Photo by destinysagent.

Remember that saying antibiotic resistance? While you may not have heard or read about it in popular media lately, it still exists. Each year, millions of tons of antibiotics are dispensed without even a visit to the doctor’s office! Worse, several grocery store chains of late have been offering free antibiotics! In most cases, there’s a safe alternative so that you can reserve these drugs for only very serious illness. Unless you’ve visited a physician and been cultured for bacteria, forgo the drugs.

You may be surprised to learn that many infections end up being caused by viruses rather than bacteria. If you’re seriously ill and must visit the physician, insist before you’re written a prescription for any medication that they not only culture for bacteria, but include sensitivity. Sensitivity refers to the specific bacteria so that treatment will best reflect what may be lurking within.

If you must take an antibiotic, be sure to follow instructions and complete the entire course. Don’t use antibiotics that have been left behind. Head to your medicine cabinet and clean out any old unused drugs. Most pharmacies conveniently now offer programs to safely dispose of your old drugs for you. Never flush drugs in the toilet or put down the drain as they’ll end up in both the soil and municipal water supply.

The next time you or your child is ill, consider the signs and symptoms to distinguish bacterial from viral. As a general rule, viruses tend to affect us systemically while bacteria affect local regions. Visit your Chinese medical or naturopathic physician to safely assess and seek nondrug alternatives.

A few common viral ailments often mistaken as bacterial include:

• Otistis Media (ear infections)
• Some forms of bronchitis and pneumonia
• Common cold
 and seasonal allergies

Just finished a course of antibiotics? Protect and enhance your immunity with probiotics.

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.

Photo by ashleypalmero.

There are always raging debates about the origin of humankind, but here is one undeniable fact: You are a mobile fleshy feeding tube!

You have two openings, an inlet/outlet, and a tunnel which is technically exposed to the outside world.  This tunnel, also known as your GI tract, is not a sterile environment and is loaded with bacteria. Seriously loaded.  

There are ten times the amount of bacterial cells in your GI tract than there are human cells in your entire body. Makes you wonder who’s in charge, doesn’t it? I mean, are we just a complex machine designed as a way to transport bacteria?

I’ve heard this debate before because 70% of your immune system is tucked into your innards. That’s right, welcome to the single most important terrain in your body. This relationship between us and ‘them’ is completely symbiotic of course, and we need each other to survive.

Whether by observation or insight, traditional cultures must have known about the importance of probiotics because there is no culture which does not have a fermented food as part of their everyday diet.

Lacto-fermentation creates a plate, mug or bowl full of delicious probiotic laden food which actually adds to the beneficial terrain in your GI tract. There are 1000s of varieties of foods, some which may seriously surprise your palate!

Here are some gut loving fermented foods from several different regions (this barely scratches the surface of what’s out there):

• Japan:  Miso, Kombucha, Tempeh, Nattō
• Korea:  Kimchi, Gochujang
• South East Asia:  Atchara, Fish sauce, Oncom
• China:  Soy sauce, Lufu, Doubanjiang, Douchi, Fermented Tofu
• India:  Dosa, Idli, Dhokla, Achar, Mixed Pickle
• Middle East:  Kaymak, Doogh, Labne, Yogurt
• Europe:  Yogurt, Pickles, Sauerkraut, Kefir, Rakfisk, Skyr, Sour cream, Crème fraîche, Cheese.
• Africa:  Injera, Tapai, Mageu, Ogi, Iru
• South America:  Chicha, Pulque,
• North America:  Igunaq
• General:  Most vinegars, raw apple cider vinegar.

The most readily available in Western supermarkets are miso, fish sauce, yogurt, pickles, sour cream, sauerkraut, raw apple cider vinegar. Incorporate more of these into your diet please! If you can find raw and organic so much the better as the concentration will be much higher.  So much of your health resides in the terrain of your GI tract and getting some delicious traditional foods back in there will help populate the bacterial fields of your feeding tube. If my sister happens to read this perhaps she will be so kind as to post a recipe <wink-wink> that’s wicked easy to make, and includes some of these ‘super-foods‘.

What’s in it for you?

• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve digestion
• Decrease allergies and food sensitivities
• Decrease inflammation
• Keep harmful bacteria at bay

The alternative is supplementing with high quality probiotics.  I am a quality freak when it comes to natural products.  Most probiotics on the market either don’t contain live bacteria, or contain different bacteria than what is listed on the label – so don’t buy cheap bottles of dead stuff. Enteric coated it means that the capsule will not dissolve in the stomach saving the lil guys from a serious gastric burn.  The raw powder or non enteric capsules use a high dose theory whereby some bacteria are sacrificed as collateral, ensuring that a few make it down to the depths of your colon.  Both ways show positive results when the bacteria are alive to begin with.

Prebiotics are non digestible polysaccharides which feed the beneficial gut flora and stimulate their growth.  You might see them listed as FOS (or  XOX /GOS) along with plant sources such as inulin.  They’re great and some food companies are actually trying to incorporate them into every day foods.

Healthy gut flora is a core basic treatment guideline for optimum health. Get some.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.