You Are What You Eat!

November 24, 2011 By 2 Comments

Literally…

Cells in our bodies die and are replace by the nutrients we get from the food we eat. In six months your body is completely made up of new cells and tissues! What you put in your mouth not only has an effect on your weight/body shape, IT DETERMINES WHAT YOUR BODY IS MADE UP OF! And, how efficiently your body will work.

So when you hear that saying – “you are what you eat” – it’s not just a figure of speech… If you eat lean kangaroo meat, you too will be lean and energetic! On the other hand, if you eat heaps of really fatty grain fed cow, you too will get fat and move slowly.

It makes sense for the protein foods, because they have brains and personalities – but what about our other food groups? How do we become colourful and healthy vegetables and fruit as opposed to energy sapping sugar and fat storing refined carbohydrates?

Well, when I put it like that it sounds perfectly logical that eating nutrient dense foods will result in being well and feeling good – whereas, filling your belly with heavily processed grains, sugars and alcohol (or as they are more well known these days, “empty calories”) will lead to feeling sluggish and your body being more inclined to store fat.

There is PLENTY of evidence showing that eating patterns based on lean protein, plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, some fruit, little starch and no sugar result in lean, athletic and energetic people! Whereas eating patterns (or gorging) comprised of high carb, low nutrient, low protein, high saturated and trans fat contents will end up with your organs being choked by fat and not being able to fit into your jeans anymore.

Yes, you can burn calories by doing more exercise but you can’t change the composition of your insides unless you change the types of foods you put in your mouth!

Take home message…

Think about the quality of the food that passes your lips. If you wouldn’t feed it to your kids or pets, why would you want it as part of your cells? Remember, you are LITERALLY what you eat so make better choices. Only you have control over your internal make up!

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Are We Devolving?

November 10, 2011 By 2 Comments

I recently attended an omega 3 symposium (yes, a full 8 hours talking only about fish oils!)… and it has brought to my attention some interesting facts! Did you take my advice and start eating more fish or taking a daily omega 3 supplement? Let’s consider a couple of other factors and also think about what might happen if we don’t make an effort to get our essential fat ratio on track.

Devolution?

Is it even a word?! In this context I am using it to explain the concept that if humans are deficient in certain essential nutrients, our brains may start to lose certain abilities and we will once again become cavemen or even monkeys! (I’m not 100% on the science but it’s an interesting theory).

So if we aren’t getting enough omega 3, OR we are getting too much omega 6 and our ratio is too high, our brain function over time is going to reduce and we will become a less intelligent species.

Why?

Our brain (and our muscles, organs and liver) needs omega 3 to function. But not only 3… we also need omega 6. The ratio of omega 3:6 is what is important (as I mentioned in my last omega 3 post), and the biggest problem is that we have TOO MUCH omega 6 in our diets.

What can I do?

So even if you are eating fish and taking your supplements, we cannot overthrow omega 6 by just increasing our omega 3 – we must also cut down our omega 6 intake!

To do this, use nuts and seeds sparingly (think of them as a condiment rather than a food group), cook with olive oil rather than seed oils, consider replacing some of your nut intake with coconut, avocado and olives (all have omega 9… a third essential fat not involved in our ratio issue).

Also, try to eat meat and poultry from pasture fed sources to ensure it has more omega 3 than 6 and even throw in some algae (especially if you’re vegetarian!), as well as omega 3 enhanced eggs.

Fish, seafood and oil supplements are our best source of omega 3 – a couple of slices of smoked salmon a day will give you your basic omega 3 requirement!

So, the bottom line is…

We must decrease our omega 6 intake AS WELL AS increase our omega 3 intake to make sure we don’t end up turning back into monkeys.

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Protein POW-der

October 27, 2011 By 2 Comments

We all know how important protein is for our bodies, especially when training at high intensity or volume, to help our body recover and repair. There are plenty of great food sources like lean meat, poultry, fish and dairy – BUT, what if we can’t always have these foods available? Is it ok to use protein supplements and powders? Which ones should we use? Will creatine powder help me get stronger?

Why we use Protein Powders

The main reason we suggest our clients use protein powder is for convenience. You don’t need to refrigerate it, you can bring it to the gym for pre or post workout snacks AND you can get the amino acids (building blocks of protein) into the body much faster because not much digestion is required.

