This post is written in partnership with New Chapter, however all opinions are my own. I only work with and recommend companies whose products I love, and I’m so excited to share these with you!
I love this time of year and everything it brings – the beautiful foliage, my birthday, holidays spent with friends and family, and I usually take a trip back home to London in the Fall too. What I don’t want to do is waste any time ill in bed with a cold or even the flu, so ensuring a robust immune system and optimal gut health is super important to me as the seasons change and temperatures drop.
Approximately 80% of our immune system is located in our digestive tract, which has an extremely important two-part system that is our body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens. The first is a mucosal layer that is home to the population of bacteria and yeasts that we collectively term our microbiome, and the second is the one cell thick epithelial lining that is the gateway to our bloodstream.
Our microbiome is responsible for preventing pathogens from entering our bloodstream (the germs that cause colds and flu at this time of year), absorbing nutrients from our food and our supplements (remember ‘you are not what you eat, but what you absorb’), and even in part for our hunger and food cravings. Ensuring that it is balanced, healthy and well functioning is one of the best ways we can ensure we stay well at this time of year and enjoy everything the seasons have to offer.
Most of us know by now that taking a great quality probiotic is essential to great gut health, but I’m often asked what to look for in a probiotic. New Chapter’s Probiotic All-Flora is my year round probiotic supplement, and the one I recommend to all of my private coaching clients and as part of my 28 Day Guided Gut Healing Program.
Choosing a Great Probiotic
As I mentioned above, our microbiome is made up of a host of bacteria and yeasts, all working together as part of your immune system, so it is important that your probiotic doesn’t just contain bacteria alone. In my practice I’ve learnt that rebalancing your microbiome is just as important as replenishing the good bacteria, but it is a step that is often neglected. When your microbiome is unbalanced it can cause GI distress, gas, bloating, constipation and even food intolerances, and can negatively affect our immune system.
New Chapter’s Probiotic All-Flora contains both DNA tested strains of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium breve) to keep your good gut flora healthy and flourishing, and Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast that reduces problematic yeast overgrowth throughout our digestive tracts.*
Once our gut flora is rebalanced and replenished we want to ensure we keep it that way, and I love that New Chapter’s Probiotic All-Flora also contains prebiotics to fuel our microbiome, and postbiotics to boost probiotic activity and benefit overall gut health.* It also contains a blend of fermented organic herbs designed to boost and support digestive function, including aloe, peppermint, coriander, cardamom and artichoke.*
It’s so simple to implement into your daily health and wellness routine, as you only have to take one a day and it does not have to be refrigerated, so is perfect for holiday travel. You can find New Chapter’s Probiotic All-Flora on their website, at Whole Foods and CVS, and you can even have it delivered to your door by Amazon.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.