ul2 YY-zb\">\n<li class=\"_5EHX7\" dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: AUTO; margin-inline-start: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<p id=\"viewer-8ppr8\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Sugar and refined flour feed unhealthy bacteria and make it harder for the friendly bacteria to flourish. If you really crave something sweet, try Lakanto (www.lakanto.com) a healthy, calorie-free sugar substitute.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"_5EHX7\" dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: AUTO; margin-inline-start: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<p id=\"viewer-5ugb2\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Think about how <em style=\"font-style: italic;\">much <\/em>you need to eat. Even the healthy carbs\u2014whole grains, beans, legumes, and vegetables\u2014can become unhealthy if you eat too many of them, because your body still ultimately metabolizes them as sugar.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"_5EHX7\" dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: AUTO; margin-inline-start: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<p id=\"viewer-4f72n\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Choose some fermented foods: sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kefir (a fermented milk drink), or fermented vegetables. They help to replenish your friendly bacteria.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-485fm\" class=\"-kA22 pbpjT YY-zb _3DWex\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"k6Gbk\">Eat like a wise king or queen\u2014and your kingdom will reward your with a healthy weight, a buzzing metabolism, and a terrific level of overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us have grown up thinking of ourselves as an independent, autonomous I. But what if we are really an interdependent, multi-organism we? \u00a0 The past five years\u2019 explosion of research have revealed the importance of the microbiome, the community of trillions of bacteria that live within our bodies. We\u2019ve learned that far from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Who Are We, Really? Maybe Our Bacteria Have the Answer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sixitstage.com\/kellmanmd\/who-are-we-really-maybe-our-bacteria-have-the-answer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who Are We, Really? 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