When it comes to maintaining consistently good health in-between a busy lifestyle I focus on my gut. Recently, I’ve discovered the benefits of prebiotics and have added them to my “feel good” supplement protocol. I rely on a few high-quality supplements to help fill in the gaps on the days when I don’t get enough proper nutrition. Let’s be real — with work, life, and everything in between it’s hard to eat perfect meals every time.
A few years back, I learned from reading, The Immune System Recovery Plan by Dr. Susan Blum that about 70% of our immune system is found in our gut. Since going all-in on living a healthy lifestyle, my gut has been a primary focus as I continue to maintain a well-functioning body. I take extra good care of my body because I want to continue living a good quality of life. I know what it feels like to not feel well for long periods of time and that’s not a place I want to revisit if I have any control over it.
The Demise of My Gut
When I was sick with Lyme disease amongst other things, I took insane amounts of different types of antibiotics. Through my two years of intensive Lyme treatment using pharmaceuticals, I took oral antibiotics, shots, intravenous, and sometimes a combination. Before that, I took antibiotics for colds, dentist appointments, skin problems, and pointless other reasons.
Throughout my life, I popped antacids and Advils whenever I had any ailment. I was destroying my gut and in turn my immune system without thinking anything of it. I know better now. Looking back it’s no surprise I developed food sensitivities, skin problems, and autoimmune issues.
It’s been about 7+ years now that I’ve committed to a healthy lifestyle. I feel so incredibly good and I haven’t looked back. So many health issues have disappeared, I’ve maintained a healthy weight, my skin is clear, decreased anxiety, better sleep, and so much more. I am symptom-free from Lyme and other ailments.
Food Intolerances and Probiotics
It’s not all perfect. I still struggle with food intolerances but I know deep down that I can overcome these. My reactions to these foods have lessened in intensity as I continue to heal. What used to cause distress for 2-3 days, now goes away within hours and feels way milder. I would call that progress. My gut healing process up until now has included eliminating offending foods, taking quality probiotics and a few key supplements, and consuming fermented foods like kombucha and kefir.
Probiotics have certainly helped me to feel well over the years but they haven’t been the cure-all that they are marketed to be. Probiotics need to be tended to. Unless you are eating adequate fruits and veggies on a daily basis to feed the healthy bacteria, then your probiotics likely aren’t doing much long-term. That’s where the benefits of prebiotics can assist.
Prebiotic Foods and Benefits
Recently, I discovered prebiotic supplements. Prebiotics are plant fibers that act as food for healthy bacteria. In essence, prebiotics are fuel to stimulate growth of the bacteria from probiotics. The two work synergistically.
You can get prebiotics naturally from foods:
- Lentils
- Apples
- Bananas
- Garlic
- Onions
- Leeks
- Asparagus
- Jerusalem Artichokes
But when we are busy living our lives we don’t always check all the health boxes. To ensure, I am regularly supporting my gut health I follow this new and simple regimen.
Since taking prebiotics, I’ve noticed an improvement in my overall digestion. Studies have also shown links to, improved immunity, hormone levels, cholesterol, healthier weights, and more.
Gut Health Supplement Regimen
If you want to reap the benefits of prebiotics without having to rely solely on food sources then try to find a high quality supplement. These are the supplements I use:
- Prebio Plus by Cutting Edge Cultures. It’s a powder that I mix into either my morning smoothies, water, or sometimes coffee.
- I try my best to get probiotics from food but when I need a boost I turn to is Floratrex by The Global Healing Center. They contain 25 strains of bacteria.
Keep in mind, if you are new to probiotics and prebiotics, you may experience a “die-off” reaction as your body detoxifies. I always start slow and work my way up to test my reaction. I am not a doctor, just sharing my own health experiments with others. With any supplement, you should always chat with your physician to ensure they are safe for you.
When my gut is healthy, I feel my best. Prebiotics are now a consistent part of my routine to maintain good health. I’ve experienced immediate benefits from consuming prebiotics including noticeably improved digestion. It’s hard to eat a perfectly balanced diet all the time. My supplement routine is a useful tool in keeping my body running at optimal levels in between work, chores, blogging, and indulging in a cupcake every now and then.
