Our tiniest friends. Why probiotics are so beneficial.

You are probably aware that probiotics are good for you. You will have heard the terms “friendly” and “beneficial bacteria” and that they are good for your digestive tract, but do you really know why these tiny organisms are so beneficial?


It's an interesting concept that we have billions of bacteria residing in our digestive tract that are in synergy with our own bodies and working hard to keep us healthy and in tip-top condition. In fact, bacteria have been with us throughout our evolution and have evolved with us. The mitochondria inside our cells, the organelle responsible for our energy production, was once a bacteria that became engulfed by a primitive amoeba, and eventually became part of the animal cell itself. We have been living and evolving with bacteria from day dot.


Probiotic power
Probiotics are not only crucial for keeping the “bad guys” at bay, such as Candida albicans and other potentially pathogenic organisms, they are important in the fight against allergies, eczema and immune related disorders among many other health concerns. Let's have a closer look at what they actually do for us.


Gut feelings
Probiotics keep the digestive tract healthy. They help break down our food, aid nutrient absorption and provide butyric acid, which acts as fuel for the cells of the digestive lining. Lack of friendly bacteria in the intestines contributes to constipation, bloating and flatulence and other digestive disturbances, such as gut permeability. The probiotics themselves produce B vitamins and vitamin K that your body uses. Their presence in the intestines creates an environment that is not conducive to the survival of other not-so-beneficial organisms. It is very common after antibiotic therapy for the yeast, Candida albicans, to proliferate and cause all manner of problems, such as fungal skin infections and thrush.

Immune boost
Probiotics have an ability to boost immune function due to their presence in an area of the small intestines called the Peyer's Patch. This area can be considered the “school of the white blood cells”, where white blood cells start to differentiate. There are a large population of probiotics present in this area and it has been suggested that they play a role in helping these important immune cells to recognise the difference between good and bad organisms.


The friendly bacteria also boost immune function by preventing “leaky gut syndrome”. If undigested food or toxins from the stool leak through the intestinal wall, their presence in the bloodstream sets up an immune response leading to allergies, food intolerances and other immune related issues.


Hormonal harmony
Probiotics in the intestines help to neutralize spent hormones after they have done their jobs in the body, making them ready to be effectively excreted via the bowel. Low friendly bacteria status not only contributes to constipation but also raises the chance of toxic versions of hormones being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. When this happens with oestrogen for example, oestrogen dominant conditions may arise, such as fibroids, endometriosis, and other female hormonal disorders. Many cancers are hormonally related, such as prostate and breast cancer, whereby the metabolism of these hormones has become imbalanced. 


Enemies of our friendly bacteria
The following deplete our intestinal friends:

• Antibiotics
• Many pharmaceutical medicines
• Excess alcohol
• Refined sugar
• Stress
• Flying
• Poor diet 
• Excess caffeine
• Artificial sweeteners
• Trans fats and processed foods

Supplementation to the rescue
It's often necessary to supplement with a quality probiotic to top-up the body's levels. Probiotic literally means pro-life, whereas antibiotic means anti-life. Antibiotics, even though sometimes necessary for killing off harmful bacterial infections, kill of our beneficial bacteria too. It is crucial that a quality, high dose supplement is taken following a course of antibiotics.
The most common types of bacteria used in supplements are Lactobacillus Acidophilus , Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Bifidobacterium Longum. Babies and small children may need Bifido Infantis additionally when supplementing.


Not all supplements are the same
You will find numerous brands of supplements on the market, however not all of them are effective. Buy only from recommended companies who can provide proof of their formulas' efficacy, or get a recommendation from a naturopath or nutritionist. Generally, probiotics should be encased in a capsule that is designed to break down in the intestines, they should be kept cool and dry and the specific strains and number of organisms per capsule should be stated on the label. 


The ecosystem within
Don't rely on yogurt drinks like “Yakult” to provide a decent dose of probiotics. They are loaded with sugar and suspended in non-organic, low quality dairy, which will also be loaded with antibiotics! Organic, live, natural yogurt and other fermented foods will provide you with a maintenance dose of friendly bacteria if you haven't had antibiotics. Try kefir, kombucha or rejuvelac as a regular part of your diet. They are fermented drinks with a high probiotic content.

