A Delicious Snack To Support Gut Health
The Gut Microbiome
The human “gut” is very complex and has been linked more now then ever to having a huge impact on the health of the overall body. When you hear the word bacteria we often associate it with being sick or something bad but there is actually billions of bacteria floating around in the gut that are considered beneficial. The good bacteria is part of our microbiome. “The microbiome is defined as a ‘community of microbes,'” which supports so many different functions and organ systems in the body. To have good health, it is important to withstand a healthy microbiome, your bodies own personal army to fight off infection and foreign invaders to our body.
How to support the gut microbiome
To support the gut microbiome it is best to eat an anti inflammatory diet, encourage the growth of good bacteria (probiotics + prebiotics), and keep good bacteria in the gut.
What is the difference between prebiotics and probiotics
The standard American diet is very much low in both probiotic and prebiotic foods. I’m sure you’ve heard or read at some point about probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria in food or supplements that provide a numerous amount of health benefits. But what about prebiotics? Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber compounds that are degraded by gut microbiota. While probiotics play a key role in gut health and overall well-being, prebiotics help “feed” the probiotics to bump up the health benefits even more. Think of it as putting gasoline in a car. Gasoline is food and energy for the car like prebiotics are food and energy to probiotics which support our microbiome. With a diet high in both pre and probiotic foods you can amplify the health promoting properties of each.
Because probiotics have been found to support the microbiome consuming enough “food” for them (prebiotics) has been linked to a long list of powerful benefits as well including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, better digestion, supported cholesterol levels, better hormone balance, better immune function, lower inflammation, and less risk of autoimmune disease.
Now that we understand the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, can we take them together? The answer is yes. It is actually more beneficial to take them together because again the prebiotics are feeding those good gut bacteria and preventing “dysbiosis”, or an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. Together they support immunity, inflammatory response, and overall optimal health.
Top probiotic & prebiotic sources:
Some of the top probiotic sources are fermented vegetables, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, supplements.
Some of the top prebiotic sources are: Dandelion, leeks, acacia gum, blueberries, supplements.
Boost your prebiotics and probiotics with this delicious snack. #agutzyaday
Personally, I take a probiotic daily to ensure good bacteria growth in my gut and eat a whole foods diet rich in prebiotic foods. It is safe to say with my busy schedule I sometimes wonder if I am getting enough prebiotics throughout the day, especially if I am working in the city and constantly on the go all day. When Gutzy reached out to me to sample some of their products I was hesitant as I try to stay away from any “packaged” food but when I researched a little more and looked into them I saw they were a very well established product brand & I was more so excited to give them a go.
Now, I am the type of person who is always trying to do everything from scratch. I make my own almond milk from scratch, vegetable broths, etc. However, I knew right away after reviewing the product that Gutzy would be a good edition to my anti inflammatory plant based diet.
Having had used Gutzy for about a week I wanted to share my honest opinion on the products. Aside from being impressed with the nutritional facts and information the taste was actually really good! They arrived cold and I immediately but them in my fridge. I received a mix of flavors from blueberry to pineapple to kale and greens. I used them a few different ways. Added them to my smoothies, had them right from the package, and even added them to my yogurt (prebiotics + probiotic bonus there!)
So what is Gutzy Anyway?
Gutzy are Gut Friendly Fruit & Botanical Snack packets with organic prebiotic fiber & organic botanicals (like dandelion and ginger). The snack packets taste amazing & have no added sugar, are gluten free, plant based, dairy free, and kosher approved.
We can definitely get a good amount of prebiotics from food but many of us are typically living a life on the go whether we work a full time job, are going to school full time, or a running around with our kids. Sometimes when we are busy it can be hard to ensure good quality prebiotic rich meals. Thats why I loved these snack packets when I felt like my prebiotic intake may have been low some days.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy Gutzy was to add it to my coconut yogurt. Coconut yogurt is rich is probiotics and if you recall from reading above taking prebiotics and probiotics together is a nutritional powerhouse. Store bought “fruit at the bottom” yogurts or flavored yogurts in general can have lots of added chemicals, preservatives, and ingredients that are not necessarily the best for us. Even the more natural flavored yogurt brands can be high in sugar. Adding Gutzy to a plain yogurt creates that fruit at the bottom feel while keeping the snack low in sugar and providing even greater nutritional benefits.
According to Gutzy, “1o g prebiotic acacia fiber have been shown to increase beneficial gut bacteria over 4 weeks and 1 pouch of Gutzy contains 5g prebiotic acacia fiber”. They say you can have 1-2 pouches per day and agree to explain that you will see the best results if you are taking probiotics.
It’s safe to say that probiotics and prebiotics are a very important part of our diets and we often do not get enough of either of them.
Having #agutzyaday can help support overall health and wellness.
For more information on Gutzy visit http://gutzyorganic.com/
This blog was #Sponsored by Gutzy & Shares my honest review of the product.
