Probiotics 101

You may have been hearing a lot on probiotics and their influence on gut health. With so much information out there, it can be confusing choosing foods or even supplements with the best probiotic source that will benefit you! My goal is that you will have a better understanding of what probiotics are, the benefits, and how to choose a supplement (if you go that route) after reading this post. So, let's get started!

What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics allow healthy bacteria in your GI tract to thrive while inhibiting or destroying toxins released by other bacteria. The healthy bacteria in your gut help to digest food and also synthesize some vitamins.

Benefits of Probiotics
There are a lot of benefits associated with probiotics. They include: decreasing IBS symptoms (bloating, gas diarrhea, constipation), regulating intestinal transit, boosting your immune system, aiding in dairy digestion for those with lactose intolerance, restoring bacterial balance (especially after taking antibiotics), decreasing the amount of harmful bacteria in your gut that can cause inflammation, and reducing diarrhea associated with antibiotic use for acute illnesses.

Foods That Contain Probiotics
Probiotics are mainly found in fermented foods like miso, kimchi, tempeh, fresh sauerkraut, and kombucha. You can also find probiotics in yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, and some soft cheeses. Look for the phrases, "live and active cultures" or "contains probiotics" if you are choosing a dairy food. Not all yogurts will contain probiotics and frozen yogurts contain little to none. Some common probiotic strains include: Lactobacillus, Bifiodobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii.

What to Look for in Supplements
If you are going with a probiotic supplement, there are a few things you should look out for. First, is to avoid any probiotics that are not "live." Second, look for supplements that say the number of live organisms is guaranteed through the expiration date; if not, you may not know how much of the probiotic has already degraded. While there is no recommendation for probiotic intake, the general rule of thumb is to take at least 1 billion colony forming units (CFU) daily.

Daily consumption of probiotics is the best way to reap the benefits!

References
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics
http://www.medicinenet.com/probiotics/article.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539293/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/healthy_living/hic_Keeping_Your_Digestive_Tract_Healthy/hic-Probiotics

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Pops

Looking for a healthy summer treat to cool you off? Try some fresh fruit and yogurt pops!

Ingredients
-2 cups of fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced bananas
-2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
-8 small paper cups (or popsicle trays)
-8 popsicle sticks
-aluminum foil

Directions
1. Blend together all ingredients until smooth.
2. Fill paper cups (or popsicle trays) 3/4 full with fruit mixture.
3. Cover tops with aluminum foil.
4. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup.
5. Freeze for at least 5 hours.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
*Altered slightly based on type of yogurt used
70 calories, 240mg potassium, 12g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 8g sugar, 4g protein


Enjoy!

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-fruit-and-yogurt-ice-pops/
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Edition

There are thousands of options when you go to the grocery store. Just peak down the cereal aisle and you will see at least 50 different options. Which ones are the healthiest?! Welcome to Eat This, Not That Supermarket Edition!

Cereals
Eat This: Kashi GOLEAN
               140 calories, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 6g sugar, 10g fiber
Not That: Post Banana Nut Crunch
               240 calories, 6g fat, .5g saturated fat, 12g sugar, 4g fiber
-Two key things to look for on the cereal label are high fiber and low sugar.

Yogurt
Eat This: Dannon Light and Fit Strawberry Yogurt
               60 calories, 0g fat, 90mg sodium, 7g sugar
Not That: Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry Banana
               150 calories, 1.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 95mg sodium, 26g sugar

-Two key things to look for in yogurt are low sodium and sugar and high protein.

Breakfast Meats
Eat This: Banquet Brown'N Serve Turkey Sausage
               110 calories, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 380mg sodium
Not That: Banquet Brown'N Serve Original Links
               200 calories, 18g fat, 6g saturated fat, 490mg sodium

-Two key things to look for with breakfast meats are low saturated fat and sodium.

Peanut Butters
Eat This: Simply Jif
Not That: Skippy Creamy
               -Both have similar amounts of calories and fat; however, the natural peanut butters don't have added sugars.

Soups
Eat This: Campbell's Healthy Request Tomato Soup
               90 calories, 1.5g fat, .5g saturated fat, 400mg sodium
Not That: Campbell's Tomato Bisque Soup
               130 calories, 3.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 880mg sodium
-Two key things to look for in soups are low sodium and saturated fat.

Nuts
Eat This: Raw Pistachios or Whole Natural Almonds
               -Pistachios provide phytosterols that decrease bad cholesterol
               -1 oz. almonds provides half of the Vitamin E you need in a day
Not That: Planter's Dry Roasted Peanuts
               -Peanuts are the lowest nut in nutritional value with minimal antioxidants.

-Don't worry about the fat content for nuts. Most of this will (should) come from the monounsaturated fatty acids.

Frozen Entrees
Eat This: Healthy Choice Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
               300 calories, 5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 430mg sodium
Not That: Maria Calendar's Fettucine with Chicken and Broccoli
               630 calories, 37g fat, 15g saturated fat, 900mg sodium
-Two key things to look for with frozen entrees are low sodium and saturated fat.

Cheese
Eat This: Athenos Traditional Feta 
               80 calories, 6g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 330mg sodium
Not That: Treasure Cove Blue Cheese
               100 calories, 8g fat, 5g saturated fat, 380mg sodium

-Two key things to look for with cheese are low saturated fat and sodium.


When reading a food label, remember to look at the protein, fat, fiber, salt, and carbohydrate content. Also, sugar should not be one of the first 4 ingredients listed on a food label. 

As a final note, try to shop the outside perimeters of the grocery store as much as possible (that is where all the healthy foods are)!


Zinczenko D. Eat this not that. New York, NY. 2008.