Imagine this scenario – you’ve been getting symptoms such as vulval itching and redness so you treat it with an over-the-counter thrush cream. The symptoms go. Must have been thrush, right?

It happens again later, but this time the treatment doesn’t work. So you try something else – maybe a pessary or an oral antifungal. Still getting symptoms…

Eventually, you get a swab from your GP, but the results don’t show anything definitive.

So you do a bit of research and decide to go on a strict anti-Candida diet and take several strong natural products that wipe everything out.

But now your gut’s feeling off, you’re anxious about everything you’re eating, and somehow you’re no closer to answers.

You go back to your doctor, and this time you’re given an antidepressant.

How did you end up here!?

Now take this story, and swap out thrush for recurrent UTIs, or BV, or interstitial cystitis. It’s a common journey for so many people, and it can be incredibly frustrating when symptoms keep recurring and you’re left without clear answers. Sometimes things do get picked up early and treatment is straightforward – but often I hear variations of this story, where people don’t fully know what’s causing their symptoms, or they’re led to believe it’s just something they have to live with. Others are placed on long-term medications they don’t feel comfortable with or are never told there may be an underlying imbalance.

A different approach –

When looking into vaginal microbiome health it’s important to have a good idea what you’re working with.
Most people are familiar with the classic symptoms of Candida/thrush – itching, redness, discharge. But sometimes it can present in less typical ways – for example, with only skin irritation or splitting, and no discharge at all. And importantly, Candida is just one type of imbalance. There are many microbes that can disrupt vaginal health – including bacteria linked to BV or chronic UTIs, and others that can trigger inflammation or discomfort without a clear “infection.”

So how do you find out what the cause is?

First and foremost we look at signs and symptoms. The colour, texture, sensations and odour of vaginal discharge can be very informative. Then we can narrow down whether the environment is too acid or alkaline, something that has a big impact on determining what sort of microbes can grow.

After examining symptoms, we can look at vaginal pH – an easy thing you can do at home to monitor the fluctuates from day to day. Vaginal pH is a good indicator of whether the condition is bacterial or fungal, and can show changes before symptoms appear.

A typical swab performed by the GP can also provide a lot of insight. Things like the presence of clue cells, leucocytes, what can be cultured, and whether bacteria appears to be there regardless of whether we know what type it is or not. However, Candida and other microbes don’t always show up on the day of testing, especially in cases of RVVC (recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis), which can wax and wane.

This can often be enough. But if we need to dig deeper a more in depth vaginal microbiome test can be helpful.

There are several versions of vaginal microbiome testing available, currently my preference is through Nutripath which I discuss in the below video.

What is a microbiome?

A community of microorganisms that exist within an area of our body contributing to that spaces function and wellbeing. In female reproductive health we commonly refer to the vaginal microbiome – that microbiome that exists within the vagina and also affects the vulval tissues, as well as the endometrial microbiome (impacting the uterus and surrounding fluids) which may be different depending on cervical competency, and the peritoneal fluid microbiome. In the case of RVVC and chronic BV the vaginal microbiome is the most relevant.

Unlike the gut microbiome, the vaginal microbiome is meant to be relatively low in diversity. In most people, it’s dominated by Lactobacillus species, which help keep the environment slightly acidic and defend against invaders. There are variations in the vaginal microbiome based on hormonal stage (e.g. puberty, pregnancy, menopause) and even across the menstrual cycle. The type of lactobacillus that is dominant may vary based on your genetics, referred to community subtype (CST).

Signs of vaginal microbiome imbalance

• Itching in the vulval or vaginal tissues
• Redness or irritation
• Discomfort or soreness of the vulva or vagina that’s not related to
• Discharge that does not fit the typical ovulation discharge pattern
• Discharge that has a fishy, yeast, acidic, or “rotten/off” smell
• Recurrent UTIs
• Splitting in the creases
• Gushing or watery discharge (a clue depending on the microbe involved)
• Symptoms that flare or change during different phases of your menstrual cycle

Underlying Drivers of Vaginal Microbiome Imbalance

There’s no single cause for microbial imbalance. Often, several systems in the body interact and contribute. Here’s a breakdown:

• Gut health: Our gut is integral in almost all facets of our health and wellbeing. The impact of gut health on vaginal health may be different to what you may think. While older theories linked gut Candida to vaginal thrush, newer research shows this is unlikely due to the gut’s low-oxygen environment. RVVC is not typically caused by reinfection from the gut. Our gut health has an impact because of it’s influence on things like our immune system, hormonal balance, nutritional status and inflammation levels such as histamine tolerance. While gut candida is uncommon, and if present does not typically cause RVVC it is still important that we support gut microbiome in chronic dysbiotic cases.

