PROBIOTICS- The most underrated and powerful tool at your disposal.
******************“80% of your immune system lies in your gut”*************
It doesn’t matter which disease you have, if you are having problems with your intestines / bowels, then adding probiotics to your diet needs to be at the top of your “to do” list. Aside from dietary changes, this is the next best thing you can do for yourself. It is my belief that a deficit of good bacteria in your gut will inevitably lead to some form of autoimmune illness. That’s why this needs to be the focus of your healing protocol.
There is just one problem, however. You can’t go down to the local health food store and pick up just any probiotic. Many of the products are simply weak, ineffective, have too many additives, or don’t contain effective strains. It’s imperative to find a supplement you can tolerate that’s as potent as possible, and begin taking it right away.
We are all unique individuals and some people just do better on certain supplements than others. Some people can tolerate dairy based supplements no problem, while others do better on cellulose or starch based cultures.
I know this may sound overwhelming to you, but I highly encourage you to explore this area. There are a lot of people out there that are turned off of probiotics completely, because they think it’s just another supplement that will sit in their cabinet until it expires. They may try one or two products with poor results then give up on the idea completely.
I’ve spent a lot of money on various probiotics in the past with poor results and believe me, I was frustrated to say the least. But I don’t regret it entirely because I’ve learned a lot along the way. There are a lot of crappy products out there, and I’m here to tell you to that probably close to 80% of the products available are garbage. But, I do feel that probiotics can truly be your diamond in the rough. It made all the difference for me. Unfortunately, there may be some trial and error on your part as the consumer to figure out which kind you are most able to tolerate. You may find that culturing your own probiotics works best for you, or you may prefer the convenience of simply taking a pill.
And as you begin to heal and your body adjusts, your tolerance may change. After a few months, you may find that you can now tolerate a full spectrum probiotic with multiple strains that before may have caused you problems.
What I can recommend, based on my own personal experience is to start with a high potency probiotic from an established source with positive consumer reviews. A few reputable companies I’ve listed below. Customers are usually satisfied with these products, and excited that they’re finally getting results. Start slow and follow the manufacturers’ recommendation. More is not always better.
HIGH QUALITY PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS:
- Custom Probiotics (Dairy Free, High Potency)
- Natren (Dairy Free, High Potency)
- Udos Choice (Dairy Free, High Potency)
- Renew Life (NOT dairy free, High potency formulations available)
- VSL#3 (NOT dairy free, High potency)
There is an increasing body of research implicating severe dysbiosis as a contributing factor to a plethora of bowel related issues, everything from
IBS to Crohns disease. And it saddens me that modern medicine in America is not exploring this area the way it needs to be explored. Until more information develops, it’s up to you to figure out what suits your body best.
Another thing you may want to try is fermenting your own foods. If you don’t like the idea of taking another supplement, then this is an awesome alternative. Not only will you be ingesting healthy live bacteria and yeasts, but they are also a great source of digestive enzymes that help break down foods and eradicate toxins from your body. I’ve listed some probiotic foods below just to give you an idea of what’s out there. Probably the easiest one to make is kefir. I haven’t tried the dairy version, but the water kefir is a piece of cake. The hardest part is finding the grains. But once you have the grains, you simply let them ferment in sugar water for 48 hours, and voila you’ve got a potent probiotic beverage.
Click here for more explicit directions and recipes.
PROBIOTIC FOODS:
- Kimchi (fermented cabbage)
- Kombucha (tea)
- Miso (soybean)
- Yogurt (dairy)
- Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)
- Kefir (fermented milk / water)
- Pickles (and other fermented veggies)
- Fermented fish
A word of advice: begin with small quantities and increase slowly. You will most likely have an “adjustment” phase as your body adapts to the healthy bacteria and weeds out any harmful pathogens living in your gut. This is known as the Herxheimer effect, and it is real. You may have flu-like symptoms, fatigue, anxiety, diarrhea, constipation your symptoms may temporarily worsen, but don’t quit, this is a good sign that the treatment is in fact working as intended. If it’s too intense, try pulling back the dosage a bit.
It’s pretty much a fact of life. You will have to endure a temporary worsening of your condition before it improves. Especially if it’s a deep seeded Candida infection. My suggestion is to just do it and get it over with. The sooner it’s over, the sooner you can start living life to the fullest. Good luck to you. There are Herxheimer remedies available to you to lessen this die-off effect. A short list is provided below:
HERXHEIMER REMEDIES:
- Mega doses of vitamin C
- Enemas for constipation. (Limit these to once or twice a week max, dependency may develop)
- Hot baths
- Lots of rest and relaxation
- Lots of water (at least half a gallon per day)
- Any detox / herbal remedies should be mild and gentle on the body
**********************Good Luck to everyone dealing with health issues. Recovery is possible, despite your doctors best efforts.************************************
