Why taking a natural probation would be beneficial

Why do I need a broad-spectrum probiotic?

Digestion and good gut health are governed by the gut microbiome (a community consisting of bacteria, yeast and fungi).
 
Keeping this community of bugs as abundant and diverse as possible is vitally important for optimal health.

When gut health is good, you’ll feel balanced – when it’s off, you may experience a variety of symptoms and this imbalance can also affect your emotional health, your immune system and skin health.
 

Signs you could benefit from taking a probiotic?

  • You’ve taken a course of antibiotics
  • You eat a lot of refined sugar
  • You’ve taken a course of antacid medfication
  • You experience bloating
  • You have a lot of gas
  • You suffer from loose stools/diarrhoea
  • You regularly get constipated
  • You have skin issues triggered by certain foods

 

 4 Facts about the Gut

 

50% of our stools are actually bacteria that have been living in your gut – therefore these bacteria need replacing everyday.

So how can we replace these wonderful hard working bugs?

  1. Plant-based fibre - helps our gut bugs thrive aim for ideally around 30g per day, ensuring vegetables and fruits of all the colours of the rainbow are included in a week.
  1. Fermented foods can boost the number of friendly bacteria in your gut, Kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kombucha, pickles (in salty brine), tempeh, natto, unsweetened yoghurt
  1. Prebiotics : these are like fertiliser for our new and current gut flora and include:
  • Baobab fruit
  • Moringa leaf
  • Chicory root
  • Dandelion greens
  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Garlic, Onions, Leeks
  • Asparagus
  • Bananas
  • Barley, Oats
  • Apples (with the skins)
  • Dark chocolate
  • Flaxseeds (also known as linseeds)
  • Potatoes/pasta that have been cooked the day before and left in the fridge overnight

Why taking a probiotic could help?

Taking a broad spectrum probiotic supplement can improve the number and diversity of the good gut bugs that help to keep your gut healthy. 

Our GUT LOVE is a great multi-strain probiotic that can be taken daily, containing 19 different strains of live bacteria to help replenish your gut flora with a variety of strains.
 
It also contains organic baobab, a naturally sourced prebiotic and slippery elm to make sure that it is easily absorbed by the gut lining.
There are a number of probiotics and prebiotics on the market so how do you choose an effective one - abundance and diversity are key so choose a probiotic/prebiotic combination that meets this criteria.
Gut Supplement checklist
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Body shape is not an indicator of the strength of your blood vessels

Body shape is not an indicator of the strength of your blood vessels

Did you know that the blood vessels in your body are nearly 60,000 miles long which is twice around the world.


Their job is to carry vital blood, oxygen and essential nutrients to every part of the body. Healthy vessels are strong, elastic, flexible and clear of any deposits.

A healthy and strong blood circulation system is essential to have a good quality of life.
Therefore body shape is not an indicator of the strength of your blood vessels.

What causes a stroke?

Arteries can become clogged with fatty substances from our diet and a sedentary lifestyle which can cause the arteries to narrow and stiffen, resulting in blocked blood flow, a condition known as atherosclerosis.
 
This increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, and this impeded blood flow will affect the health and efficeincy of every organ in the body.
 
If it happens in the brain, the blockage can cause a stroke. Poor blood flow is also linked to issues such as vascular dementia, erectile dysfunction and decreased circulation in the hands and feet.

So what can we do to keep our blood vessels unclogged, strong and healthy?

  1. Follow  - the principles of a Mediterranean-style diet rich in a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, ideally 6 portions a day and include a daily portion of a vegetable rich in nitric oxide, such as beetroot, broccoli, spinach, collard greens and kale. Nitric oxide is a substance that is essential for optimal arterial health and function. Eat regularly.
  1. Move -  Aim for 30 minutes 5 times a week.  However, research is growing that 'snack size' consistent exercise is just as impactful on our bodies and our mind.  Dr Chatterjee is a huge advocate for adding an exercise snack with your daily routine so add squats as the kettle is boiling, or toe raises whilst brushing your teeth 5 minutes a day is better than nothing and consistency is key.  
  1. Stop -  smoking.
  1. Maintain - low LDL cholesterol by reducing your consumption of processed and deep-fried foods.
  1. Lose - weight carrying extra weight increases your chances of having too much LDL cholesterol in your blood, leading to fatty deposits building up in the arteries, restricting blood flow. Studies show that even losing 5% of your body weight can improve cholesterol levels.

 

    Our Metabolic Gold, is made from Bergamot (Citrus Bergamia) only grown in Calabria in Italy and can be used to support the health of your arteries by reducing cholesterol and supporting weight management.

    Studies show that bioactive compounds in Bergamot can reduce the “bad” fats, lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and improving total cholesterol levels.

