Prebiotics

What are they?

These guys are a major help when getting your gut microbiome in check. We always hear about probiotics and how we should be getting them in our diet through supplementing and foods. Yes these are important but they go in do their job and then leave through elimination via feces.

These probiotics need foods to live just like we do. This is where prebiotics come into play. These are food components that feed and strengthen probiotics.

They are a natural, non digestible food component that are linked to promoting growth of helpful bacteria in your gut. Basically they are “good bacteria” promoters. They are said to improve GI health as well as enhance calcium absorption.

Food Sources.

Incorporating these food sources listed below will help tremendously increase prebiotics in the gut and further promote the longevity of probiotics as well.

Veggies with the skin on
Properly prepared whole grains
Sourdough breads
Polyunsaturated Fatty acids ( omega 3 and 6s)
Phenols in green and black tea
Fresh herbs and spices
Legumes and beans ( esp the darker and deeper colored ones)
Red wines ( organic)
Dark chocolate ( the real stuff not the sugar laden ones)
Cacao

Ideas on how to add them in with Probiotics.

The most obvious is to take a probiotic supplement and incorporate any of the foods listed above into your diet daily!

Add sauerkraut to your next salad, eat a tbsp or 2 before your next prebiotic meal or top your next dish containing whole grains or veggies with it!

Enjoy a smoothie made with kefir for probiotics and half a banana for the prebiotics.

Some of my favorite Products and their links to get them yourself:

Healthfully Yours,

Krystal Goodman