THE ONE SUPPLEMENT I TAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY: PROBIOTICS

We’ve been here. We’ve done this.

BUT RIGHT?

PROBIOTIC TALK- we’ve discussed the importance of probiotics in the diet for years ( so crazy I have known some of you guys for years?! ). HOWEVER!!! I still get so many questions- I would say the most questions ever in regards to wellness are: what probiotic do you take?

So as always, let’s get very, VERY specific.

We will get to the answer but in the meantime, I want to explain the value of a daily probiotic. WAIT- of course, I’m not a nurse. Not a scientist- unless you count mixing oils. & I’m certainly not a doctor. I’m just, you know, here- on The Skinny Confidential sharing what works for me & what doesn’t. Take what you like, leave what you don’t. It’s easy, really!

MOVING ON: probiotics & I have been having a love affair for A WHILE. Anyway, if you’re a The Skinny Confidential regular you know I’m a HUGE, HUGE fan of probiotics.

You know this: we’ve talked about Kombucha ( …with champagne ) & kimchi.

But to be real it wasn’t until I was on antibiotics for ALMOST SIX WEEKS that I really understood the importance of a daily probiotic.

First of all, if you’re like me YOU GET A YEAST INFECTION IF YOU DON’T TAKE A PROBIOTIC WHILE ON AN ANTIBIOTIC- ya, a yeast infection- TMI? What’s new? Which is like the most horrific thing. There’s nothing worse. The whole egg situation, legs spread, sweating ( who knows what I mean here? LOL ).

Well actually, maybe a UTI is worse? Who knows. They’re both horrid. Anyway, for me a probiotic is my preventative plan- I never get a yeast infection from antibiotics anymore because of my daily probiotic.

To really get into bacteria here: it mainly grows from stress, antibiotics, & chlorinated water. Probiotics ( also known as an acidophilus ) are beneficial bacteria & microorganism that live in the gut. AKA ‘good bacteria.’

They help with digestion & REALLY, REALLY help absorb nutrients from food. WHICH WE LOVE! The healthy, good bacteria helps eliminate nasty shit in the gut like bad bacteria, chemicals, & toxins.

ALSO TO TAKE A TWIST- I think it’s important to understand the fundamental difference between an acidophilus & a probiotic: “Acidophilus is a form of a probiotic. It is mainly used to aid digestion and repopulate the digestive tract with good bacteria. Probiotics, those with a mix of acidophilus and other types of good bacteria, are considered broad-spectrum, meaning they work better when combined to aid more than one type of problem within the digestive tract. Probiotics that are most effective have a billion or more active organisms.” { via }

I believe SO many diseases/problems/issues start in the gut. When we fix our gut, INSANE RESULTS follow. Personally, when I take probiotics or eat kimchi I notice brighter eyes, clear skin, more energy, less bloating- the list goes on really.

SO WHY WOULDN’T I WANT TO TAKE A PROBIOTIC?

When you’re choosing the right probiotic for you- do your research. This isn’t a one size fits all kind of thing. Everyone is different so it’s important to experiment & see what works & what doesn’t.

Let’s get to specifics. For the last 3 months I’ve been using the probiotic Silver Fern. The tiny strains in their probiotic will “identify and destroy bacteria overgrowth, replacing them with healthy bacteria, and resolving the imbalances in your gut. They will also enhance your mucosal immune system, lessening your problems with inflammation and helping alleviate several of the painful symptoms that come from these conditions.”

I AM INTO THIS!

Let’s go further: this particular probiotic is DNA verified & “spore forming.” Most probiotics are not DNA verified meaning they do not survive the acid in the stomach & will also die in the heat ( which is why most have to be refrigerated ). Silver Fern is “spore-forming” meaning they only activate in the perfect environment ( AKA the gut )- WHICH WE VERY MUCH WANT. So you’re aware: 90% of probiotics on the market are dead on the shelf or will die as soon as they reach your stomach acid, and this one makes it all the way to the your entire digestive tract.

CRAZY RIGHT.

SOME OTHER BENEFITS?

Mood, Anxiety, & Depression:

95% of Serotonin ( the happy neurotransmitter ) originates from the gastrointestinal tract. When imbalances in bacteria are present this can lead to real alterations to our brains, causing brain fog, depression, mood swings, and anxiety.