At Ignite we recommend 180 Nutrition – Natural Protein Superfood, because it contains pure grass fed WPI (whey protein isolate), and already has the fats and fibre mixed in to help with digestion and increased amino acid absorption.

WPI Vs WPC

Whey protein is the most popular choice of supplements as it is high in branched chain amino acids (BCAA), which helps increase muscle growth.

WPI (isolate): much faster acting speed of release in the body, making it the perfect post workout protein. It is 99% lactose free and lower in fat and carbs, which makes it more expensive but more effective as it is pretty much pure protein, also making it lower calorie.

WPC (concentrate): slower release, making it good in a breakfast smoothie or an addition to Kat’s breakfast bowl! It is higher in components that help your immune system to fight bugs and bacteria. It also promotes the release of growth hormone more than the isolate.

Creatine

What is it? This protein is actually found in all animals. We can get it through our diet as creatine from red meat or we can make it in our bodies from 3 other building blocks (arginine, glycine, and methionine) that we can get from our protein foods. Creatine helps us make ATP, an energy we use for short, high intensity bursts of exercise like sprinting or a 1RM deadlift.

The creatine most gym goers are talking about is an artificial supplement found in powder form. It is not illegal, and is not dangerous in low doses (no more than 5 grams per day). The problem is… the more fake creatine you use, the less your body will make – which means if you take it for long periods of time and then stop taking it, your body won’t make it any more.

It is recommended that if you are to take creatine supplements, you use a six weeks on/eight week off cycle to get the most benefit and not confuse your body. Best taken 30 to 60 mins pre-workout, or immediately after your workout in 5 gram doses. It generally takes 30 days for the fake creatine to clear from your body, so don’t think that having a day off once or twice a week will help you.

The other downfall is if you’re not training intensely it won’t work, so if you plan on using creatine make sure you are training regularly and at high intensity (this doesn’t only mean met cons! Strength training is also high intensity).

So many options! Which should I use?

As you can see, it depends on your goals and how much money you have to waste on supplements. We always recommend real food! There’s nothing better! But in today’s world of time poor, busy little bees, the need for convenience outweighs the need for pure food.

If you only want to buy one powder, go with the WPI – you can use it for snacks and pre/post workout supplements.

If you are looking to add on a bit more muscle, try to keep both WPC and WPI on hand… WPC for meal and snack times, WPI for pre and post workout.

For those who feel they have been training hard, leaning up and looking for the next level – give the creatine a go and let me know what you think… everyone is different so it might not work for you!

Which protein do you use and why? Post to comments below

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FAT FACTS

October 13, 2011 By 3 Comments

It’s time to bust some myths and iron out the confusion… What is fat? What are the different types? And how do I know what is good and what is bad? Won’t eating fat make me fat? Well, let’s start with the basics!

Body fat Vs. Dietary fat

Fat stored in the body (body fat) is from eating too much food when the body doesn’t need it. Food is fuel, to run our body machines efficiently – too much fuel is like needing a Jerry can when you fill up your car! Think of body fat as your excess petrol that never gets used because you keep filling the cars tank (or eating too many processed carbohydrates) before you’ve used the fuel from the Jerry can (the excess carbs you ate the day before).

If you continue to follow this pattern, you’ll need another Jerry can every time you fill up! (many Jerry cans = overweight/obese)

Fuel for our body can be from one of  3 macronutrient groups (protein, carbohydrates and dietary fats). Eating the Ignite Way you need all 3 every time you eat, but they need to be the good kind.

Dietary fat (from favourable foods like avocado, nuts, seeds, olives and oils) is like using premium unleaded as your fuel! Instead of fat, this macronutrient group should have been called premium fuel.

Look for unsaturated fats – they’re high in important nutrients and faster burning calories giving you more efficient energy that won’t be stored as body fat IF you follow a low/no processed carbohydrate eating plan.

THIS IS THE KEY!!!

Eating processed carbs (bread, rice, pasta, cereals, flour, sugar) is like using pure ethanol as fuel. It’s the least favourable fuel source for the body, leaving you feeling slow and sluggish thinking you need to eat more, even before you’ve used up the current intake.

Ethanol = no energy = increase fuel intake before previous energy used = need more Jerry cans (body fat storage)

If you mix the two fuels together, alcohol and premium (bad carbs and good fats) you get watered down E10 petrol… This means that if you eat heaps of bread with heaps of avocado you won’t use the avocado as your fuel source and the extra energy from both the bread and the avocado will become belly jelly…

If you instead ate 1/4 of an avocado with a plate full of green leafy veg and a plam sized piece of salmon, the avocado will fuel your body while the fish would repair your cells/muscles and the veggies will give your body a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.

