My Journey to a Healthy Me - Part 1: Gut Microbiome Testing

Google has to be the most overwhelming tool that has ever been invented. At your fingertips is an abundance of information, information that you discover can be contradictory and confusing, especially when it comes to DIETS.  From the new trendy diets to conflicting medical research, and add in food industry media campaigns, it is no wonder we are all overwhelmed. Even after all this research, we are basically left with trial and error until something works. The process is time consuming, exhausting, and can cause a loss of motivation. After going through this process myself, I realized there must be an easier way, and I found one - Viome Gut Testing.

My motivations for learning what I should and shouldn’t eat started like it does for many people - I wanted to lose weight. This took me down the path of crash diets, new trends, diet pills, and more. Some were temporarily successful, but often caused series rebounds, others made me feel sick, weak and gross because I was missing things my body vitally needed to function. Eventually my motivations shifted. I started to notice that certain foods made me feel good and energetic, some made me feel gassy, caused sleep disruptions or caused breakouts of acne, and some impacted certain health conditions. I decided that while weight loss would be nice (and does come with this process), it is more important that I feel good, sleep well, have energy, and have clear skin. Feeling good makes everything else come easier and feel less overwhelming. I needed to do what was right for my body, and this where Viome comes in.

Viome…

Their testing process looks at your gut microbiome and tells you exactly what food you should eat and what foods you should avoid and why.

Viome’s purpose is to take out the guesswork. Their testing process looks at your gut microbiome and tells you exactly what food you should eat and what foods you should avoid and why. I sent in my test kit in July and eagerly awaited my results.  Three weeks later I logged into my Viome account and read my results.  I was honestly shocked. The first thing I learned was that my gut health was in very bad shape, not just below good (which is where the average person sits these days) but in bad shape. The second thing I learned was that some of the deemed “healthy” foods I was so dependent on in my daily diet - bell peppers, broccoli and brussel sprouts - were severely hurting my gut and needed to be avoided. These are nutrient dense and all around healthy foods but they have a negative effect on my microbiome, which impacts my overall health. Viome has given me a detailed list of foods to avoid and explained why (beyond my allergies), a list of foods that I can enjoy on occasion (once a week), a list of foods I can enjoy as much as I please, and best yet, a list of superfoods and supplements to help correct some of the issues already there. 

Viome states that it takes about 90 days of implementing changes in your diet to really see changes. For me, 90 days passed on November 6th. Let’s get personal here. Over these three months I have seen: gas and bloating are basically non existent, my sleep is consistent, food causing acne has completely cleared, my energy level is back up and consistent throughout the day and with that my sex drive has come back. Best of all, my mood and anxieties have stabilized. The value of this is huge, but there is still more work to be done, and I didn’t get to this point all on my own. This is where Krista comes in!

“Best of all, my mood and anxieties have stabilized”

Krista is Core Potentials’ nutritionist. Together her and I have been navigating Viome. She knows my personal goals in regards to my health and is holding me accountable for the actions I am taking. Learning what I can and cannot eat has been so beneficial especially since learning that my healthy go-to foods have been hurting me was a bit of a reality check. Changing my diet has not been as simple as just changing the foods I eat. How you eat, when you eat, and what you eat when, are also part of overall nutritional help. Not to mention the life stuff. I feed a family, all with allergies and dietary preferences. I am also busy with work, life, and the management of two young (amazing) kids. Routine and simplicity is important, along with making and creating food. While I am motivated, I need support. Krista is my support. Meal planning, daily goals, step-by-step actions and a customizable approach are helping me navigate my journey to a healthy me. I am eager to reach all my goals.

I plan to retest my gut at the 6 month mark to see if all this hard work I have been putting in has changed my gut biome for the better. I know I feel better but the physical proof is always encouraging. I promise to keep you updated on my journey as I progress. If you are interested in learning more about this process or want to start your own journey, you can connect with Krista for a FREE 20 minute nutrition discovery call. I have decided to make my journey completely public, to hold myself accountable to all of you, this includes my initial Viome results. If you are curious about them or just simply want to see an example for yourself, ask Krista or Britte when you see them next and they will be happy to share. Lastly, if you find this blog relatable and are open to sharing your experiences, please leave us a comment down below!