In this episode of Alimentary! I cover the importance of prebiotics and probiotics, what they are individually and how they work together. I also explain the microbiome vs microbiota.

Maintaining a healthy gut is fundamental and crucial for our overall health and well-being. Incorporating both prebiotics and probiotics into your diet is a great way to support our digestive system. Together, prebiotics and probiotics create a balanced, thriving gut microbiome that supports everything from digestion and immunity to mental health.

The store cupboard staple is a prebiotic food - the good old reliable onion! We all use them but do you appreciate just how much they do for us? Listen in to find out...

References and Resources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306068/#:~:text=The%20human%20microbiome%20comprises%20bacteria,of%20metabolic%20and%20immune%20functions.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00974-4#:~:text=Gut%20microbiota%20is%20considered%20the%20most%20significant%20one%20in%20maintaining%20our%20health.&text=The%20gut%20bacteria%20serve%20several,immune%20response%2C%20and%20vitamin%20production.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8775962/#:~:text=The%20microbiome%20of%20the%20urinary,as%20promoting%20local%20immune%20function.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/25201-gut-microbiome

PodcastGut Brain Connection Episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Y9KgvrPMPEFnNKbaA8UJf?si=09241ff3c7964377

4 Hands Studio Producer of fermented food and drinks https://www.4handsfoodstudio.ie/

The Encylopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray, Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno MA, LMT

Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie

In this episode of Alimentary! we delve into the topic of mental health with a trained professional. Brendan Larkin is a Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, who is passionate about helping people to live their best lives, by dealing with their issues so that they are free to live more happily. Brendan explains the difference between the three therapies that he practices and how you should work with a therapist that you have a connection with. He talks about how he came to become a therapist having gone through his own mental issues and the topics we cover range from addiction and grief to social media and anxiety. The store cupboard staple in this episode is the good old orange! Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition.www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie Resources & References Cavan Therapy Clinic – Counselling & Psychotherapy Services https://www.instagram.com/cavantherapy/ www.cavanonlineradio.weebly.com The 4-7 Zone: An easy and effective way to live a balanced life – and stay out of the therapist’s office: Amazon.co.uk: Colman Noctor: 9780717197323: Books https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781844881406/parenting-is-childs-play-how-to-give-your-child-the/used?msclkid=766fb3ded18c1665edbed568a7f2d8fd www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/19211/ingredients/fruit/citrus/orange/ https://thecleaneatingcouple.com/healthy-orange-chicken/ The Encylopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray, Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno MA, LMT

We know that we should eat whole foods, get a good nights sleep, exercise and take some time to relax, right? So why don't we? Well there can be a myriad of reasons, but one of them may be that our cortisol is chronically high and we are in Fight or Flight, on high alert, most of the time. In this mode, we are just trying to survive the day, and so not thinking about investing in our future health. Regulating our cortisol, our stress response, is really important and manageable for all of us, with the simple habits in this episode. One of the many benefits is the knock on effect on other hormones too.

Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition.

www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie Other Resources and References https://youtu.be/-bKKCswu-tg - Interview with Willie Horton, Psychologist https://my.clevelandclinic.org/healht/articles/22187-cortisol https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-pumpkin-seeds https://www.beginwithinnutrition.com/recipes/cortisol-mocktail-recipe-for-stress-relief/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10706127/ The Encyclopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray and Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno, MA, LMT