Leaky Gut

LEAKY GUT

Leaky Gut. This is a common phrase around the gut health realm. It’s used as an umbrella term to cover a common idea about the integrity of the intestines as a barrier to the outside world.  First, let’s talk about the structure of intestines. The human intestines are designed to serve as a barrier between…

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Consistency is Key

Consistency is key

Consistency is KEY. (We say this a lot.) The main job of probiotics is to support a healthy balance of bacteria in your body. Your gut is filled with millions of native bacteria. Some have harmful tendencies and some produce needed byproducts that the body uses to modulate many different pathways.   The potentially harmful bacteria…

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Back to School Checklist

Back to School checklist

It’s already time to begin thinking about changing up the daily routine as many of us are preparing the kids to go back to school. Stay organized and feel accomplished with checklists! Week Before Back-to-School Checklist If you have a young child who may be a bit nervous for the school year to start, this…

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Overnight Oats Recipe + Flavor Inspiration

Overnight Oats

With school and busy morning routines rapidly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about how to quickly and nutritiously feed those kids before they head out the door. Overnight oats are exactly that: A great way to fuel the body and microbiome to prep the brain to learn and grow. Eat them cold during the…

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Hummus Bowl with Chicken ‘Shawarma’ Recipe

hummus bowl

Hummus is a great way to add fiber in a flavorful way to dinner. Personalize your hummus bowl with your favorite toppings – the sky is the limit! Just imagine your favorite protein or grain, crunchy vegetables, briny olives, pickled onion, and salty cheese on a velvety bed of hummus. Use pita, naan, or even…

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Quick Pickled Red Onions

Pickled Red Onions

These gut-friendly beauties add a nice, cool tang to any meal. Pickled onions ferment in a snap and can be ready for dinner tonight! Raw onions make a great prebiotic, and this has got to be the tastiest way to eat raw onion.  Ingredients:  1 medium red onion, thinly sliced  2 teaspoons maple syrup  ½ teaspoon…

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Hydration Motivation

Pouring water

The human body uses water for many processes to maintain homeostasis. It is also used in the body’s efforts to regulate body temperature, deliver nutrients, maintain electrolyte balance, and keep organs working correctly.  As we’ve learned before, one of the primary roles of the lining of the gut is to transport nutrients from the gut…

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Women as Bacterial Hosts

women

Yep. It’s true. Men and women are distinctly different from one another and studies are continuing to find that these differences affect the gut as well. Most science suggests the reason for these differences is due to the different hormones at play.   The female reproductive system is incredible: a reoccurring cycle that requires detailed regulation…

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Gut-Mouth Connection

teeth gut mouth connection

The gut is a well-connected organ and a key player in the GI tract. Let’s explore the connection between the top of the GI tract, and near the end: the gut-mouth connection. Oral bacteria have a dear place in the world of microbiology. One of the first bacteria discoveries was found in teeth plaque by…

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Get to Know Your Probiotics

get to know your probiotics

Flourish (Original & Junior) include 11 diverse strains of probiotics from 5 unique families. Let’s get to know your probiotics! Name: Lactobacillus acidophilus  Nickname: L. acidophilus  Oxygen Use: Facultative anaerobic  Shape: Rod  Residence: I live in the GI tract, mouth, and vaginal tract.1  As one of the first discovered bacteria way back in the early…

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