If everything we eat passes through our gut, it makes sense to develop some best practices when it comes to our bellies and ditch the habits that are causing commotion. In the gut, there are hundreds of species of bacteria; some are friendly, while others are not. Good digestion relies on friendly gut bacteria to destroy harmful bacteria and other microorganisms, while producing vitamin K, folate and short-chain fatty acids. If the gut flora contains too many harmful bacteria and not enough friendly bacteria, an imbalance can occur known as dysbiosis, which has been linked to insulin resistance, weight gain, inflammation, obesity, allergies, brain fog, inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Sherry Torkos, a holistic pharmacist and author of more than a dozen books on natural health and healing says you will know if you have dysbiosis if on most days of the week you feel bloated, have gas, bad breath, diarrhea, constipation or upset stomach. She says if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it could be an indicator that your microbiome is out of whack. Torkos will share with your audience three healthy belly habits to have and five belly busters to break (talking points include: what and when to eat **probiotic and prebiotic foods and supplements**, best gut exercises and stress reduction techniques and most harmful substances for the gut). Sherry visits with Mark Alyn.