The premium fuel (good fats), if eaten without ethanol (bad carbs) will be your preferred energy source and your body will become really good at using all the fat up without storing extra as body fat.

Moral of the story is - FAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT unless you eat sugar…

Follow the Ignite Way of Eating to get the most out of your fuel.

On a side note – avoid trans fats like the plague (found in deep fried foods and pastries, most processed carbohydrates and margarine as well as any food that says it’s been partially hydrogenated).

Saturated fat in moderation is not the devil, as long as your bad carb intake is non-existent/minimal.

What type of fats do you like? Post comments below…

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Calcium… The bone Saviour? There’s more!

September 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

Everyone has always been told that Calcium is the most important mineral when it comes to bone health. It is an integral part of keeping your bones healthy but it’s not the be all and end all. There are a few other vital components that must not be ignored.

Why do I need it?

Calcium is a mineral, with a small amount being required by the body for essential processes, and the rest being stored in the bones and teeth.

Where can I find it?

Calcium can be found in dairy (but not well absorbed due to the acidic nature – we’ll talk about this again in a moment), and better absorbed from leafy greens, nuts, broccoli, sweet potatoes and calcium-rich fish like wild salmon and sardines.

And again, the pattern follows that if you are eating real food – lean meat/fish, garden vegetables, nuts and seeds, little starch and no sugar – you will be getting plentiful Calcium (and the other nutrients – magnesium and vitamin D3 – vital to bone health!)

How much should I have?

There are basic guidelines of 1000 mg a day for both men and women, but this is a little high if you’re eating a diet lower in dairy (as the acid stops absorption) and containing less grains (as the phytates bind with Calcium and prevent absorption).

So if following a more primal or natural way of eating, you should be getting plenty from your nut, veg and fish sources!

What happens if I don’t get enough?

Deficiency leads to osteoporosis and rickets over a long time period. But low levels of Calcium from food actually doesn’t show too much problem because the body is very good at regulating Calcium levels. Only if you are at risk do you need to think about ensuring enough Calcium in your diet (women over 50, diets too high in dairy and grains).

What happens if I have too much?

Too much Calcium can actually stop the absorption of Magnesium (and possibly also Zinc and Iron) which is also essential for keeping bones healthy, and may also cause constipation. Excessive intake of Calcium from supplements has been found to increase the risk of kidney stones… so natural may be a better option.

Supplementation

If you’re worried about osteoporosis, you can try supplementation but make sure you also take magnesium and vitamin D3 as the combination works together to ensure proper function. A multivitamin containing all 3 of these plus other micronutrients isn’t a bad idea in addition to Eating the Ignite Way!

Remember, taking calcium supplements with a high dairy diet will result in less absorption so focus on the other sources.

So, all you need to remember is…

Make sure you’re getting a balance of all the foods we recommend, with a small amount of sunlight per day, and you’ll be eating enough Calcium as well as getting the Magnesium and Vitamin D3 necessary to keep all 3 working in harmony for your bones!

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Is fructose bad?

September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is a lot of confusion about fructose and whether fruit is bad for us… what is the truth? I’m going to set a few things straight.

What is Fructose?

Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and some vegetables, and can be used as a source of energy. It doesn’t have an effect on your blood sugar levels, and therefore doesn’t spike your insulin. This is because it is processed by the liver.

Is it bad for me?

Too much of anything is bad, but if you’re eating only a couple of pieces of fruit a day your liver will easily be able to process it and you will use it as energy. If you have too much fructose at one time (as in a fruit binge or any man-made products that  have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in them), it will over load your liver and any excess will be sent into your blood as little fat molecules, called triglycerides.

Why is this bad?

Well…there are many reasons, a couple include:

1. Appetite control signals not working properly leaving you hungry and unsatisfied, craving for more food and so the vicious cycle begins.

2. High levels of triglycerides in your blood increase your risk of heart disease and other metabolic disorders like insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

High fructose corn syrup can be put into the same category as table sugar when it comes to whether these two are bad for us… the answer is yes. Fructose will be processed by the liver no matter where it comes from but the problem is that foods with high fructose corn syrup or concentrated fruit juice as sweeteners have TOO MUCH fructose that the body cannot handle it. This overload is what throws out hormonal messages, making your brain think you’re still hungry and leading to too much fat in the blood.

