Gut Health: Prebiotics and Probiotics

Gut health typically refers to the status of the bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) system. Our GI system contains both “good” and “bad” bacteria (our gut microbiome), but sometimes the number of good bacteria can get too low. There’s ever-evolving research on how the gut microbiome can affect your health (including weight and obesity).

Prebiotics vs Probiotics

Prebiotics are substances found in fiber that essentially feed the “good” bacteria in your GI tract.

Probiotics are live bacteria that are considered “good” bacteria because they can aide in the health of your digestive system. They can be found in Probiotic supplements or naturally in foods such as yogurt, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, or Kombucha tea. There are various types of probiotics and some people may have allergic reactions or contraindications to probiotic foods and supplements, so be sure to discuss with your doctor if they are right for you.

Why Gut Health is Important

Gut health has been shown to have a role in various conditions including: irritable bowel syndrome, antibiotic associated diarrhea, inflammatory conditions, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and even obesity. Talk to your doctor to see what steps you can take to optimize your gut health.

Click here to read more on this topic from Harvard.

As with many things in life, taking probiotics are not entirely without risk. Some people may be allergic to certain foods or supplements or may have pre-existing health conditions that preclude them from taking prebiotics or probiotics. As always, you should consult with your doctor before starting something new to see if it is right and safe for you.

Information, comments and posts on this site neither constitute medical advice, nor reflect the opinions of any organization. Dr. Sjogren always recommends checking with your physician if you have any medical needs or concerns.

Diets and Weight Loss: Developing a Lifestyle

Posted by: Dr. Kara Sjogren

As we enter the first few months of the new year, many of us want a fresh start when it comes to our goals—including weight loss. There’s so much conflicting information out there it’s hard to know what is best. People often ask me “Which diets work best for weight loss?”. The answer to that is complex but really it comes down to what is a lifestyle that you can sustain rather than just a fad diet that you can follow for a set period of time. When people set their minds to lose weight they often look at the short term and pick a diet that they think will give them the best/quickest results. However, they often forget to consider the long term sustainability of what they are embarking on. In fact, losing weight and gaining it back (or “yo-yo dieting”) can actually be detrimental to your health and your metabolism. This is one reason why picking a “way of eating” or lifestyle is far more beneficial in the long term than just “dieting”. A number of factors go into selecting the best way of eating for each person including their specific health issues, schedule, meal prep time, dietary restrictions, food likes and dislikes, etc. It’s a good idea to discuss all of these things with a weight loss physician and/or nutritionist to come up with the best eating style for you. In the end, incorporating more nutritious/whole foods and less processed foods is the key to any healthy diet. In addition, obesity medicine specialists are learning that there is so much more complexity to weight loss (and maintaining a healthy weight) than the old “calories in, calories out” model that we used to follow. A calorie is not just a calorie and, in fact, different sources of calories can affect us and our metabolism in such different ways. In addition there are many other factors that affect weight loss and weight maintenance including exercise, sleep, stress, mood, etc.

Here are a few tips for other lifestyle changes that can aid with weight loss and weight maintenance:

1. Incorporate strength training into your exercise routine: Many of us hit the treadmill or elliptical hard at the start of the new year to kick start our weight loss; however, adding in strength training even 2-3 times a week can help improve resting metabolism, bone strength, and weight maintenance. Of course it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor first to make sure you are healthy enough to do strength training and that you don’t have any restrictions. It’s also a good idea to meet up with a personal trainer if you have not done strength training before or are unsure how to use equipment.

2. Hydrate: Water is essential to many of our body’s processes including the metabolism of fat. Not drinking enough water can hinder weight loss efforts. The amount of water you need daily depends on several factors including your age, gender, and other health issues you may have. It’s important to talk to your doctor about how much water you should be getting daily.

3. Sleep: Studies show that inadequate sleep can hinder weight loss. Adults should aim for around 7-8 hours of sleep each night. One way to improve your sleep is to avoid screens (such as TV’s, computers, phones) for at least 30 minutes before bed. If you feel that you are getting adequate sleep but still don’t feel well rested in the morning, talk to your doctor to see if there may be something else going on (such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, etc).

We’d be happy to help you with your weight loss journey here at Impact Health Direct Primary Care. Check out our website to learn more about our weight loss program.