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I used to think my afternoon mood crashes came from poor sleep. Turns out my gut bacteria were running the show.
Fixing my microbiome changed everything from my energy to my focus.
Read 🔽 below!
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IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WE WILL COVER:
Weekly Insights:
Gut-Brain Axis: How Your Microbes Impact Daily Wellbeing
Article Explained Simple: Intermittent Fasting and Gene Expression Linked to Aging
3 Strategies for Digital Downtime That Actually Work
Mushroom Broth Risotto with Spring Greens Recipe
This brand found a way to target stubborn belly fat and melt it fast
Science shows imbalanced gut flora slows metabolism and increases cravings.
Bioma helps restore balance with a unique blend of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in a delayed-release capsule, supporting a faster metabolism, reduced cravings, and more effective weight loss.
Back to the newsletter…
Gut-Brain Axis: How Your Microbes Impact Daily Wellbeing
Your gut contains roughly 100 trillion bacteria.
These microorganisms outnumber your human cells by a ratio of 10 to 1. This vast ecosystem directly influences your brain function, mood, and daily mental performance.
The connection operates through multiple sophisticated pathways.
Your gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters that your brain uses for communication. These tiny organisms manufacture about 90 % of your body's serotonin. They also create significant amounts of dopamine and GABA.
These neurotransmitters cannot cross directly from your gut to your brain.
Instead, the bacteria send chemical signals through the vagus nerve, a superhighway connecting your digestive system to your brain. This nerve carries information both directions constantly.
Your gut microbiome affects your stress response immediately.
Studies show that people with diverse gut bacteria handle stressful situations better than those with limited bacterial variety. The bacteria help regulate cortisol production. Poor gut health creates excessive cortisol release, making you feel anxious even during minor challenges.
Depression links directly to gut bacterial composition.
Researchers found that people with depression have different bacterial profiles compared to people without depression. The missing bacteria normally produce compounds that protect brain cells from inflammation.
Inflammation in your gut creates inflammation in your brain.
When harmful bacteria outnumber beneficial ones, your intestinal lining becomes permeable. This condition allows bacterial waste products to enter your bloodstream. These toxins trigger immune responses that cause brain inflammation.
Chronic brain inflammation impairs memory and concentration.
Your hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning and memory, shrinks when exposed to constant inflammatory signals. People with gut problems often report brain fog and difficulty focusing.
Your food choices determine which bacteria thrive.
Eating processed foods feeds harmful bacteria that produce inflammatory compounds. These bacteria multiply quickly when you consume sugar and refined carbohydrates. Within 24 hours of dietary changes, your bacterial population shifts.
Beneficial bacteria prefer fibre from vegetables and whole foods.
These good bacteria ferment fibre into short chain fatty acids. These fatty acids reduce inflammation throughout your body and brain. They also strengthen the intestinal barrier preventing toxin leakage.
Sleep quality depends heavily on gut health.
Your gut bacteria follow circadian rhythms just like your body does. Disrupted eating patterns confuse these bacteria, causing them to produce neurotransmitters at wrong times. This bacterial confusion directly disrupts your sleep wake cycle.
Poor sleep further damages your microbiome.
Research shows that getting less than 7 hours of sleep reduces beneficial bacteria populations. The reduction happens within a single night of inadequate rest. Multiple nights of poor sleep compound the damage.
Your immune system takes direct orders from gut bacteria.
About 70 % of your immune system resides in your digestive tract. The bacteria there train your immune cells to distinguish threats from harmless substances. Without proper bacterial guidance, your immune system attacks your own tissues.
Autoimmune conditions often start with gut problems.
Scientists discovered that certain bacterial imbalances precede autoimmune disease development by months or years. Restoring bacterial balance sometimes reverses early autoimmune symptoms.
Antibiotics devastate your microbial ecosystem.
A single course of antibiotics can eliminate up to 90 % of certain beneficial bacteria. Some bacterial populations never fully recover, even years after antibiotic use. This permanent damage affects mood and cognitive function long term.
Rebuilding your microbiome requires specific strategies.
Fermented foods introduce beneficial bacteria directly into your system. Yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi all contain live cultures. These foods must be unpasteurized to provide living bacteria.
Prebiotic foods feed the good bacteria you already have.
Garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, and Jerusalem artichokes contain fibre compounds that beneficial bacteria love. Regular consumption of these foods increases beneficial bacteria populations within weeks.
Stress management protects your gut bacteria.
Chronic stress alters stomach acid production and intestinal motility. These changes create environments where harmful bacteria flourish. Exercise reduces stress while simultaneously supporting beneficial bacterial growth.
The gut brain connection explains unexplained symptoms.
