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!
As a holistic gut health expert I am fascinated and thrilled to see how the benefits of taking a probiotic has become part of our daily health routine. When I first started recommending probiotics to clients eight years ago they were difficult to find, and the formulations nowhere near as effective as they are now.
When New Chapter reached out to me to try their new line of probiotics I of course jumped at the chance! I have been taking their Probiotic All-Flora once daily for over a year now, and have been loving the positive changes in my digestive health (I’ve experienced a marked decrease in bloating, cramps and constipation), so I couldn’t wait to try their new targeted range: Mood Support, Weight Management and Women’s Daily.
I encourage my gut health clients to think of probiotics in the same way we think of vitamins and minerals – most of us are aware of how eating a diverse range of foods and taking smart supplements provides us with the range of vitamins and minerals needed for optimum health, and how increasing our intake of certain foods and supplements can provide us with the vitamins and minerals we need to help us deal with health problems or reach our wellness goals.
It is important for us to understand that we have a wide diversity of species throughout our GI tract and mucus membranes (our colon alone houses over five hundred different species), each of them needing different strains and strengths of probiotics to thrive.
New Chapter’s new line of probiotics are a welcome solution to help us care for our diverse microbiome. All of New Chapter’s probiotic formulas are considered a 2-in-1 as they contain live probiotics as well as prebiotics (prebiotics are the food source that nourishes our gut flora). Each product contains DNA-tested probiotic strains clinically studied for their benefits and delivering in the CFU (colony forming units) amounts appropriate to that type of bacteria.
New Chapter Mood Support Probiotic could not have come at a better time – at present I am juggling running my business, taking college classes in Advanced Nutritional Therapy, and writing my book on Stress and Sleep! Whilst I love all of these things and relish the challenge, my stress levels are higher than usual, and I have been experiencing some anxiety that is out of the norm for me. Incorporating the Mood Support Probiotic has helped me to manage and support my stress levels, and the periods of anxiety are both shorter and less frequent.
With May being National Mental Health Awareness Month I’ve been talking a lot about the link between great gut health and great mental health, as an estimated 90% of serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters that helps us feel relaxed and happy is made in the gut. Poor gut health can also contribute to higher levels of cortisol, our stress hormone, so prioritizing a healthy gut is key to relieving stress and anxiety. New Chapter’s Mood Support Probiotic with its mood enhancing* strains of probiotics and prebiotics, combined with their proprietary targeted herbal blend of passionflower and lavender is now a key part of both my gut health and mental health routine, and I highly recommend it becomes part of yours too.
And some other simple ways to help boost your mental health this month? Ensure you get outside at least once a day, try journaling or keeping a gratitude log (I write out five things I am grateful for every morning before starting my work way), include some gentle exercise, stretching, or yoga, and take time out to enjoy some of life’s small pleasures, such as taking yourself out on a date, or buying yourself some flowers!
*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.