This blog post is about probiotics, so in order to talk about my experience with them I have to let you in on my innermost workings (literally). Which can be super uncomfortable. So let’s just agree to ditch feeling lady-like and get real about the realness of this situation. Because, guess what, we’re all humans. So... you get it.
Now that we got that out of the way.
Obviously, I’ve established that I’m really into health and fitness. Over the past few years, I’ve learned a great deal about nutrition and exercise. I pay close attention to what I eat. I exercise daily. I drink a ton of water... blahblahblah the whole nine. Most of the time, particularly when I first cleaned up my diet, I noticed significant change in the “regularity” department. Things were moving smoothly and efficiently. I felt like a well-oiled machine. I would hear horror stories from friends about various digestive issues and I would think, “Yikes. That sounds awful. Thank God I don’t have that problem.”
But then, gradually, as life goes, I started to have digestive issues of my own. I was NOT used to this. And I was horrified, because I hadn’t changed anything at all about my diet and exercise routine. I was eating the same, super healthy, high fiber, nutrient dense foods. And still...UNCOMFORTABLE ISSUES. I freaked out. What... WHAT is going on?!
I stepped off my high horse to examine what might be going on with my health that diet and exercise weren’t doing the trick anymore. Was it stress? Yeah, probably. It was a time where I was super stressed out and anxious all the time. But... isn’t that just normal life stuff? Isn’t everyone stressed out?
“In your 20s and 30s, so many things are changing. The anxiety about the future and relationships is much more intense, and your gut takes a hit from all that stress.” -Greatist.com
I did some furious google-ing to figure out what might be going on. And all kinds of stuff about gut bacteria started popping up. Maybe the problem was a bacterial imbalance? This could be caused by any number of pretty unavoidable factors. Yes, you can still eat well and exercise and take care of yourself and have digestive issues. Especially the more you read about all the screwed up ways in which we (yeah I’m looking at you, ‘Merica) have poisoned and contaminated our food supply. Even the most conscious of eaters wind up ingesting some funky stuff that can throw your gut bacteria all out of whack. It’s not uncommon (read: much more common than not) for Americans to have a bacterial imbalance in their gut. I just stupidly thought since I was eating this:
instead of this
I was somehow immune to this issue. Wrong.
So, sometimes life does this funny thing where it hands you a solution to your problem in a really unexpected way.
I was going about my actor business and submitted for an“Untitled Commercial Spot: Filming in Central Park, Sunday 9-12. Copy, Credit.” I don’t have a ton of commercial footage, and I was free from 9-12 on Sunday, so I thought sure, why not, whatever, and submitted for the role. I was in touch with the director, set it all up, and I arrived in Central Park for the shoot. Turns out, it’s for a probiotics company called Lovebug. They were a new company, and hadn’t yet launched their website, so they were looking to get some promo shots they could use for their launch.
photo by Kevin Anton (www.orangecrushfilms.com)
Hmm... probiotics.
When I was fiercely googling what was wrong with me and how I could solve it, probiotics kept coming up as the answer. And now, here I was, in the park for the day with people who make probiotics. Synchronicity, much?
I talked to Ashley, one of the founders of Lovebug. She told me her story and why she was so passionate about probiotics. After the birth of her son, she started having all kinds of unfamiliar issues. After consulting with medical professionals, she found they were all related to an imbalance of her gut bacteria- hardly any good guys and lots of the bad ones. She started taking probiotics and immediately her health zapped back to normal. She was so amazed by the drastic transformation that she and her husband developed their own line to share with the world. They teamed up with leading scientists and developed a line of probiotics that would have all the right goodness to get the good bugs to clean up even the most stubborn of tummies.
Listening to her story, I was amazed.
It also made so much sense. I knew from what I know about food that we’re exposed to all kinds of antibiotics (literally, the opposite of PRObiotics... I know I just blew your mind) in the meat we eat and pesticides and chemicals we’re exposed to. I had just never connected that it might be having a larger effect on me than I was aware of. And I thought, wow if probiotics are really so magical I HAVE to try them. Plus I had read so much about them on the internet I was already interested in taking them. But there are so many different kinds and strains and information and I was overwhelmed and I didn’t know where to start. Well, obviously, here was the answer. Thanks, Universe.
After the shoot, Ashley was kind enough to mail me a bottle of Lovebug of my very own as a thanks for the shoot and so I could give them a try.
Wow.
