DAY 18- PROBIOTICS and FIBER. Natrually?

Trying to navigate the constantly changing info on what to eat, when to eat, how to eat can be daunting.  Add that to all the T.V. commercials on fiber, probiotics, etc...Take this for more fiber. Take that for probiotics. Did you know there are foods that naturally contain probiotics?  And may I assume we all know how to get more fiber into our diets?  The commercial that advertises Metamucil and how gentle but effective it is is true but the product itself is nothing more than psyllium.  A fiber that can be found naturally in so many foods there are too many to list!  Oh and when I say it's "nothing more than" I may be mistaken. There can be added sugars or sugar substitutes in some of these products! Which you don't get from fruits and vegetables. 

Which, in addition to legumes/beans and some nuts and seeds and increasing your fluid intake, fruits and veg are the natural way to increase fiber.  The sugars from fruits don't metabolise the same way in your blood stream as added sugars and sugar substitutes do.  That's not to say someone who has a lot of weight to lose or on a medically restricted diet should consume a lot of fruit. But for most of us, fruit and especially those lower in natural sugars (berries, citrus) are ideal for fiber.  Take a look below.

When searching for metamucil the following paragraph actually came up.

(To prevent constipation, you should drink plenty of fluids, exercise regularly, and consume naturally-occurring fibers found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.)

Interesting right?

It's the same for probiotics.  Some cheeses such as swiss, parm, gouda and cottage cheese may contain live active bacteria beneficial for the gut. As well as pickles, saurkraut, yogurt, tempei and a bunch of others.  And no, that doesn't mean the saurkraut loaded with salt and sugar that you get at commercial grocery stores. There are healthier very delish versions available in health food stores or you can make your own.  

Point is, as with everything else everyone wants a pill. A quick fix. But these can come with their own set of unhealthy consequences and if we look more to nature, most of the time we can find answers to pain management, weight loss and all sorts of issues.

There are some people who legitmately require supplemental help in the form of medications and pills. I am not suggesting that everyone who's told by their doctor they need this or that should go "au naturale."  What I am saying is question your Dr. for the possibility of alternatives and don't always assume that you need an additional supplement for a problem that you may be able to solve naturally.