When my family is getting a nice dose of healthy probiotics on a daily basis, we find that we are much healthier and fight off illnesses faster. In fact, when one of us does get sick, we often realize it was during a time when we were eating a diet higher in sugar and processed foods low in probiotics. One of the first steps to build a healthy immune system is to help make sure your gut is healthy!
My guest blogger today, Dr. Tanya, shares the scoop on friendly bacteria. If you are ready to strengthen your gut health and start taking steps to Make Your Immune System a Powerhouse, read on!
You'll learn what probiotics are, how to make sure you are getting enough of them and what to do to avoid destroying your friendly bacteria!
Dr. Tanya Hudson currently leads the Research & Development team at OneBode. Dr. Hudson has worked in nutritional health and education with elite athletes, traveling to consult with NBA teams. Her passion is helping individuals and families develop “true health standards and skills” that will last a lifetime.
Not all bacteria are harmful to your health. In fact, research has shown that some bacteria helps support your immune system, as well as your digestive system. These groups of good bacteria are referred to as “friendly bacteria” or Probiotics. Probiotics means “for life”—these friendly bacteria live in and on your body.
In our bodies, bacteria outnumber our cells by more than 10 to 1! The vast majority of the bacteria in our bodies are found in our intestines.
Bacteria are living organisms. Good bacteria is always competing with bad bacteria (such as E. coli, Salmonella) for growth and dominance. Think about this balance as a neighborhood. You always want good neighbors to strengthen the community. Friendly bacteria will run the bad bacteria “out of town” as they compete for dominance and help direct a healthy immune response to other invaders, such as viruses and fungus.
Did you know up to 70% off your immune system cells resides in your gut?
The benefits of friendly bacteria are endless. Friendly bacteria can:
Fermented foods are a “living” food source of friendly bacteria. Traditionally, many societies around the world regularly consume fermented food. In modern societies, these foods have been replaced with pasteurized, cooked and processed foods that do not contain probiotics.
Eat and drink living fermented foods (sauerkraut, kim-chee, miso, kombucha) as a condiment or side dish. Fermented foods contain living, friendly bacterial cultures and can be made at home or purchased at a health food store.
If you're interested in using foods to increase your probiotic intake, check out lacto-fermented pickled vegetables.NOTE: Sauerkraut purchased in a can off the shelf has been pasteurized during the manufacturing process which kills all bacteria, including the good ones. Canned foods do not contain probiotics.
OneBode Live, packaged in the OneBodē Daily Health Pak, contains a blend of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and other probiotics as a source of good daily probiotics.
What about dairy products that you hear are full of probiotics? Yogurt, kefir and other dairy products have been commercialized as a source of daily probiotics. If you choose to eat dairy, look for organic varieties with “live active cultures”. Once the products have been pasteurized for packaging and distribution, they do not contain live cultures. Probiotics must be added back into the food with “live active cultures”. Also, read the label to avoid “high fructose corn syrup."
There are many things that can disrupt your bacterial balance. Fortunately, you can easily influence a healthy balance through food selections. Remember to trust your gut!