Been a lot of buzz about the good bacteria topic lately. There’s evidence that upping our intake of good bugs can help with a host of health issues, like chronic bloating, stomach pain, mood swings, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, and antibiotic induced diarrhea. They’re also helpful for allergies, urinary tract infections, yeast infections and oral health. Research is still evolving but all signs point to > good bacteria promotes healthy digestive balance.
Wanted to offer our take from the easy-to-add in to your diet POV (Disclaimer - always best to check with your doc when things go haywire on the digestion front.) Meanwhile here are six ways to easily add good bacteria to your food regimen.
1. Go for the funk: Fermented foods are teeming with good bacteria. Some provide important nutrients like Vitamin K2 which help to prevent arterial plaque buildup and heart disease. They have amazing detoxifying powers too.
Try kombucha, an easy grab-n-go fermented, lightly effervescent tea, you can find at your local health food store or coffee shop. Made from a lightly sweetened black or green tea using a "symbiotic 'colony' of bacteria and yeast. Add sauerkraut to your weekly grocery/farmers market shopping list (usually a pro pickler/fermenter at the market). Try kimchi, there are about a 100 different varieties, try them all. For snack time, reach for low or no-sugar yogurt with muesli (we recommend the Greek variety)
2. Kefir: A tart creamy yogurt drink. There's some talk about pasteurized vs unpasteurized (raw kefir). Like many healthy food options, you can often experience more benefits when you make it yourself in a controlled environment but if you're going store-bought, reach for the low or no sugar Kefir. Some brands pack in the sugar to hide the tart taste which gives you the opposite result, since sugar enduces yeast overgrowth. Ask around next weekend at the farmers market, maybe some unpasteurized raw Kefir for sale. Kefir delivers on the good bacteria, but also holds promise for its antifungal, antiviral, and anti carcinogenic properties. Try transforming kefir into a veggie dip, buckwheat pancakes, or a cantaloupe smoothie. Kefir can also be bought or made with goat or sheep milk.
3. Legumes: Superstar beans, lentils, and peas feed the bacteria that keep you in balance. But that’s just for openers. They can also lower cholesterol and deliver the fiber that keeps you regular. To combat the summertime heat, try a delish fava bean salad or bulgur and lentil salad.
4. Sourdough: For those that can tolerate gluten. San Francisco sourdough starter is filled with good-for-you bacteria. It can also temper blood sugar spikes and help out mineral absorption. Order a sandwich on sourdough – with a bacterial soft cheese – to deliver a one-two punch. If you’re feeling adventuresome, create a starter and bake your own!
5. Banana-rama: Microbes are the workhorses of the bacterial community. They convert carbs to organic acids and modulate your immune system. Bananas act as prebiotics, helping microbes pull in the same direction and send bad bacteria – like salmonella and E. coli – packing. Reach for firm bananas with a little green on them (a bit bitter still).In the case of gut bacteria improvement, best to avoid fruit in their over-ripe, high-glycemic state.
6. Bulk up with soluble fiber: Diversity is key to the gut bacteria. Soluble fiber – whether in the form of brussels sprouts, nuts and seeds, or flax seeds – helps mix up the bugs. Plus, soluble fiber ferments more completely and becomes gel-like, which makes it a breeze for your colonic bacteria to do its job.
Bonus: On any given week, you can check the Power Supply menu for meals that include some good bacteria options.
Once you’ve cultivated a healthy colony of gut bacteria, move on to cultivating intentions and behaviors that will help it to flourish. Here are three key takeaways:
Go easy on the antibiotics. Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria with the bad. If you’ve ever been on heavy-duty bug killers, you’ve probably experienced less than comfortable side effects, now you know why. To keep your microbes on their toes, use antibiotics sparingly, and then get a double serving of kimchi or sauerkraut when you’re on the mend.
Clean mindfully. Just as antibiotics kill the good with the bad, so do many household cleansers. Swap out chemical products for baking soda (grease cutter), lemon juice (battles mold and mildew), lemon juice (soap scum scrubber), and castile soap (all-around cleaning). Speaking of cleaning, why not let it go for another week? Having a too-clean environment inhibits the growth of good gut bacteria.
Keep moving. We know in our bones that exercise packs powerful rewards, but now we can know it in our guts, too. If mice are any indication, when you work out, your digestive system’s bacteria become more abundant and diverse.
Adding a handful of ingredients into your meals, along with a dose of mindfulness in how you live, can make a world of difference to the microbes that make a home in your gut. And a happy colony will keep you fine-tuned as you buzz through your day.
Wanna share any easy-to-add tips for Good Bacteria that you've discovered? Send them on over via social @mypowersupply media or email at erin@mypowersupply.com.