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WHY Probiotics? ~ How to get a balanced microbiome.

Updated: Dec 30, 2023



It's not a matter of if we need bacteria- we do.


Bacteria is needed for the absorption of our vitamins / minerals, energy levels, hormones and immune system.



HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY MICROBIOME


To gather exposure to a natural bacteria balance, ensure your environment is as natural as possible. Use natural cleaning products and try burning sage in the air.


  • Bacteria can be found in artisanal products that are handmade and not mass produced. Why? Mass produced products are commonly refined and fortified, they are pasteurized, radiated and processed to prevent bacterial growth and therefore maintain the longest shelf life for stores.


  • Eat food fresh from the source: like garden, farm, farmer's market, sprouted at home and homemade. The longer food travels from being picked/harvested, the more nutritional value is lost. Food in supermarkets can be sprayed with chemicals to preserve on the shelf/prevent molding.


  • Walk barefoot outside: take a long romantic walk on the beach.. or putter through the garden without your shoes. Grounding yourself with the earth and breathing fresh air is superior to taking the best supplements.


  • Cuddle with an outdoor pet, play outside, get dirty. Increasing exposure to natural organisms is beneficial to our own microbiome.


  • Drink and eat naturally fermented foods. Try making homemade fermentables. Garnishing meals with living, enzymatic foods is a simple way to boost digestion, expand flavour profiles and increase the body's ability to assimilate nutrients.


  • Consume a probiotic supplement from your local health food store. Look for products that contain a wide spectrum of bacteria.


Healthy tips I use around my home:


  • Swap out pasteurized products of the artisanal unpasteurized brand or make them at home. Foods like pickles, sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard, pasta sauce, honey, soy sauce, beer, wine, can be made and preserved naturally.


  • Garnish meals with living foods. Here are some examples: garnish a meal with a side of spicy yogurt, drizzle with a dressing made with apple cider vinegar, eat whole milk yogurt with unpasteurized honey, top a meal with fresh sprouts, add homemade pickles to your hamburger. As we slowly incorporate living foods on a daily basis we will notice an overall improvement with our health and digestion.


Top PRObiotic foods- these foods contain bacteria and enzymes:

  • Yogurt / kefir

  • Fresh sprouts

  • Pickled veggies

  • Kombucha

  • Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

  • Unpasteurized honey

  • Unpasteurized tamari

  • Fermented miso paste

Top PREbiotic foods- these foods contain nutrients and fibre needed for bacteria to survive in our digestive system:

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables, both raw and cooked. Fruits & veggies contain colourful nutrients, and fibres bound with water to support digestion all the way through our system. As we cook fruits and veggies the fibres soften and break down- so keep this in mind, incorporating both raw and cooked foods for balance.

  • Nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters & pastes.

  • Ground fresh seeds like ground flax seed, try adding this to yogurt with fresh honey and some nuts. Chia seeds are another type of seed, like flax seed, that absorb and coagulate water.

  • Sprouted and fermented legumes and grains, such as fresh sprouts, fresh unbleached flours, sourdough, consumed with quality protein sources like pastured raised meats bring this list into a well-rounded diet.


Samantha


I still don't get it, where can I get probiotic foods? Try some of these recipes..

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