Illustration: Olivia Mew
If you?re worried about the state of your kid?s gut health, microbiologist Brett Finlay says it?s never too late to change things for the better. In fact, he says, many studies show that within a day of changing your diet, you can improve the health of your microbes, even later in life. ?It?s like, ?When?s the best time to plant an oak tree" Twenty years ago. When?s the next best time" Now.? And I think that applies to microbiota, too. Start now, and even though you can?t reverse time, you can sure set the rest of your child?s life up nicely if you do it right.?
1. Get dirty

We have to rethink how we let kids be kids, Finlay says. ?If you watch them in action, they?re like little Hoovers, trying to put absolutely everything in their mouths. If that was so bad for them, we?d have evolved ways of avoiding it.? Studies show that kids on farms and kids with pets have higher gut bacterial diversity than pet-free urban kids. So don?t be so quick to wash away a little dirt (and ditch the antibacterial hand soap altogether?soap and water are all you need). ?How dirty you could get used to be a badge of a good day?s play,? Finlay says. And that, he adds, is how it should be. 2. Feed your bugs

Naturally, diet is important. ?High amounts of carbohydrates and soda drinks are associated with reduced microbiota diversity, whereas diets high in fruits, vegetables and yogurts are linked with increased diversity,? says Alexandra Zhernakova, a researche...