• Oral health: Poor gum and oral health can drive systemic inflammation, which in turn can affect microbial balance elsewhere in the body.

• Immune health: An immune system that’s either overactive or suppressed can make it harder for the vaginal microbiome to stay balanced. Histamine excess can perpetuate chronic vaginal/vulval symptoms and can cause a heightened reaction when candida is present. There is a relationship between hormonal imbalance and mast cell activation issues that can feed RVVC.

• Hormonal balance: Both high and low oestrogen can create imbalances. In cycling women, this may lead to fluctuating symptoms throughout the month. In menopause, reduced oestrogen means less glycogen in vaginal tissues – a critical food source for Lactobacilli – leading to lower populations of these protective microbes. PCOS can be associated with a unique discharge pattern, and hormonal contraceptives like the OCP can alter both microbiome composition and typical discharge characteristics. Supporting hormonal balance is often a key goal in treating vaginal dysbiosis.

• Stress and nervous system regulation: Chronic stress can shift immune function, disrupt hormonal signalling, and create conditions in which opportunistic microbes thrive.

• Medication use: Antibiotics, antihistamines, and even some hormonal treatments can alter microbial environments by reducing protective species.

• Diet and lifestyle: High sugar and low-fibre diets, synthetic underwear, scented products, improper use of soaps or douching and certain sexual practices can disrupt pH or microbial stability.

The Complexity of Candida and RVVC

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is notoriously difficult to manage. One major challenge is timing – it may not show up on a swab done at your GP’s office if you’re between flares. But days later, symptoms can spike again.

And while low Lactobacilli is often linked to chronic Candida, this isn’t always the case. Some women have recurring Candida issues despite normal pH and healthy levels of Lactobacilli. In these cases, the key lies in addressing deeper factors – not just treating the yeast, but looking at immune regulation, inflammation, and systemic triggers.

The Broader Impact on Fertility and Reproductive Health

A disrupted vaginal microbiome can affect far more than just comfort. Studies link dysbiosis with higher miscarriage rates, IVF failure, and unexplained infertility. It may also fuel systemic inflammation via LPS production, worsening conditions like endometriosis and adenomyosis.

Both male and female reproductive microbiomes play a role in conception. The quality of the vaginal environment can influence sperm survival and how the sperm and egg interact.

What Can Be Done About It?

Effective treatment requires more than just “killing off” whatever shows up in a test. This is where working with a practitioner can make all the difference.

I’ve completed extensive training in vaginal microbiome care and offer tailored support – including custom pessaries and individualised treatment plans that target your unique underlying drivers.

A treatment strategy will typically involve:

• Supporting and regulating hormone balance

• Calming inflammation

• Addressing metabolic health and blood sugar regulation

• Modifying lifestyle and sexual practices as needed

• Supporting local vaginal tissue repair and resilience

• Enhancing immune function

• Restoring nervous system regulation and reducing chronic stress load

• Optimising diet, nutrient intake, and specific nutritional markers

• Identifying and targeting key pathogens where necessary

• Using timing strategies to prevent symptoms before they begin

• Balancing vaginal pH

• Supplying prebiotic fuels to feed beneficial microbes

• Using specific probiotics

References

Bradfield Strydom, M., Nelson, T.M., Khan, S. et al. The impact of fluconazole use on the fungal and bacterial microbiomes in recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (RVVC): a pilot study of vaginal and gastrointestinal site interplay. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 44, 285–301 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-024-04999-1

Ono, Y., Kobayashi, Y., Shimada, S., Fukushi, Y., Yoshino, O., Wada, S., & Yamada, H. (2024). Uterine Endometrium Microbiome in Women with Repeated Implantation Failure Complicated by Endometriosis. Journal of clinical medicine, 13(16), 4605. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164605

The post What to do when Thrush and BV don’t go away appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Gut Health

All disease begins in the gut – Hippocrates.

