Do you suffer from bloating, excess gas, leaky gut, auto-immune disorders, IBS, ulcerative colitis, eczema or asthma? Have you been told that Apple Cider Vinegar and probiotics could help? Are you confused as to how and what the difference is in the benefits? You're not alone!
The most important thing to know is that apple cider vinegar is not a probiotic, it's really classed as a prebiotic.
There are 10 times more bacteria in the digestive system as there are cells in your body. This internal ecosystem of bacteria is called microflora. The good guys in this amazing ecosystem are called probiotics.
Prebiotics are seen as food for probiotics, they promote healthy digestion by encouraging the growth of good bacteria. Because 70-85% of your immune system lines you gut wall, if the bacteria is out of whack, your immunity is compromised because it's always fighting and trying to maintain balance. This is when inflammation occurs. Where this inflammation happens is unique to the individual.
Probitics can aid in the prevention and recovery of many ailments, inflammation and diseases, because their main objective is to strengthen the immune system, prebiotics help to feed the probiotics, for this reason I recommend regular consumption of pre and probiotics.
How to get the benefits...
PREBIOTIC: Apple cider vinegar is a fabulous prebiotic. As long as you choose the unfiltered and raw version. It's the pectin from the fermented apple that aids in healthy digestion, it binds to the 'waste products' that are either harmful to your body or unusable and helps to eliminate them. You need to buy one that is labelled 'unfiltered' and 'with the mother'. Other prebiotics foods include raw garlic, raw leek, raw onion, cooked onion (not as powerful), raw chicory root, raw asparagus and banana.. But the apple cider vinegar is by far the best option in terms of power and ease.. Have it with the juice of half (or whole if you like it lemony), add in 1-2 tablespoons of the vinegar first thing in the morning, by first thing, I mean the very first thing you drink, and you'll notice the difference in how your body's digestive system functions all day long...
PROBIOTIC: Probiotic foods are easy to incorporate into your diet. These include kefir, yogurt that contain 'live and active cultures' this is important when choosing yogurt for probiotic purposes (avoid yukult as it is very high in sugar, 2 tsp per bottle), miso, sauerkraut (a personal favourite), kimchi, tempeh. I also like to take a high dosage probiotic supplement, especially at times when I'm run down, fighting a bug or travelling. These can be purchased from most health food shops and good organic food stores. There are some that have to live in the fridge and others that are shelf stable. Talk to the shop assistant, who are usually naturopaths, they will be able to point you in the direction of one that will suit your needs.
Want to do even more???
To do even more for your gut health, get some glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid and is like a building block for the precious villi that protect and line your intestinal wall, it helps to restore the integrity of your gut lining by not letting undigested food particles leak through the walls. This means that it will quite possibly help in the prevention and recovery of leaky gut, auto-immune disorders, IBS, ulcerative colitis, eczema and asthma, just to name a few..
I'm a lover of apple cider vinegar, here's my morning kick start drink, it's great to drink this when you wake up, it's great if it's the first thing your tummy feels. The lemon gets your digestion going and the cayenne works wonders for your metabolism.
Morning Kick Start Drink
1 Cup of warm water (you don't want it hot, it destroys the vitamin C in the lemon)
Juice of 1/2 - 1 fresh lemon
1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (increase slowly if you're not used to the taste)
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
Drink it while it's warm, I find it gets a bit vinegary when it's a cool, if it does, just add a splash of boiling water to bring it back to a good temperature.
As Hippocrates said : "All disease begins in the gut", he also said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"... How can feeding your body and your gut with healthy, healing foods not make sense?
Keep Happily Nourished.....
There are 10 times more bacteria in the digestive system as there are cells in your body. This internal ecosystem of bacteria is called microflora. The good guys in this amazing ecosystem are called probiotics.
Prebiotics are seen as food for probiotics, they promote healthy digestion by encouraging the growth of good bacteria. Because 70-85% of your immune system lines you gut wall, if the bacteria is out of whack, your immunity is compromised because it's always fighting and trying to maintain balance. This is when inflammation occurs. Where this inflammation happens is unique to the individual.
Probitics can aid in the prevention and recovery of many ailments, inflammation and diseases, because their main objective is to strengthen the immune system, prebiotics help to feed the probiotics, for this reason I recommend regular consumption of pre and probiotics.
How to get the benefits...
PREBIOTIC: Apple cider vinegar is a fabulous prebiotic. As long as you choose the unfiltered and raw version. It's the pectin from the fermented apple that aids in healthy digestion, it binds to the 'waste products' that are either harmful to your body or unusable and helps to eliminate them. You need to buy one that is labelled 'unfiltered' and 'with the mother'. Other prebiotics foods include raw garlic, raw leek, raw onion, cooked onion (not as powerful), raw chicory root, raw asparagus and banana.. But the apple cider vinegar is by far the best option in terms of power and ease.. Have it with the juice of half (or whole if you like it lemony), add in 1-2 tablespoons of the vinegar first thing in the morning, by first thing, I mean the very first thing you drink, and you'll notice the difference in how your body's digestive system functions all day long...
PROBIOTIC: Probiotic foods are easy to incorporate into your diet. These include kefir, yogurt that contain 'live and active cultures' this is important when choosing yogurt for probiotic purposes (avoid yukult as it is very high in sugar, 2 tsp per bottle), miso, sauerkraut (a personal favourite), kimchi, tempeh. I also like to take a high dosage probiotic supplement, especially at times when I'm run down, fighting a bug or travelling. These can be purchased from most health food shops and good organic food stores. There are some that have to live in the fridge and others that are shelf stable. Talk to the shop assistant, who are usually naturopaths, they will be able to point you in the direction of one that will suit your needs.
Want to do even more???
To do even more for your gut health, get some glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid and is like a building block for the precious villi that protect and line your intestinal wall, it helps to restore the integrity of your gut lining by not letting undigested food particles leak through the walls. This means that it will quite possibly help in the prevention and recovery of leaky gut, auto-immune disorders, IBS, ulcerative colitis, eczema and asthma, just to name a few..
I'm a lover of apple cider vinegar, here's my morning kick start drink, it's great to drink this when you wake up, it's great if it's the first thing your tummy feels. The lemon gets your digestion going and the cayenne works wonders for your metabolism.
Morning Kick Start Drink
1 Cup of warm water (you don't want it hot, it destroys the vitamin C in the lemon)
Juice of 1/2 - 1 fresh lemon
1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (increase slowly if you're not used to the taste)
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
Drink it while it's warm, I find it gets a bit vinegary when it's a cool, if it does, just add a splash of boiling water to bring it back to a good temperature.
As Hippocrates said : "All disease begins in the gut", he also said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"... How can feeding your body and your gut with healthy, healing foods not make sense?
Keep Happily Nourished.....