I IMMEDIATELY noticed drastic changes to my health. In some ways that were expected, and some ways that really surprised me. I kept track of the changes I was experiencing (bear in mind I changed nothing else about my diet or lifestyle, the only change was adding the probiotics) and so I will share these with you, what I noticed week by week, of my first month taking the Lovebugs.
Week 1: The Obvious
Remember all those digestive issues I was telling you about? Well, in the first week, those immediately disappeared. Seriously, like magic. Things went from backed up and horrible to cleaned OUT. I honestly felt like someone took a chimney sweep to my insides. All of a sudden things were flowing again. I had my well-oiled machine back. I was so happy I literally cried. All of the discomfort and stress I had been battling went away. I knew I had found the right answer to the issues I was experiencing.
photo by Kevin Anton (www.orangecrushfilms.com)
Week 2: The Vain
Having digestive issues sucks for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which was feeling really bloated and puffy all the time. By week 2 of Lovebug, that awful, puffy feeling went away. And I looked so much better. By no means am I 6-pack status, but a little confidence boost never hurt anyone. Here are some poor-quality mirror shots of my week 2 self-esteem lift.
Photos by me and my lame cellphone
Week 3: Third Chakra Magic
If you’re familiar with the Chakra system, then you know all about the third chakra and its connection to self-empowerment. For the uninitiated, chakras are the 7 energy centers in our body through which energy passes. The third chakra, (or, to get fancy, Manipura) is located righhhhht by your belly button. That’s right. Your gut. It’s connected to feelings of strength, confidence, and purpose. When your third chakra energy is healthy, you feel like a superhero with clear goals and a roaring inner fire. When your third chakra is blocked, you feel powerless and crappy about yourself. Shocker, third chakra is connected to digestion and metabolism. So, when your Manipura is blocked... you become...well.. physically blocked. You see? The mind/body connection is huge. So when you’re stressed and feeling down on yourself, this can manifest as a spiritual and physical energy center block. Hence, “knot in your stomach” or “gut-wrenching decision."
One of the coolest things that started to happen when I began taking Lovebug was that with a physical “unblocking” came an energetic unblocking as well. My feelings of purpose and self-esteem rose. I began to feel less anxious, less stressed, more goal oriented. These were results I had never anticipated, but I was definitely grateful for.
Image source: www.houseofshakti.com
Week 4: Serotonin Blast
One of the coolest things I’ve learned since delving into the world of probiotics is that our gut is quite literally a second brain. To get science-y for a minute, the “second brain” is comprised of a multitude of neurons that line the walls of our guts (from esophagus to anus). These neurons enable us to literally feel what’s in our guts. Our second brain controls what’s going on in our guts independently from the brain in our head. So while the brain in your head is busy philosophizing and being poetic and thinking big thoughts... your other brain is busy with digestion and keeping things moving. But here’s the cool thing, the second brain plays a HUGE part in our emotions and moods. Those butterflies you feel in your stomach are for reals.
Actually, 80-90% of serotonin, the brain’s feel-good hormone, is produced by nerve cells in the gut. Because of this connection, new research is emerging that links mood disorders and digestive issues, in fact 1 in 3 people who suffer from depression are thought to have leaky gut. www.lovebugprobiotics.comBoom. Happy gut = happy you. The biggest, most positive change has been in my overall mood and sense of well being. I’m happier. And that is a side effect I never anticipated. I just wanted my digestive issues to go away... but I got so much more.
To wrap it up
Obviously, I can’t get enough of Lovebug and highly recommend you order your own to experience the magic for yourself. And because they’re the coolest, they’re letting me offer you a 20% discount on your first order when you use the code 2RACHAEL when you checkout. This works on Amazon or on their website.
Also, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the world of health/nutrition information is complicated and over-saturated and can be scary and intimidating. Which is why I feel confident in vouching for these guys. I’ve met them. They’re good people. They’re smart, and friendly and educated and they’ve aligned themselves with the top scientists in order to create the highest quality product. You can geek out (like I did) over way more info on the science section of their website here http://www.lovebugprobiotics.com/science/ to get ALL the information about the why and the how.
And in case you’re into this kind of thing:
All of LoveBug’s probiotics are manufactured in the U.S. without GMOs, yeast, gluten, sugar, lactose, soy, wheat, iron, chemicals, preservatives or artificial colors. We even package them with Organic Cotton!
So, they got your back, homegirl. Give them a try. And when you do, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section. If you have any questions, or want some more info, you can also e-mail me at morningendorphin@gmail.com
Stay happy. Stay healthy, ya’ll.
