8 Big Mistakes You’re Making When Taking Probiotics

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

If you’re trying to boost gut bacteria by taking probiotics, make sure you aren’t making these common mistakes!

Probiotics replenish the good bacteria in the gut. This can help boost immunity and decrease the impact of leaky gut, which can lead to chronic disease. Still, there are a lot of misconceptions about probiotics, and many people make mistakes while taking them.

Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most from your probiotic capsules because goodness knows they’re not cheap!

8 Mistakes You’re Making When Taking Probiotics

Whether it’s taking probiotics at the wrong time or choosing a product with poor quality ingredients, watch out for these eight mistakes next time you buy (or take!) a probiotic.

1. You’re Buying Cheap Probiotics

You don’t have to buy the most expensive probiotic on the market, but you want to prioritize quality. Some brands use fillers and other inflammatory ingredients, like corn products, in their probiotic formulations. When choosing a probiotic, look out for overly cheap prices – they probably contain cheap ingredients.

Ideally, the probiotic you take has no other ingredients aside from those friendly bacteria. You don’t need corn starch, soy lecithin, or gut-wreckng gluten in your capsules!

2. You’re Storing Them Incorrectly

Some probiotics are considered shelf-stable, meaning they don’t need to be refrigerated. However, others do need to be kept below a certain temperature. If you don’t stash this kind in the fridge, you’ll lose some of those beneficial microorganisms.

Check the product packaging for instructions on how to store your probiotics. If its shelf-stable, you don’t need to store it in the fridge, but you do need to keep it in an area that isn’t bright or humid.

A bathroom shelf or drawer is not the best place, nor is anywhere exposed to sunlight. Keep your shelf-stable probiotics in a cabinet or dark place that stays consistent with temperature, and your refrigerated probiotics can be kept in the fridge or the freezer.

Finally, pay attention to expiration dates. Since probiotics are live bacteria, if you wait too long to use them, you might not be getting anything from it at all. All supplements are required to list expiration or “best by” dates.

It’s also best to buy refrigerated probiotics from a trusted health food store or practitioner who is likely to understand the value of preserving the microorganisms.

3. You’re Taking Probiotics with Antibiotics

Antibiotics and probiotics work against each other. One supplies bacteria, the other kills them. Here’s the thing, though: when used correctly, antibiotics are life-saving drugs. Overuse, however, can overrun your microbiome with bad bacteria, wreaking havoc on your health.

Take probiotics at least three hours after your last dose of antibiotics.

If you need to take antibiotics, it’s great to take probiotics as well! You just need to make sure the timing is right, or the antibiotic will destroy those live organisms before they even reach your gut.

Most antibiotics are taken six to 12 hours apart, depending on type and prescription. Always follow your doctor’s prescribing orders. Take probiotics at least three hours after your last dose of antibiotics.

Most people wonder if it’s even worth taking them since the next dose of antibiotics is just going to kill more bacteria. Yes, it’s worth it, because probiotics help to address the negative side effects of antibiotics, usually digestive pain, diarrhea, and bloating.

Once your course of antibiotics is done, it’s even more important to continue probiotics regularly for at least a few months to help recolonize your gut and strengthen your immunity.

4. You’re Taking Them at the Wrong Time of Day

Is there a right time of day to take your probiotics? In some cases, yes. Some products come with specific instructions for when and how to take (such as in the morning with food, or before bed – which implies without food). If your product specifies this, be sure to follow it for optimal results.

If your probiotic doesn’t come with instructions, the general rule of thumb is that shelf-stable probiotics (those that don’t need refrigerated) and S. boulardii, a specific strain of a yeast probiotic, can be taken with or without food.

Other strains are typically best taken with at least a little food to ensure they don’t get zapped from all the stomach acid they encounter. Essentially, a little food distracts the stomach acid, so that the probiotic bacteria can continue on down the digestive tract, toward the microbiome, or colon.

5. You’re Not Mindful of the Strains

Not all probiotics are the same, and with several dozen strains found on the market, how do you know which ones are best for you? Thankfully, many probiotic companies are now identifying specific uses for each product, like probiotics that target gut repair, vaginal health, digestion or even anxiety.

