Words of wisdom, today I have peace of mind, love, joy and kindness in my life.

Which Probiotic Supplements Are Best?

Hello Followers,

I’m back, sometimes in life, words of wisdom have a way of sinking into our brain and changing our life for the better.

I love the way we love to group things and people together. When I was facing cancer ten years ago and I was grouped in with breast cancer females. This also pulled me into a group type procedure for treatments.

I'm not a group person, I'm an individual, so I wanted to be treated like one. So, Dan and I looked toward someone that would treat me as an individual.

I do word finds- chicken soup for the soul. There was this saying that we, yes, we Americans need to do more of it, treat people as an individual.

Our single most important challenge is therefore to help establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual. - Nelson Mandela

Since the last time, what have you been up to? Dan and I have been enjoying snow, snow, snow. This Florida raised girl can't get enough of this snow!!

Continuing on the topic of nutrition, which probiotic supplements are best?

There are thousands of probiotic products on the market, with each company or retailer telling you theirs is best.

The factors I look at in evaluating a probiotic supplement are:

Price. No one likes to waste money.

CFUs (Colony-forming units). This is the total count of all the bacteria in the probiotic. There’s a huge range, with brands offering anywhere from 1 billion to 100 billion CFUs per dose. The bigger the number, the more beneficial bacteria you get.

Strains. The total number of different types of bacteria in each probiotic varies greatly. Diversity is good. Every expert has a favorite combination, but the reality is that we know very little about how the various strains interact with the human body. A broad spectrum of different kinds is likely to give you the best odds of success.

Expiration date. Some probiotic supplements get so old that the bacteria are literally dead by the time they reach the consumer. Check expiration dates.

One probiotic supplement that’s also a food is a coconut water kefir made by inner-ēco. It’s a naturally effervescent and mildly sweet refrigerated product that provides 50 billion CFUs per tablespoon. I often take a tablespoon with breakfast or dinner. It has the added benefit of being delicious.

We all had this question at one time or another; what about fermented foods?

Fermentation helps to preserve food and creates beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, and numerous strains of probiotics.

Natural fermentation has been shown to preserve nutrients and to break some foods down to a more digestible form.

The most studied is kimchi, a traditional Korean food made from fermenting salted cabbage with a variety of vegetables and spices (sometimes salted shrimp or anchovy is included, as well).

In addition to, or perhaps in part because of, its probiotic properties, studies have shown that kimchi can help fight cancer, obesity, effects of aging, and constipation while contributing to your immune system, skin health, and brain health.

Other popular fermented foods include sauerkraut, yogurt (which can be made from cow, soy, coconut, or almond milk), kefir, miso (made by boiling and fermenting soybeans with bacteria), beet kvass (a fermented beet drink), vinegar, and kombucha.

Some fermented foods are used in condiments, while others make a tasty snack or topping. Remember not to cook them if you want to preserve the probiotics.

Keep in mind that some probiotic kefirs and yogurts come loaded with added sugar. Even if there are beneficial bacteria in these probiotics, the sugar will feed “bad” bacteria already in your gut. Always check labels for sugar content.

If you want to do your own fermentation, I recommend finding a good book or website to guide you. A book to consider is Fermented Vegetables by Christopher and Kirsten Shockey.

Some people using homemade fermented foods are experiencing great benefits.

HER IS A STORY ABOUT EMILY LACONELLI -

Like Emily Laconelli, for example. At the age of 17, after growing up on the modern industrialized diet, Emily developed irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, and emergent arthritis. She suffered from massive bloating and chronic pain, and became resigned to a life of embarrassing pain and urgent bathroom runs.

After 20 years of misery, she joined a Food Revolution Network event I was hosting and decided to turn her kitchen upside down.

Emily began enjoying a whole-food, plant-powered diet that featured an abundance of fermented foods, such as kimchi, fermented vegetables, tempeh, homemade almond milk yogurt, and miso. Her fiber consumption went up dramatically, providing abundant nourishment for the probiotics now streaming into her body every day.

The journey was difficult. Emily had to squeeze in all her learning and food preparation while working full-time and raising a two-year-old daughter. But every step she took seemed to give her more energy and stamina, which fueled her actions as well as her determination.

Eventually, her irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, and emergent arthritis all disappeared. And her daughter, now five, loves to cook and has decided that her favorite food is… broccoli!

I’m sure we all have had stories of our gut and how we have dealt with situations. I’m hoping with the information on good gut and nutrition, you will continue to research what is best for you.

Remember, we are all individual and should be treated individual.

UNTIL NEXT TIME – words of wisdom, today I have peace of mind, love, joy and kindness in my life.