Winter is coming - which means holiday cookies, ornamental evergreen trees, and a whole lot of probiotics. Wait, what?
If you’re scratching your head, you’re not alone. When flu season rolls around, you’ll want to be equipped with the best support for your immune system, and that’s exactly what you’ll get by including the two Ps in your daily routines.
Are you with me so far? Great. Then let’s take a look at what these two immune-boosting stars are and how they help you guard your health.
What Exactly Are Probiotics, Anyway?
First things first, probiotics are live bacteria that support a healthy gut microbiome. Not only do they encourage better digestion by increasing nutrient absorption, but they also help boost your immune system. And that’s especially helpful during the wintertime when pathogens are on the loose! You can consume a probiotic supplement or get a helping of them in fermented foods such as kombucha, tempeh, sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir.
Easy enough, right? In addition to probiotics, you also need to make sure you add in those prebiotics, too!
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Don’t Skimp Out On Prebiotics
Probiotics need food of their own to grow into the strong immune-boosting helpers we need them to be! And that’s exactly what prebiotics do. Simply put, prebiotics are essential fibres that feed the probiotics in our guts, nourishing them and supporting their growth. Foods that feature healthy amounts of prebiotics include asparagus, onions, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, sweet potatoes, bananas, and chicory root.
Why Should I Care About My Gut?
When we think about the colder months ahead, we often make sure our refrigerators are stocked with orange juice and other foods laden with Vitamin C. The fact is, though, our guts play a critical role in warding off the illnesses that sneak back around in wintertime. At this very moment, your gut is playing house to trillions of bacteria. It’s crazy to think about, but it’s true. There’s a whole colony of microbes inside of you, and many of them have your best interest at heart.
However, all great colonies fall victim to intruders, and your gut is no different. Alongside all the great bacteria that lend your immune system a healthy hand is a host of bad bacteria threatening to throw you off balance. Hence why you need probiotics and prebiotics. Together, they work to support those gut-friendly microorganisms - and that means a healthier immune system that’s ready and willing to defend your health.
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The Benefits Go Beyond Immunity
Probiotics possess countless other benefits, including:
- Aiding the Digestive System: Too many holiday cookies? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us! Make sure to include probiotics in your daily routine for smooth operation.
- Preventing and Treating Diarrhea: There, we said it! Probiotics are commonly accepted as one of the most effective ways to stop loose bowel movements in their track.
- Improving Your Mood and Mental Health: It’s so easy to fall into doom and gloom mode when winter comes around. But there is hope: probiotics can help decrease anxiety, depression and even serve as a memory booster.
- Reducing the Severity of Allergies: Does the change in season have you reaching for a tissue box and pouring floods of eye drops onto your pupils? Probiotics may help lessen the pain of allergy season, too!
Bottom line: if a healthier winter is a top priority for you, then prebiotics and probiotics should be your top supplements.
