I have so much to say about this company and this topic, so I'm going to jump right in.
Let’s start here. In your gut, you have 100 trillion bacteria that line your intestinal tract. Although you can have bad bacteria in there, you have a whole lot of good bacteria as well. The good bacteria aggressively protects your body from the bad, and we need more of it!! The more good bacteria we have, the better off we’ll be!
So how do we get more good bacteria?
We get more of the “good guys” through a number of ways. Some of these ways include cutting out sugar and processed foods, eating more plant and dietary fiber (the good stuff), limiting antibiotics and antacids, finding ways to lower our stress levels, getting consistent sleep of 7-9 hours a night, and taking a probiotic, to name a few.
What is a probiotic and why do I take one every day?
Probiotics are also the “good guys”: the good live bacteria and yeasts that help you and your digestive system. They help to keep your gut (and other things!) healthy.
I have become more and more interested in gut health, because I’m realizing most diseases we acquire start right there. Around 80% of our immune system is linked to the gut. I’ve also been astonished at how many people I’ve talked to lately, deal with gut issues. As a nurse, every week I work with kids who are experiencing chronic gut diseases and having to deal with the symptoms and side effects that come with that. Many of these gut issues, including gluten intolerance, can be healed and alleviated by managing what we put into our bodies and resetting our gut environment.
Changing your gut bacteria and taking a probiotic, will not only help to reprogram your metabolism, but it will help you to lose weight faster, reduce your sugar cravings, keep your brain healthy and happy, reduce the bad gut bacteria, keep you away from disease, and turn you into a fat-burning machine.
Also, did you realize the connection our brains have to our gut? It’s incredible. Depression, anxiety, ADHD, addition… all of these things can be helped tremendously by having a healthy gut. Scientists have discovered there is a direct pathway from the gut to the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. This pathway gives gut bacteria power to communicate directly with your brain. The more good bacteria we have in there, the less sugary cravings we’ll get, and the better our brains will function.
Fiber, along with a probiotic, is also essential to this plan because it acts as a prebiotic. In short, a prebiotic is fiber that nourishes the good bacteria already in the large intestine. While probiotics give us more of the good bacteria for our gut, prebiotics help nourish what’s already there. Those two together have a powerful force for good! This combination also creates something called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are what drive the metabolism change in our bodies and help us burn more fat.
Why I choose Silver Fern:
If you're looking to use a probiotic supplement, this is one I'd recommend. Let me tell you why I choose Silver Fern.
There are many probiotics on the market, and going to look for the right one can be overwhelming. The sad truth is, many of the probiotics you find on the shelves at the store don’t work. Only certain strains have been clinically proven to survive the stomach acids and make it all the way to the large intestine where they can colonize (because that’s where we want them to go!). You want to be looking for the Bacillius strains, or strains that will make it all the way to where you need them. The strains with the most powerful benefits include Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, and Bacillus clausii. Silver Fern’s pass this survivability test.
Not only is Silver Fern’s probiotic survivability verified, but it has 8 billion CFU (an adequate, quality daily consumption), it’s DNA verified (which means they’ve listed exactly what you’re taking on the bottle- without this, you have no idea what could be in there), and pharmaceutical grade... all things you want to look for in a good probiotic.
How to benefit most from taking a probiotic:
Silver Fern has their “Elevated 7-Step Plan” that really guides you through this process, but I’ll make it simple: If you are going to take a probiotic and want to reap the benefits, this is what I’d recommend:
1. Set achievable goals when it comes to diet. I’d have to agree with this short saying … “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” –Michael Pollan. Keep eating your whole, real foods, and set realistic expectations for yourself. Reduce your added sugar and refined carbs (white breads, pasta, etc.)…Eating too much sugar and not enough fiber will only encourage bad bacteria to grow and this road leadings to obesity and other health problems. As we know, bad bacteria thrives on sugar and cutting down on these foods will help!
2. Eat more fiber. Once you’ve begun to take a probiotic, as you also increase your fiber intake, you start to reprogram your metabolism for lasting weight loss. The minimum daily requirement of fiber for men is 30 grams and 25 grams for women. Foods that have a lot of fiber include: raspberries, bananas, mangos, pears, apples, bran muffins/bran flakes, black beans, almonds, peanuts, peas, broccoli, artichokes, corn, or Silver Fern’s Plant-Based Protein Formula / Wai Probiotic Drink Mixes.
3. Eliminate artificial sweeteners: things like Sucralose (Splenda), Aspartame, Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low), Neotame, etc. They also encourage growth of bad bacteria and other studies have shown these sweeteners can actually make you MORE hungry! Stay away from them.
4. Drink water! Try to aim for 100 oz. of water a day, but start with half your body weight, in ounces of water, and go from there.
Silver Fern claims that after 4 weeks of following their Elevated plan, and taking their probiotics, your cravings for sweets and treats will be reduced. They say after just 9 weeks, your metabolism will start to improve drastically. That’s pretty amazing!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to protect your gut!! It’s going to be your best defense, and Silver Fern has things right.
Some of their other products if you’re interested:
Wai drink mixes: These are my other favorite product from Silver Fern, next to the probiotic. I don’t mind the taste one bit- in fact, I like it! My husband and my daughter love it too! A great way to get some prebiotics and probiotics in for you and your kids.
Baking mixes: low in sugar and refined carbs and high in fiber and protein. Also, gluten free!
Whey Protein Powder: (I love their chocolate whey protein powder and use it in my chocolate PB almond protein balls (which I'll post soon). Give it a try!