Some evidence shows that HFCS (or whatever new names industry has come up with to disguise it as) actually causes you to eat more because it blocks the full signal telling you when to stop eating, and this is believed to be what the food companies want so that you buy more of their foods.

Full signal broken = still hungry = keep eating more of the same = still not full = eat again ====> overweight and obese

So it’s not fruit that is the problem… it’s genetically modified variations and the quantities we eat!.

What foods have too much fructose?

Anything processed or man-made… fructose and fruit concentrate sweeteners are sneaking into everything from soft drinks, bread to chocolates and lollies and even flavoured yoghurts! Anything with a food label generally has some kind of sugar or sweetener, either avoid all packaged food or have a read before you buy so you can limit the amount of sugar you eat. Switch to lean protein, plain dairy, veggies, a couple of pieces of fruit and plentiful good fats and you will keep your liver and hormones happy!

Take Home Message

Stick to unprocessed, natural foods that don’t have packaging or nutrition labels and you know you won’t be eating vast amounts of sneaky high fuctose corn syrup. Eat fruit in moderation, using the wonderful wide variety of seasonable vegetables we have available to us as you favourable carbs. This way your liver won’t be overloaded and your hormone levels will remain in balance.

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Hungry?

September 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When people change to a new way of eating – for example “The Ignite Way of Eating” – they may find it takes a while to get into a new routine. We also find that old myths and misconceptions seem to stick in people’s minds leading them to starve themselves, skip meals or avoid fats thinking they are helping with their weight loss cause, but they are not!

Why am I hungry?

Are you eating regularly?

It’s important to make sure that you spread your meals and snacks throughout the day so your body and mind are constantly being fueled. If you eat when you wake, say at 6am, and then don’t eat again until lunch but find that you are starving hungry by this time it’s likely that it’s because you are leaving too long between eating.

Are you eating the right amount?

Portion sizes are different for everyone depending on size, activity, gender and plenty of other factors. If you are hungry soon after eating (within 30 minutes), it’s very possible that the quantity of food is not enough!

Are you eating the right foods?

So many people start making changes for the better, such as removing the processed foods, carbs and sugar and replacing them with lean protein and plenty of fruit and veg, but they leave something out. An error I see frequently is people forgeting their fats… and then wondering why they have no energy, don’t feel satisfied after eating or get hungry soon after finishing a meal. FAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT – this is really important to remember. We need to get all 3 pieces of the puzzle (protein, carbohydrates and fats) every time we eat to ensure we function at our best!

What can I do?

There are a few things you can try to help feel more satisfied, it really does depend on what your goals are though. If you are on the 4 week intensive you will have been given guidelines to follow and should stick to these as closely as you can to achieve your desired goals. For the general population, following “The Ignite Way of Eating” for general well being and more effective training the following will apply to you. As mentioned above, it may be down to one of 3 things:

  1. Eat every 3-4 hours, but listen to your body. Have the meals and snacks prepared and ready to eat but if you’re not hungry 3 hours after breakfast, wait a little longer for your snack. Follow this rule throughout the day, but be sure you’re not starving yourself… listen to the hunger signals. We generally recommend following a 5 to 6 meal/snack day but this will vary for each individual depending on your schedule.

  2. For portion size, the basic rule is a palm sized amount of lean protein, fill the plate with veggies and add a splash of fats. If you are new to this, follow the basic rule for 3-4 weeks. If you’re hungry between meals and snacks it’s possible portion sizes are too small. Try upping your fats, especially if training regularly, as this is where you get your energy from when eating this way.

  3. Make sure you’re eating fats… this is the most common downfall when people say they are hungry if following a paleo/primal way of eating – but remember they are very high in energy value so we don’t need to go overboard with how much fat we eat. If fats are sorted maybe look at your protein and carb portions to check these are not the problem.

If in doubt, ask one of us! We’re more than happy to get you on track or point you in the right direction.

Other Things To Keep In Mind:

If you are trying to lose weight you don’t want to go crazy eating too much of any one thing. As in, eating a kilo of nuts a day is not going to help you get to your goal weight – so make sure you keep eating your lean protein, fruit or veggies and good fats at every meal and snack throughout the day in the correct portion sizes. This will keep your hormones balanced, fuel you and stop you craving those naughty foods!

