Probiotic Supplement Align

It's been a week! Yes a week, since my Gastroenterologist gave me some samples of Align. I can say that after a week I do feel a slight bit better (maybe because I eliminated dairy). Come to find out some of the minor tummy issues I was having are due to my dairy intake. The probiotic Yakult (which I recommend if you can have dairy) was helping with certain digestive issues but not all.

So, what do I like about Align? I like that I dont have to refridgerate it. Almost all Probiotics have to be refridgerated. This is nice because I can keep it in my purse. If I forget it in the morning, no worries, its in your purse. Feeling crappy? No worries, its in your purse! Nice huh?

So, where can you get Align? Target, Walmart and CVS to name a few places. It will be in the supplement isle. You can also go to this buy align link for more information.

Any questions? Please visit the Align website or consult your GI doc!

Happy eating, learning and living! Gluten Free...

Good Belly Probiotic WARNING!

A few weeks back I found another Probiotic drink called Good Belly. They have several different flavors like, Strawberry Rosehips, Peach Mango, and Blueberry Acai. Although it was more expensive than Yakult it's Dairy-Free (the reason I was looking for a different probiotic). Good Belly is also Soy-Free, Wheat-Free and Vegan. Anyways, the taste was ok (Yakult was still way better tasting) and the Good Belly brand supposedly has 20 Billion Live and Active Cultures per serving. Great right?

 

WARNING!!!!! JUST BECAUSE A PACKAGE SAYS WHEAT-FREE DOESN'T MEAN ITS GLUTEN-FREE!!!!!

 

All I can say is AHHHHHHHHHHH! MAKE THE PAIN STOP PLEASE!!! OHHHH MY TUMMY! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! AHHHHHHHH!

 

This particular "Good Belly" hurt my belly the same way my belly hurt when I was first diagnosed! I assumed (PLEASE DON'T EVER ASSUME TAKE THIS AS YOUR WARNING) that Wheat-Free wouldn't have gluten in it, so of course I didn't read the ingredients (ANOTHER WARNING READ THE INGREDIENTS EVEN IF IT SAYS WHEAT-FREE). I am still in pain from drinking the last one (of the 8 I drank in 8 consecutive days) 4 days ago. I honestly thought the pain was from eating potatoes or french fries, but that pain goes away at night!

 

If you have Celiac Disease I would strongly recommend that you stay FAR FAR away from these Good Belly Probiotics.

 

Happy eating, learning and living! Gluten-Free...

Probiotics and Gluten-free Diet

Earlier in June I posted the article The Dangers of a Gluten-Free Diet. In this article it talks about a study Published in the April 2009 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition. The researchers in the study followed 10 healthy volunteers and tracked their progress with a gluten-free diet over a period of time. According to the article, "When the experiment was over, the levels of “good bacteria” (called probiotics, which are found in yogurt, among other things) in the stomach were measured against the first batch they took prior to the diet change. The levels of helpful stomach bacteria were significantly reduced as well as a number of markers that decide immune health."

So, where am I going with this? For those of you NOW worried about low levels of "good bacteria" due to eating "Gluten-Free" there are several products that you can take daily to help.

Yakult is "a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacteria Lactobacillus casei Shirota."

Here is what I know about it:
IT IS GLUTEN-FREE. Yakult contains it's own probiotic (live, friendly bacteria) called Lactobacillus casei.
Yakult needs to be refrigerated in order for the Lactobacillus casei to stay alive. In fact all probiotics need to stay refrigerated in order for the bacteria to stay alive. You cannot get the proper amount of Lactobacillus casei from any other products you would normally eat on a daily basis, even yogurts. Yakult tastes just a little bit sweet (kind of like horchata). They come in small individual 2.7 oz bottles.
If you are looking for Yakult you can go to almost any grocery store to get it, even the commissary if you are military.

The Dangers of a Gluten-Free Diet

This is an interesting article. For those of you who are Gluten-Free, who don't need to be, you may want to read this. I am interested in knowing what these test subjects were eating.

 

Why are they also calling "Gluten-Fee" a craze? More people are now finding out about their issues because there is testing and education available that wasn't available before. GEEEEZ!

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Good thing my favorite frozen yogurt place GOLDEN SPOON has probiotics in their frozen yogurt so I have good bacteria!

Heres the article in case it gets erased...

The Dangers of a Gluten-Free Diet 
by Brian T. Phaber

By now, most people have heard about the gluten-free diet, which is popular among some celebrities and many average people as a way to lose weight. The truth about gluten-free diets is that they are a horrible idea for regular people - overweight or not. Only individuals with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder that makes a person's digestive system intolerant to gluten, should be on such a diet. Amusingly, some of the health benefits that celebrities and weight loss fanatics boast about can be completely wrong when it comes to a gluten-free diet. These diets are very dangerous for a person without Celiac Disease, especially since most people already can't keep their bodies completely healthy.

Gluten-Free Basics
Gluten is found in most of what normal people eat each day. In reality, wheat, barley, rye, and other grains contain gluten.The average person probably consumes it with each meal of the day. Anyways, gluten-free diets are pretty hard to maintain for anyone because of the prevalence of gluten-filled foods. Of course, gluten-free foods aren't even that common in national supermarkets and other stores. Most people will have to seek out an alternative foods store in order to find foods that are made specifically without gluten. So then, what are gluten-free products made out of? Corn, rice, and other gluten substitutes are used in place of gluten to make these foods. The results are a bland tasting alternative more often than not.

The Proposed "Benefits" of a Gluten-Free Diet
Many people go around boasting the benefits of this diet. For starters, weight loss is a proposed benefit of the gluten-free diet. Also, higher level of energy is a common claim. Some people who start the diet simply say that they feel better overall each day. Of course, there are plenty of other supposed benefits - most of which are unproven or unfounded. Still, many people on a gluten-free diet say they are healthier than before and feel much better in their daily lives. One thing that people probably forget to mention is that they increase their self-control because they have to fight the urge to eat gluten-filled foods that are just about everywhere.

The Real Dangers of a Gluten-Free Diet
On the other hand, a gluten-free diet can be plenty dangerous. A person on this diet is probably lacking some basic substances that are vital to their health, such as fiber and other vitamins. Without these nutrients, a person can actually gain weight and feel some pretty heavy side effects. Constipation is a side effect of not eating gluten because a person isn't getting enough fiber in their diet. A person may feel more sluggish each day because of their lack of nutrients. Even more serious, lacking gluten in a diet (when you are not a celiac) can result in decreased bacteria in the stomach that are vital for the digestive system. Gluten-free diets can cause plenty of problems, especially when a person doesn't get all of the nutrients they need. On top of that, gluten-free foods are very expensive, so most people can't even afford to go on the diet. In the end, gluten-free diets really aren't for most people.

Not a Celiac? Stay Away from Gluten-Free!
Only celiacs should be going on a gluten-free diet. Obviously, a celiac's body can't process gluten properly, so they should avoid it at all costs. The one thing that must be pointed out is that a person with a gluten sensitivity - different than Celiac Disease - is one of the few cases where a person should stay away from gluten products. Anyways, gluten-free diets can cause plenty of problems, especially when it comes to overall nutrition. These diets aren't safe, and the majority of people that go on them won't be able to maintain their overall health. Therefore, gluten-free diets aren't recommended for the average person.

 

Happy eating, learning and living!