Probiotics are essential to human nutrition. Probiotics are live microorganisms ( bacteria) that are similar to the beneficial microorganisms naturally found in the human gastrointestinal system. These “good bacteria” are used to prevent and alleviate many different conditions, but particularly those that affect the gastrointestinal tract.

Our gut is a home to over 500 types of bacteria. These “visitors” facilitate digestion, provides nutrients, and helps form the immune system. Some important nutrients made by these bacteria include several B vitamins, vitamin K, folate, and some short-chain fatty acids. Up to 10% of an individual’s daily energy needs can be derived from the byproducts of the good bacteria in the gut.

Probiotics can provide many benefits for your immune system. When probiotics are abundant in your body, it’s harder for bacteria that cause illness to takeover. Some also keep you healthy by making what is known as bacteriocins, which suppress the growth of harmful bacteria.

Here are the names of some of our friendly bacteria:

Lactobacillus bulgaricus can be found in many yogurts and soft cheeses.
Streptococcus thermophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei
Bifidobacteria  is a family of bacteria that has been studied for its ability to prevent and treat various gastrointestinal disorders, including infections, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

If you want to supercharge your probiotics, you may want to feed them with what is called PRE-biotics.They nourish the good bacteria in your gut in order to keep them healthy and strong. They should go hand-in-hand with probiotics. Prebiotics are found in many foods, including bananas, honey, garlic and onions.
Consume pro and prebiotics daily and consistently; you are likely to see many benefits!

Pain is the #1 reason people visit the doctor, and pain medications are the leading drugs dispensed in the U.S.
What most people (and most doctors) don't know is that one of the major causes of pain is FOOD.

In order to eliminate the major underlying contributing cause of pain you must start to minimize and preferably eliminate:


1) Sugar- Nothing damages the digestive track like sugar.
The medical community is starting to agree on the fact that chronic inflammation often starts in your gut, which is where 70% of your immune system lives.

2) Alcohol. I enjoy the occasional glass of wine, but keep in mind that too much alcohol can damage your gut flora, promote yeast overgrowth, and hinder your body's ability to detoxify and heal.

3) Grains. (this should be a no brainer) Refined or not, grains are very hard to digest and have an affinity to irritate and inflame the gastrointestinaI tract.  The problem is that it easily turns inflammatory if you are gluten sensitive (double negative impact).  Add to this, the high levels of phytic acid and lectins in grains can hinder your ability to absorb calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. (villous atrophy)

4) Refined vegetable oil. Canola, soy, and corn, oils (often referred to as vegetable oil) are largely genetically modified also known as GMO.  These oils contribute to inflammation and pain. Even though these oils are advertised as healthy, don't buy the hype.  These are best not consumed.

5) Pasteurized Dairy. The majority of people with gluten sensitivity also have trouble with dairy.  The cows we consume products from are fed chemicals and gluten containing grains.  The milk has added hormones, and when it is preserved, the process creates a casein (dairy) protein that tends to mimic gluten.  Like processed oils, pasteurized dairy is best not consumed.

1- Vitamin D
How to get it: Natural sunlight and supplementation
2- Vitamin K2
How to get it: Full fat grass-fed animal protein, grass-fed butter
3- Iodine
How to get it:  Seafood and seaweed, eggs, strawberries, yogurt
4- Magnesium
How to get it:  Kelp, seaweed, cocoa (dark chocolate), spinach, halibut, bone broth & supplementation
5- B 12
How to get it:  Full fat grass-fed animal protein, grass-fed butter, raw dairy, supplementation (methylcobalamin)

Note:  Avoid synthetic vitamin/mineral supplements as they can irritate the body and this leads to low absorption; choose whole-food based supplements.  For your foods, stay away from grain fed animal protein as much as possible and choose hormone-free, antibiotic-free, organic  grass-fed products. 

Did you know that lemons have more potassium than apples or grapes? This interesting fact is just one of the many reasons why drinking lemon juice every morning can impact your health.

Starting your day with lemon juice is an excellent way to boost vitality, increase energy and cleanse out your system. The first thing you put in your body each day can have a big impact on your productivity and mood.

That’s why it’s recommended to start the day with a warm jar of lemon water. You can use anywhere from one half to a whole lemon each morning.

1. Boosts your immune system

Since lemon juice is filled with vitamin C, it provides a natural and powerful source of immune health. When you are tired, stressed or overworked Vitamin C levels are the first to go down.

2. Supports Digestion

In addition to supporting health digestion, lemon juice helps rid the intestinal tract of toxins. Lemons are filled with vitamins and minerals which help to alleviate things like heartburn and bloating.

3. Cleans out your system

Lemon juice is packed with powerful vitamins and minerals that flush harmful toxins from your system.

