Our pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline we are.  A pH of 0 is completely acidic
and a pH of 14 is completely alkaline.  We aim to be neutral which is a pH of 7.

Why does this matter?  Because an alkaline rich diet can reduce inflammation in the body and inflammation is the source of all disease.  Bacteria can thrive in an acidic body, and that's the opposite of being detoxed.

Alkaline foods are whole UNprocessed foods like veggies, sweet potatoes, beans, almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, avocados, bananas, watermelon and coconut.  

Acidic foods are most animal products including dairy, sugar, highly processed foods, coffee and alcohol.

If you are balanced and work to create an Alkaline Body, this increases your energy, reduces signs of inflammation and aging and keeps cancer at bay.

Trying to maintain balance is trying to maintain your health.  Let's do this and keep our bodies in check.

Probiotics have a partner to keep them alive and healthy!  In order for probiotics to live and flourish, it important to add PREbiotics.  These are the foods that keep probiotics healthy and strong giving your gut a truly healthy environment to keep your health in line.

In order for probiotics to maintain their healthy and strong environment, it's important to introduce you to prebiotics.  Oligosaccharides and inulin (soluble fiber found in grains, fruit and vegetables) and antioxidant compounds found in plants called phenols are considered prebiotics.  Boosting your intake of these foods help keep your gut healthy, thus helping to improve your immune functions.  

Foods that are considered prebiotics:  Asparagus, Artichokes, Bananas, Blueberries, Beans, Eggplant, Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Jicama, Peas, Soybeans and Yes, Red Wine (in moderation).

Considering adding one of these foods/day to keep your gut healthy and help fight off disease!

Watch next for my post of keeping your body in check!

Getting your gut on track is the utmost priority.  A healthy gut is where it all begins. That's why it's so important to make probiotics part of your daily, where you start your day.  With a daily dose, probiotics make themselves at home in  your gut, making the gut inhospitable for bad bacteria and microbes.    Your gut is home to trillions of friendly bacterial microbes that help keep your gastrointestinal tract healthy, yet the by-products of everyday living (ie. stress, anxiety, antibiotics, and highly processed foods) can throw the balance of healthy bacteria off, causing GI upset and lowering resistance to disease.

A daily dose of probiotics can change all that, making the gut an inhospitable environment for bad bacteria and microbes.  Probiotics encourage regularity, produce B vitamins as a by-product (shown to help reduce inflammation caused by stress), produce Vitamin K (which regulates proper blood clotting and boosts bone density) and help produce enzymes that aid in the metabolism.  They also provide a protective layer to guard against bad bacteria brought into the body by food, air and drinks.

Once probiotics have become a norm in the household, they should always be kept refrigerated.   For our kids, there are chewable probiotics, or 'Good Belly' probiotic drink and also Lifeway Nonfat Bio Kefir ( which is basically a milk smoothie) or can be put into a smoothie so your children can get their daily dose too! Other foods high in probiotics are cottage cheese, yogurts, kimchi, miso, tempeh, tofu, pickled ginger, sauerkraut, wine and beer too!

If opting for a supplement, a good generic is PB8, vegetarian capsule or Ultimate Flora, found in your local health food store (ie. Whole Foods).  I usually go with one of those or the Complete Probiotic from Dr. Mercola and alternate.  Whatever you do, make probiotics party of your daily routine.   A healthy gut helps boost immunity to start and that's only the beginning of all its benefits! 

Look next for my post on Prebiotics!