Why you should care about Probiotics
If you take one thing from this article, remember this: A healthy gut is fundamental to your overall health. To help you reach your health goals, focus on adding as many different types of beneficial bacteria to your gut as possible. If you are just starting out, start slowly and increase overtime.
Variety is key to being the healthiest person you can be. Eating a variety of foods will help ensure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs to thrive. This is also especially important when focusing on gut health. The more diversity you have in your gut micro-biome the healthier you will be. The best way to do this is to incorporate a wide variety of fermented foods into your diet. Each type of food provides different bacteria and with the gut, an abundance of different types of healthy bacteria is more important than billions of a specific strain.
Why focus on gut health? Besides sleep and stress, it is one of the first places you should focus on nutritionally if you are trying to be healthier. Plus it is such an easy thing to do!
A healthy gut helps support:
– Immunity (80% of your immune system lives in your gastrointestinal tract)
– Balanced mood
– Brain function
– Healthy weight
– Fights inflammation
– Supports heart health
Good sources of food based probiotics:
– Sauerkraut
– Unsweetened Coconut Milk Yogurt
– Coconut Milk Kefir / Dairy Kefir
– Kimchi
– Non-sweetened Dairy Products
– If it says fermented (and is low sugar) it is your gut’s friend!
– Make your own fermented veggies with a kit from Masontops
Foods that increase bad bacteria:
– Processed foods
– Tap water
– Eating too much meat
– Processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup
– Food Intolerances with: Gluten, Diary and Soy
– GMO’s
– Refined vegetable oils and fats
Final note and happy tummy tip! Supercharge your gut bacteria with fiber. Fiber helps to feed the healthy bacteria you are adding to your system. Some great choices for high fiber foods include organic berries, artichokes, cruciferous vegetables and beans/lentils.
