Amazing Benefits Of Papaya (+5 Refreshing Recipes)

Rightly called as “fruit of the angels”, papaya was once an exotic fruit but is now available in the market in any season throughout the year. The spherical-pear-shaped, deliciously sweet, buttery-soft and bright fruit does not need any more reasons to get a place at your plate. But there are some amazing health benefits of papaya which encourage you to include this delicacy in your diet as often as possible.

This tropical fruit is a rich source of vitamin B and C, flavonoids, carotenes, folate and pantothenic acid. It is also packed with minerals like copper, potassium and magnesium. All of these substances help improve your health in several ways. In addition to this, papaya also contains an digestive enzyme named papain, which is widely used to treat causes of trauma, allergies and other injuries.

Take a look at these 10 amazing benefits papaya and consider including it in your diet:

1. It improves digestion and helps you lose weight

Eating papayas can actually help you hang on to your new year’s resolution to lose weight as it is packed with the digestive enzyme named papain and fibre which improve digestion. Also, a medium-sized papaya contains only 120 calories in average. That means you can lose weight while eating this delicious fruit all the way.

2. It lowers cholesterol

As papaya is a great source of fibre, antioxidants as well as vitamin C, eating the fruit can prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. With lower level of cholesterol, you are less prone to heart diseases and this means you can add a bowl of diced papaya in your daily diet and get away from heart related diseases in a delicious way.

3. It boosts immunity

Being rich in vitamin C, papaya provides more than double amount of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. This means your immune system that shields your body against all kinds of infections is stronger than ever with the daily consumption of papaya.

4. It is good for diabetics

Despite being sweet in taste, papaya has low sugar content and low glycemic index, which makes it excellent for diabetes patients. Being rich in phyto-nutrients and vitamins, papaya also helps reduce the risk of heart diseases for diabetics and protect our hearts.

5. It keeps your eyes healthy

Containing an abundance amount of flavonoids including cyptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein as well as vitamin A, papaya prevents macular degeneration caused by ageing and protects your eyes from possible damages.

6. It prevents signs of ageing

As much as you hate the thought of showing signs of ageing, you may consider adding papayas to your daily diet to prevent them from appearing on your face. Eating papayas fights readily against female hair loss and as mentioned earlier, the antioxidants and flavonoids prevent radical damage in the cells and make your skin look younger with every bite.

7. It protects against prostate and colon cancer

According to a study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health’s department, beta carotene in papaya was found to be effective in suppressing the growth of colon cancer as well as prostate cancer. Also, the antioxidants and flavonoids present in papaya prevent radical damage in the cells and helps reduce the risk of cancers.

8. It eases menstrual pain

If you are a woman who struggles with menstrual pain every month, you have a new reason to include papayas in your diet as an enzyme found in papaya called papain helps in regulating an easy flow during menstruation.

9. It reduces stress

Reward yourself with a papaya fruit at the end of your long and tiring day as papayas help to reduce your stress with its richness in vitamin C that has been proven to keep your stress hormones in the low side.

10. It protects you against arthritis

Papaya has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamin C. So it is good at strengthening your bones and protecting you against arthritis.

How can we include papayas in our diet?

Now that you know the amazing benefits of papaya, there are some refreshing recipes with papayas as the main ingredient you may want to try in your kitchen. Although you can always eat the papaya fruit only by peeling and seeding it, you can use these recipes to make your encounters with papayas more interesting and appealing.

1. Seared Scallops with Spicy Papaya Sauce

Required: 1 papaya, 1 red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 1 pound sea scallops, fresh cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, salt, olive oil, all-purpose flour and black pepper

Start with peeling, dicing and seeding papaya, bell pepper, and red onion and mix in a bowl. Take 2 spoons of flour, black pepper and salt in a large seal able bag and add scallops to coat with these ingredients. Cook coated scallops in a skillet until golden and serve with the papaya sauce.