The bacterial balancing act 
Probiotics love fibre, so eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, oats, whole grains and natural foods, whilst the unfriendly bacteria thrive on sugar and processed foods, which are to be avoided.
Keeping your internal ecosystem in balance will support many areas of your health, not just the digestive system, yet if your digestion is disturbed it is likely that you need probiotic support. Start looking at ways you can support your body and listen to its messages, and like all things in life, strive to maintain the balance.


Article by Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, nutritionist.
www.awakeninghealth.co.uk

The sparkle beyond deprivation – how fasting makes you shine from the inside out

It's a fact, fasting improves our health, cleans our bodies and brings us more vitality. A detoxifying fast will make your eyes shine and your skin glow, yet it's not just an outside glow that results, but an unexplainable “glow from the inside” that fasters often report during their cleanse, and afterwards.


Often when people think about fasting, they immediately focus on the deprivational aspect of not eating the foods that they enjoy. It is a common belief that going without food is a bad thing, yet this couldn't be further from the truth. Many people use fasting and detoxing as a way of cleaning the bodily systems, losing weight or addressing a specific health concern, yet the process of detoxification cleanses us on energetic, emotional and spiritual levels too.


Nature knows best
Whilst fasting the body goes through a natural detox process, whereby the body's energy is diverted to cleaning and elimination processes, as it is no longer required for the complex task of digestion. As toxins are released from the cells, they circulate around the bloodstream to be taken to the liver for processing and excretion via the body's elimination channels – bowel, kidneys and skin. It is common during the cleansing process for mild “cleansing reactions” to be experienced such as headache, tiredness and irritability. Generally, however, if a supervised detox program is followed, these symptoms are usually mild and do not last long.

Shiny, happy people

As the body begins to detox, the skin starts to glow and the eyes become shiny, yet a glow begins to also appear on the inside that is often overlooked. A sense of peace and calmness begins to be felt, usually around day 5 of fasting. As the body begins to clean itself on a deeper level, the mind begins to slow down and the faster may begin to experience enhanced clarity and mindfulness.

Often in daily life, certain foods contribute to feelings of anxiety or restlessness. Sometimes, allergies or intolerances affect the emotional health. During fasting all aggravating factors are removed and the faster may experience, often for the  first time in their life, a conscious awareness that is different from their usual experience.

Feeling light
Fasting has significance in almost every religion and spiritual practice. It is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament, the Upanishads, the Qur'an and in in the Mahabharata. It is believed that spiritual blockages are removed, so that we become naturally able to connect more strongly with our Soul. This enhances our experience of our own Divinity. It has been said that fasting is a doorway to the mystical.
It is said that spiritual fasting acts as a kind of “re-birth” and regeneration of our  Higher Self due to the direct experience that comes with fasting of a new inner perspective, creating new emotional, physical and spiritual strength.  Connecting more easily with our energy body allows our physical bodies and our biochemical energy source to be more connected to Divine cosmic energy.


Some common experiences when fasting:

• Profound insights and revelations
• A sense of inner peace and calmness
• Elimination of physical and emotional blocks
• An increase in energy and vitality
• An experience of spontaneous, unexplainable joy
• An insight into emotional and psychological aspects of one's nature
• A heightened sense of awareness and mindfulness
• A sense of empowerment
• A calming down of the “mind chatter”

Sparkle from the inside

Regardless of your spiritual or religious beliefs, fasting is an effective way of bringing you into alignment with yourself on physical, emotional and spiritual levels. Try eating just raw foods for a few days to prepare your body and then switch to 3 days of vegetable and fruit juices. Alternatively, you may wish to check yourself into a detoxification spa for a supervised fasting program of 7 days or more.


Fasting is not about simply starving yourself of the pleasures of the flesh by depriving yourself, it is an effective method of enhancing your sense of wellbeing, increasing your vitality and allowing your self to shine, shine, shine!


Article by Jo Rowkins dipNT MBANT, nutritionist and the executive health adviser at The Spa Resorts, a detox and fasting spa on Koh Samui. As well as guiding people through supervised fasting programs, Jo is available for one-on-one nutritional and lifestyle consultations.