Your digestive system is more important for your overall health than you probably realise. It’s so much more than whether you do your number two’s regularly: digestive health impacts on your immune system, inflammation, hormone balance, mood, energy, skin, brain health and more!

Naturopaths and other holistic health practitioners have long been banging on about the importance of ‘healing the gut’ for a wide range of digestive disorders and overall wellbeing. In the last few decades, research into the importance of a healthy digestive bacteria balance (our ‘microbiome’) and digestive lining have been booming.

Put simply, the digestive system is a hollow tube ranging from mouth to anus, and is actually a continuation of our skin (just in a different format). You can imagine it like you’re a donut! And think about this: everything inside your digestive tract is actually outside of your body. Along this tube the surface of the skin changes, e.g. in the stomach there is a thick coating of mucous which helps to protect against the strong acids that are created there, and in the intestines the surface changes, developing a lot of finger like folds and protrusions called villi. Villi are designed to increase the surface area for both absorption of nutrients and room for immune cells. Almost like in a factory chain, other glands and organs will come into play, depositing enzymes and acids at various points that help us break down our food more effectively.

The bugs that live in your gut

If I told you that your body contains 10 times more bacteria than human cells, would you be reaching for the soap? Well you don’t have to worry because the majority of these bugs are working to keep you healthy. They are actually so interconnected with us, that we are now considered to be a ‘super-organism’ (1) (2).

The majority of the bacteria exist in your digestive tract, and there they work to detoxify harmful chemicals, process nutrients (and in some cases they actually create nutrients!), control the unfriendly bacteria that live there (yes there are usually always some bad guys present, about 15%, but the state of your good bugs determines whether the baddies cause a problem), control the immune system, produce energy for the rest of the body and much, much more.

The Goodies

There are over 400 known types of bacteria within our digestive tract. In some people there are more, and in others who may be eating a processed diet or have had damage to their gut flora, the diversity of these bacteria are significantly reduced. Interestingly, the bacteria in our gut are different throughout the different stages of our life.

Our friendly bacteria can be damaged by certain medications and lifestyle habits. Antibiotics are one of the most well known causes of damage to our friendly bacteria, and recently it has been discovered that some of our good bacteria may never recover after a course of antibiotics* (3).

Antibiotics, while often over used can sometimes be necessary and in some cases are life savers. Limiting their use and ensuring that if taken they are used correctly can help to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. Consider your options before taking antibiotics, and if you do have to take antibiotics then see a practitioner who can guide you on how best to mop up at the damage.

Feeding the Good Guys

Whereas Probiotics are the organisms, Prebiotics are their food.  The use of prebiotics is often neglected, but it’s an important part of recolonising your gut. You can get various isolated prebiotics in supplement form, or you can consume a variety of foods which contain these compounds, particularly those high in soluble fibre.

Fermented foods are another key tool in keeping your digestive system happy. The act of fermentation allows beneficial bacteria that naturally live on the food to grow, and it also makes a whole host of nutrients within the food more bioavailable (meaning we can get more out of it). You can buy fermented food, or grow it yourself.

You should aim to have a variety of fermented foods~ and prebiotic foods consistently.

Regularly chow down on these to keep your good bugs thriving*:

• Almonds
• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Banana (especially green)
• Beetroot
• Garlic
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Kefir~
• Kimchi~
• Kombucha~
• Lentils
• Plantain
• Pumpkin
• Sauerkraut~
• Sweet Potato
• Witlof and Wombok
• Yoghurt (free from added sugar and chemicals)~
• Zucchini

* If you have Fructose Malabsorption, some of these foods may cause digestive discomfort. Seek advice from your health practitioner if you are unsure.

The Baddies

There are a huge range of unfriendly pathogens that if allowed to get out of control can cause all sorts of havoc in your digestive system.  Some can even cause trouble with your mood. Chronic infections can result in a wide variety of symptoms that are often unexplained such as aches and pains, fatigue, brain fog, unexplained inflammation and recurrent infections –fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are just a couple of conditions that can have a chronic infection as an underlying driver (4) (5).

