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With the holiday season upon us it's customary to indulge in much richer & sweeter fare than is on the usual menu. All of the excesses can offset our digestive health leading to other health issues.  In Chinese medicine we look at digestive function of the Spleen & Stomach as a general indicator of our health.  

When our gut health is compromised we may likely have a weakened immune system, emotional distress and even hormonal imbalances.  

Introducing probiotics to your diet

One great way we can help keep digestion function in check is to make a good quality probiotic a part of our daily regime.  I’ve been practicing the art of making my own kombucha which is one way to bring in food sourced probiotics.  

There are many fermented foods that can be a great source of probiotics such as yogurt and kefir (but aren’t going to be great options to those who are avoiding dairy either because of intolerance or fertility reasons.  Some non-dairy probiotic sources are Tempeh (sprouted/fermented soy bean curd) sauerkraut, kimchi and miso.  Ideally we would have a small portion of fermented probiotic rich food with all of our meals for optimal health.  But in our hectic world this just isn’t possible for most people.  I’ve heard many say that they don’t want to bring kimchi or sauerkraut to work because it stinks up the fridge and work space etc.

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Probiotic Pills

So finding a reliable probiotic pill seems to be the most consistent way to bring in probiotics to our gut biome.  I avoid purchasing probiotics from the store because we really don’t know how long they have been sitting on the shelf.  Some require refrigeration and can’t tolerate heat that they might be subjected to during travel. We carry pharmaceutical grade, gluten & dairy free, 4 strain probiotics with 30 billion CFU per capsule.  These “gastro-resistant capsules” are designed to slow exposure to stomach acids allowing for a more targeted release in the small intestines.  You will find that each capsule is sealed in a blister pack that protects from environmental exposures such as heat and oxygen.  Our probiotic doesn’t need to be refrigerated, which is fantastic if traveling over the holidays!

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