What do you know about probiotics? Part 3

“What Do You Know About Probiotics?”

In earlier blogs, I defined the word ‘probiotic: the prefix ‘pro’ means ‘for’ – and the word ‘biotic’ means ‘life’, so probiotics are for life. Often called the ‘friendly bacteria’, scientists believe that probiotics are as important in this century as antibiotics were in the last. And I go along with the scientists’ belief. My feeling is that probiotics are the unsung hero of wellness.

In my last two blogs, I posted a list of functions performed by probiotics, both our own natural ones and those helped with high quality supplements (NOTE: Not all probiotics are created equally… I’ll address that in more detail in a subsequent blog.). My last blog had two lists along with explanations: Dysbiosis, meaning the causes of an imbalance between the harmful and good bacteria (the bad being detrimental if more than a 15/85% ratio), and then a list with the warning signs of Dysbiosis.

As evidenced in my earlier blogs, there is much at stake in assuring that friendly bacteria are in control in our bodies. Hence, in this posting, I thought I would give you a list of the factors that can upset the balance of intestinal flora, thus causing Dysbiosis:

·         Antibiotic medications and antibiotic residues often in our meat and dairy products – note that this is not only first alphabetically, but a strong first as far as a cause of Dysbiosis*

·         Chlorinated / fluoridated water (chlorine put in water to kill bacteria is also not selective)

·         Constipation (a condition which creates a toxic environment for the good ‘bugs’)

·         Diets high in sugar and other simple carbohydrates…junk foods strengthen and feed an undesirable element in our guts

·         Estrogen replacement therapy (this is an example of a treatment intended to remedy one situation which can exacerbate another)

·         Excessive fiber (yes, you can ingest too much fiber, too…and it strips the colon of micro flora)

·         Excessive exposure to radiation (CT scan, and excessive dental and/or medical X-rays)

·         Heavy or excessive use of (even natural) antiseptic agents such as echinacea, barberry, goldenseal, colloidal silver

·         Oral contraceptives (birth control pills contain hormones which are damaging to good bacteria)

·         Parasites, usually gotten from traveling to third-world countries, but also contracted by eating foods that are either not washed properly or cooked thoroughly

·         Poor digestion – possibly now thought to be caused, at least in part, by lengthy ingestion of acid blockers (more on this relatively new concept in future blogs) Chew your food throughly!

·         Steroids (and these include even the anti-inflammatory steroids prescribed by physicians)

·         Stress, the chronic type

·         Toxic chemical intake (and our everyday life has many – breathed in, ingested, etc.)

*Antibiotic drugs are not discriminating in selecting only harmful bacteria to kill, they kill them all, especially the broad-spectrum variety. It is especially important to replenish the good ‘bugs’ in your system with probiotics when taking an antibiotic well before the bad guys get too comfortable in our guts. (You can take probiotics while on an antibiotic by allowing two hours between taking each.) In a subsequent blog, I’ll discuss the importance of selecting a high quality probiotic, or you can contact me at liz@nutried.com or through my website at www.nutried.com.

Meanwhile, I’m posting a list of measures you can take if you think you may be suffering Dysbiosis – an imbalance of intestinal flora:

·         REST your GI tract by cutting out starches and sugars that yeasts love…

·         REPLACE carbohydrates with vegetables, in particular

·         DRINK large amounts of water

·         CLEANSE the colon with a quality oral colon cleanse product, or visit an experienced colon therapist for advice

·         REBALANCE bacteria in your system by flooding the colon with high quality probiotics during this whole process

·         CONTINUE TO USE a high quality probiotic which will help you maintain sufficient and healthy levels of good bacteria in your colon, enhancing the purpose of your immune system in finishing the job of eliminating and keeping away the ‘bad guys’

Always follow the instructions of your physician! Just be informed about side effects and how to manage them. 

As you can see, there is much information out there about the goodness of probiotics which I will delve more into in future editions. Check out my blog regularly for more information about probiotics and other nutritional data. I would be happy to advise you on the most effective probiotics available to help you toward a life of wellness. Again, you can contact me through my e-mail or website (noted above), and we’ll work together on getting you on a path to a healthy life.

What do you know about probiotics? Part 2

With the prefix ‘pro’ – which means ‘for’ – it’s logical to assume that probiotics are good, and they are! The word ‘biotic’ means ‘life’, so probiotics are for life. Often called the ‘friendly bacteria’, scientists believe that probiotics are as important in this century as antibiotics were in the last. And I go along with the scientists’ belief. My feeling is that probiotics are the unsung hero of wellness. Last time I posted a list of functions performed by probiotics, both our own natural ones and high quality supplements. NOTE: Not all probiotics are created equally. Again, I’ll address that in more detail in a subsequent blog.