2. Papaya Boats

Required: 2 papayas, 1 cup fresh strawberries, ¼ cup walnuts, ¼ cup raisins, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 cup yogurt

Seed, peel and cut the papayas into half lengthwise. Next, mix yogurt, walnuts, chopped strawberries and raisins in a bowl and pour the mixture in the center of papaya halves. Drizzle honey on top and serve. However, this is not the only way to prepare papaya boats; you can get creative with the ingredients in your own way.

3. Papaya Bruschetta

Required: 1 papaya, 5 plum tomatoes,1/2 red onion and 1 bell pepper all seeded, peeled and diced, vinegar oil, vegetable oil, mustard powder, sugar to taste

This is a great appetizer using the nutritious papaya. All you need to do is peel, seed and dice papaya, tomatoes, red onion and bell pepper to a bowl. Next, blend olive oil, papaya seeds, vinegar oil, mustard powder and green onion to make a smooth thick paste. Pout the paste over the bowl and it is ready to eat.

4. Papaya Smoothie

Required: 1 papaya, 1 banana, ½ cup fresh strawberries, 1/3 cup milk, sugar, ice cubes

If you don’t feel like eating papaya but crave for a detox drink, you can make a smoothie and drink it. Preparing papaya smoothie can be interesting and very easy to those who like their blenders. First, seed, peel and dice the fruits and add to blender along with milk, ice cubes and sugar. Blend till smooth and enjoy your smoothie.

5. Mango Papaya Salsa

Required: 1 Mango, 1 papaya, 1 bell pepper, 1 avocado, ½ sweet onion, balsamic vinegar, fresh cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

This is one of the easiest twists you can give to papaya in the kitchen. Start with peeling, seeding and dicing papaya, mango, avocado, bell pepper and sweet onion and mix in a medium bowl. Next, add two spoon of chopped fresh cilantro and 2 table spoons of balsamic vinegar to the bowl along with salt and pepper to taste. This can be served as a side dish for chicken and rice.

Featured photo credit: Still AB via shutterstock.com

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4 Things I Wish I’d Known About Managing Anxiety

I’ve recently turned 30 and I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my misspent youth – more specifically, on the moment I decided to slap the ugly mug of anxiety with my glove of self-belief!  I’d like to think that I handled this duel with the wit and finesse of a young Cary Elwes ala The Princess Bride, but if I’m honest it probably looks more like an ungodly montage of Mr Bean and Bridget Jones’ Diary – complete with binge eating and drinking, ineptitude, embarrassment, and clumsy attempts at fitness.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders in the world, and according to Beyond Blue 1 in 4 people will probably experience it at least once in their life.  For some of us, this monster will be ever-present and it takes considerable energy to keep this beast subdued and chained up somewhere to keep it from hurting us, our loved ones and even our professional aspirations.  At the time, I had no idea anxiety was even a ‘thing’ and completely thought that there was something physically wrong with me. Fortunately, I sought help and have since learnt a thing or two about making this condition sit and play dead.  Of course, everyone is different and you’ve got to tailor your own approach, but if you’re reading this at 2am and feel like your head is rotating like that girl from The Exorcist, don’t start climbing the walls just yet!

1. The old switch-a-roo!  Stop, breath, distract, relax

You want to be loving life like a mighty Gyarados, but instead you’re a Magikarp hyperventilating on the floor.  We can all agree that panic attacks are the worst.  The important thing to remember (unless you have been medically diagnosed with heart condition!) is that you’re not having a heart attack – you’re just having a crappy moment.  One of the first things my psychologist told me to do was take care of my physical symptoms first.  Stop for a moment and take slow, deep breaths so you don’t feel light-headed.  Once the world has stopped spinning, pop on your favourite tune, or do some light domestic task – basically anything simple that will distract your brain from freaking out.  When you’ve got this technique down pat, you’ll feel like Houdini!  Your brain will be tricked into thinking everything is fine and dandy (at it will be!), your heart rate will regulate itself and you’ll start to feel normal again.  At this point, choose a safe activity that you find relaxing and treat it like a mental reward for getting through it.

