Are you managing your microbiome?

Thanks Pam for your advice about caprylic acid - I have just googled it and found out that, amongst other things, it is in full fat cows milk, which I use, so I am pleased about that!

Caprylic acid is recommended to kill off the bad bacteria in the gut.

Thanks lizzypopbottle. I think you are right. I am on my eighth month of strong antibiotics and have at least another ten months to go. I look forward to finishing them and getting rid of the side effects.

With apologies for not having read the entire thread, acidophilus capsules from Holland and Barrett have made a huge difference to the gut of DH and myself. Taking them is combined with cutting wheat to very little and giving up cakes and biscuits.

I've taken cider vinegar and used fermented products like sauerkraut and preserved lemons for some time and I do think my lack of digestive problems is attributable to these things. However, that doesn't mean one has no problems with ageing.....

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Here's the Lakeland book. Other books on fermented foods are available!

I just read an article about Paul McKenna's method for cutting out sugar. It involves imagining yourself eating your favourite sweet things mixed with some food you hate. You have to conjure up the taste and smell of the hated food with the taste of the sweet food. The example given was chocolate cake mixed with cabbage but I really like cabbage so I'd probably try to imagine crab, cockles, mussels, oysters or other foods that look and smell disgusting to me. You do this every time you're tempted. I suppose you could just imagine your favourite sweet things were heaving with maggots or such.

My horrid tip [i hate it!] for sugar is not to have any. It's the only way I can get it to work - if I don't have any for some reason my body doesn't crave it [after the hellish first few days which are definitely the worst]

Sometimes I do have a treat but know that if I succumb to temptation then I know I just have to go through this withdrawal stage yet again so its easier just to avoid it all. I try and find other sugar and carb free treats like mascarpone cheese - which is the same as cream to me - and cheese - and fruit.

If I can't resist then I try and have the smallest portion - despite all this and running 2 miles a day I'm still a size 14 - oh the days when I could eat a whole bag of doughnuts and never put on an ounce!

Liz46 I think, if you're taking strong antibiotics, they will cancel out any potential benefits from drinking kefir or eating other 'live' fermented foods. The friendly gut bacteria in those foods are as susceptible to antibiotics as are the pathogenic ones. Every time we take a course of antibiotics, it does our gut flora a lot of harm. It's probably impossible to build up the good bacteria until you finish the course of antibiotics. Then you need to eat plenty of fibre in the form of leafy greens (some raw) and pulses e.g. chick peas, beans and lentils. The raw veg have naturally occurring lactobacilli (the good guys) so go easy on the washing! I don't wash the cabbage I use to make sauerkraut. I just remove any damaged outer leaves.

Anyone fancying giving kefir a try, make sure it's not been pasteurised. There's no benefit to your gut if the friendly bacteria are dead! It's easy to make your own and it'll be live. Lakeland are doing a milk kefir kit lately but you can buy the milk or water kefir grains on Amazon. Lakeland also sell this book:
Fermented Foods for Vitality and Health by Dunja Gulin

I like the idea of a kefir smoothie. I could add some spinach and banana. Thanks.

I like a kefir 'smoothie - with a banana and frozen raspberries in - very tasty and you can add porridge oats to fill you up if you like - its a good breakfast on hot days.

It's also really good as a hair tonic.

're the comment upthread re kefir and about being not sure will like it - I just tell myself it's medicine and glug it down. I soon got used to the taste. There was a time when medicine wasn't disguised by being sweetened!

I am on long term, strong antibiotics so bought some kefir grains. I take the ab in the morning so drank the kefir in the evening. I did not notice any benefits so put them in the freezer when we went on holiday. The next place will probably be the bin!

I buy Kefir a a thick yogurt type product of Polish and Eastern Europe origin with a particular culture that is supposed to have lots of the best microrganisms for gut health. It does appear to be helpful in keeping regular. A 200ml glass seems to work.

I live in an area where this is on the supermarket shelves. I don't know how widely available it is.

The local Polish community brought that with them along with other fermented products such as sauerkraut.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-kefir

I have just ordered Michael Moseley's book "Clever Guts" and look forward to reading it!

Janeainsworth
Thanks so much for your advice about my sugar craving.
I will certainly google Robert Lustig’s book.
My goodness you gn’s are a really helpful bunch of ladies.
I’m sure others will gain knowledge from all your helpful advice.
Now let me think ? of some other problems.........

HannahLoisLuk
many thanks for your advice re prunes.
As you say I’ll be careful about the amounts, as a friend
said to me yesterday she’d rather be like me then, like her who gets bouts of diarrhoea and is either unable to go out or is always searching for a ?

I’m sure many other gn’s

Reducing, not reading!!!

magicmaggie
Re your sweet tooth. Try very gradually reading the amount of sugary things you eat, and the frequency you eat sweet things.
Gradually you’ll find that things that you used to like seem sickly and you’ll want them less.
For real aversion therapy, google Robert Lustig Sugar: the Bitter Truth.

Magicmaggie, prunes soaked overnight in a little water are also good for constipation. Just eat them with yogurt for breakfast and include the soaking water. Not too many to start with, perhaps just two or three until you know what has the right effect. You don't want to be caught short when you're out!

Annodomini
Thanks for your reply and advice about eating apples and dried apricots. Will certainly give them a go.
Yes, I did taper my tablets from 7 a day for a week down to 1 a day for a week and finished last week.
I’m going to do some facial exercises to try to slim down my “moon face”. Hope they work???

I had to take prednisolone for six years for polymyalgia. I tapered the dose gradually and came off it last summer with not after-effects. Did you taper your withdrawal from pred, Magicmaggie? I found that the moon face thinned down after I reached 10mg and never did have constipation, possibly due to my apple-eating habit. Dried apricots are very useful for constipation!

I've read about this but have also read that joghurt bacteria etc can't survive in the gut, at least not long enough to do much good. There's more chance with fermented foods.

According to Tim Spector your gut needs 20 different foods each day so keep ringing the changes with nuts and occasional rare fruits and veg.
Apparently the gut microbes you receive at birth and shortly after are the ones you have now, more or less but variety does them good.

His book The Diet Myth is a good read and based on research of hundreds of twins.

I’ve just finished a course of predisolone steroids.
I did get the moon face and distended tummy after taking them.
And although I took omeprazole tablets to help with digestion problems, I still feel constipated and my tummy feels uncomfortable.
I did start taking kefir , but still have my sweet tooth.
Any advice out here would be appreciated.

I too have IBS and take a pro/prebiotic supplement every day. I think it helps. I eat plenty of fresh veg and the right cereals etc, but I also have a dreadful sweet tooth so I'm probably my own (or my guts) worst enemy!

Is that good or bad Jalima? I’m just drinking a gin (no sugar) and tonic(naturally low sugar) so I’m not thinking straight at the moment.
If it’s good I’ll have a red wine in a minute!?