Zara & Omie: The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

In a world of hand sanitizer and indoor playdates, the ground beneath our feet might be the most underrated wellness tool.

In The Great Outdoors, Zara hesitates before jumping into nature’s messiest playground. Mud? Worms? Questionable puddles? She’s out.

Enter Veer — barefoot, leaf-crowned, and armed with facts.
He doesn’t just play in the dirt… he defends it.

His point? Outdoor microbes are nature’s way of building a stronger gut and immune system. Just being outside — touching plants, walking on grass, breathing it all in — helps nourish your microbiome.

What’s in Dirt, Anyway?

Surprisingly — good bacteria.
Soil is rich with microbial life. When we garden, play outside, or even touch plants, we’re exposed to a diverse ecosystem of microbes that can benefit our gut.

These soil-based organisms:
    •    Strengthen the immune system
    •    Increase microbial diversity in the gut
    •    Lower inflammation
    •    May even support mental health through the gut-brain connection

In short, mud = medicine (just don’t tell Zara that yet).

Children especially benefit from this kind of exposure. It helps “train” their immune system, reducing the risk of allergies and autoimmune conditions later in life.

And no, it doesn’t mean skipping soap or hygiene — it’s about allowing contact with natural, healthy microbes rather than over-sanitizing every inch of daily life.

The comic ends with a laugh: Zara claims she’s “cultivating ecosystems,” the same excuse she once used to bring home a snail.

Behind the humor is a truth worth remembering — childhood curiosity naturally leads to the very behaviors that support gut health.

Let it.

If it looks like a mess, sounds like fun, and happens outside — it might be exactly what your gut needs.

Dirt builds more than castles. It builds resilience.

Read the full comic below 👇

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