Prebiotics for Gut Health...Do you need them to feel better?

Prebiotics for Gut Health

Sometimes there are things I would prefer to keep to myself…to keep private. However, to be true to my commitment to you… to be transparent about health and to be of service to you in your quest for better health, sometimes I have to put myself out there. This is one of those times, and it ends up being a discussion about prebiotics for gut health.

Earlier this summer I had a bout with an intestinal bug for two or three days. It left me in a state that was really beginning to frighten me. My bouts of “intestinal distress” in the aftermath were sudden and unpredictable. I was beginning to feel like the ads on TV where a woman is accompanied by her out of control intestinal tract (masquerading as a disturbingly creepy individual who controls her life) until she goes to her doctor and, of course, gets a prescription. This prescription magically makes the intestinal-tract-person her friend instead of her enemy.

To make matters more concerning for me, my mother had developed diverticulitis as she got older, so I was doubly concerned that I was headed down that same road.

As those of you who know me are aware, I eat a very clean diet, so I was really stumped as to what to do next. I know I have sensitivity to wheat, gluten and dairy, so those are gone and have been for several years now.

My husband suggested Pepto Bismol to calm down my innards, but that didn’t help. I don’t like taking even over the counter medications, but I was getting desperate.

Finally I remembered when we had problems like this as kids and teenagers, my mom would give us Imodium to stop the diarrhea. I tried that, and it helped…for a while. Then right back to having problems. I also knew I couldn’t live on Imodium as that was just masking the symptoms, and not solving the problem I had going on.

Instead of going to the doctor where I knew I would be put on a prescription, I went online and began reading about ibs (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I knew ibs was characterized by a combination of cramping, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. It’s not fun, and while most people who have ibs will not develop ibd (irritable bowel disease) such as Crohn’s or Colitis, the idea of having to deal with locating bathrooms wherever I went and planning for unexpected attacks was not something I wanted on my long-term to-do list.

I had already added probiotics to my supplement regimen in an effort to normalize the good bacteria in my gut that had clearly been affected by the intestinal bug I had gotten. They hadn’t really helped me which was discouraging.

I kept reading more and more, and I finally came upon an article that talked about prebiotics for gut health…about how taking a prebiotic for gut health along with a probiotic can really boost and normalize your healthy gut bacteria. Probiotics are good bacteria that help keep your digestive system healthy while prebiotics are food for probiotics (they are carbohydrates the body cannot digest). They help the probiotics keep a healthy balance of good bacteria in your gut.

I ordered prebiotics immediately. It was like turning on a light switch! I took it at night when I first got it…I couldn’t wait to try it, and I could tell the next morning that I just felt better. I’ve only been taking it about a week now, and all is well once again!

Here are links to the prebotic and probiotic supplements that have absolutely saved me.

If you have any challenges in this regard, I urge you to try these. If you would just like to be healthier in general, remember that scientists have discovered our health (and this includes a healthy mood) begins with a healthy gut. Hint, hint…if you struggle with depression, you should be taking these…think probiotics and prebiotics for gut health!

Here again are the links to the prebiotics and probiotics.

Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!

Cheryl A Major, CNWC