Probiotics are showing up in foods, beverages, and supplements. What exactly are they, do they work, and are they safe for us to be consuming?
A Gut Feeling
What are probiotics?
There are very few people who have not heard about the “new” health miracles called probiotics. Probiotics are organisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health and prevent colds or fight a cold once you already have one. Is your body able to handle this on its own or do you need to start including probiotics in your diet?
The idea of taking live bacteria or yeast may seem strange at first. After all, we take antibiotics to fight bacteria. But our bodies naturally teem with such organisms. The digestive system is home to more than 500 different types of bacteria. They help keep the intestines healthy and assist in digesting food. They are also believed to help the immune system.
Let’s start with the facts behind what probiotics are. The root of the word probioticcomes from the Greek word pro, meaning “promoting” and biotic, meaning “life.” There is some debate about how to define probiotics. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines probiotics as “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Yes, they are actually alive, and most of these microorganisms are bacteria. Most people think of antibiotics and antibacterial products when you mention bacteria. Both of those kill bacteria so why would you want to consume anything that has live bacteria in it? It’s all about balance.
How Do Probiotics Work?
Researchers believe that some digestive disorders happen when the balance of friendly bacteria in the intestines becomes disturbed. This can happen after an infection or after taking antibiotics. Intestinal problems can also arise when the lining of the intestines is damaged. Taking probiotics may help. “Probiotics can improve intestinal function and maintain the integrity of the lining of the intestines,” says Stefano Guandalini, MD, professor of pediatrics and gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Probiotics and the Immune System
There’s also evidence that probiotics help maintain a strong immune system. In societies with very good hygiene, we’ve seen a sharp increase in autoimmune and allergic diseases. That may be because the immune system isn’t being properly challenged by pathogenic organisms. Introducing friendly bacteria in the form of probiotics is believed to challenge the immune system in healthy ways.
Probiotics may seem new to the food and supplement industry, but they have been with us from our first breath. During a delivery through the birth canal, a newborn picks up bacteria from his/her mother. These good bacteria are not transmitted when a Cesarean section is performed and have been shown to be the reason why some infants born by Cesarean section have allergies, less than optimal immune systems, and lower levels of gut microflora.
Cautions About Probiotics
For the most part, taking probiotics is safe and causes few side effects. “People in cultures around the world have been eating yogurt, cheeses, and other foods containing live cultures for centuries,” says Martin Floch, MD, a professor of gastroenterology at Yale University, co-author of Probiotics: A Clinical Guide, and a consultant for the Dannon Company.
Still, probiotics may be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems or serious illnesses. One study found that patients with severe pancreatitis who were given probiotics had a higher risk of death. It’s always best to consult with your doctor before taking anything new in general, but especially for those that have weakened immune systems.
THE ULTIMATE PROBIOTIC!
Brad King’s Ultimate Probiotic – sold at health food stores & online.
BRAD KING’S ULTIMATE PROBIOTIC contains one of the most research-proven beneficial probiotic species – bifidobacterium – and the main intestinal microflora residing mostly in the colon. Ultimate Probiotic has been proven safe in over 30 years of studies and has been consumed in yogurt in Japan for over 20 years. It is also backed by over 15 years of controlled studies proving its efficacy and is the only probiotic available today to carry the highly proven shelf-stable BB536 strain of bifidobacterium. [VEGI CAPSULES]
Rules to Live byAre you guilty of these sinful beauty habits? This divine beauty code will show you the light and can rid you of your wrongdoings and even spark some inspiration for a more virtuous regimen.
GLUTTONY
An excess of beauty products can cause a buildup of expired makeup and create a cluttered routine. It’s far more productive to edit down to only your favorite items. These product shelf lives will inspire you to purge the bad.
Moisturizers can lose their magic after six months. Keep an eye out for a change in color or smell. Nail polish usually lasts about a year. Toss if lacquer gets thick or if color separates beyond return. Lipstick can dry up after about two years. If you have a stock of these, it’s time to replace. Mascara has gone bad once formula becomes dry and clumpy. Invest in a new tube every two or three months.