Probiotics make positive changes to the gut by policing and restoring the growth of good microbes to your flora. Restoring a disrupted gut flora can help fight anxiety & depression.

Metabolism & Weight Loss:

The body typically responds to food in one of two ways, it will either burn it for energy or store it as fat. The secret for this decision is short-chain fatty acids ( SCFAs ), the more your body produces SCFAs the more fat and food it will burn.

The Bacillus strain of probiotics convert fiber into short-chain fatty acids. By eating more fiber and supplementing with Silver Fern’s Ultimate probiotic you can increase your body’s production of SCFAs, improving your metabolism and helping you to burn more fat.  YES PLZ?

Immune Health:

The Saccharomyces and pediococcus spores in the Ultimate probiotic stimulate the peripheral T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes to help fight colds, flus, and infections. They also help reduce allergies, asthma, and inflammation.

I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET WITH INFLAMMATION-BUT REALLY SERIOUSLY NOT KIDDING.

Sugar & Hunger Cravings:

The bad bacteria in your gut love sugar and will actually signal your brain to eat more sugar. This “gut brain connection” is what causes those powerful sugar cravings. Meanwhile, poor nutrient absorption causes your body to keep signaling for more food so it can get the nutrients it needs.

We want to replace the bad bacteria in your gut with good bacteria, stopping the sugar cravings all while helping your body to more effectively break down and absorb nutrients. Better nutrient absorption means your body will be satisfied with much less food!

I want to go VERY SPECIFIC with why I like this one.

To get all scientific with you this probiotic contains:

Bacillus Coagulans:

+ Produces L+ optical form of lactic acid and is often prescribed to patients needing acute immune support.

+ Decreases abdominal pain and bloating symptoms caused by IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

+ Used to treat Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s Disease.

Bacillus Clausii:

+ Antibiotic resistant strain that is often used to reduce the negative side effects of antibiotic treatments.

+ Helps treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, recurrent respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and helps prevent diarrhea.

Bacillus Subtilis HU58:

+ Produces Nattokinase, Vitamin K2, and over 12 potent antibiotics for fighting bacteria and improved immune development.

+ Increases short-chain fatty acid production, a key component for boosting your metabolism and weight loss, by up to 40%,

+ Helps treat gut infections like SIBO, Candida, and parasites.

Saccharomyces Boulardii:

+ Unique species of probiotic yeast that fights disease-causing organisms in the gut, prevents diarrhea, and aids general digestion.

+ Helps seal your gut lining, modulates the immune system, and decreases inflammation.

Peidiococcus Acidilactici:

+ Probiotic found in nature that transforms dysfunctional immune systems and reforms ailing guts.

+ Balances the intestinal microflora and promotes healthy immune and inflammatory response.

+ Produces several antimicrobial compounds for dealing with pathogenic bacteria.

This info was via their site so if you want more, head over & stalk the situation for yourself.

Oh, & let’s talk about storage because it’s a thing. I keep mine in this pink MTWTFSS PILL ORGANIZER to keep it efficient. This is perfect when we are traveling or on the go- I tried the fridge probiotics for a while but they didn’t work well for me because I’m always on the go. I would forget them ALL THE TIME.

What a buzzkill.

With this pink organizer, I can just keep it in my bag or by my keys to GRAB AND GO!

Again, my advice here is simple: do you your own research & see if a probiotic is a good fit for you. IF YOU DO TAKE A PROBIOTIC: what’s your experience been like? I would love to hear other success stories. Tell me all the juice.

What’s so funny is before I wrote this article, I popped two probiotics– LOL. Perfect timing I guess.

With that, we are off to the Kopari dinner in Palm Springs- a quick in & out trip for the night. See you all tomorrow.

PEACE, LOVE, & PROBIOTICS! LOVE YOU ALL, lauryn

+ read more wellness posts | MY WHITE SWEATER AVAIL HERE. PINK GG box HERE. 

+ PROBIOTICS POSTS: KIMICHI | KOMBUCHA CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS | WHY I LOVE KOMBUCHA

MAINTAIN YOUR GUT HEALTH