Many people experience digestive issues during stressful periods. Others notice mood changes after eating certain foods. These symptoms reflect the constant communication between your gut and brain.
Modern lifestyles damage the gut brain axis systematically.
Processed foods, chronic stress, inadequate sleep, and antibiotic overuse all harm your microbiome. These factors combine to create widespread gut brain dysfunction affecting millions of people.
Healing this connection requires consistent effort.
Focus on whole foods, regular sleep schedules, stress reduction, and probiotic rich foods. The improvements appear gradually but compound over time. Most people notice significant mood and energy changes within 4 to 6 weeks.
Your gut bacteria control more of your life than genetics do.
While you cannot change your genes, you can completely reshape your microbiome. This power means you can influence your daily wellbeing, mental clarity, and long term health through simple dietary choices.
From Hype to Production: Voice AI in 2025
Voice AI has crossed into production. Deepgram’s 2025 State of Voice AI Report with Opus Research quantifies how 400 senior leaders - many at $100M+ enterprises - are budgeting, shipping, and measuring results.
Adoption is near-universal (97%), budgets are rising (84%), yet only 21% are very satisfied with legacy agents. And that gap is the opportunity: using human-like agents that handle real tasks, reduce wait times, and lift CSAT.
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Article of the Week
Article Explained Simple: Intermittent Fasting and Gene Expression Linked to Aging
Research reveals that intermittent fasting triggers significant changes in genes that control ageing processes.
Scientists found that fasting activates SIRT1, a gene that protects cells from age related damage and promotes longer lifespan.
The fasting periods also increased expression of LC3A, a gene responsible for autophagy, the process which cells clean out damaged components. Studies showed that even short term fasting altered how genes respond to stress and inflammation throughout the body.
The changes included increased production of proteins that repair DNA and protect against oxidative damage.
Intermittent fasting essentially turns on genetic pathways that evolved to help organisms survive periods of food scarcity.
These same pathways happen to slow aging and extend healthspan when activated regularly.
Fascinating Fact:
Intermittent fasting changed the expression of circadian clock genes, improving how your body's internal timing system regulates metabolism and cellular repair throughout the 24 hour cycle.
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3 Strategies for Digital Downtime That Actually Work
Breaking free from constant screen time requires specific tactics that address the underlying pull of digital devices.
These three approaches succeed where willpower alone fails.
Create phone free zones in your home
Designate specific areas where phones never enter. Bedrooms and dining tables work best for most people.
Physical separation removes the unconscious urge to check devices. Your brain stops expecting digital stimulation in these spaces after two weeks of consistency.
Keep chargers in a single location away from these zones. Walking to retrieve your phone creates enough friction to break automatic checking habits.
Schedule specific checking times
Limit email and social media to three designated times daily. Morning, midday, and evening blocks work for most schedules.
Set 15 minute timers for each checking session. The time limit prevents the endless scrolling that consumes hours. Your brain adapts to this schedule within days.
Turn off all notifications between checking periods. The constant alerts trigger dopamine responses that make digital abstinence nearly impossible.
Replace screen time with physical activities
Identify what you typically do on screens during downtime. Then find physical alternatives that serve similar purposes.
Reading physical books replaces mindless article browsing. Walking or stretching replaces scrolling breaks. Having immediate alternatives ready prevents you from defaulting to screens.
Keep these alternatives visible and accessible. A book on your nightstand beats phone browsing before sleep.
Mushroom Broth Risotto with Spring Greens Recipe (makes 4 servings)
Traditional risotto requires constant stirring and attention. This version uses a simple technique that produces creamy results with minimal effort.
The mushroom broth adds deep umami flavor without meat.
Macros per Serving
Total Calories: 320 kcal
Protein: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 52 g
Sugars: 3 g
Fat: 8 g
The Ingredients
300 grams arborio rice (about 1.5 cups)
1 litre mushroom or vegetable broth (about 4 cups)
200 grams mixed mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
100 grams spring greens or spinach (about 3 cups)
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
60 mL white wine (about 1/4 cup)
30 grams parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh thyme for garnish
The Instructions
Heat broth in a separate pot and keep it warm on low heat throughout cooking.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms release their liquid and begin browning.
Add arborio rice to the pan. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until rice edges become translucent.
Pour in white wine. Stir until the wine absorbs completely into the rice.
Add one ladle of warm broth to the rice. Stir frequently until liquid absorbs. Repeat this process, adding one ladle at a time.
Continue adding broth and stirring for 18 to 20 minutes. The rice should be creamy but still have slight bite in the center.
Stir in spring greens during the last 2 minutes of cooking. They should wilt but stay bright green.
Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan cheese and nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper.
Let rest for 2 minutes before serving. The risotto will thicken slightly as it sits.
Garnish with fresh thyme and extra parmesan if desired.
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