Some say that the gut is our second brain, who knows, perhaps even the first one… A well-functioning gut is not only important for digestion and general energy but also for emotional and psychological stability and well-being, sharpness of your focus and enhanced attention. Potentially for even much more…
It’s easy to get the bacterial balance off. Sadly
Today’s western diet is quite often too one-sided, not nutritious enough, just as the veggies we grow are containing oftentimes way less nutrients as before as the soil itself contains less of them, is more toxic and heavily cultivated which destroys the balance of it.
And let’s not forget about antibiotics which destroy the natural microflora of our gut flushing us poor of all the good bacteria together with the bad they were intended to rid us. When we are sick there is more bad bacteria in our body and the good bacteria helps to fight this and restore balance.
Probiotics and prebiotics create balance in the gut and body
To help our gut and digestion it would be wise to add foods containing probiotics to our diet and/or take probiotic supplements. The probiotic supplements contain living microorganisms which help us to maintain or improve normal microflora in our body. It’s the good bacteria we need and can easily get via probiotics.
There are also prebiotics – which help us balance the bacteria, they can be considered a fertilizer for the good bacteria, offering them food so they can thrive.
Probiotics may:
1. Support digestion & improve gut health
2. Reduce constipation
3. Make you feel fuller
4. Enhance mineral absorption
5. Regulate blood sugar
6. Reduce risk of chronic conditions
7. Influence mood (positively)
Natural sources of the good stuff
Natural prebiotics are found in foods like artichokes, soybeans, oats, bananas, greens, onions, and garlic. Similarly, to probiotics, prebiotics are also added to some foods and can be taken as supplements.
Probiotics naturally occur in foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt. This is how you can add good bacteria to your gut. Might be a wonderful idea to prepare your own yoghurt from scratch – there are several tutorials available on the internet teaching how to do this.