You have probably heard about the many benefits associated with probiotics. But can you also trust probiotics for acid reflux relief?  In this article I will describe acid reflux, how it relates to gut health, and how taking probiotics for acid reflux may help.  What Is Acid Reflux? Reflux happens when acidic stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus. While this happens a bit naturally, an increase in the frequency and severity of these episodes may start to cause symptoms like heartburn, tissue damage or other complications. Then it’s known as gastroesophageal reflux disease ..read more

Chronic constipation is very common. It has been estimated that up to 24% of the population struggles with chronic constipation (1). Fortunately, there are many natural constipation remedies that can help you overcome this condition.  In this article, I’ll go over exactly what chronic constipation is, what causes it, and my best tips to help you deal with it.  What is Chronic Constipation? Despite the prevalence of chronic constipation, it has no exact definition because it affects everyone differently. Chronic constipation is characterized by typical constipation symptoms (like diffi ..read more

Sunfiber (partially hydrolyzed guar gum or PHGG) is one of the most well-tolerated prebiotics on the market and is especially useful for those dealing with symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. Learn more about how Sunfiber might be helpful for you in this article. As someone who works almost exclusively with clients with digestive problems, I get really excited about prebiotics (a substance that feeds healthy gut bacteria) that are well-tolerated even by those with issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. I’m a huge fan of pretty much all prebiotics as t ..read more

Despite sounding very similar, prebiotics and probiotics are quite different and play different roles in the gut microbiome. So what is a prebiotic vs probiotic? What are Prebiotics? Prebiotic definition: “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” (1) This essentially means that the definition of a prebiotic fiber is anything that bacteria living in your gut (or elsewhere) can use to thrive. When these beneficial bacteria thrive, they help you, their host, thrive as well. Thus, prebiotics, by way of helping your good gut bacteria thr ..read more

Did you know that the strain of a probiotic determines its effect? And that most probiotic supplements don’t tell you what strain they contain? In order to take the best probiotic for you, you need to understand which strain will give you the benefits you’re looking for. What is a Probiotic? No doubt you’ve heard all the hype about probiotics. “Probiotics will heal your gut!” “Probiotics will prevent food sensitivities!” “Probiotics treat IBS!” …among others. There’s a million claims out there and a million more probiotic supplements to buy. So how do you know what the best probiotic supplemen ..read more

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) can be an incredibly frustrating condition to live with. More often than not, it’s something that women deal with for months or years, with little help from their doctors. Luckily, using probiotics for BV can make treating this condition much easier! In this article, I’ll go over exactly what bacterial vaginosis is, the typical BV treatment, how to address recurring BV, and how probiotics for bacterial vaginosis can help. In doing research for this post, I came across so many stories from women all over the Internet and it really broke my heart to read them. Women ..read more

You hear a lot about probiotics these days, but what about prebiotics? What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics and should you be consuming both? In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about prebiotics and I’ll let you know about the top 3 best prebiotic supplements. What Are Prebiotics? Prebiotics were first defined in 1995 as “non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria already resident in the colon.” (1) That definition has been tweaked ..read more

One of the best things you can do for better gut health is to eat a diverse diet full of high polyphenol foods. If you’re a pretty healthy eater and consume lots of plant matter, you might be surprised to learn that you’re already eating quite a bit of high polyphenol foods. Even so, you can always strategically increase your polyphenol intake for even more health benefits. In this article, we’ll discuss the high polyphenol diet: what it is, how to implement it, and the massive benefits you can expect once you implement this easy, delicious diet. Let’s jump in! What are Polypheno ..read more

I’ve talked before about the importance of optimizing your gut health before getting pregnant in order to promote a healthy pregnancy for both you and your baby. But what about getting pregnant in the first place… Can your gut bacteria play a role in your estrogen production and fertility? The science suggests that it very well might! To understand why let’s take a closer look at infertility and one of its common causes: estrogen dominance. What is Infertility? When you hear the term “infertility,” you likely think of a person or a couple that cannot and will never be able to have children. In ..read more

You have probably heard about the many benefits associated with probiotics. But can you also trust probiotics for acid reflux relief?  In this article I will describe acid reflux, how it relates to gut health, and how taking probiotics for acid reflux may help.  What Is Acid Reflux? Reflux happens when acidic stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus. While this happens a bit naturally, an increase in the frequency and severity of these episodes may start to cause symptoms like heartburn, tissue damage or other complications. Then it’s known as gastroesophageal reflux disease ..read more