Is it just me or is just about everyone you know sick right now? Colds and stomach flus seem to be all around me. Makes me nervous to be honest with you. I don't get sick very often, so when I do it's bad times. (insert joke about men being big babies when they get sick here)
Do you know those people that never seem to be sick? What's their deal? I'm sure you know that a lot of it has to do with your immune system, but it goes a little deeper than that.
All the way down to your gut in fact. There is a battle between good and evil going down in there every day. The good bacteria vs the bad bacteria. As long as you have enough good bacteria in there you can fight colds, flus, etc... off.
But when the good bacteria supply starts going down you can not only become more likely to get colds and flus, but also makes you more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis, IBS, Grave's disease, and Celiac disease.
What's the best way to keep your gut healthy? Probiotics. If you eat yogurt, you may have seen "Contains active cultures". As disgusting as that sounds, that is actually a good thing. Probiotics get in there and help clean out the bad guys to keep you healthy. If you are going to get your probioticsthrough yogurt, stick to plain Greek yogurt (no added sugar or fake sugars) and make sure it has the active cultures. Try mixing plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and almond butter for a sweet and healthy dessert or snack.
Chicken and biscuits go straight to my gut too.
What if you don't like the taste of yogurt, are lactose intolerant, or get weirded out about eating something that is alive? This is the modern age baby, there is a pill for that! I take the capsules Prograde Probiotics myself. I've been taking them for several months and even though I've been around lots of sick people, haven't got so much as a sniffle. Somebody knock on wood because I'm sure I just jinxed myself.
Take action and show those bad bacteria who's boss!