Probiotics? Sure! But what about Prebiotics?

No doubt you have heard of probiotics and the benefits they can have on your body by improving your gut health. But have you heard of pre-biotics?

Prebiotics are what their name implies - food/supplements that are "before" in a sense, in that they set your gut up successfully to receive any probiotic nutrients and therefore use them to grow good bacteria.

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve good gut bacteria in the body, whereas prebiotics are foods that are high in fiber and act as food for the microflora.

Prebiotics are generally more robust and can withstand the atmosphere inside the stomach and they feed the good bacteria already living there without getting destroyed by stomach acid. They actually push bad bacteria out. Since prebiotics feed the good bacteria you reap the benefit of a balanced gut which brings about :

• better nutrient absorption

• strong immune system

• fat metabolism

• less bloating and more regularity

If you are taking supplements for your gut health - you can take pre-biotics and pro-biotics together. The prebiotic fiber helps strengthen probiotic bacteria.

Foods that supply prebiotics:	Foods that supply probiotics:
dandelion greens onions garlic whole oats apples bananas artichokes asparagus avocado sweet potato blueberries celery	Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) bone broth salmon ginger yogurt sauerkraut miso buttermilk tempeh cottage cheese kefir

So a glass of celery juice or a smoothie with celery, blueberries and apple are great and easy, delicious ways to make sure your feeding your microbiome.

A hot mug of bone broth first thing in the morning is a wonderful and very nourishing way to get your probiotics. Or how about a small bowl of Greek yogurt with a handful of blueberries and maybe even some toasted oats sprinkled on top?

Taking care of your gut health is extremely important to your total health. Gut health affects every system in your body. The good news? It's not difficult to support and improve your gut flora. It doesn't always take finding pricey supplements - it can be achieved through nutritious and delicious food!

To learn more about how to care for your gut and improve your microbiome through a nutritious diet, please contact me for a free consultation. Part of what I love about health coaching is teaching people how to incorporate natural foods into delicious recipes that can improve and maintain your health long term.