Are you struggling with pain in the gut that is getting you down and no matter what you try, it just won’t go away?

If so, this could be the most important piece of information you are about to read.

You see, I know what it’s like, I see so many people who describe their severe indigestion or their disturbed digestive difficulties.  Then there are others who have uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, wind, constipation, burping, abdominal pain, colic, nausea, acidity, and reflux.

IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common name given to this condition. And yes, it can be helped!

There are quite a variety of factors that can lead to this:

  • Pretty common is the use of antibiotics that kill the good and bad flora of the gut.
  • Others include stress, food intolerances, dieting, skipping meals, eating on the run, and eating too fast.
  • Parasites and other intestinal organisms flourish in the presence of an unhealthy microbiome.

Should you wish to get an idea of the extent of your Gut Problems, tick the relevant symptoms which apply to you:

Take the Gut Problems Test:

☐   Abdominal cramps
☐   Drowsiness after meals
☐   Diarrhoea
☐   Constipation
☐   Halitosis (bad breath)
☐   Flatulence
☐   Fatigue
☐   Failing memory
☐   Constant tiredness
☐   Candida infections
☐   Joint pain & muscle aches
☐   Poor appetite
☐   Depression or anxiety
☐   Mucous in stool
☐   Hemorrhoids
☐   Abdominal bloating

So just what do a collection of these symptoms mean?

Well, depending on the amount, these symptoms indicate that you may have a level of possible Gut Toxicity that could be helped.

  • If you have less than 4 ticks your toxic load could be a level 1
  • If you have 4 to 8 your toxic level is possibly 2
  • If 8 or higher it is a level 3, and in my experience, could indicate toxic overload!
  • Levels 2 and 3 are very significant and even at level 1 treatment is wise!

If you wish to reverse your gut toxicity level and rid yourself of symptoms that are a nuisance,
then make a booking at Your Wellness Centre today.

As a special offer, if you book a Naturopathic consultation before 30th October 2022, to address the extent of your gut toxicity, you will receive A FREE Live Blood Screening, normally valued at $125.00.
So take advantage of this today.

Normal initial consultation fees apply.

To restore your gut health naturally phone 9879 9596, make a booking online or email health@yourwellnesscentre.com.au

Guarantee:

Our guarantee to you is if you don’t understand the causes of your pain in the gut after one consultation and if after following our suggestions, your gut symptoms have not improved within 30 days we will continue treating you free of charge until they are.

That’s how confident we are in delivering our service to you.

Before antibiotics were discovered in the 1900s, bacterial infections were a feared enemy of modern society.

Antibiotics changed everything – saving millions of lives and offering an effective tool to battle deadly infections.

Fast forward to now, and antibiotics, while still incredibly useful, are sadly claiming the lives of our beneficial gut bacteria, which has been linked to uncomfortable side effects such as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD).

Of course, losing a few gut bacteria to save you from a nasty infection is a no-brainer; however, the loss of beneficial bacteria from multiple courses of antibiotics can cost you so much more over a lifetime.

In fact, losses of good bacteria have been linked to a greater risk of chronic diseases, such as digestive disorders, cardiovascular disease and even mental health symptoms; this is why protecting your gut bacteria is important for good health.

The most important thing when taking antibiotics is managing the loss of good gut bacteria during and after every treatment.

This means having strategies in place to help protect your inner health so that you can deal with AAD and other issues associated with the loss of beneficial gut bacteria.

This comes down to two things: protecting your bacteria when you need to take antibiotics, and, reducing your need for antibiotics.

‘The most important thing when taking antibiotics is managing the loss of good bacteria during and after every treatment.’

Probiotic Protection to Reduce Diarrhoea

A combination of specific probiotic strains (types) can reduce AAD while also helping recover your gut microbiome after antibiotics.

Using scientifically formulated probiotics, such as the Metagenics Ultra Flora Intensive Care (available at Your Wellness Centre), can assist in rebuilding beneficial gut flora (bacteria), and provide some of the most researched bacterial strains that reduce AAD, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG®) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii).

In a nutshell, probiotics can help you restore healthy gut bacteria after antibiotic use, and this can help maintain healthy gut function.

It’s important to note that antibiotics can affect your gut bacteria for up to two weeks after you stop taking them.

Ensuring you take your probiotic from the start of your antibiotic course until a minimum of two weeks after you finish will give your gut bugs the support they need.

To date, these specific strains have been the most successful in preventing AAD.

So, to ensure you are getting the right bang for your hard-earned buck, see a natural health practitioner at Your Wellness Centre to get access to these strains.

‘Its important to note that antibiotics can affect your gut bacteria for up to two weeks after you stop taking them.

Support Your Immune System to Reduce Your Need for Antibiotics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised us to limit the use of antibiotics to the most essential situations.

This is because using them too frequently or inappropriately can help

infectious bacteria develop resistance to their antibacterial mechanisms, obscuring their efficacy.

For this reason, limiting your chances of needing antibiotics in the first place does the world a huge favour.

Boosting your immunity against infection is the smartest way to reduce your need for antibiotics and curb your risk of related side effects.

Here are our best tips on how to do this:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow, and use alcohol-based hand sanitisers
  • Try to avoid touching your face, and wash your hands before and after if you do;
  • Improve your health with nutrition, better sleep and stress management to avoid getting sick in the first place
  • Have a handy natural ‘First Aid’ kit equipped with remedies and natural herbal supplements to limit the severity of an infection.

How to restore your gut after antibiotics

Thanks to modern medicine, we’ve been afforded the freedom to thrive without bacterial infections cutting our lives short.

However, with this comes the responsibility of ensuring that antibiotic therapy is used wisely, by being mindful and modest in how often we use antibiotics.

When you do need them, it is important to support your gut bacteria with probiotics in order to prevent side effects such as AAD (antibiotic-associated diarrhoea).

Chat to a natural health practitioner at Your Wellness Centre to learn more about taking care of your gut for good immune and overall health, today.

Gut Bacteria and their Effect on your Weight

If you’ve been doing everything else to lose weight without the success, then it’s worth taking a look at your gut health.

We all know that exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep are all needed for maintaining a healthy weight.

Fundamental to good gut health is Gut Bacteria. So let’s look further at their role in weight loss.

Besides this, evidence is now revealing that your gut bacteria also need to be healthy because it dictates how your body regulates and maintains its weight!

This collection of 37 trillion organisms (mainly bacteria) within your digestive tract is known as your microbiome or gut microbiota.

microbiome pictures

Your Microbiome: Fat Burning or Storing? 

While each person’s gut microbiota is unique, clear trends show the gut bacteria in a lean person is different from that in an overweight person.

Healthy gut microbiota in a lean individual is seen as having a diverse range of beneficial bugs, with very few ‘bad’ microbes that disrupt the health of the gut.

Once the gut microbiota is in this healthy state, these good bacteria send messages to the body to maintain its weight within a healthy range.

This means it could prevent weight gain.

Alternatively, the gut bacteria in an overweight person is often shown to have less of these good bacteria.

This imbalance in the gut is a condition known as “dysbiosis”.

In a state of dysbiosis, bacteria begin to act differently: extracting more calories from food, storing more energy as fat, and triggering inflammation within the gut itself.

All of these factors result in the body storing more fat, especially around the waist (known as visceral fat).

probiotic foods

Increasing Your Good Bugs

Therefore, supporting your microbiome to be as healthy, diverse, and free from bad bacteria as possible may be a crucial step in maintaining a healthy weight.

Probiotics are a potent way to positively influence the health of your microbiome, as they work by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria while reducing the growth of unwanted microbes.

However, it is very important to select the right probiotic strain for your needs, as different strains have different actions and health benefits.

A specific probiotic strain displaying benefit for the microbiome and body weight is Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (B420™).

Evidence shows it improves the health and diversity of the microbiome, decreases the inflammation caused by dysbiosis, and reduces energy uptake from food.

Which together results in overall reductions in weight gain – helping to keep your waist trim.

Your Trim and Terrific Toolkit

Beyond probiotics, employing key diet and lifestyle strategies is also imperative to maintaining ideal body composition:

Regular exercise: such as walking, yoga, swimming, and weights.

This helps to burn fat for energy and can reduce high levels of hormones such as adrenaline that promote weight gain.

Filling up on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, legumes, and healthy fats helps to naturally regulate your appetite and curb cravings.

As a bonus, high fiber foods are the favorite fuel source of your good bacteria!

 

Take the step toward a healthier you!
Call 9879 9596 and book an appointment today!

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

The Ultimate Benefits of Good Gut Health includes a Healthy Mood, Reduced Inflammation, and a Strong Immune System.

Having a cold, feeling depressed, or having joint pains are all inflammatory conditions that are also influenced by your gut microbiome.

These tiny gut inhabitants influence seemingly unrelated areas such as your throat, joints, or your brain.

Your Gut Health and Immune System Work Hand-in-Hand

Your immune system’s main job is to protect you from disease-causing microorganisms.

Since these are mainly inhaled or swallowed, the immune system needs to be most active in your respiratory and digestive tracts.

Some bacteria have a positive influence on your immune system

On the other hand, some bacteria have a positive influence on your immune system.

Fortunately, certain strains of probiotic bacteria improve the bacterial balance in your gut, with beneficial flow-on effects for your immune system.

And so have been shown to reduce the severity and duration of common cold symptoms.

If you struggle with frequent colds and flu, working with a natural healthcare practitioner to strengthen your gut microbiome can help.

A healthy gut microbiome interacts with the intestinal immune system in ways that increase your body’s immune defenses.

However, a microbiome out of balance, which does not contain high levels of beneficial bacteria, is less likely to help you resist infection, including colds and flu (click here to read more about what might upset your gut microbiome).’

How Gut Bacteria Causes Inflammation

Another possible consequence of poor gut bacterial balance is inflammation.

This is a key feature in autoimmune and allergic conditions.

In these conditions, the immune system sees harmless substances as threats and stimulates an immune response against them.

Allergy Autoimmunity - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

Fortunately, certain probiotic strains, namely LGG® and Lactobacillus paracasei (LP-33®), can stimulate your immune system to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, reducing inflammation and symptoms.

For example, research in hundreds of people has shown that LP-33® significantly improves hayfever symptoms.

Interestingly, LGG®, when taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding, can reduce the incidence of eczema (an inflammatory skin disease) in children, by supporting the healthy development of the gut microbiome and the immune system.

If your immune system is in overdrive, make an appointment with a natural healthcare practitioner at Your Wellness Centre to help bring it back into line.

How Gut Bacteria Affects Your Mood

More and more research is finding that inflammation is an unexpected cause of depression.

Inflammation throughout the body, and even inflammation of the brain, may contribute to depression.

If gut inflammation can influence mood, you may be wondering if specific probiotics can improve mood or reduce the symptoms of depression.

While this is a hot topic in scientific research, we do not currently know which specific probiotic strains can influence mood.

For example, maximizing your gut health by eating plenty of fiber-rich wholes (your gut bacteria’s preferred food), can increase the number of good bacteria.

This is the best way to influence your mood via your gut.

If your bacterial balance has become disrupted due to a stomach bug, antibiotics, or other causes, then strains that support beneficial bacteria, may help improve the composition of your gut microbiome.

Great Health Starts in the Gut

By interacting with your immune system, your gut bacteria influence your ability to resist infection, reduce inflammation, and maintain a healthy mood.

If you are wondering whether your gut may be making you sick, sad, or inflamed, make an appointment with a natural healthcare practitioner at Your Wellness Centre today.

Together, you can assess your bacterial balance, and make a plan to improve your specific symptoms.

 

You Can Read more about Microbiome Testing here:

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

With the ‘Microbiome’ being a hot topic right now for anyone interested in health, it’s worth Understanding the Gut Microbiome,  taking a closer look at what it is and what affects it.

Your gut is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms, and this internal community, known as the gut microbiome, plays a crucial role in your well-being.
It is made up of a massive 38 trillion microbes that includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more.

In short, your microbiome is a flourishing and diverse ecosystem containing a wide variety of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms.

Why would you need a Healthy Microbiome?

When your microbiome is healthy and balanced, it has hardly any potentially harmful or disease-producing bacteria and has wide-reaching beneficial health effects. Here are some of it’s critical functions.

  • Digestion:  Gut bacteria help break down and digest food. In doing so, nutrients are more accessible to your body.
  • Immune System Support: A healthy gut microbiome can strengthen your immune system, helping you fight off infections and diseases. And you get rid of waste products effectively.
  • Mood and Brain Health: Your gut health can affect your mood and mental well-being.
  • Metabolism: The microbiome can influence your metabolism and even play a role in weight management.
  • Inflammation: A balanced gut microbiome can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to various chronic diseases.

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Leaky GutBut, if your gut microbiome (or gut ecosystem) is not as good as it could be and needs a little attention, life in general and even your waistline may be quite uncomfortable.

“You might find that If you feel and look bloated regularly without overindulging, your gut microbiome might be trying to tell you something!”

This brings us to looking more closely at something called Dysbiosis, a term used when our gut Bugs are Out of Balance.

So let’s look more closely at this term, Dysbiosis

Disruption to your internal microbial community can create an environment where pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms are able to grow and flourish.

This means there is a reduction in both the number and/or diversity of the beneficial microorganisms in your gut.

This imbalance in your gut microbiome is termed ‘dysbiosis’ and can lead to a number of negative health effects.

This can be digestive complaints, nutrient deficiencies and a compromised immune system which can lead to allergies and/or frequent illness.

Put plainly, dysbiosis disrupts the healthy functioning of your gut.

When this happens you could experience some uncomfortable symptoms like digestive pain and bloat.

It could also lead to nutritional deficiencies or even a compromised immune system.

Five ways you can upset your microbiome and cause Dysbiosis

  1. Eating a low fibre diet: as your gut microbes rely on the fibre in your food for fuel, a low fibre diet leads to a reduction in the diversity of your microbiome.
  2. Alcohol intake: the consumption of alcohol can result in dysbiotic changes in your intestinal microbiome.
    It also triggers gastrointestinal inflammation. So, If you’re consuming more than one standard drink per day, your microbiome’s probably keen for you to abstain a bit more often!
  3. Unmanaged stress: when you are stressed, the release of the stress hormone cortisol, and adrenaline sensitise your body to inflammation, including gut inflammation. This disrupts the gut environment, compromising the conditions your beneficial microbes need to flourish.
  4. Leading a sedentary lifestyle: lack of exercise has also been linked to reduced microbial diversity in the gut – another reason to get moving!
  5. Antibiotic use: a round of antibiotics does lead to some loss of core commensal organisms (antibiotics are supposed to kill off bacteria however in this instance the good stuff goes too). This leaves the gut susceptible to microbiome imbalances and dysfunction. Due to this disruption, up to 10% of people experience gastrointestinal side effects5 from antibiotic use, referred to as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD).

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Gut Benefits of ProbioticsDysbiosis and bloating have also been linked with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

SIBO is a type of chronic infection in which bacteria that usually live in the large bowel reproduce in large numbers and travel to the small intestine, somewhere they should not be.

This can cause excessive bloating, flatulence and digestive discomfort.

“If you suffer from a digestive disorder, you could have an imbalance in your gut microbiome that needs addressing.”

Gut Bacteria that release methane gas

Some of the bacteria involved in dysbiosis, release methane gas.

If you have dysbiosis, these gut bacteria, also known as ‘methanogens’ may well be lurking in your gut.

When they break down fibre from your food, these bacteria release methane gas.

This can cause bloating, sluggish digestion, slow transit time (the amount of time food takes to travel from your mouth, through your gut, and out the other end), constipation, bloating, flatulence and gut discomfort.

Because excess methane production is connected with chronic constipation, it may be worth finding out if methanogens are making you feel stopped up.

Gut Discomfort - Your Wellness Centre NaturopathyIn short, Bad Bugs cause disruption!

By disrupting your internal gut microbiome, dysbiosis can create an environment where disease-causing organisms have the opportunity to flourish.

How do we get these disease-causing organisms?

Well, we simply pick up potentially harmful bacteria and stubborn yeasts in our daily activities!

As mentioned above, This could be from our dietary choices, some antibiotic use, a lack of exercise or unmanaged stress.

If our gut microbiome is really good, it is able to kill off and dispose of these critters very effectively.

On the other hand, if our gut microbiome is struggling, disease-causing bugs can take over.

Perhaps you have had a bout of gastro?

This brings us to when you first noticed your gut issues.

Perhaps it coincided with a nasty bout of gastro or if you’ve been overseas where you had a bad case of Bali’s belly!

Now such an infection even though successfully treated, can leave you with dysbiosis that can persist. What this can do is leave you vulnerable to further infection.

It’s not unusual to find that after traditional treatment, you have lingering symptoms that can include bouts of nausea, gut pain, loose bowels, constipation, brain fog and severe bloating.

Find the reason for your Chronic Bloating! We now understand that there are multiple reasons why you could be chronically bloated.

So let’s look at the best way to find out what’s going on in your gut. This is by taking a microbiome test.

The results of the Metabiome™ test can help you bring balance back to your gut microbiome and reduce those uncomfortable gut symptoms.

You can read more about Microbiome Testing Here.

It’s Best to Test

Many of our patients with gut issues, have an obviously distorted belly and explain how they can’t tie their belt…

If you sometimes feel like they do, it might well be your microbiome showing these symptoms of bloating, discomfort or dysbiosis.

The results of the Metabiome™ test can highlight what needs to be done to bring balance back to your gut microbiome and reduce those uncomfortable gut symptoms.

Make an appointment with us to have this simple test and get some answers.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

Since gut pain, bloating, gastric discomfort and other digestive problems may also have underlying leaky gut problems, I thought you might like to have a read of this information on Leaky Gut.

Leaky Gut

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Leaky GutPut simply, Leaky Gut syndrome happens when large spaces (or holes) develop in the gut wall.

This allows bacteria, toxins, and food particles to leak into the bloodstream from the gut… hence its name “Leaky Gut”.

The definition of Leaky Gut Syndrome is an “increase in permeability of the intestinal mucosa to bigger molecules, antigens, and toxins associated with inflammatory degenerative and or atrophic mucosa or lining.”

Let’s look at the Digestive Tract

The digestive tract is an elaborate system that involves organs from the mouth to the colon.

The small intestine performs an essential barrier function in keeping the body free from allergies.

The intestine’s membrane acts as a wall separating undigested food and the bloodstream.

When intact and healthy, the digestive tract organs break down food into smaller, usable molecules, which then are sent through the bloodstream to nourish the body’s tissues.

Some amount of wall permeability is common.

In people with a normal, intact gut, up to 20 percent of undigested protein can pass through the mucous membranes.

Excessively permeability causes problems

But when there is inflammation in the gastrointestinal mucosa, the intestinal wall becomes excessively permeable (lots of little gaps or holes form)– a condition called ‘leaky gut syndrome.

If bits of food has not been properly broken down due to imbalances in the digestive tract, food molecules, which are usually too large to pass through the intestinal barrier, slip through the gaps in the gut wall and enter the bloodstream.

When this happens, the immune system treats these foreign substances as antigens (antigens can cause food intolerance and/or allergies).

This sets off an allergic response in which antibodies are secreted in the bloodstream to bind with these foreign substances.

Leaky Gut Syndrome may cause the intestinal lining to become inflamed and the microvilli become damaged or altered.

The damaged microvilli cannot then produce the enzymes and secretions that are essential for healthy digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is a very common problem in modern society.

Common causes of both Leaky Gut

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Gut Benefits of Probiotics

Common causes of both leaky gut and digestive dysfunction are antibiotics, certain drugs, enzyme deficiencies, parasites, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, toxins, mercury, alcohol, stress, and certain food intolerances.

And of course, we all at some time or other have been prescribed necessary antibiotics or even non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

They both damage the natural balance of good microbiota that the bowel requires to operate at its best.

And over time we may start getting the overt symptoms of Leaky Gut.

Of course, there are natural ways to effectively treat this.

If you would like more information, simply let us know by contacting us here

 

Take the step toward a healthier you!
Call 9879 9596 and book an appointment today!

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

One of the lesser-known benefits of consuming a diet high in polyphenols is its beneficial impact on your gut bacteria.

Polyphenols help the Gut

They selectively encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.

They are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in many of your favourite foods like blueberries and chocolate and they act like good food for your microbiome.

It contributes to good intestinal health by supporting the gut microbial balance by encouraging the production of beneficial bacteria and discouraging the growth of bad bacteria.

Benefits of Polyphenols

The portion of these foods that are beneficial to your inner health is the part that your body does not digest at all.

You see, once consumed, only about 5-10% of polyphenols are directly absorbed in the small intestine, while the rest make their way to the colon. 

The undigested part of the polyphenol-rich foods that make it to the colon increases the good guys and decreases the bad guys helping create a healthy microbiome.

And with a healthy microbiome comes more energy better moods better sleep less pain happier belly and more balanced immunity. 

Good health starts with the gut, so eat lots of polyphenol-rich food to keep your bugs happy and so to keep you healthy.

Foods that contain Polyphenol

wine, dark chocolate, berries, avocado, greens, fish, nutsThey are found in foods such as tea, wine, chocolates, fruits, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil, just to name a few.

You can benefit by specifically including apples, blueberries, plums, strawberries, cherries, raspberry, pomegranate, broccoli, spinach, rosemary, thyme, basil, curcumin, and other spices; dark chocolate, flaxseed meal,  red wine,  resveratrol containing foods,  weak black tea, peppermint tea, green tea.

So worth looking into including more of these to support a healthier gut.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

The gut microbiota, which describes the microorganisms living and growing inside your digestive tract is a hot topic right now! Exciting new research shows the benefits of probiotics and how these microbes have a profound impact on the many aspects of your health and wellbeing.

Taking probiotics (specific strains of beneficial bacteria) can positively influence these microorganisms and lead to improvements, not only in your digestive and immune health but the health of your whole body.

Is Your Gut Out of Balance?

stomach painAn imbalance in the gut microbiota is linked to numerous health conditions, both within the gut and throughout the body. You may have experienced symptoms such as bloating, wind, abdominal pain, and discomfort; signs of poor immunity (e.g. frequent colds and flu); or been plagued by allergies or skin conditions such as eczema. These may arise due to disturbances to the intricate balance of intestinal bacteria.

Many common lifestyle factors including alcohol consumption, medications (e.g. antibiotics), processed foods, and stress can disrupt this delicate balance and lead to an increase in undesirable bacteria or deficiencies in beneficial bacteria.

This imbalance has been associated with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, and autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis). In these cases, when taken in the right dosage, the benefits of probiotics are again evident when they help to restore the correct balance of bacteria and ultimately reinstate health.

It is now more important than ever to support your gastrointestinal microbiota!

How Do Probiotics Work?

stomach with bad bacteria and good bacteria

Specific probiotic strains help to rebuild the disrupted microbiota and act like policemen within the gut, restoring peace amongst the ‘citizens’ of the microbiota.

Probiotics have a regulating effect on both disease-promoting and beneficial bacteria; undesirable bacteria are kept at minimal levels, meanwhile promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

This exciting new news is in contrast to earlier thoughts that probiotics repopulated the gut by directly replacing any bad bugs living there.

Instead, probiotics help to restore the numbers and types of beneficial bacteria unique to you; rebuilding a healthy and diverse community of beneficial microbiota, and enabling them to function at their best, so you too can feel your best!

The Correct Strains at the Right Dose

There can be significant variation between probiotic strains.

Different strains not only have different actions in your body but also deliver different health benefits. Additionally, different doses of the same strain can have varying effects on the body.

Naturopaths at Your Wellness Centre can tailor your treatment by selecting specific probiotic strains at the right dose to address your individual health concerns.

These may include:

Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (BB-12®) – This super strain assists in rebuilding the gut microbiota and helps to rebalance bacteria after a course of antibiotics.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG®) – Commonly referred to as LGG®, this probiotic strain helps to regulate immune function, and in doing so may be useful for the treatment of autoimmune conditions, allergies, and eczema.

Probiotic Protection

Appropriate probiotic storage is of utmost importance to ensure the bacteria remain alive, strong, and healthy – essentially in a healthy state to restore your healthy state.

In nearly all instances, probiotics must be stored at stable temperatures within the fridge to keep them alive and active.

The only exception is when they are protected by PROTECTAIR™ technology as this has been shown to minimize moisture levels (moisture ‘activates’ probiotics, which you don’t want to happen until they are in your body!).

This technology has been developed to allow certain probiotic strains to remain out of the fridge for a set period of time, while still remaining stable and effective, so you get results.

Practitioner Recommended Probiotics Are Best

It is essential to source your probiotics based on the recommendation of a qualified Natural Health Practitioner.

This ensures that the formula contains the correct strains at the right dosage and combination to address your specific health needs.

Practitioners at Your Wellness Centre will prescribe probiotics that provide high strength, therapeutic doses of bacteria, beneficial for managing your health.

To restore peace and balance amongst the ‘citizens’ of your marvelous microbiota, ring Your Wellness Centre on 9879 9596 or contact us.

Take the step toward a healthier you!

Don’t forget to like our Facebook Page, Twitter @YWCnaturopath, and GPlus +YourwellnesscentreAu.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

What is Gut Health?

Gut health refers to the balance and harmony within your digestive system. It’s about more than just avoiding indigestion or occasional discomfort; it’s about nurturing an environment where your gut can thrive, and consequently, so can you.

Your gut is home to a bustling ecosystem of microorganisms, and this community, known as the gut microbiome, plays a crucial role in your well-being.

 

Benefits of a Healthy Gut

  • A healthy gut can contribute to improved digestion,
  • a stronger immune system,
  • and even a better mood.
  • Improving gut health reduces symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, cramping, constipation, or diarrhoea.

It is important to keep the gut healthy because as Hippocrates said more than 2000 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut”.  It is only now that we are beginning to see just how right he was.

 

Research over the last 20 years is showing that an unhealthy gut contributes to some of our most chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even autism spectrum disorder.

With this in mind, it is prudent that we tend to the gut as part of our daily routine and treat it with the same importance as our outward appearance.You see, a healthy gut makes a happy you.

Nurture our Microbiome

A good starting point is to nurture our natural microbial occupants, our microbiome.

The microorganisms that live symbiotically on the skin, the tongue, and in the coils of the intestines are known as the microbiome. Since there are 10x more of these than cells in our bodies, it is wise to feed not just ourselves but the good bugs in our digestive systems as well.

Wise indeed, especially since they influence our state of health and illness, from gut to brain and immunity to pain. What could later show up are irritable bowel symptoms, joint pain, mood and memory issues, and immune challenges, to name a few.

Unfortunately, it is really easy to destroy our good bugs. Among the culprits are the sugars either overt or hidden sugars in some of the food we choose; stress and toxicity are included here too; as well as antibiotics, medications, and other environmental chemicals which we may expose ourselves to from time to time.

Now, if you happen to have a bit of a problem with the gut: perhaps you experience bloating, tiredness after eating, cramps, reflux, constipation, or diarrhea, then your gut is likely in need of some repair, it is likely to be leaky and in need of some good bacteria as well as some special nutrients.

well being

Here are a few steps to take in caring for the microbiome:

1) Start by Giving your System a Rest

Leave out foods that are sure to irritate an ailing digestive system. Start with leaving out wheat and dairy foods and opting for easy-to-digest steamed vegetables and soups or broths. Pre-digested foods are good too so try making green smoothies.

2) Add some Good Probiotics and Prebiotics

It’s really easy to use a good quality brand of probiotic and take it daily.

3) Eat Foods that Contribute to Good Gut Health

Foods that help in this regard are fermented food such as kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Really valuable because they help introduce enzymes and probiotics that can help with the digestion and absorption of our food.

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Herb KaleKale, spinach, silverbeet, dandelion greens are the leafy greens that can be included in salads, soups, smoothies.

Polyphenols are a class of micronutrients that act as an antioxidant and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Polyphenols are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in many of your favorite foods. They are found in deep red and orange vegetables such as beetroot, carrots, and red cabbage; also in blueberries and red wine, apples (whole including skin), plums, cherries, pomegranate, peppermint tea, green tea, curcumin, and other spices. They act as a fertilizer for your microbiome.

With a healthy microbiome, your body can actually better break down the nutrients you’re eating, which is your first step on the road to wellness.

And with a healthy inner ecology comes less pain, more energy, better moods, a happier belly, and more balanced immunity.

Ultimately it eventually allows for more dietary variation and tolerance as well!

4) Manage Stress

However, if your symptoms are severe, the above measures will most likely not be quite enough. Truth be told, for many of us with chronic conditions and leaky gut, it often takes an army of helpers. This is where we can step in to help.

If this article prompts you to visit us, then simply give us a
call on 03 9879 9596 or contact us.

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Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne