UW Medicine gastroenterologist Dr. Christopher Damman is spreading the word: Achieving optimal gut health is not only about what you eat.

"I kind of distill it down into an acronym of four M's: molecules, microbes, movement and mind," said Damman. "The food is the molecules piece. But there's three other pillars that are incredibly important for your gut health, and that is microbes, your microbiome, movement, or exercise, and then mind, which would be things like good sleep and mindfulness. And truly, the research is actually supporting how these other pillars of health are also really important for your gut."

In a blog post and in downloadable, broadcast-ready soundbites, Damman describes how the gut microbiome can influence other facets of your health.