Why Is Everyone Talking About Probiotics?

Disclaimer:  The information contained herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Nicole Fey and her community. Nicole Fey encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Always work with a qualified health professional before making any change to your diet, supplement use, changes to your prescription drugs use, lifestyle, or exercise activities. Please understand that you assume all risk from the use, non-use or misuse of this information.

Probiotics help bring intestinal flora back into balance.

How do you know if you're intestinal flora is out of balance.  Easy.  Your digestion isn't functioning well.  Signs of this are: bloating, gas and stomach discomfort after eating a meal, belching, acidic conditions such as acid reflux and heartburn, chronic constipation and diarrhea and the myriad symptoms of toxicity including  skin conditions and rashes, headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, weight gain, hard to lose weight, bad breath, body odor, etc.  

The best way to work on healing your digestion is to 1) take foods that you are sensitive or allergic to, out of your diet 2) further clean up your diet by eliminating foods that fail to nourish you, while taxing your digestion (refined grains, sugar, processed foods, alcohol, junk food)  3) work on bringing your gut flora back into balance.  

Unfortunately, along with all the uncomfortable symptoms of poor digestion, an overgrowth of yeast, called Candida will commonly occur and compound the digestion problems.  Candida is actually a fungal infection and many people with perpetually poor diets high in refined sugar and carbohydrates, can have Candida in their gut for twenty years or more.  It is not an easy infection to get rid of because you need to build good bacteria in your gut while simultaneously using anti-fungal agents and cleaning up your diet. Addressing just one of these pathways will not be enough.  

I specialize in working on all three pathways with my clients when we are dealing with Candida: food sensitivity testing, elimination diet and repairing the gut.  A good probiotic is an integral part of this process.  I most often recommendGarden of Life Raw Probiotics for Women, Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Women 50 & Wiser (for women over 50), Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics for Men, and for children, Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Organic, (in tablet or powder) to my clients.  I like the Garden of Life probiotics because they are raw, gluten free, soy free and have no binders and fillers.  

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Ulcerative Colitis, VSL #3 is widely recommended by physicians and health practitioners.  With 112.5 billion live bacteria, it contains more than any other probiotic.  It is best to work with your physician in treating IBS, UC and Candida and always consult with them before starting this or any supplement.

Many of the symptoms of Candida are the same as the symptoms for poor digestion and toxicity in the body.  Therefore it is difficult to distinguish which is the culprit or which came first.  A blood test for Candida will reveal if you are suffering from the infection.  But regardless, taking a good probiotic is now a necessity for most people.  Because of the onslaught of toxins on a daily basis in the form of air and water pollution, pesticides and herbicides, antibiotics and hormones in our food (eat organic to avoid this), the prevalence of processed, chemicalized food in the American diet and the high stress levels most people maintain, protecting your gut health is a smart thing to do.

If you are seeking a certified health coach to work with you on your diet, on changing sabotaging lifestyle and food choices and to break cycles of poor eating, weight gain and digestive issues, email me for a free Nutrition Breakthrough session to talk about your choices for moving forward with your health goals.