WRATH
Have you ever achieved the perfect makeup look, only to have it ruined with layers and layers of liner, in an attempt to get the perfect cateye? Been there! Never go full-fury on another winged eye gone wrong again. Get eyeliner tips for the perfect cateye and remember practice makes perfect.
GREED
I love a perfectly stocked beauty shelf as much as the next girl but it’s nice to share the wealth. Try hosting a swap party with friends. This is a great way to get rid of your unused products and sample new ones.
SLOTH
It can be tempting to fall into bed after a long day without washing your face. Don’t get stuck in a whirlwind of bad habits; it will wreak serious havoc on your skin. Try a new nighttime regimen and carry out in this order.
Cleanse with a lathering face wash to remove dirt and oil. Remove any traces of eye-makeup with a water-based remover or oil-based for waterproof eye makeup especially. Exfoliate to rid your complexion of any dead skin cells and buildup. Tone skin for tighter pores and an even complexion. Moisturize for healthy, smooth and hydrated skin.
LUST
It’s great to try new products; you never know what may become your new go-to item. However, don’t be lured by bright lights and pretty packaging. It’s easy to be overcome with the desire to have it all, but do so in moderation.
For mineral makeup with pretty packaging and prettier results: try Mica Beauty at http://www.IntrigueImports.com Mention this blog and receive free shipping with your first order.
PRIDE
This can be seriously dangerous to your makeup and beauty routine. Never be too proud to reach out and learn from others. There’s a wealth of beauty tips out there just waiting to be shared.
ENVY
“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” – Francis Bacon
We celebrate the unique facial features that make us…us. Thou shall not spend time coveting others’ looks. Accent the features you love and know what makes you special.
Bake seasoned kale leaves to turn them into irresistible, good-for-you crispy snacks. Sriracha sauce adds a delicious bite. For a milder version, simply omit the chili sauce. – SERVINGS:6
2 bunches curly kale (20 ounces each), stems removed, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 teaspoons *Sriracha sauce, or more if desired
Coarse salt
COOK’S NOTE
To store, keep in a large zip-top plastic bag at room temperature, up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Wash and dry kale and divide between two rimmed baking sheets (kale will shrink as it cooks). In a small bowl, stir together oil and Sriracha and drizzle over kale; season with salt. Using your hands, tossto coat. Bake until kale is crisp and just beginning to brown at edges, about 35 minutes, tossing kale every 10 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Opt for these irresistible snacks instead of potato chips and work more greens into your diet.
yes, this one – you’ve seen it!
*Sriracha is made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste along with garlic and packaged in a convenient squeeze bottle. It is excellent in soups, sauces, pastas, pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, chowmein or on anything else to give it a delicious, spicy taste.
A MUST-SEE for ART LOVERS: Herb & Dorothy (2008) Directed by Megumi Sasaki proves that you don’t have to be a Rockefeller to collect Art.
Herb & Dorothy is one of the most fascinating documenties I’ve ever seen. It’s about Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a working class couple who had amassed a priceless art collection in their tiny one-bedroom apartment in New York City. They had no formal training in art collecting. They bought art the way any amateur collector shops: for the love of the individual pieces and the thrill of a good deal. But you don’t accumulate a priceless collection of anything by accident. Herb and Dorothy developed a methodical system for scouting, assessing, and purchasing art. When it came to mastering their hobby, the Vogels were self-trained professionals.
Herb Vogel never earned more than $23,000 a year. Born and raised in Harlem, Vogel worked for the post office in Manhattan. He spent nearly 50 years living in a 450-square-foot one-bedroom apartment with his wife, Dorothy, a reference librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. They lived frugally. They didn’t travel. They ate TV dinners. Aside from a menagerie of pets, Herb and Dorothy had just one indulgence: art. But their passion for collecting turned them into unlikely celebrities, working-class heroes in a world of Manhattan elites.