2. Get a little help from a friend

You’re never alone, and remember that you are surrounded by people who care about you!  Some people are better at understanding and talking you through your bad days than others.  Reach out to a good friend or family member who has this gift of empathy to help you get back on track.  Surrounding yourself with positive people who have a balanced and chilled out view of life will also help you get perspective.  If you’re convinced that nobody you know can help you or you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone close to you, ask your GP to recommend a psychologist.  Many healthcare schemes can offer a certain number of sessions at a reduced rate depending on your circumstances.  There are also a growing number of online resources to help you understand what may be causing your anxiety or depression, and what steps you can take to control it.

3. Don’t focus on yourself too much

When you’re constantly facing a barrage of things to worry about, you can easily become self-absorbed or use it as a crutch to avoid getting out of your comfort zone.  This is not to say you’re a self-centred or weak person for having anxiety, but you can affect others by constantly finding nothing positive to talk about or focussing only on the negatives.  These thought patterns don’t help anyone, least of all you!  I’m guilty of falling into this trap, and it was only by recalling past conversations to my psychologist that I began to see that I was becoming a person I wouldn’t want to hang out with.  You can turn things around simply by being kind to yourself and others – post or tweet about something inspiring or beautiful, keep tabs on your nearest and dearest; organise a dinner, catch up over coffee or suggest a group activity you haven’t tried before.  Alternatively, you could try volunteering for a cause you feel passionate about.  When you hear news of your friends’ successes or tales of daring-do, don’t be envious – be happy for them!  This proves that if they have the power to create their own happiness, so do you.

4. Don’t let anxiety define you

When I was younger, I let my anxiety stand in the way of a lot of my goals in life – namely to travel overseas by myself.  Well, I’m happy to say that I have now completed 5 months’ worth of travel around Europe with my sister and on my own!   While it wasn’t completely anxiety-free, it all worked out fine in the end and I am a stronger person for it.  Each year since being diagnosed with anxiety at 24, I’ve set myself challenges to help me develop and broaden my perspective.  Take a look at what’s blocking you from your goals and start taking action by breaking those goals down and assessing what’s really stopping you from achieving them.  If you’re worried about how anxiety might prevent you from a rewarding career, consider this – all the people I know with anxiety have been some of the most talented and hard-working people I’ve come across.  Anxiety still has an unfortunate stigma attached to it causing some ill-informed, upper-management types to think that an employee with anxiety can’t handle pressure.  Think of it this way – you’re already lion-taming this beast and compiling that end of year report due Friday at the same time.  Pressure?  You eat it for breakfast!

I hope these tricks help you calm the farm!  However, any mental disorder can and should be dealt with before it takes over your life.  There are a number of ways you can address the effects of anxiety and no two journeys to recovery will be the same.  To find out more about this condition, there are few great online sites such as Beyond Blue, Headspace and Mind.org that will help you understand the symptoms and causes and where you can go to find help.  I hope you make 2016 the year to kick arse!

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15 Ways To Get In Shape For Busy People

Are you struggling to find the time to work out or prepare healthy meals during the week?

If you are working a full-time job, or are a student or mom, you know that life gets busy and it is hard to dedicate time for your health. Those new year’s resolutions may motivate you to push harder for the first few weeks, but without a concrete plan of action life will get in your way.

Today, I would like to share 15 tips to get in shape for busy people. As a medical student in her last year, I have to try hard to balance studies and health. I hope you will find my tips useful (and read until the end for a little reward)!

1. Plan ahead

Of all my tips, this is the most important one. If you are working a full-time job, are busy with collage exams, or have to look after the kids, planning your week ahead of time is a game changer.

Every Sunday, take out a notebook, open a new file in word, or use the notebook app on your mobile device. Write down your schedule for every day for the next week. This includes working hours, when you need to get up, what time you get back home, what time you have a lunch break, etc. If you really struggle with making time for healthy eating and fitness, this will help you out a lot.

