Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The Answer's In Your Gut

I wanted to veer slightly from the path of motivational newsletters this go-round and take a more educational and informative route. Part of what inspired this particular newsletter is a conversation I was just having with a former client of mine. She keeps teasing me about coming back to train here but we’ll see (wink wink nudge nudge).

She was recently turned onto probiotics by a friend and was remarking how much better she was feeling by taking them. So, I thought I would keep this newsletter a bit shorter and give some insight into why she might be right.

It’s probably of little surprise to anyone that we have millions (billions, zillions) of bacteria floating in our body. When we get sick, many people go to the doctor to be prescribed an antibiotic with the aim of killing off the harmful bacteria that’s making us ill. However, antibiotics also kill the beneficial bacteria in our bodies too. Before you get concerned, you don’t lose all the beneficial bacteria but the good ones definitely take a hit!

When you consider the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system, these are our friends assisting with digestion and food absorption, body composition and metabolism. Sounds like something to have an abundance of, right?

Right.

Which is why my former client may be feeling better.

Now, you can find probiotics in fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, kombucha, cheese, etc.) and you can find it in supplements. I personally like to get them from both foods and supplements. Rather than sway you to a certain brand, I’ll suggest you find something with a high strand count (at least 3 billion) and something that has to stay refrigerated (so you can have more live and active cultures).

However, probiotics in and of themselves aren’t the only solution. In addition, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping your fiber and water intake high. These three will continue to move food through you as it was intended to do, maximize nutrient absorption, and yes, you’ll probably even drop some pounds as well. As always, consistency is key!

Lastly, remember that highly processed meats, excess stress, alcohol, certain medications (check side effects), and processed foods and preservatives can negatively impact your digestive system. If you can’t eliminate, do what you can to minimize those effects. No sense taking steps towards cleaning up a diet without ACTUALLY cleaning it up!

We can help you sort through the dietary madness!

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