Autoimmune Disease and the Gut

autoimmune disease

As we continue to grow in depth of knowledge about gut health, let’s further our investigation about the immune system as it relates to autoimmune disease.  We should begin with the definition of autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is when the body seemingly spontaneously recognizes the native cells of the body as foreign invaders. Because…

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Why Liquid Probiotics?

why liquid probiotics

Five Reasons to Love the Flexibility of Liquid Probiotics, and One Reason Not  One of the great things about Flourish probiotic is the all-natural liquid nature of the supplement. But why is liquid best? Here are five great reasons to love the liquid nature of our beloved Flourish, and to help us understand the reason…

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Gut-Brain Axis

Man with anxiety

The connection between the gut and the brain is a two-way street. This ‘street’ is referred to as the gut-brain axis. For every 1 message going from the brain to the gut, there are 9 going from the gut to the brain! Your gut and brain are connected through the central nervous system, immune system, and…

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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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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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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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Lyme Disease

Lyme disease beware

Lyme Disease x Gut Health Lyme Disease is caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacterium is introduced to a human host through the bite of an infected tick, most often deer ticks. These little critters are common in the Northeast and Midwest. However, Lyme Disease can be found throughout the US.   The…

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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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