The next step is to determine which days you can fit in a workout and prepare your meals for the next day. If you have to leave very early in the morning, make sure to have everything ready the night before. Maybe you have a little 20-minute time frame in the evening to fit in a quick sweat session?

The first time, things might go wrong and you might not be able to stick to your plan. Don’t get discouraged! After a while, you will notice how much free time you actually have.

2. Set realistic goals

While planning your week ahead, don’t schedule hour-long workouts on days you know you might be too busy to complete them. You have to be honest with yourself. If you know you are going to come home very late and will be tired but still have to cook dinner, chances are you will have to skip the workout.

Instead, write down which days you are 80% sure you can fit in at least 20 minutes of exercise. It is okay not to work out and take rest days. Your goal should be to stick to your plan and not to skip workouts.

3. Cook in bulk

For healthy nutrition, cooking in bulk is my main tool. If you are studying for exams all day long or are working at your job, you will not have the time to cook a special meal every day.

Most meals can be reheated and eaten 2-3 days after being cooked. This way, you only have to cook 2-3 times during the week.

If you lack ideas, you can find delicious and easy recipes on Pinterest.

4. Prepare snacks

Many people eat healthy at home but fail to stick to their diet when they are on the go. Temptation is everywhere, and if your friends or collegues don’t understand your lifestyle, it is easy to fall off the wagon.

It is okay to enjoy little treats here and there and have a not-so-healthy meal. What matters is that you don’t make it a habit to buy the easiest fast food when you are eating out.

Instead, pack yourself snacks that are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats to fill you up. The fat and protein will also increase hormones that decrease hunger and stabilize blood sugar levels. This will aid in weight and fat loss and you will not feel deprived either.

Examples for great snacks are nuts, self-made protein bars, cookies, fruit, and greek yoghurt.

5. Prepare portable meals

If you are going to be at work the whole day, little snacks won’t suffice. Also, eating out every day can be very expensive, especially if you try to stick to healthy food options.

So, prepare lunch the night before and take it with you to work or school. I highly recommend sticking to easy, basic recipes. A salad with chicken, wild rice, and avocado is one of my favorite options.

You can also prepare meatballs, beans, pasta, eggs—the options are endless. I recommend not to take anything liquid, like soup, unless you have a very safe container.

6. Avoid food cravings

Cravings usually occur during a low-calorie diet, when your body is lacking nutrients and when you are stressed or otherwise emotionally unbalanced. In fact, your cravings could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency in your body.

If you are constantly stressed, try to find ways to calm down other than using food. Take a hot bath, drink some soothing tea, try a yoga class or video from youtube. Sometimes, writing down your thoughts on a piece of paper helps too.

In addition to that, I recommend not to follow a restricted diet. Clean eating means sticking to non-processed foods most of the time.

However, if you want to make it a lifestyle, you need to ask yourself if you could commit to this style of eating for the rest of your life. If your answer is “no,” you will fall off the wagon easily.

Instead, fit in small treats like a piece of chocolate or half a serving of ice cream into your diet.

Also, you can bake healthy versions of your favorite cookies and cakes to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can even prepare them beforehand and store them in the freezer. They taste just as amazing as freshly baked, trust me!

7. Adjust your food intake

You don’t have to work out 5-7 times per week to get in shape. At the end of the day, your weight loss success depends on calories in versus calories out. Thus, you need to change your food intake according to your activity level.

If you are sitting and not very active for most of the day, you should eat less than someone who is on their feet all day long. On training days, eat more, especially post-workout. This way, your body will learn to use the extra fuel on training days to build muscle and not store as fat.

8. Eat frequently

During clinical rotations at med school, we don’t always have time for a lunch break. Many doctors skip eating and go out for dinner afterwards.

However, if you let your body starve for such a long period of time, you will most likely overeat and consume more calories than you have burned that day in one sitting. I always have either self-made protein bars or little portable meals with me and eat those.

It just takes 5 minutes but goes a long way, trust me. When you arrive home, your blood sugar levels will not be that low and you will make healthier choices and stick to reasonable portion sizes.

