The Probiotic Lifestyle
Living a probiotic lifestyle. What does this mean? It has been something that has been pressing in more and more on those who are in a health focused lifestyle, and to some extent I have felt like it has been slightly overkill, but I also think think it has its place, so lets delve into understanding this a bit first.
Probiotic = good bacteria. The benefits of well colonized healthy bacteria in the gut, have been shown to include healthy immune function, better digestion, and increased cellular function in all gut and gut related cells (neurology is impacted as well through this process). The waste of probiotics will directly kill bad bacteria, and they protect the intestine from absorbing molecules that should not be absorbed. This symbiotic relationship has been described as one of the most dependent relationships between two organisms (us and them) on the entire planet.
In addition, most literature will reference a healthy average of approximately six pounds of good bacteria in the average sized male. SIX POUNDS! I wonder if the average American diet could even support one pound of good bacteria, and I highly doubt it. I would guess that the average American is at less than a pound of good bacteria, and nearly the same amount of bad bacteria. This is a case of dysbiosis, and Nobel Prizes have been won over the understanding of this condition.
I have been delving deeper and deeper into understanding what it means to live a probiotic lifestyle over a number of years. I started with regularly consuming probiotics, and moved purposefully away from probiotics that needed refrigeration, for those that could live at room temperature (a sign that they have been conditioned to handle greater stresses). Within a couple years, I moved away from supplementing regularly with probiotics, to eating probiotic rich foods (the RIGHT yogurt) and eating pre-biotic foods (caution is needed here to insure that in search of pre-biotics which are foods that aid probiotic development, that you don’t consume too much sugar and become unhealthy). My primary source of pre-biotics are ripe, raw vegetables.
Now, as I continue my consumption of pre-biotics, I have considered where and how will I insure that the probiotic colonies are strong, and still supported by prebiotics, which has brought me to a greater commitment to the probiotic lifestyle. And that has brought me closer to Beyond Organic. I have bought Kefir at very irregular intervals, but I have been concerned about sugar and processing of the milk product. Now, I am a strong supporter of the kefir product (Amasai) that Beyond Organic is producing, primarily because of the source of that milk being a grass fed cow (see my a1 beta caseine article).
In addition, I like cultured beverages too. Recently I had a patient tell me about someone selling cultured vegetables as well, which I immediately wondered “overkill”? But, I am interested in pursuing that. I’ll keep you posted on what I find. But for those of you still wondering about the efficacy or need for probiotics, I thought I would give some testimonials.
Remember, over the years we have maintained between 600-800 visits per week, meaning we have MANY people who come in every week with a new complaint. One major one over the years has been the “sore throat”, which inevitably gets tested positive for strep. Many have quickly jumped down the traditional path, and took the antibiotic. However, many have followed my advice to try a natural method first, and in all but about six of those cases, the strep was killed off. My advice is always to take increased amounts of probiotics, making sure they have a chance to coat the throat on the way down.
Reflux is a common condition in our culture, and yes it is commonly fixed by increased probiotic consumption. Improving digestive process, improving cell signaling, and resulting in less symptoms. My daughter Ansley was diagnosed with reflux by an MD at a month or so old. I began adjusting her multiple times a day and giving multiple probiotic doses each day. Her problem was completely resolved in a couple of days. Later in life she started spitting up her food (more like burping food into her mouth), this happened when she was older than the average “spitting up” child. Probiotics and she was back to normal (after a few months of looking for other ways to impact her).
So I am committed! Now, I would like every one of you to pencil in Tuesday night, January 17th. We are hosting a joint effort with Exodus Healthcare, and will be hosting a Beyond Organic Makeover night. This makeover will give you a chance to try MANY of these new cultured products, plus you will get an awesome education! Dr. David Jockers, Dr. Levi and myself will lead you in figuring out what this REALLY means to you. Put your name on the list today, and be sure not to miss this night. It will impact yours and your children’s health more than you can imagine!
In the meantime, check out the Beyond Organic Store site, and order some Amasai (my family plan is to split one bottle a day of the Amasai between my girls and my wife, and one for myself). In addition, the cultured whey Suero Viv should be used instead of gatorade or powerade as well as Coconut water (and it also is loaded with probiotics)!
Looking forward to teaching more and helping reduce more inflammatory conditions, reducing illnesses, and taking the next step with many with your sinus health! Be well, Be blessed! Happy New Year!!!
Dr. Eric