Klean Up Your Gut

By Karlyn Grimes, MS RD LDN CSSD
Retained Medical Adviser

This is a news alert!! Bacteria are on the rise with 100 trillion microbes (aka bacteria) taking up residence in your intestine right here, right now. This is 10 times more than the number of cells in the human body and 14,000 times in excess of our world population. So what are these little guys and gals up to? Good question. Fortunately, we generally have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in our gut also known as the gut microbiome. We feed them and they help us produce essential vitamins, absorb minerals more efficiently, keep our waistline trim, avoid nasty bacteria looking for trouble, synthesize more lactase enzymes so we can break down milk sugar, support healthy cholesterol levels, support our immune system, 70% of which resides in our gut, and provide numerous other benefits that researchers are learning about everyday.

The bottom line is that we want bacteria to flourish in our gut, but the “good” bacteria must dominate if we want to enjoy all these wonderful benefits. Bad bacteria gain strength and power when we are under physical, mental and emotional stress, after a round of antibiotics or chronic medication usage, as a result of frequent traveling and when our daily diet is not up to par. When they get the upper hand, our immune system falters and our nutritional status hits the wall. Enter Klean Probiotics. Just one NSF Certified for Sport® probiotic capsule will infuse your body with 15 billion CFU (colony-forming units) of live, healthy bacteria (probiotics). And we’re not talking about one type of bacteria, but rather 8 different strains of bacteria that each offer different, synergistic benefits. Let’s take a look:

Not only do Klean Probiotics provide a blast of probiotic microbes, they also offer “food” or prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides) to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. For optimal health and performance benefits, pair a Klean Probiotic capsule with a diet high in probiotics and prebiotics found in the following foods:

• Cultured Dairy and Non-Dairy Products: Yogurt and coconut milks containing the “Live & Active Culture” seal indicating that the yogurt contains 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacturer, soy beverages and kefir. Keep an eye out for added sugars in these products since the bad bacteria have a sweet tooth.
• Veggies: Asparagus, artichokes, garlic, leeks, kale, chard, onions, natural sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, soybeans, miso (add to foods after they have been cooked to preserve miso’s bacterial content) and kimichi.
• Fruits: Bananas, berries, cherries and some juices.
• 100% Whole Grain Foods: Barley, oatmeal and wheat.

A few other suggestions to fortify your friendly microbes while depriving the corrupt invaders of a comfy home include:

• Limiting processed foods that are high in unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats) and simple sugars. These are “weeds” that do not let our healthy, lush lawn of microbes flourish.
• Aim for 25 grams of fiber daily if you are a woman and 38 grams of fiber if you are a male. Foods such as legumes (chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, split peas, white and black beans), colorful berries (raspberries, black berries, strawberries), and the whole grains mentioned above are a great place to start. Introduce fiber slowly so your system can adjust and limit fiber within 12-24 hours (individual tolerance varies) of competition or a long training session so you don’t need to take a pit stop.
• Just like a healthy lawn requires plenty of water, you must drink plenty of fluids to promote healthy bacterial growth. If your pee is very light yellow or clear throughout the day, and you have daily bowel movements then you are hydrating properly.

The bottom line is “go with your gut”. Order Klean probiotics today to maximize your performance at work and play. Just remember to store them in a cool, dry place to keep them happy and healthy before they travel to join their friends in the gut microbiome, and keep in mind that it can take up to 2 to 4 weeks to notice their performance-boosting benefits. On a final note, strive to take Klean Probiotics daily, with food, since benefits are somewhat temporary and will disappear within a few weeks if you stop taking them. Here’s to bugs with benefits!!