If you don’t have a specific reason to take a probiotic aside from wanting a boost of good guys in your gut, take a basic product that contains a Lactobacillus strain and a Bifidobacteria strain.

These are two extremely common groupings of probiotic bacteria, the first which lives in the small intestine and the second which is found in the colon. By boosting both of these, you’re sending in the good guys to both areas of your gut.

If you want personalized recommendations on which strains or combinations are best for you, work with a doctor or practitioner who can advise on gut health.

6. You’re Not Taking Them Consistently

Probiotics only work if you take them regularly. The downside of the microbiome is that the good bacteria die off faster than the bad bacteria, meaning that the good stuff needs regular replacement.

The best way to ensure probiotic success is to take them at the same time each day, every day. Set a reminder alarm on your phone until you’re in the habit of remembering to swallow those pills like clockwork.

7. You’re Taking the Wrong Dose

Dosage isn’t as essential as strain, so don’t let this one trip you up entirely. That being said, if you’re going to spend the money on a supplement, you’d probably like to get the most impact from it.

Probiotic dosing is listed as CFUs, or “colony forming units”. It’s a list of how many good guy probiotic soldiers are in a single serving. Some will read as 10 million, others get into the billions. Millions sound like a lot, but when you consider that we have way more bacteria in our bodies than we even do cells, it starts to seem like a small number.

If your practitioner recommends a specific dose, go with that. Otherwise, I recommend at least 10 to 25 billion CFUs. If you have severe symptoms, like antibiotic-associated diarrhea, chronic or autoimmune disease, or other life-altering problems, a dose closer to 100 billion might be better to start with.

Keep in mind that you’re not married to a probiotic strain or dose, and your gut health needs may change. If you’re mindful of your symptoms, this may mean changing strains or doses after a few months or a year.

8. You’re Skimping on Prebiotics

Prebiotics are just as important as probiotics. Prebiotics are the food that your good bacteria live on, allowing them to reproduce themselves in your gut. The best way to feed your good bacterial soldiers is to eat plenty of fiber from vegetables and a little from fruit.

The foods richest in prebiotics are onions, leeks, asparagus, garlic, bananas, apples, artichoke, jicama, cabbage, and leafy greens.

If you’re not used to eating a high-fiber diet, ease into adding more of these in your diet, and start with the ones that are easier to digest: bananas, leafy greens, and apples.

Watch this video – Probiotics Benefits + Myths | Improve Gut Health | Doctor Mike

Bottom Line

If you’re new to taking probiotics, it can feel overwhelming to look at all of the varieties.

Remember to check the label to make sure there are no fillers, read up on the strains included, and be sure to take them at the right time of day.

Written by Aimee McNew

Author Bio:

Aimee McNew is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in women’s health, thyroid problems, infertility, and digestive wellness. She ate her way back to health using a Paleo diet, lost 80 pounds, and had a healthy baby after numerous miscarriages. She focuses on simple nutrition practices that promote long-lasting results.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

Revealing Here 11 Best Breakfast Foods for Digestive Health

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Do you bloat out like a hot air balloon after every meal?

Do you need coffee just to poop? Perhaps you feel heavy and overstuffed after you eat, and you’re done with relying on stretchy pants to help hide the bloat.

There are few things more frustrating than living your life plagued by digestive symptoms such as bloating, constipation, cramping and irregularity. But digestive discomfort doesn’t have to be your norm. In fact, there are several foods that can help relieve digestive symptoms quickly.

The Dangers of Digestive Symptoms

While digestive symptoms are like an unwelcome house guest, they can also be a sign of a deeper health issue.

You see, your gut is the foundation of your health. In fact, over 70% of your immune system is found in your GI tract. And while the symptoms may seem innocent at first, they can lead to more serious health conditions if left untreated.

Let’s take chronic bloating, for example. While it has many causes, bloating is often linked to food sensitivities, especially dairy, wheat and gluten.