Given the more than thirty functions performed by both our own and our supplemental probiotics (I listed 16 of the more important in my last blog), it is no wonder that when medications and/or lifestyle choices kill too many of these friendly teammates (yes, I call them ‘teammates’), bad things can start to happen. I consider a healthy balance of good and bad to be 85% and 15%, respectively. In the case of too many harmful and bad ‘teammates’, we experience a condition known as Dysbiosis. Please know that Dysbiosis may cause illness, so this is important information to digest…pardon the pun.

Following is a list of just some conditions which may be aggravated by Dysbiosis:

Allergies                                      Digestive issues                              Joint pain            

Asthma                                        Fatigue                                             Poor nutrient assimilation

Autoimmune difficulties          Food poisoning                               Sinus infections (chronic)

Candida yeast infestation        Gastritis                                            Skin problems

Constipation                               Headaches                                       Sleep disturbance

Diarrhea                                      Heartburn                                          

Now I’ll give you a list (also in alphabetical order) of warning signs and symptoms associated with Dysbiosis – more commonly known as an intestinal imbalance – caused by an imbalance of more harmful flora than the good ‘teammates’:

·         Acne, eczema, and skin problems

·         Allergies and chronic food sensitivities

·         Bad breath and gum disease

·         Chronic (otherwise unexplained) fatigue

·         Chronic yeast problems (including Candida albicans overgrowth)

·         Constipation and/or diarrhea

·         Difficulty losing weight

·         Extreme menstrual or menopausal symptoms

·         Faulty digestion (including acid reflux)

·         Foot problems including fungus, bacteria, etc. as probiotics gobble up bad bacteria

·         Frequent colds, flu and/or respiratory infections

·         Joint pain / inflammation

·         Peptic ulcers

·         Poor sleep habits (including nightmares)

As you can see, there is much information out there about the goodness of probiotics which I will delve more into in future editions. Check out my blog regularly for more information about probiotics and other nutritional data. I would be happy to advise you on the most effective probiotics available to help you toward a life of wellness. Contact me through my website, and we’ll work together on getting you on a path to a healthy life.

See www.NutritiionEducationServices.com  for more information about our services.

 

 

What Do You Know About Probiotics

“What Do You Know About Probiotics?”

With the prefix ‘pro’ – which means ‘for’ – it would be logical to assume that probiotics are good, and they are! The word ‘biotic’ means ‘life’, so probiotics are for life. Often called the ‘friendly bacteria’, scientists believe that probiotics are as important in this century as antibiotics were in the last. And I go along with the scientists’ belief. My feeling is that probiotics are the unsung hero of wellness. Following is a list of functions performed by probiotics, both our own natural ones and high quality supplements. NOTE: Not all probiotics are created equally. I’ll address that in more detail in a subsequent blog.

There are more than 30 functions our own bacteria and the very finest supplemental probiotics perform. In the interest of brevity, I’m listing here (in alphabetical order) some of the more important health issues that probiotics can help stem:

·         Acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD by helping food digest better

·         Acne, psoriasis, and eczema by helping control causes

·         Allergy and/or food sensitivity by keeping your stomach lining healthy

·         Arthritis due to the anti-inflammatory action of probiotics

·         Asthma due to the anti-inflammatory action of probiotics

·         Bone density loss by improving absorption of minerals and making vitamin K

·         Depression by helping release good bacteria which serve as a natural antidepressant

·         Diabetes by helping preclude inflammation of the pancreas

·         Diarrhea by fighting harmful organisms causing it

·         Gum disease by reducing harmful bacteria

·         Glaucoma by helping control bacteria such as H. Pylori, a known cause of this eye disease

·         Inflammatory bowel disease and colitis by reducing inflammation and ‘leaky gut’

·         Liver disease by helping detoxify the gut, thus reducing load on liver function

·         Migraine by helping suppress H. Pylori bacteria, also a cause of cluster headaches

·         Ulcers by suppressing H. Pylori bacteria

·         Urinary tract / vaginal infections by fighting harmful organisms

So, as you can see, probiotics not only perform dozens of important functions in helping prevent disease, but they are truly essential to life…to living ‘well’, i.e., without sickness. We get some of our natural probiotics at birth, and some still come from fermented foods we might consume, but processed foods and our modern life in general actually forces us to get some probiotics via supplements. I would be happy to advise you on the most effective probiotics available to help you toward a life of wellness. Contact me through my website, and we’ll work together on getting you on a path to a healthy life.

As you can see, there is much information out there about the goodness of probiotics which I will delve more into in future editions. Check out my blog regularly for more information about probiotics and other nutritional data. For more information about NES see www.NutritionEducationServices.com.

