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What it’s like to study with the leading researcher in gut biome health
Guest post by Lead Instructor, Victoria LaFont
The human body is an interesting organism and one that I’ve been fascinated with for over a decade. But I didn’t truly understand what even constituted a human body until I had the pleasure of studying with Dr. Jason Hawrelak. Dr. Hawrelak is a microbiome researcher, educator, and clinician with more than 18 years of experience working as a naturopathic physician. He has a laundry list of publications, presentations, and easily accessible online courses, but more than anything I was impressed with him – he presents his mind-blowing information with true passion and genuineness.
So, what actually makes up a human? According to Dr. H humans can most accurately be viewed as super-organisms because of our intimate connection with our system-wide microbiome. The microbiome, or microbiota, acts as a physiological organ, weighing in at 1 – 1.5 kg, or about 2 – 3 lbs, and competes with the liver in the number of biochemical reactions in which it participates! And, while you may be thinking that you have your gut health in check with daily probiotic supplementation and homemade bone broths, Dr. Hawrelak presents clinical and scientific research-based information that busts some commonly held microbiome myths.
Dr. Hawrelak’s work focuses on the importance of probiotic strain, prebiotic ingestion in order to optimize our indigenous beneficial bacteria, and focusing on a wide variety of whole, polyphenol-rich plant foods, and resistant starches to nourish and restore our gut microbiota. He’s recently written on the usefulness of specific probiotic supplementation in PPI users with SIBO, as well as the importance of a healthy vaginal microbiome. You can find those articles and more here.
My time studying with Dr. Hawrelak was a jaw-dropping exploration into the science and clinical application of how to both bolster my clients’ microbiota and support their gastrointestinal, and systemic, health.
To learn more about Dr. Hawrelak’s work before the interview, please visit his website at www.probioticadvisor.com.
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