Why Everyone Should be Taking Probiotics!

I have a confession to make...I am a supplement junkie. Being a former pill popper, this is a nice change for me with side effects that make me feel like a million bucks!

Let me address the pill popper comment. I think there are millions of Americans who can fall under the category of "pill popper" by no fault of their own. In conventional medicine, it seems to be a common pattern that Doctors just prescribe one pill to curb the effects of another pill. Or they prescribe medications for specific illnesses. As in they categorize illness rather than addressing us as interconnected. Please know that I am not "dissing" conventional medicine. Thank GOD for it, right?! We need it. It saves lives, but I think that most of society is living in a pilled-over glaze just to cope with their existence. It's really frightening.

I will repost another excerpt from my former blog about kids and medication later. 

At one point in my life I was on an antidepressant, an anti anxiety, an ADHD (no shocker there), a muscle relaxer, and like 3 other things I can't even remember. I ended up on all that stuff because of a hard time in school. I went on a pill for one thing that ruined me and so I was prescribed another pill that further ruined me, and so on and so on. No doctor ever said, "Hmmmm. Maybe we should get you off the first thing we put you on." I trusted them to make me better. Anyway, it ruined about 4 yrs of my life because I was a walking chemical imbalance.

I am now totally and completely medication free and only take natural supplements and eat healthy and exercise and I am the happiest, healthiest, most focused, most energized, and fittest I've ever been. 

Please do not think I am encouraging anyone to go off their meds. I"M NOT. Remember this is a blog, and I am not a Doctor. I am sharing my beliefs and feelings based on personal experience. 

Anyway, all that to say....I truly believe that if we nourish our bodies holistically and naturally, we can achieve a lifetime of great health and balanced living. 

I want to spend this week talking about the supplements I live by. I take several but don't presume that everyone should be taking everything I am. However, there are 3 things I think everyone should be taking, so I will cover those first. 

And Probiotics is supplement number one. 

This is something that everyone should be on!!!

What are probiotics? 

The Joint FAO/WHO Working Group defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.”

In English that means, probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in our GI tract and help fight off bad bacteria. 

Why is this so important?

We live in a world that is TOXIC. Cancer is on the rise among many other chronic diseases and it is most often related to something called "leaky gut". Does that sound disgusting? That's because it IS disgusting. Our intestinal walls are lined with healthy bacteria...also called FLORA. When consuming yrs of toxic waste and foods that are fake, and after taking antibiotics which kill not only bad bacteria, but the good as well, we can end up with a leaky gut. This basically means that the walls of our digestive tracks are not lined with the healthy flora necessary to ward off all of the cancer and disease causing toxins that we consume. 

Thousands of years ago, Hippocrates said , "All Diseases Begin in the Gut". This is powerful and it is true. You MUST have a healthy digestive tract if you want to have a lifetime of healthy living. You can get a lot of healthy bacteria through things such as yogurt, but to be sure you are getting a healthy regular dose, it is good to take probiotics daily in pill or powder form. 

For lack of time, I do not have time to describe probiotics in detail but I would encourage you to take the time to research them. My kids and I take them. My kids have not been sick ONE time since beginning 2 yrs ago. I take that back...Catie had the 12 hr stomach flu once because I gave it to her. Great mom, huh? ;)

Any time I have quit taking probiotics or have eaten like crap, I begin breaking out, bloating, getting backed up and start feeling sick. I know you wanted to know that. Hey, it's a part of life. Anyway, taking probios regularly along a with healthy diet makes my digestive system the most wonderfully functioning part of my existence. And when all things are sound in that regard, all things in life are generally ok. haha. 

Seriously though...You NEED A HEALTHY INTESTIONAL TRACT. Do you hear me?!!! This will guard and protect you against disease. Please research probiotics more. And make sure you look beyond the first negative report you read by a fat scientist in a white coat. The proof is in the pudding. 

If you take a probiotic regularly, I'd love to hear what kind you take and how it has benefitted your health. 

Here are some great kinds. 

For affordability...this is a good one. 

However, there are lots to choose from and you may want to talk to someone at the health food store to guide you in your decision.

I put THIS in my Smoothies

I give this to my kids

You can get it on Amazon

Ok, I gotta run, but I have one last important thing to note. 

PLEASE do not get a probiotic from the same aisle you get your exlax. This stuff is filled with crap most likely. Spend a few extra dollars for the real stuff. You can find it in the health food section of your grocery store or at a supplements store. 

Cheers to healthy digestive systems and that little army of friendly bacteria that are fighting for your health!!!