4. Decreases Inflammation

Much disease stems from inflammation and drinking lemon juice frequently helps reduce the acidity in your body and thus decreasing inflammation.

5. Helps Improve Weight Loss

Lemon juice contains a lot of pectin fiber which helps fight hunger cravings.

6. Clears Up Your Skin

Because lemon juice is high in antioxidants the Vitamin C helps to decrease blemishes and wrinkles. The overall detoxifying nature of lemons also contributes to clear skin.

7. Helps fight infections

A glass of warm lemon water is the perfect to help fight off infections. Not only does it boost your immune system it helps to prevent things like sore throats brought on by viral infections.

8. Gives You an Energy Boost

As lemon juice improves digestion it provides your body with an energy boost when it enters your digestive tract.

9. Excellent source of potassium

Potassium is important for brain, nerve and heart health and lemon juice is filled with it.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteoporosis or loss of bone density.  Vitamin D also  influences so much more than that.

Besides keeping bones strong, it activates a defense “army” that kills off the bad guys (i.e., viruses, bacteria, cancer cells).

Vitamin D is also anti-inflammatory. Chronic inflammation is the initiator of most degenerative diseases (i.e., heart disease, cancer, autoimmune and diabetes), this is why you want a normal level of Vit D in your system throughout the year.

Deficiency of Vit D has been associated with a leaky gut, a known link to autoimmune disease, allergies and many degenerative diseases. Anything that leads to a leaky gut should be addressed urgently.

Sources of Vit D:

Get sun rays: some sunlight is good for you. You don’t need to go out at high noon, but about 20 minutes per day with your arms and chest exposed and/or in shorts is enough to produce about 10,000 IUs (international units) according to the vitamin D council. Other factors to take into consideration is the latitude in which you live and the color of your skin. The farther you are away from the equator, the more difficult it is to get adequate sunshine year round. Additionally, darker skin tones cannot absorb enough UV to turn it into adequate vitamin D.

Supplement with vitamin D3 (not D2) in a fatty medium. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin so it’s best delivered with some dietary fat for easier absorption.
Make Vit D apart of your daily intake and you will find greater levels of health!

The composition of your gut bacteria can also play a role in whether you suffer from depression and anxiety.  For instance, having plenty of beneficial bacteria, such as the Bifidobacteria strain, can promote production of serotonin, the “feel-good” chemical that prevents depression.

Your Gut Is Your 2nd Brain....
On the other hand, too much of “bad” bacterial strains can promote depression and anxiety.  This is because the gut is linked to the brain by the vagus nerve, a large nerve that sends messages back and forth between the brain and digestive system. The effects of harmful bacteria in the gut travel to the brain, impacting brain function and mood.

In one study, subjects who took probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium reported less anxiety, depression, and anger and an improved ability to solve problems. In another study, mice given a Lactobacillus strain cruised through a maze that normally created high anxiety and showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to their probiotic-deprived counterparts.

You can promote bacterial harmony by focusing on an anti-inflammatory, whole foods diet that includes cultured and fermented foods, such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and fermented vegetables. If you use store-bought cultured foods, make sure they are the real deal and not simply made with vinegar, or pasteurized, which would kill good bacteria.. One exception would be raw apple cider vinegar... this is an excellent product

Functions of Magnesium in the human body:
Healthy blood sugar and bone building
Neutralize acid to return the body's alkaline pH state
Total heart function, electrical balance and rhythm

The Magnesium content in vegetables has diminished up to 80% since 1950. 
Refined grains remove up to 80% or more of Magnesium
Refined oils remove all Magnesium
Refined sugar removes all Magesium

Magnesium is one of the body's master minerals; we need it to make antioxidants, tone blood vessels, enhance circulation to all parts of the body.

Key sources of Magnesium:
Dark green leafy vegetables
Seafood
Nuts
Some dairy products
Arame
Good quality supplements

We should strive to get at least 500 - 1,000 mg of Magnesium daily. 

Attention All Women:

  If you are taking estrogen, in the form of hormone replacement or a birth control pill, it may interfere with your thyroid function and cause common symptoms of hypothyroidism like fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, poor bowel function, etc.

Their are 4 tests that help to  determine whether or not estrogen is interfering with your thyroid hormones:

• TSH,

• T4

• T3 uptake

• Free T3.

If estrogen is causing hypothyroid symptoms you will see normal TSH as well as normal T4 values. However, you will see a low T3 uptake and a low free T3.

Many doctors miss this and you need to reconsider whether that course of estrogen is appropriate, because it can, and ofter does, interfere with the conversion of the inactive T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3. Without active T3, there's no way you can function and feel great!  It's imperative to get this right.