Good bacteria = Superhero = Probiotics; Bad bacteria = Evil Villain. We all want to see the superheros kick the bad guy’s butts (pun intended)! Probiotics are all over the place these days. So, what’s the big deal with them anyway? Our bodies have lots and lots of bacteria – more bacteria than cells, 10:1, and many of them are super important in keeping us healthy and even alive. Probiotics are the good bacteria in your gut.
Have you heard everything starts in your gut? It’s true! It may sound crazy, but that cold you got last winter probably started in your digestive system. Keep that system happy and the rest is a breeze. Your immunity starts in your gut. They call it the second brain, because it is where most of your serotonin is created (80-90% of it), meaning if your having difficulty with anxiety or depression, improving the health of your intestines can help. Probably a lot more than you think!
Of course, digestive system issues (acidity, diarrhea, constipation) have everything to do with the health of your gut. But did you ever think about absorption? How are you supposed to get anything right in the body if you can’t assimilate the nutrients from what you eat? There won’t be any building blocks for all that you need to do! Ever hear of leaky gut? This is when there is so much inflammation and irritation in the lining of your intestines that the walls get stretched out, creating gaps, and then big molecules of not properly broken down food escape into your blood stream where they don’t belong. Once that happens pretty much any symptom from rashes and breakouts to joint pain to sniffles or allergies can occur. Your gut bacteria being the good kind is key to your health!
Most Americans are way out of balance with the bad bacteria way overpowering the good, and by way I mean WAY! No wonder we are suffering so much! This imbalance plays a huge part if not the leading role in every health issue you can name or diagnose: anxiety, depression, skin issues, joint inflammation, colitis, IBS, headaches, respiratory problems, etc. Seriously, EVERYTHING starts in the gut. So having an imbalance of more villains than superheros is going to cause a big problem. We’ve all seen the movies and know who has to win to save the world.
So, how do we shift this imbalance back in our favor. Wait, don’t tell me! Probiotics? Yep! You’re so smart. Taking probiotics can have a huge impact on every aspect of your health. And, you really can’t OD on them, so go for it. Take them at bedtime for sure – lots of unwanted critters are most active at night. Take them in the morning, take them at lunch. If you feel like you’re fighting off a bug, take some extra superheros and watch if you can’t kill that villain before it takes you down. I’m not kidding – probiotics are really the ultimate superhero superfood. You can get them in fermented foods, but taking a supplement is essential if you are dealing with any health issues. You’ve got to inundate yourself with the good bacteria to get the momentum to swing the pendulum back in your favor. Bonus points for cleaning up your diet and changing your thinking into more positive thoughts in your fight for good triumphing over evil!