5 Reasons You Should Be Eating Probiotic Foods

Probiotic foods support fat loss, improved health markers and overall fitness and performance. They fuel your body and your mind. Eating probiotics keeps you feeling your best so that you can get after it, day after day, for as long as you want to!

What you eat has a major impact on your physique, your mood, your energy level and your ability to focus. I’m not talking about protein, fats and carbs here. I’m talking about probiotics: live micro-organisms that live in certain foods and are incredibly beneficial to your gut health.

5 Real Reasons You Should Be Eating Probiotics

There are trillions of bacteria and other microbes that live inside of you and make up what’s called gut microbiome. Sounds a little icky but the truth is your gut microbiome is intimately connected to your brain and nervous system and plays a bigger but often ignored role in total wellness.

Improve Nutrient Absorption

No matter how many superfoods your eat, if your gut biome is unhealthy you won’t reap the benefits. It’s the bacteria in your gut along with enzymes in your stomach that break down food into molecules your body can use. A healthy gut supports a healthy digestive system and improved nutrient absorption. Without it you risk malabsorption and possible nutrient deficiencies.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Your gut biome plays a role in everything from hunger and cravings to digestion and metabolism. Certain gut bacteria regulate fat stores. Others control appetite. Still others are vital to the method and speed at which foods are broken down. All together, the right amount of healthy bacteria can help you lose and/or maintain a healthy weight.

Reduce Risk of Disease

Inflammation is your body’s natural reaction to injury. To an extent it’s vital to the recovery process. However chronic inflammation is not beneficial. Chronic inflammation is linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and Alzheimer’s disease. A healthy gut biome supports your immune system and keeps inflammation in check, thus reducing your risk of certain diseases.

Healthier Looking Skin

Your skin is your largest organ so it’s no surprise, after reading the rest of this article, that gut health has an effect on your skins appearance and health. Health starts in your gut and is reflected on your skin. If your gut flora is unbalanced or your not absorbing vitamins and minerals from your healthy diet, you might see the results externally.

Boost Energy and Mood

Do you lose steam in the afternoon, even if you got a full night’s sleep? It might be because you aren’t fully digesting and absorbing the nutrients from the foods you eat. A healthy gut flora promotes better digestion so you get more out of what you put in. Plus, gut bacteria help in the chemical communication throughout your body – some of which helps to maintain stable blood sugar (read: energy). Plus plus(!), certain bacteria aid in the production of B vitamins which play a vital role in energy production.

5 of the Best Probiotic Food Sources

1. Greek Yogurt. Greek yogurt is a great source of probiotics but not all yogurts are alike. Be sure to check the label and make that it says “contains live cultures” to know that the yogurt contains the beneficial bacteria you’re looking for. Plus, stay away from yogurt with added sugars.
   
   Start your day with a homemade yogurt parfait by topping plain, full fat Greek yogurt with antioxidant-rich berries, omega-3 packed walnuts and whole grain granola.
   
2. Kimchi. Kimchi boasts major probiotic power. Lactobasillus brevi, the culture strain found in this fermented cabbage condiment, is specifically linked to weight loss.
   
   Level up your burger by topping it with spicy kimchi instead of ketchup. Kimchi also makes a great sandwich or grain bowl topper.
   
3. Kombucha aka fermented tea. You know those little specks that float around at the bottom of your kombucha? Those are bits of scoby, the bacteria/yeast cake that is to kombucha what start is to sourdough. That’s where probiotics come in to play! Again, keep an eye out for added sugar and avoid it when possible.
   
   Instead of a 3 pm coffee break, re-hydrate AND pack in the probiotics with 8 ounces of kombucha. You can also make some pretty creative kombucha cocktails!
   
4. Miso gets it’s probiotic benefits from the fermentation process as well. Not only is it a complete protein, miso strengthens the immune system and aids digestion.
   
   You could order miso soup from the local Chinese restaurant, or you could by a container of miso and really get to know it’s unique umami goodness. I love to use miso in dressings, sauces and even sweets!
   
5. Pickles. This classic burger topper is actually a great source of probiotics, as long as you are choosing the right pickles from the patch. Not all pickles are fermented. In fact, if the pickle is shelf-stable, it’s probably not fermented. So look in the refrigerated section of your local produce department for the good stuff!
   
   I’m not going to tell you how to use pickles – just grab a fork and go for it!