If you’re maintaining your weight, not worried about gain or loss and training regularly – then go for it. Eat as much lean protein, veggies and good fats as you need to feel satisfied. Then when you get hungry, do the same again. If – like Kat and PJ have both mentioned in recent blogs – you would like to eat every 3 to 4 hours, this is great… as planning to have food with you to eat throughout the day can stop you being tempted by unhealthy options. Planning is the key.

Remember…

If you’re hungry… EAT! It’s your body’s way of telling you it needs fuel.

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Aqua… What’s The Story?

August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are you drinking enough water? Are you feeling hungry or is it actually dehydration? We see plenty of people drinking away in the gym when they’re sweating but do they drink enough water throughout the day?

Why Drink?

Water is essential! It makes up 60% of your body and every single system in your body needs it! For example, water flushes out toxins as well as carrying nutrients to cells around your body. It’s also refreshing and keeps the body hydrated.

How Much?

Everyone is different, during my “water research” I noticed that even though it is recommended to have 8 glasses a day (some even say 13 for men and 9 for women), it does vary depending on your age, gender, daily activities or job, training and the weather!

Men are to drink more than women and older people tend not to need as much as young adults and kids. The problem is that as you get older your body doesn’t sense the thirst signal as well as it should and so dehydration can really sneak up on you – just keep sipping.

If you have an active job, work outside in the heat or train hard everyday your water needs will be higher than someone who works inside, sitting at a desk for most of the day.

Don’t rely on the thirst signal to tell you to drink. If you’re feeling thirsty it means that dehydration is already kicking in and it is already having an affect on the brain and body tissues and cells.

Other Things To Keep In Mind:

Temperature: Cold water is said to be better for burning calories because it increases your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories, even when you’re not exercising)

Timing: Another topic people question is when to drink. The general advice is to drink small sips throughout the day to ensure you stay hydrated and can replace lost fluids.

Some people talk about drinking before and after a meal only and not during, others say you shouldn’t drink within 30 minutes either side of eating. In my opinion, and the majority of research I found, as long as you’re not chugging down a litre before, during or after a meal it’s not he end of the world to be washing down your food with a little water. If you have digestion problems, maybe first think about the food your are eating before blaming water, and then if you are removing allergenic foods from the diet and still have problems, think about limiting water intake around meal times.

Tap or filtered? This might depend on how clean living you are. If you’re someone who follows the “Ignite Way of Eating”, looks after your body and try to keep it functioning at its best then try to drink filtered water as much as you can.

If on the other hand, you are someone who eats a lot of sugar and drinks a lot of alcohol, then attempting to fix your body by drinking purer water is not going to work and probably quite pointless. Your priorities definitely lie in the wrong place!

In general, tap water isn’t going to be harmful (speaking for Australia and developed countries only here), but getting filtered water when it’s available is definitely going to lower your risk of getting sick from germs coming out of the same tap that someone washes their hands under and contains less of the chemicals needed to clean up tap water.

Caffeine: If drinking coffee, tea or soft drinks with caffeine in it is important to make sure you are replacing fluids lost by going to the toilet (caused by the diuretic nature of caffeine), so it is recommended that for every caffeinated drink you have that you should drink another cup of water.

Remember…

Keep drinking cold, filtered water where possible throughout the day. If drinking caffeine, try to drink a glass of water for every cup and aim to get through at least 1 to 2 litres a day, but sip it – don’t down it!

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Sore Muscles? Up your Magnesium…

August 4, 2011 By 3 Comments

Ever wondered why the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) just doesn’t seem to ease? Are you getting migraines that won’t go away with aspirin or other pain killers? Maybe you’re not getting enough Magnesium! Real food and possible supplementation may help you reduce muscle soreness and ease headaches…

What is Magnesium (Mg)?

Magnesium is a “macromineral”, which means it is needed in high quantities everyday and because we can’t make it we must make sure we eat plenty of Mg containing foods everyday. It’s needed for healthy bone formation and to keep our muscles happy as well as maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Why do I need it?

As with all macro and micronutrients, they have hundreds of functions in the body that without them we wouldn’t be alive – but just to keep it basic, Magnesium…

  • Has been found to help reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery;
  • Relaxes your nerves and muscles;
  • Builds and strengthen bones, working with Calcium and other essential minerals;
  • Keeps your blood circulating smoothly;
  • Relieves headaches and migraine pain;
  • Plays a role in prevention of osteoporosis.