9. Choose intensity over duration

When it comes to fitness, it does not matter how many hours you work out per week. What matters is intensity.

You can work out for an hour long and just go through the movements and hardly break a sweat. Or, you can fit in a quick 15-minute sweat session and push really hard—until your muscles and lungs are burning.

Which technique will benefit you more in the long run? The latter version will not only burn more calories during but also after the session—your metabolism is revved for up to 24 hours following!

10. Be active in general

Make it a habit to take the stairs, always. Don’t use your car to get groceries from a nearby store. Try to find ways to be generally active during the day. It might not sound like a lot of exercise to you now, but these little actions add up and will keep your metabolism high. Even if you fail to do a workout, at least you were active and tried your best!

11. Use the weekends

The weekends are the best time to focus on fitness and nutrition. Don’t panic, you can still relax and enjoy time with your family and friends. A good workout only takes one hour of your day, but you will benefit from it forever. If you are only able to fit in 10-15 minutes a few times during the week, make use of your free time on the weekend.

Lift heavy weights, do high intensity interval training, and sweat a lot! You will be proud of yourself afterwards and have more energy than when you started.

12. Try home workouts

You don’t need a gym membership to get in shape. If you are beginner, bodyweight strength training will be hard enough for you. There are amazing workout videos on Youtube, I recommend fitnessblender. It is motivating to work out along with the trainers. After a while, you will get used to finishing your day with a 15-minute workout, done in the comfort of your own living room.

13. Drink water

When you are out all day, it is easy to forget to drink enough. However, proper hydration is crucial to keeping your metabolism high and curbing cravings. Always keep a water bottle with you and sip on it whenever you feel like you might be getting hungry. Most of the time, it is not real hunger but thirst—our brain can’t fully distinguish between both sometimes.

14. Get plenty of sleep

When people contact me because they are unable to lose weight, despite proper nutrition and training, the first thing I ask is if they sleep enough.

You may not realize how much lack of sleep impacts all hormones in your body. Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases and modulates all metabolic processes in your body. Thus, people with high cortisol levels store fat easily and also get hungry much faster. Try to go to bed at a decent time and find ways to calm down in the evening. Don’t spend too much time in front of the computer—read a book, take a bath, relax. I also recommend listening to some calming music before going to bed.

15. Don’t stress it

Some weeks you will stick to your plan without any effort. Then, there are those weeks where everything seems to go wrong. Sometimes, things happen we cannot control. Your child might get sick or you have to stay longer at work or school. On those days, you might fall off track and have to skip a workout. Unless this becomes a habit, don’t stress it. It is okay to fail now and then. What matters is your determination to get back up and continue where you left.

And now, your little surprise:

Get in shape for busy people — A workout plan!

If you have made it until the very end of this article—you rock! Thank you for staying with me. As a little reward, I designed a week of workouts for you busy people! Now, you don’t even need to search for workouts. Just save this workout schedule and you are good to go!

If you liked this weekly workout plan and my tips to get in shape for busy people, comment below and share it!

Do you have other tips to get fit while living a busy lifestyle? Share your ways to stay healthy!

Featured photo credit: Runner/ Garry Knight via flickr.com

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10 Foods That Fight Depression And Anxiety

Depression and anxiety can by caused by many things ranging from genetics to lifestyle choices. Although we can’t always cure depression on our own, we can make little changes in our lives to help fight it. One of the ways we can fight depression and anxiety is by eating foods that are good for our bodies and our minds.

1. Whole Grains Lighten Up Your Mood

via IM Free

If you’re looking to improve your mood quickly, grab a healthy, high fiber carbohydrate like whole wheat bread, muffins or pasta. Carbohydrates promote serotonin production; serotonin is the “feel-good” hormone that improves your mood and relaxes your brain and body. Not only that, but whole grains also help maintain a steady blood sugar level, which keeps you from dropping into that terrible “hungry” feeling.