    In fact, Research on Bergamot has been shown to have 2 specific molecules that are very similar in structure, and function to statins.

    Metabolic Gold can generally be used in conjunction with prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication – speak to one of our pharmacists for more information about your health and any potential indications with current medication

     
    Jeff Schmidt - Heart Attack

    Heart Attack by Jeff Schmidt

    It turns out that we really are ‘the sum total of our experiences.’ Had I known then the impact of many of my decisions, I may have made changes earlier, but it turns out that we must live life to truly understand it. 

     

     

     

    I was definitely living life. Perceived invincibility provided me with the tunnel vision which enabled me to dash from one task to another, ticking off one more achievement, adventure and accolade.

    Of course you can’t sustain this symphonic level of intensity without topping up the tank with quick access fuel, mine came in the form of sugar- packets of delicious sweets and finely baked biscuits.

    I also gradually began to neglect my regular exercise regimen in exchange for a membership in the weekend warrior club. Gut irritation and a little extra weight accumulated, but, as far as I was concerned, I felt normal for a 40-something professional.

    ‘That’ evening, the one that irreversibly shook up my life, Thursday 3 December, I found myself staring eternity squarely in the face. I had returned home from work with my two girls. It had been a stressful day capped by a suitably heated, hard-hitting quarrel that left me trembling. 

     I did not generally consider my life stressful, and yet I knew that I ran at a pretty high-octane pace. But that was OK, because, despite warnings from others, I was, or believed I was, bulletproof.  

    I wore my intensity like a shiny badge of honour. On that evening, however, the engine said ‘no more’; you can’t drive even the most brilliantly engineered sports cars at 5000 RPM indefinitely. 

     It took my mum, who spotted me bent over, clutching my chest, rubbing my arms on FaceTime and my daughter's subsequent fear-filled plea to get help for me to make the medical call. Reluctantly, in a haze of pain, I did make the call. In minutes an ambulance was there. 

     

    Pride masking the danger, I couldn’t help, but feel that all this commotion was quite unnecessary. The seasoned paramedics quickly assessed my traumatised frame, blood pressure surging through my veins like a blocked firehose. They looked me straight in the eyes, piercing my vanity, and said, “We are taking you to hospital. Now.” 

    Jeff Schmidt - a loose wire

     

    ‘That’ evening marked the beginning of a myriad of changes.  Naturally, and most significantly was that of my health, but also, running neatly alongside, compelling me, almost without choice, was my desire to capture the goodness in life around me. 

    Being in hospital forced me to slow down and rest, my senses sharpened and my eyes opened to the subtleties in the world around me, to things I had not previously noticed before. 

    I became acutely aware of nuances in conversation, of the sacrifices of those around me and of the delicacy of relationships. I was also painfully cognizant, in increasing measure, of the compounding effects of the bad choices I had made for my body- sugar addiction, stress, exercise withdrawal and sleep deprivation.

    Buckminster Fuller once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” So, that is what I did (and am doing), engineering a new, more tantalising model for life. 

    My diet, for instance, has been transformed. The once glutinous intake has been replaced with cleaner foods, nutrition straight from the earth and, perhaps more importantly, I expunged sweets. 

    Implored by the immediacy of the situation, I also instilled radical changes to my work routine and introduced regular, gentler exercises in the great outdoors. The list goes on, but I feel that, if indeed we are ‘the sum total of our experiences,’ I have been gifted a lifeline with which to significantly alter the outcome of my time here on earth. And, I must say, my heart feels good, very good indeed.

     

    NOTE FROM THE NAKED PHARMACY

    Jeff’s story highlights the importance of regular heart health checks for both men and women above the age of 30. The good news is many heart and circulatory diseases are caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified.
    Key risk factors as identified by The British Heart Foundation are cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, physical inactivity, smoking and having high blood pressure. As well as a family history of heart issues.
    As a pharmacist, I believe that relatively simple diet and lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of heart disease. 
    Our targeted high strength supplements can help and the general rule for these supplements is to start as early as possible to help prevent problems rather than have to treat later, especially if you recognise the risk factors.
    My two supplements of choice are Bergatone to reduce the build up of bad fats in the body and improve the metabolism. Research is now showing that the four specific polyphenols in high strength organic bergamot fruit extract provide effective support for managing weight and cholesterol, by binding to bad fats in the gut.
    Alongside Black Garlic an organic compound that is produced when white garlic is fermented over several months. It helps to maintain healthy blood pressure, as well as protecting the cardiovascular system.

     

     

     

    Jeff Schmidt is the Author/illustrator of the bestselling book: 

     HEART ATTACK- Finding hope, joy and inspiration through adversity. 

    Manage Menopause Naturally

    Manage Menopause Naturally

    Manage Menopause Naturally