Where can I find it?

Great sources of Magnesium include pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, spinach, eggplant and Swiss chard (the less time you cook them for the higher the Mg content), certain fish including salmon, halibut and sardines, and bananas. It is also found in many nuts, seaweed and other fish, seafood and meat in smaller amounts.

Again, the pattern follows that if you are eating real food – lean meat/fish, garden vegetables, nuts and seeds, little starch and no sugar – you will be getting plentiful Magnesium!

How much should I have?

There are basic guidelines of 320-360 mg/d for women and 400-420 mg/d for men. To give you an idea of how much this is… we can get 50 mg from half a medium avocado, 160 mg from a cup of cooked spinach and 90 mg in 85 grams of halibut or salmon.

So as you can see, we need to make sure we are eating lots of foods that contain Magnesium because it takes a while to get to the recommended intake!

What happens if I don’t get enough?

If you are deficient in Mg, you may experience symptoms of decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps may occur.

Deficiency is normally caused by people not eating enough Magnesium containing foods, that is a diet high in processed, man-made foods because minerals are destroyed during processing. People with digestive problems and gut inflammation will have lower body Mg because they aren’t able to absorb as much.

What happens if I have too much?

Toxicity of Magnesium from food sources is not a health risk but too much Mg from artificial sources like supplements can be a problem and may lead to diarrhoea and stomach cramping. To make sure you stay within the limits, don’t have more than 350 mg per day from a supplement (Magnesium from food is not counted in this limit).

Supplementation

This is probably necessary for some of the population, especially women at risk of osteoporosis. If you are eating “The Ignite Way”, you will be getting a fairly decent amount of Mg – but if in doubt get onto the multivitamins or a “chelated” Magnesium supplement (for example, Magnesium Oxide) because these are better absorbed than “non-chelated”.

So, all you need to remember is…

Eat plenty of fresh veg, fish, nuts and seeds – Eat the Ignite Way! – and you will be covering your daily Magnesium requirements. If suffering from regular DOMS and/or headaches, give supplements a go for a while and see how you feel…

Let me know how you go or if you have tried Magnesium supplements before, tell us your experiences with them below!

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Probiotics

July 21, 2011 By 2 Comments

Another funky word that gets thrown around by the media and health experts. But what are they, is there any benefits and should we be taking them? If so, when and how much?

What Are They?

Probiotics are living bugs, or healthy bacteria, that can give you intestinal health benefits. For example, lactic acid producing bacteria found in yoghurt are also naturally found in a healthy gut as lactobacilli and even though they are not in the majority, their presence helps fight against the bad bacteria to stop them getting out of control.

Where Can I Find Them?

These healthy bugs exist naturally in your gut, but in small amounts. They are found in all fermented foods, such as yoghurt, and other fermented dairy products, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and in the form of supplements.

When yoghurt and cheese are fermented, the lactose content (therefore the carbohydrate content) is reduced by half! So those with lactose intolerance generally don’t react to yoghurt or fermented cheeses.

Yakult is a product marketed as giving probiotic health benefits but looking at the ingredients, I’m not convinced this is true… considering it contains sugar and dextrose. Stick to more natural options like yoghurt and sauerkraut!

How Can They Help Me?

Making sure you have enough good bacteria in your body has a number of benefits and plays a BIG role in immune system function as well as the prevention of eczema and asthma in kids. Other health benefits include decreased risk of colon cancer, relief from lactose intolerance and diarrhoea, and even a reduction in the symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

A healthier gut also means that you absorb more nutrients, vitamins and minerals, which is always a bonus! Probiotics also work to keep your intestines running smoothly and makes elimination of bodily waste easier and more regular.

Should I Take Them?

This is up to you! As with all supplements, everyone responds differently. If you feel that your immune system is pretty bad or your toilet habits aren’t regular or comfortable, maybe test out supplements for a few weeks or add some yoghurt to your daily food plan and see if you get any improvement!

Different probiotics have different health benefits so make sure that if you have a specific condition, you do some research or speak to an expert before you start taking supplements.

Take Home Message…

It’s tough to ensure that you are getting enough good bacteria into your body to keep your immune system happy. If you are someone who often gets sick or suffers from diarrhoea/IBS, maybe give some probiotic supplements a go for a few weeks and see if it helps. No harm in trying!

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