Gluten - are you sensitive or intolerant to Gluten

Many people have a sensitivity to gluten products and have various symptoms that are not resolved with medications.  If you have stomach discomfort, digestive issues, energy problems, skin irritations, sinus issues and many others, consider staying off all gluten grains for 30 days.  Wheat, Rye, Barley are the main culprits.
Oats may be processed in a plant that process gluten grains and may be contaminated. Use organic oats to insure cleanliness in processing. More and more restaurants are producing menu items that are gluten free and there are many books with gluten free recipes.

There is a difference between gluten sensitivity and gluten intolerance.  I am gluten sensitive meaning that if I occasionally have a little bit of wheat - like a cracker, or eat the filling of a pie and not the wheat crust, and stay away from spongy breads made with gluten grains, I do well.  I save this exposure for eating out.

Others need to stay completely off gluten including hidden gluten in skin care products, snack bars (modified food starch).  

This is an enormous topic so I suggest taking it a little bit at a time.  Just realize that food is medicine and what we put in our mouth influences how we feel.  We are all individuals and respond to toxic exposure differently.
My toxins include dairy, gluten, sugar.  I work diligently to keep these food items out of my diet.

For information regarding how NES can assist you in discovering your food sensitivities contact us at www.nutried.com   or call 802-874-4429

Surviving Holiday Eating Challenges

With the holidays come parties, celebrations and food. Delicious goodies that tempt the appetite and reduce our discipline and all our promises to ourselves in a flash.
Here are a few tips I have learned over the years that help me enjoy without over-indulging.

• Have some protein before going to a party. That reduces the appetite and makes it easier to make better decisions at the party. I use either a protein bar or shake with some vitamin/mineral supplements.
• Begin with the healthy snacks, chew them slowly and thoroughly and leave the most fattening to the last. Have one of each offering. 
• Drink a glass of water before having an alcoholic beverage. Many times we drink more then planned because we are thirsty.  Cutting down on alcohol save a myriad of calories.
• Get plenty of rest. This allows our body to cleans properly the effect of which makes us less hungry. 
• Keep up moderate exercise to help the body cleanse, sleep deeper and stay healthy. 
• Take vitamin/mineral supplements to make sure you get the nutrients you need during the stress of the holidays.  Doing this will help keep you healthy.
• Keep in mind the holidays are about family, friends and fellowship.  Make that the center of your focus, not food. Keeping in conversation with loved ones away from the food table always helps. 

Stay healthy and safe and may the holidays bring you joy and peace. 

Liz Harrison, NES

Click here to learn more about Nutrition Education Services. 

Preparing for and recovering from surgery with nutrition.

It is truly amazing what medical science can do these day.  November 23rd I had the minimal invasive anterior approach total hip replacement surgery. Surgery was on a Wednesday and I was home Friday. On Sunday I fully dressed myself and am using only one crutch to get around the house.  Giving the body the nutrients it needs to heal is very important. A high protein diet, a high fiber diet, with supplemental Calcium and vitamin D3, plenty of fluids are essential.

• First thing in the morning I have a Nutrilite Protein shake (25 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of carbohydrate. 170 calories.)  Chocolate fudge is my favorite. 
• With that I take Nutrilite: Double X multi-vitamin/mineral organic food concentrate, Balanced Health essential fatty acids,  vitamin D3 with K2, calcium/magnesium with D, time release vitamin C and a few others specifically for my body chemistry

I am consuming 25 grams of fiber daily.  That comes through vegetables and whole fruit. The bodyneeds a minimum of 50-60 grams of protein to have the building tools for repair.
It is vitally important to get plenty of rest and take any prescribed meds your doctor ordered. 

Having been told 40+ years ago I would be in a wheelchair by my mid thirties and now I am just having to replace the rheumatoid / osteo arthritic affected parts of my body, I am very blessed.
I can maintain a lifestyle of skiing, golf, gardening, travel and having a good time.  Eating according to my bloodtype, staying off inflammatory foods, exercising properly all influence the outcome.  At 70-80 percent compliance over the years, I cannot say enough about the results.  Quality nutrition and lifestyle really work for longevity of health.

For more information on my history go to www.NutriEd.com

Weight Control

There are many weight loss programs on the market and many work 40-60% of the time for a limited group of people. Everyone is an individual and no program works universally for everyone. Individual differences include blood type, activity level, chewing habits, sleep patterns, stress levels, inflammatory food sensitivities and much more.

At Nutrition Education Services (NES) we design a program taking all the issues of your body chemistry into account. We individualized your program. Balancing your body chemistry automatically brings your body weight into optimal health. Let us help you with your individual situation. It costs less in the long run and you will feel better faster. Our goal is to help you feel and look your best naturally.

For more information click here.