Immunity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the foundation of how our bodies protect, prevent, and heal. In this episode of the #NuaTalks series, Nua sits down with nutritionist and lifestyle educator Karishma Chawla to break down one of the most important (but often misunderstood) aspects of health: our immune system and why it begins in the gut.
As Karishma introduces herself, she brings a holistic lens to wellness. Her focus areas—weight loss, gut health, and hormone health—aren’t isolated. They’re interwoven, playing a central role in keeping our metabolism strong and our immunity stable. Her work spans across treating lifestyle conditions like PCOS, insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and helping individuals meet performance-based fitness goals, all by addressing the root, not just the symptoms.
In a time when conversations around immunity have taken center stage, especially during the coronavirus pandemic and the monsoon season, this talk feels both timely and timeless. Karishma reminds us that immunity isn’t about being invincible. It’s about creating balance. An immune system that’s overactive can cause harm. One that’s underactive can’t protect. The key, she explains, is sync, and that sync starts with the gut.
It’s a striking fact: 70% to 80% of our immune system resides in the gut. That’s not a number we hear every day, but it underscores how deeply connected our digestion is to our overall health. The gut isn’t just a digestive organ, it’s an ecosystem with a surface area the size of a tennis court. Every bite of food, every lifestyle choice, every stressor or environmental toxin either nourishes or disrupts that system.
Karishma walks us through how modern habits, poor eating, irregular routines, environmental exposure, can compromise the gut lining, triggering low-grade inflammation and increasing vulnerability to disease. But it’s not all bad news. She offers a hopeful, empowering perspective: by nurturing the gut, we’re not just improving digestion—we’re strengthening immunity, balancing hormones, stabilizing blood sugar, managing weight, and even protecting brain health.
Perhaps the most surprising insight? We are only 10% human cells and 90% bacterial cells. Our bodies are home to billions of bacteria, fungi, and parasites, with around 35,000 species living mainly in the colon. Weighing about five pounds, this microbial universe is considered an organ in its own right, and it’s vital to our growth, protection, and resilience.
Karishma’s message is clear: if you want to build a strong immune system, start with the gut. Support it with better food, smarter routines, and a lifestyle that respects the body’s natural intelligence.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that immunity isn’t built in a day or with a single supplement. It’s built over time, through informed, mindful choices that align with the body’s rhythm.
Because when we take care of the gut, the gut takes care of us.