2. Dark Chocolate Fights Against Depression

via PicJumbo

Although milk chocolate might actually contribute to depression, dark chocolate can aid in your fight against it, as long as you eat it in moderation, of course. The reason it can help fight depression? It’s large amount of antioxidants, as well as it’s ability to boost endorphins and serotonin.

3. Berries Bring You Joy

via PicJumbo

These tasty, delicious little fruits are packed with antioxidants and vitamins! Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries should be incorporated into your diet as much as possible because not only do antioxidants boost your immune system and prevent cancer, but they can play a huge role in your fight against depression, too. You can throw them on your cereal, in your yogurt or smoothies, or enjoy them all on their own!

4. Walnuts Supports Overall Brain Health

via Flickr

Like most nuts, walnuts are an excellent source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. What makes walnuts really stand out though, is the omega-3 fatty acids they also contain. In fact, walnuts are one of the richest plant-based sources of omega-3s, which can help lower depression and support overall brain health. So, the next time you’re feeling blue or anxious, grab a bag of walnuts to munch on.

5. Salmon Boosts Brain Power

via PicJumbo

Speaking of omega-3s, fatty fish like salmon are also great sources of this fatty acid.Not only is fish great for boosting your brain health and fighting depression, but they are excellent for your overall health, too. Eating fish regularly can help improve circulation and reduce inflammation. The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of salmon, or other fatty fish, a week.

6. Dark Leafy Greens Fight Anxiety And Depression

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Dark leafy greens are probably the healthiest, most nutrient-dense food around. Spinach, kale and Swiss chard can help prevent cancer, boost your immune system and, of course, fight depression and anxiety.

7. Seeds Give You A Good Night’s Sleep

via Flickr

Munching on seeds to cure your crunchy cravings can help you cut down on calories. It can also help you fight depression! Flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds are full of omega-3s, which we already know is great for our brains! Pumpkin seeds are also great for fighting depression because they are packed with l-tryptophan, an amino acid that is a precursor to melatonin, which we need for sleep. Pumpkin seeds also help increase serotonin levels.

8. Beans Can Lift Your Mood

via Flickr

We all know that beans are absolutely amazing for your overall health because they’re high in protein, iron, folate, carbohydrates and fiber, but low in cholesterol. So we all know beans are good for our heart, but did you know they’re also good for you mind, too? Beans have selenium in them, which can help lift your mood whenever you’re feeling low. Eat them mixed with rice, in a burrito or in a bean salad.

9. Avocado: Tasty Choice For Better Brain Health

via Flickr

This super food (and super delicious fruit) is an edible all-star because it contains tryptophan, folate and more of those brain-healthy omega-3s! However, even though it’s amazing for your health, it’s still high in fat and should be consumed moderately. To take advantage of it’s creamy tastiness, eat it thinly sliced on top of sandwiches and burgers, or in your salad.

10. Mushrooms: Superfood For Your Brain

via Flickr

Mushrooms are good for your mental health and here’s why: they help lower blood sugar levels, evening out your mood, and they promote healthy gut bacteria, and the gut is where 80 to 90 per cent of our body’s serotonin is manufactured. Mushrooms can be eaten a variety of ways and in a variety of dishes! Enjoy them raw in salads or throw them on your pizza, and fight depression and anxiety!

Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.com

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Go with Your Gut: The Science Behind Your Gut Bacteria

“Going with your gut”, a common phrase meaning to go with your feelings and intuition now has another meaning. Beyond a sixth sense, going with your gut can now reference that you are focusing on something much larger- about 100 trillion times larger, in fact. You read right, 100 trillion times. What am I talking about? If you guessed gut bacteria (aka the microbiome, microbiota, or microflora) you are correct!

But what exactly is gut bacteria, what does it do for my health, and how can I support a community of 100 trillion cells?!

100 trillion? Really?