If you’re unaware that you have a food sensitivity, you’re more likely to keep eating the offending food – which causes inflammation in your digestive tract. When left untreated, this inflammation can prevent you from absorbing essential nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Digestive symptoms are also a sign of sluggish digestion. This can suggest your body isn’t eliminating toxins efficiently, allowing them to accumulate in your GI tract.

Not only do these toxins cause symptoms such as brain fog, headaches, low energy and frequent colds or infections, but they also leave you more prone to serious illnesses such as colon cancer.

These digestive symptoms are often part of a bigger picture and shouldn’t be ignored. Luckily, the road to better digestive health can be made easy (and delicious) by kickstarting your day with the foods found in these 11 Paleo breakfast foods.

11 Paleo Breakfast Recipes for Smooth Digestion

1. Chia Seeds

The benefits of chia seeds have recently exploded in the health blogosphere, but they’re far from being a new superfood. In fact, it’s said that thousands of years ago, the Mayans and Aztecs used chia seeds as a form of currency and as a sacred food for supernatural powers. Today, those supernatural powers translate to better digestion.

Chia seeds can help promote bowel regularity because they’re a rich source of magnesium, which helps promote muscle contractions. Since your GI tract is one big muscle, it can tense up during times of stress. Magnesium helps relax the smooth muscle tissue found in your intestinal wall, so food and waste can move through your system easier.

Chia seeds are also an excellent source of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber digests slowly and helps keep your appetite satisfied for longer – which is why they’re one of the best breakfast foods. Soluble fiber also binds to toxins in the digestive tract to safely remove them.

For optimal digestion, chia seeds are best eaten after they’ve been soaked, which helps soften their protective coating (called phytic acid). Phytic acid is considered an antinutrient because the body has a hard time breaking it down.

This Healthy Mango Chia Pudding recipe features soaked chia seeds, making it one of the more ideal breakfast foods for better digestion.

2. Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are known for having a mild laxative effect, which can help relieve constipation and promote bowel regularity. Like chia seeds, flax contains soluble fiber, which helps removes the toxins from the GI tract that can impair digestion. And as mentioned above, soluble fiber helps keep your appetite satisfied for longer.

Since flaxseed also contains phytic acid, it’s best to eat flax ground or as flax oil to receive the health benefits – like in this savory breakfast recipe for Paleo Zucchini Bread.

3. Papaya

Papaya contains a digestive enzyme called papain. Papain is often the main ingredient in digestive enzyme supplements because it’s so powerful for digestive health.

While papain helps digest all nutrients, it’s been shown to be especially useful for protein digestion. For this reason, starting your morning off with digestive enzymes from papaya can help boost your digestive function throughout the day.

Papaya tastes amazing on its own or drizzled with a bit of lime juice, like in this PAPAYA AVOCADO SALSA. Since papaya has a thick, creamy texture when it’s blended, it also makes a satisfying Papaya Smoothie.

4. Wild Salmon

Wild salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are a natural anti-inflammatory. As mentioned above, inflammation in your digestive tract can promote digestive symptoms such as bloating as well as abdominal pain and cramping. Some studies have also found the omega-3’s in wild salmon to be useful for preventing colon cancer.

In addition to improving digestion, salmon is one of the most ideal breakfast foods because it’s rich in protein. Having protein in the morning stabilizes your blood sugar levels, which in turn promotes consistent energy throughout the day. A high protein diet has also been shown to promote sustainable weight loss.

Forget about the lox and cream cheese, these SWEET POTATO SALMON CAKES make the perfect salmon breakfast recipe.

5. Coconut Oil

Like wild salmon, coconut oil contains fatty acids that help improve digestion. Coconut oil contains a fatty acid called lauric acid, which acts as a natural antimicrobial to help destroy bacteria and yeast in the GI tract.

Since fat is the slowest nutrient to digest, it keeps your appetite full and satiated for longer periods of time. You can easily blend coconut oil into your coffee; try this Coconut Cowgirl recipe with cocoa powder to kickstart your morning.

6. Pineapple

Like papaya, pineapple also contains a unique digestive enzyme called bromelain, which helps aid in protein digestion. Pineapple juice has also been shown to help reduce GI tract inflammation in studies done on mice. And while there’s a lack of scientific evidence that pineapple can help kill intestinal parasites, it’s often used as a natural remedy for parasite cleanses.

