Living Healthy and Happy: Probiotics Please!

Do you eat food?  Do you have a stomach?  Have you ever been sick? Have you ever taken an antibiotic? Do you get heartburn or other related tummy issues?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need probiotics!!!!  A probiotic is a food or a dietary supplement containing live bacteria (as lactobacilli) that is taken orally to restore beneficial bacteria to the body. 

Why do you need probiotics? We all are born with lots of good bacteria in our gut and as time passes, so does our good bacteria. Age, illness, medications, environmental factors and much more depletes our massive stores of this life-enhancing substance. Probiotics helps us digest food, absorb nutrients, build a strong immune system and prevent illness. 

Probiotics may also help prevent or ease the symptoms of a lot of GI issues many people experience:  bloating, gas, IBS, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, food intolerances/allergies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and the list goes on and on. 

70% of your immune system is in your gut and if you are missing good bacteria, your immune system is suffering. Every medication you take and every time you take an antibiotic, you kill off good bacteria. If you find yourself with numerous colds, infections and doctor appointments, you need to be replacing your good bacteria. 

Ready to get these into your tummy? 

Probiotics are naturally found in many foods with the most common one bring yogurt. Greek yogurt usually has 5 different strains of good bacteria and standard yogurt has 1 strain. Both are a great choice and should be eaten every day. You can also find probiotics in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso and ginger beverages. 

Not into a yogurt a day or fermented foods?  There are supplements available that can also be taken daily. But there is not a one-size-fits-all oral probiotic pill. You must seek out a professional to navigate the probiotic pills. I have favorites that I recommend to my clients and will be happy to discuss the one that is perfect for you.

Bottom line:  Make probiotics part of you daily routine. Dietitian recommended!

For more information on how to start living YOUR healthy life and discuss an individualized plan for you, call or email me at 515.285.7266 | acundiff@hy-vee.com