Yup, turns out the microbiome and Zimbabwe’s currency (their 100 trillion dollar note actually exists) have something in common. If you are thinking that 100 trillion sounds like a crazy large number, you are not alone. Many friends and family members have asked me a variation of the following question: “How do 100 trillion cells fit in my gut?” My response usually involves something to the extent of “Bacteria are really, really small.”

That’s cool and all, but what are bacteria?

So glad you asked! Bacteria are tiny (microscopic!) single celled organisms. Bacteria are extremely prevalent on Earth, having been found in disparate locations ranging from 40 miles up in the atmosphere to miles underneath the ocean’s surface. Additionally, bacteria are found throughout the human body.

Large communities of bacteria on the skin, in the gut, and reproductive organs make up distinct profiles, classified as the microbiome. Microbes can be divided into classes based on different characteristics, with some classes contributing to health, while others classes cause infection and disease. For the microbiome, there are three predominant microbial classes that have been associated with a “healthy” microbiome: Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes.

What’s with all the health hype? 

Recent research has shown that the microbiome positively promotes health by aiding in digestion, providing energy and nutrients that are difficult to acquire, outcompeting harmful bacteria, and training the immune system. Sounds great, right? I think those are enough reasons for all of the recent interest and coverage. However, it’s not the only piece of the puzzle.

Just like most good things have fine print, the microbiome is no exception. Altered microbiome profiles have been linked to chronic diseases like obesity, inflammatory bowel conditions, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, and much is still unknown about these interactions and associations.

So what can I do to nourish my microbiome?

Nourishing your microbiome starts with nutrition. You may have heard of the terms prebiotics and probiotics. These “biotics” are the two primary ways you can support your microbiome. Breaking down the two words can get at what these things actually do for the microbiome. “Biotic” means relating to, or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations. “Pre” means before and “pro” means to stimulate or support. So just by looking at the words alone, you can get a pretty good sense of what they do for the microbiome.

Basically, prebiotics are the “food” used by microbiome. Prebiotics are composed of complex carbohydrates that can predominately be digested by microbiome. Some examples of prebiotics include inulin, polydextrose, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS).

On the other side of the equation are the probiotics. Probiotics contain microbiome-promoting bacteria. Common probiotic strains include Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus, which have been shown to support a healthy microbiome. However, just because you may see these strains listed on food ingredients does not necessarily mean these foods will have a probiotic effect. For this reason, in order to be classified as a probiotic, the specific strains must result in proven health benefits and/or contain more than 10⁸ organisms per gram (i.e. 100 million bacterial cells/gram) at the end of manufacturing.

Where can I find prebiotics and probiotics?               

In case the words inulin, FOS, and GOS don’t mean much to you, the following foods are rich sources of prebiotics: bananas, honey, whole grains, artichokes, leeks, onions, and garlic. In addition, you can find prebiotics in fortified foods and beverages. Aim to eat about 2-30 grams per day of prebiotics, which can be achieved from eating ¼ of an onion, 1 banana, and about ½ cup whole wheat flour (or something that has been made with ½ cup whole wheat flour. As for probiotics, yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and other fermented foods contain probiotics. If you’d rather get your dose of probiotics in the form of a supplement, go for it.

Myths about microbiome

What about the relationship between low-calorie sweeteners and the microbiome?

You may have heard or read the most recent article that linked low-calorie sweeteners and negative modifications to the microbiome. However, coverage from media stories often leaves out critical details (design, results and limitations) from research studies and most often tells and sells a story based on one study that is counter to what the totality of scientific research in the area concludes.

The majority of media stories about the role of low-calorie sweeteners on the microbiome use the same few studies performed in animal models, and try to pose that the findings have direct implications to human health. Excuse me? This should not happen and these articles should shift their focus to research stemming from clinical trials (the gold standard). In case you were wondering, there are no published studies that assess the relationship and impact of low-calorie sweeteners on the microbiome in humans.

So there you have it, yet another reason to go with your gut to support your overall health. Try to incorporate prebiotics and probiotics into your diet. Don’t let the myths and misinformation about the microbiome bog you down, but rather, stick to the science and your gut will be good to go!

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