A lot of people are trying to find the “magic bullet” when it comes to being healthy. A lot of people think that it’s about exercise, and yes, if you are looking to get into sports or do more weight training, it will help, but the fact is that it’s nothing without a good diet. But what is the most important pillar of diet? Arguably, right now, there’s a lot of excitement around probiotics and prebiotics. As our gut is considered our second brain and is responsible for a huge portion of our immune system, looking after our gut is critical. You may think about adding probiotics and prebiotics to your diet, but what do you need to remember before you start doing this?
Introduce It Slowly
It can be tempting to make up for lost time and consume a lot of probiotics, but too much can cause stomach upsets. The best thing you can do is to slowly introduce probiotics or prebiotics into your diet if you haven’t had any before. The best way to do it is to look at active cultures, such as sourdough bread. This sourdough bread recipe is a great place to begin, and for those people who are gluten intolerant, you could always swap out the flour for a non-gluten version. When it comes to introducing any form of probiotic, you have to start very small, and slowly build up your tolerance.
Consider Introducing Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are also gaining popularity, but it’s been around for generations. There are many types of foods that we can ferment, for example, cabbage becomes sauerkraut, and cucumbers become pickles. But it’s important to remember that while most fermented foods have probiotics, not all do, such as beer, and you need to find something that you like first and foremost. They can have a very unique or strong taste, but you can easily flavor something like sauerkraut during the fermenting process.
Do Not Neglect Fiber
If you are looking to introduce probiotics into your life, you’ve also got to think about prebiotics. Prebiotics are the things that feed your gut bacteria that help them multiply, and a steady combination of probiotics and prebiotics will guarantee that you have a robust gut. Our bellies can be incredibly sensitive, which might be why you are better off starting with fiber. The great thing about fiber is that there’s so much out there. You can have baked potatoes with the skin on, oatmeal, and even foods like garlic and leeks that act as prebiotics. When you are feeding your gut bacteria, you should notice that you feel better in yourself, and have more energy, but you also feel fuller. Having that combination of both will make a significant difference in your health.
A lot of people are looking to get onto the probiotic and prebiotic bandwagon, and this is why you must consider some of these suggestions when you are adding these things into your life. Needless to say, this is only one part of your diet, and while there’s a lot of excitement about probiotics and prebiotics, they should never be the replacement for a balanced diet.