Since pineapple is rich in enzymes, it can help promote better digestion throughout the day. If you’re looking for a way to eat pineapple on the go, whip up this Paleo Rainbow Smoothie.

7. Kombucha

Probiotics, or friendly bacteria, are an essential nutrient for improving digestive health and relieving digestive symptoms 

Probiotics, which occur naturally in the digestive system, can also be found in fermented foods. They help prevent the overgrowth of yeast and other bacteria while promoting regular elimination and nutrient absorption.

Homemade kombucha is a great way to get a healthy dose of probiotics. When fermented, kombucha becomes carbonated and packs an array of friendly bacteria.

8. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are an excellent source of insoluble fiber, adding “bulk” to your stool and moving food through your digestive tract quicker. Leafy greens are also a good source of magnesium. And as you now know, magnesium can help relieve constipation by improving muscle contractions in your GI tract.

If you experience digestive issues, it’s best to avoid eating leafy greens raw. This is because their tough fiber can be difficult to break down. Instead, blending or lightly steaming your leafy greens makes them easier to digest, and allows you to absorb their nutrients better.

Leafy greens are an ideal food to include in your morning routine not only because they improve digestion, but they also contain chlorophyll – an all-natural energy booster.

Chlorophyll, found in all green plant foods, allows plants to convert sunlight to energy through photosynthesis. Chlorophyll also helps the body synthesize ATP, the primary molecule that transports energy between our cells.

If you’re in search of a new green smoothie recipe, this Green Smoothie for Healthy Skin is full of flavor and fiber for better digestion.

9. Apples

Apples are a rich source of pectin, a type of insoluble fiber. When you think of pectin, you might think of Granny’s homemade jam or marmalade. But pectin has also been a natural remedy for relieving constipation for hundreds of years. This is because it helps move stagnant waste through your digestive tract.

Having an apple on an empty stomach may be enough to kickstart your digestion throughout the day.

10. Bananas

Unripe bananas contain a unique type of starch called resistant starch, which act as a prebiotic by feeding the friendly bacteria in your large intestine.

Resistant starch can’t be digested by the human body, which is how it gets its name. Since it’s resistant to digestion, this starch passes through your intestinal tract undigested, where the friendly bacteria in your colon begin to break it down.

Prebiotics such as resistant starch help keep your gut populated with good bacteria, which is why it’s an essential nutrient for improving digestion.

Now, unripe bananas aren’t exactly appetizing. And unfortunately, the body can digest all of the starch in bananas once they’ve ripened – which means the resistant starch no longer exists. Luckily, you can get resistant starch from green banana flour instead. Unlike green bananas, green banana flour has a mild taste and can be used in baking recipes like muffins and pancakes.

Watch these 2 videos –

Crispy Vegan + Paleo Waffles {made with banana flour}

How To Make Green Banana Flour

11. Berries

Like apples, berries can also help relieve bloating and constipation because they contain pectin. You’re likely starting to see the pattern here: the more fiber you get from plant foods, the better your digestion will be.

Since berries are a low sugar fruit, they’re ideal to add to breakfast recipes because they don’t rapidly spike blood sugar levels. And keeping your blood sugar levels stable is key for preventing the infamous energy crashes and sugar cravings that can surface later in the day.

While improving your digestion depends on eating specific nutrients, such as healthy fats, enzymes and fiber, it should be noted that digestive symptoms aren’t just a dietary issue. Stress, dehydration, and a lack of sleep and exercise can also worsen digestive symptoms. Therefore, certain lifestyle adjustments can also help eliminate tummy troubles for good.

Watch this video – 5 GUT-HEALTHY BREAKFAST IDEAS 

Written by Brandi Black

Author Bio:

Brandi Black is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the creator of Feel Best Naked, a health blog for women who want to clear up their skin, lose the muffin top and make the bloat disappear. After years of experiencing (and then healing) her own unbalanced hormones, she’s now obsessed with helping other women feel spectacular in their own skin with natural remedies for hormone balance.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook