Eating Right Is The Best Way To Optimize Good Bacteria In Your Gut?

Healthy eating, not supplements, is the best way to keep the good bacteria in your gut healthy, says a dietitian and researcher. As with vitamins, it's best to get the bacteria you need from healthy food rather than taking often expensive and potentially ineffective supplements, says Gail Cresci, Medical College of Georgia, dietitian and researcher.
She equates the good bacterium in your gastrointestinal tract to another living being inside that helps keeps you healthy.

"If you do good by your bacteria, they will do good by you," Ms. Cresci says.

There is even mounting evidence that a healthy gut microbiota helps maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown, for example, that when bacteria from a genetically fat mouse are placed in a lean germ-free mouse, it gains weight without changing its food intake.

Unfortunately poor diets are hurting the bacteria in many of us and the overuse of antibiotics is taking its toll as well, particularly the common, broad-spectrum antibiotics that wipe out anything in their path, good and bad bacteria included.

Cresci cites inadequate fiber and excess unhealthful fats as contributing to the problem, and states that a good daily diet has adequate high-quality protein, fiber, healthy fats and fresh fruits and vegetables.


Sources:

ScienceDaily October 22, 2009

2009 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Denver, CO, October 17-20, 2009

Although this is beneficial information, I do not entirely agree. There are some great supplements out there that are really pure and that offer more than just on species or strand of good bacteria.
Primal defense is one of those, the high concentration is great for your gut and will help build the tree of life in your gut. Couple this with the right diet of mostly raw, clean, naturally fermented and organic foods you will encourage growth of the good bacteria and not adding into your gut bad and dead bacteria.

Some of the best food that pack a high good bacteria punch are:
Natto

Miso

Kimchee

Tempeh

Kefir

Yogurt

Olives

Sauerkraut

Pickles

It is important to note that traditionally fermented foods are not the equivalent of the same foods in commercially processed form. The best way to ensure you're consuming the real thing is to prepare your own fermented foods at home, and Sally Fallon’s cookbook Nourishing Traditions is an excellent guide on how to do this.

Eat well and your body will restore itself to it's natural weight with great side effects of feeling more energetic, a super immune system, better skin, etc. The list is longer than I have time to type it.

Leg Up And Overs

Try this as a part of your workout routine, if you enjoy or have questions let me know.
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9 Ways to Know the Gospel of Christ Is True

(Author: John Piper)

1. Jesus Christ, as he is presented to us in the New Testament, and as he stands forth from all its writings, is too single and too great to have been invented so uniformly by all these writers.

The force of Jesus Christ unleashed these writings; the writings did not create the force. Jesus is far bigger and more compelling than any of his witnesses. His reality stands behind these writings as a great, global event stands behind a thousand newscasters. Something stupendous unleashed these diverse witnesses to tell these stunning and varied, yet unified, stories of Jesus Christ.

2. Nobody has ever explained the empty tomb of Jesus in the hostile environment of Jerusalem where the enemies of Jesus would have given anything to produce the corpse, but could not.

The earliest attempts to cover the scandal of resurrection were manifestly contradictory to all human experience—disciples do not steal a body (Matthew 28:13) and then sacrifice their lives to preach a glorious gospel of grace on the basis of the deception. Modern theories that Jesus didn't die but swooned, and then awoke in the tomb and moved the stone and tricked his skeptical disciples into believing he was risen as the Lord of the universe don't persuade.

3. Cynical opponents of Christianity abounded where claims were made that many eyewitnesses were available to consult concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

"After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:6). Such claims would be exposed as immediate falsehood if they could. But we know of no exposure. Eyewitnesses of the risen Lord abounded when the crucial claims were being made.

4. The early church was an indomitable force of faith and love and sacrifice on the basis of the reality of Jesus Christ.

The character of this church, and the nature of the gospel of grace and forgiveness, and the undaunted courage of men and women—even unto death—do not fit the hypothesis of mass hysteria. They simply were not like that. Something utterly real and magnificent had happened in the world and they were close enough to know it, and be assured of it, and be gripped by its power. That something was Jesus Christ, as all of them testified, even as they died singing.

5. The prophesies of the Old Testament find stunning fulfillment in the history of Jesus Christ.

The witness to these fulfillments are too many, too diverse, too subtle and too interwoven into the history of the New Testament church and its many writings to be fabricated by some great conspiracy. Down to the details, Jesus Christ fulfilled dozens of Old Testament prophecies that vindicate his truth.

6. The witnesses to Jesus Christ who wrote the New Testament gospels and letters are not gullible or deceitful or demented.

This is manifest from the writings themselves. The books bear the marks of intelligence and clear-headedness and maturity and a moral vision that is compelling. They win our trust as witnesses, especially when all taken together with one great unifying, but distinctively told, message about Jesus Christ.

7. The worldview that emerges from the writings of the New Testament makes more sense out of more reality than any other worldview.

It not only fits the human heart, but also the cosmos and history and God as he reveals himself in nature and conscience. Some may come to this conclusion after much reflection, others may arrive at this conviction by a pre-reflective, intuitive sense of the deep suitability of Christ and his message to the world that they know.

8. When one sees Christ as he is portrayed truly in the gospel, there shines forth a spiritual light that is a self-authenticating.

This is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:6), and it is as immediately perceived by the Spirit-awakened heart as light is perceived by the open eye. The eye does not argue that there is light. It sees light.

9. When we see and believe the glory of God in the gospel, the Holy Spirit is given to us so that the love of God might be "poured out in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

This experience of the love of God known in the heart through the gospel of Him who died for us while we were yet ungodly assures us that the hope awakened by all the evidences we have seen will not disappoint us.

(First posted as a Taste & See Article in 1999)
Get more from John Piper here!

Metabolism-Revving Recipes

Green Chili
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 oz. green mole
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 jalapenos, seeded
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 large can tomatillos, drained
3 bunches green onions
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 cups pinto beans

Directions:
In a small food processor, blend the jalapenos. If you like a hotter chili, leave the seeds in, but you can reduce the number of seeds to suit your taste. Chop green onions and sauté with blended jalapeno and chopped garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add ground turkey and turkey sausage and brown. In a food processor, blend tomatillos. Add tomatillos and all spices, simmer for 45 minutes.

Mix green mole in 1 cup of boiling water until dissolved. Add mole and pinto beans; simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream or crème fraîche.

Source: Jason Longman of Atlanta






Taco Lettuce Wraps (Raw vegetarian)
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Taco “meat”:
2 cups walnuts, soaked
1/3 cup wheat-free tamari soy sauce
1 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin powder
½ tablespoon coriander powder

Taco wraps and toppings:
1 head romaine lettuce
3 tomatoes, sliced
3 avocados, sliced
Celtic sea salt to taste

Equipment needed: food processor

Directions:
In the afternoon of the day before, soak walnuts overnight in filtered water. Process taco “meat” ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles ground taco meat. Stop to scrape sides. Remove and set aside. Wash and choose from crispy lettuce leaves for taco wraps. Prepare avocados and tomatoes. Fill lettuce cavities with taco “meat” and top with toppings. Serve two tacos on a white salad plate with a favorite Mexican seasoning on top.

Source: Mandilyn Canistelle (www.chefmandy.com)






Herb Baked Salmon with Creamed Style Spinach
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4-6 oz. pieces of salmon
1 tablespoon Trocomare
1 teaspoon tarragon (dry)
1 teaspoon coriander crushed seeds
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
Marinate fish in herbs, spices, and lemon juice for 1-2 hours. Sear in hot butter, 2 minutes on each side. Finish in oven 5 minutes at 385° F.

Creamed Style Spinach

Ingredients:
3 cups spinach, rough chopped
1 cup herbed goat’s cheese sauce
½ cup yogurt
2 tablespoons capers

Directions:
Combine and heat just enough to wilt spinach. Pour over salmon.

Source: Sheila Barcelo of Eden’s Gourmet in Central Florida

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

How Important Is Sleep

Sleep is an area of life we sometimes take for granted.. until we go a couple of days without out proper sleep. Sleep is not a luxury it is a necessity!
It is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of our daily routine as far as the maintenance of health and prevention of disease is concerned.
Our body's regenerate after a fresh nights sleep, making it ready for a whole new day of activity. Depriving the body of sleep will allow your body to be compromised without you even knowing it!
Waking up tired, feeling irritated through your day are just a few ways to know that your sleep is suffering. Combine a lack of sleep with a high stress job, taking care of a sick child or even menopause and you will start to feel like a basket case. You cannot burn the candle at both end without eventually paying the price.

Try some of these things to help you get your rest.
-Melatonin.
Your body produces this natural relaxation aid from the pineal gland. Sleeping in absolute darkness will help your body regenerate Melatonin. Shut off the Tv!
-Make your bedroom a relaxation vacation.
Create a relaxing theme to your room by adding beautiful drapes, aroma therapy, peaceful pictures, and cool climate. Make it so that when you enter you immediately feel relaxed.
-Consider Socks
Warm feet = deep sleep.

There are other things you can do too, focus on these things and make it a habit to get your 7-8.5 hours of sleep.

Protein in the Raw

Most of us know that brown rice is nutritionally far superior to white rice. Why? Brown rice has only the hull—the outermost layer of the grain—removed, which is the least invasive nutrition-wise.

White rice, by contrast, is highly processed and removes 67% of vitamin B3, 80% of vitamin B1, 90% of vitamin B6, 50% of the manganese, 50% of the phosphorous, 60% of the iron, and all dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. In essence, this strips the rice of a fair amount of its nutritional value.

Perhaps that’s why, in the United States, the law requires white rice to be enriched with vitamins B1, B3 and iron—although these aren’t the same as the indigenous nutrients that were lost in the processing. What’s more is that at least 11 nutrients lost in the white rice processing are not ever replaced.

Brown rice provides an excellent source of manganese. In fact, one cup of brown rice gives you 88% of the Daily Value (DV) for manganese, a trace mineral that helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved of the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Manganese is also a strong part of an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase which helps to fight off free radicals.†

Brown rice is also a good source of fiber and selenium. One cup of brown rice supplies 14% of the Daily Value of fiber and over 27% of the Daily Value for selenium—a trace mineral that is at the active site of many proteins and is essential to thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems and immune function.†

Brown rice also provides a rich source of magnesium, a mineral which is a co-factor of over 300 enzymes—including enzymes necessary for healthy blood sugar levels. Magnesium also plays a role in supporting cardiovascular health, already healthy blood pressure levels and strong bones.† One cup of brown rice supplies 21% of the Daily Value for magnesium.

While brown rice packs a nutritional wallop in its plain form, its nutritional value is enhanced when it is sprouted or germinated—that is, soaked for several hours before it’s cooked. Researchers found that germinated brown rice has more fiber, three times the amount of lysine (an essential amino acid) and ten times the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—an amino acid that supports healthy kidney function—than regular brown rice.†

Why the increased nutrient levels?

Researchers say the germination process activates enzymes that release additional nutrients. Hiroshi Kayahara, Ph.D., the lead researcher in this brown rice project, explains, “The birth of a sprout activates dormant enzymes in the brown rice all at once to supply the best nutrition to the growing sprout.”

The researchers also note that white rice will not sprout and that the sprouted brown rice has a sweet flavor due to the enzymes breaking down some of the sugar and protein in the grain.

Speaking of protein in the brown rice…those on a plant-based diet often have a difficult time finding a high-quality supplemental protein source, but brown rice protein may prove to be one worthy of trying.

Brown rice protein is nutritionally rich and often has enzymes added to separate the protein from the carbohydrates—resulting in a brown rice protein powder that’s about 70% protein and contains four times more arginine than other protein powders. (Arginine is converted into nitric oxide, which allows better delivery of nutrients.) Brown rice protein is also rich in glutamine, which promotes muscle growth and supports immune health.†

With all the other positive nutritional attributes of brown rice, that’s yet another win for this amazing grain.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
By: jodan Rubin

Strength Training Circuit

We are now shooting videos for all kinds of workout routines to help you to your goals. If you are a Meal Plan purchaser, you will have these coupled with your fitness plan, for free. If you just like to watch enjoy them as we post them.

Please make some suggestions for workouts you would like to see and please rate our videos!

Email us or post in the comments.