While their coworkers had no idea, the press noticed.The New York Times labeled the Vogels the “In Couple” of New York City. They counted minimalist masters Richard Tuttle and Donald Judd among their close friends. And in just four decades, they assembled one of the most important private art collections of the 20th century, stocking their tiny apartment floor-to-ceiling with Chuck Close sketches, paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, and sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy. Today, more than 1,000 of the works they purchased are housed in the National Gallery, a collection a curator there calls “literally priceless.” J. Carter Brown, the museum’s former director, referred to the collection as “a work of art in itself.”
As I said, it’s a fascinating story and a bit of a fairytale.
In their apartment – mostly ART but also filled with cats, fish & turtle tanks.
Source: an article written By Jed Lipinski for Mentalfloss.com
The following was taken from a chapter from the best selling “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle. The book is so amazing in making you awaken to your purpose in life. I read it a few years ago but just happened to pick it up again and it fell open to exactly this page so I decided to post it.
At some point in their lives, most people become aware that there is not only birth, growth, success, good health, pleasure and winning, but also loss, failure, sickness, old age, decay, pain and death. Conventionally these are labelled “good” and “bad”, order and disorder. The “meaning” of people’s lives is usually associated with what they term the “good”, but the good is continually threatened by collapse, breakdown, disorder, threatened by meaningless and the “bad”, when explanations fail and life ceases to make sense. Sooner or later disorder will erupt into everyone’s life no matter how many insurance policies he or she has. However, the eruption of disorder into a person’s life, and the resultant collapse of a mentally defined meaning, can become the opening into a higher order.
This is illustrated in the story of a wise man who won an expensive car in a lottery.
His family and friends were very happy for him and came to celebrate. “Isn’t it great!” they said. “You are so lucky.” The man smiled and said, “Maybe.” For a few weeks he enjoyed driving the car. Then one day a drunken driver crashed into his new car at an intersection and he ended up in the hospital, with multiple injuries. His family and friends came to see him and said, “That was really unfortunate.” Again the man smiled and said, “Maybe.” While he was still in the hospital, one night there was a landslide and his house fell into the sea. Again his friends came the next day and said, “Weren’t you lucky to have been here in hospital.” Again he said, “Maybe.”
The wise man’s “maybe” signifies a refusal to judge anything that happens. Instead of judging what is, he accepts it and so enters into conscious alignment for the mind to understand what place or purpose a seemingly random event has in the tapestry of the whole. But there are no random events, nor are there events or things that exist by and for themselves, in isolation. The atoms that make up your body were once forged inside stars, and the causes of even the smallest event are virtually infinite and connected with the whole in incomprehensible ways. If you wanted to trace back the cause of any event, you would have to go back all the way to the beginning of creation. The cosmos is not chaotic. The very word cosmos means order. But this is not an order the human mind can ever comprehend, although it can sometimes glimpse it.
And I mean the “perfect” scoop of ice cream with the best homemade waffle cone I’ve ever tasted. I’m not just saying this. You can trust my expertise as a pretty good judge of mouth watering delectables such as this – but everyone else who tried it agrees. Everything is made locally on the premises including the waffle cones. I tried the salted caramel and London fog but was torn between that and the blueberry balsamic, honey lavender & coconut chocolate chunk. Guess I’ll have to go back.
The good news: it happens to be conveniently located in my neck of the woods here in Vancouver. The bad news: I have virtually no willpower!
Did you know?
Rain or Shine (that really is their name) ice cream is made here in Vancouver using fresh, natural and sustainable whole ingredients sourced locally, seasonally, and organically whenever possible.
Everything is made from scratch because they know that everybody loves ice cream and they believe it tastes better that way – it does! So eat up Rain or Shine!
Located in beautiful Kitsilano (Vancouver) – 1926 W 4th Ave.
These natural images taken from the air by Rock Whitney, a renowned Commercial Pilot, Filmmaker and Photographer, are some of the coolest things I’ve come across in a long time.
They can be framed
From images seen above the lower mainland of Vancouver, British Columbia. They make great gifts.
Have your name framed
A portion of Alphabet Earth sales are donated to environment and animal causes that are dedicated to protecting the earth’s wildlife and their habitats. Protecting life on Earth – protects our own. Visit link: http://www.alphabetearth.com/
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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