There are a huge range of organisms that lie dormant in our digestion: many, many forms of bacteria, viruses, protozoa (e.g. malaria and giardia), fungi, yeasts and parasites can exist in our gut.  Some of them can be deadly killers, and others may not be lethal but can result in a variety of nasty symptoms.  Our immune system, digestive juices and the presence of our good bugs are what keep it all in check.

The Gut and Your Immune System

“The immune system present in the gut makes more immunological decisions in a day than the rest of the immune system does in a lifetime”.  (6)

If your immune system isn’t behaving itself properly, you might want to consider that your digestive system is the culprit.

Your digestive system has a special mucosal lining over the surface of your intestines, and the health of your gut flora (the complex, extremely important colony of bacteria within your digestive system, also known as the microbiome) has a huge amount of immune decisions to make on a daily basis – it has to deal with bacteria, viruses and food, and decide each time whether it is a friend or foe. It is via this mechanism that your gut health can contribute towards skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis as well as autoimmune conditions such as SLE (Lupus), Rheumatoid arthritis, Graves disease and more.

The gut reports to the immune system

There is a special type of cell within the digestive system called a dendritic cell.  This cell is responsible for determining whether our immune system should be on high alert or not.  Occasionally this cell will extend a little feeler (almost like a tentacle) and take a handful of whatever is in your digestive system to examine, to then report back to the rest of the immune system whether everything is okay or not.  This can explain why your diet can have an effect on allergic conditions such as hayfever and eczema, as well as autoimmune conditions (7).

Immune cells in the gut

There are also a lot of other players involved in the gut, such as the immune cells Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and certain T lymphocytes.  sIgA helps to protect the epithelial layer from being inhabited by bacteria and viruses.  This helpful immunoglobin is actually produced by lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which are actually created by Bifidobacteria (a good bacteria that exists mostly in the colon).  Unfortunately, Bifidobacteria are easily damaged, especially by antibiotics.

Enzymes do more than digest food

When you think about digestive enzymes, you’ll probably be thinking that they’re there to break down your food so it’s primed for absorbing.  They also have another important role to play, and that’s in breaking down substances that might be harmful to your immune system.  Due to poor eating habits, the secretion of enzymes is compromised in a large proportion of people.  Implementing habits such as chewing each mouthful more and taking time to enjoy and concentrate on your meal are helpful for stimulating the cephalic phase of digestion – where your brain tells the rest of the digestive system to get ready for food, and consequently more enzymes and acids are produced.

The Gut and Your Mood

The state of our intestinal lining and the balance of bacteria within our digestive system have a major role to play in the production of our neurotransmitters: chemical transmitters that tell our brain whether we should be feeling such ways as happy, sad, agitated, or calm.

When the balance of our gut bacteria (collectively referred to as the microbiome) is affected, this can affect your mood.  Studies have found that the microbiome can have a major impact on stress levels and anxiety (8).  In fact, by treating imbalances in our microbiota, it is possible to support a wide range of mental health disorders (9), (10), (11), (12), (13).

The second brain

The nerves in your digestive system are constantly speaking to your central nervous system.  If your gut is irritated for some reason – say you’ve eaten something that you’re intolerant to (like gluten, for example), you’ve generally got a bad diet, there’s an imbalance in your microbiome (that’s your collective gut bacteria, remember) or you’ve got an infection – this can create an inflammatory reaction and will certainly make you irritated as well.

We know that depression is both associated with, and worsened by inflammation.  This inflammation in the brain can be driven by inflammation in the gut, which can be caused by intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and bacterial imbalances (dysbiosis).  Treating leaky gut can help reduce the severity of depression (10), (14), (15), (16), (17).

Neurotransmitters in our gut

Serotonin is produced in large amounts in our digestive system.  In people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) there is too much serotonin in their digestive system.  This is why antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can improve the symptoms of IBS: these act by reducing the amount of serotonin taken into cells in the rest of our body which allows more to get into the brain.  However in some instances anti-depressants can affect the gut negatively, because if you weren’t making enough serotonin in the gut in the first place, you can end up with even lower levels in the digestive tract and so it can become irritated, affectively you’ll get a depressed gut (18), (19).

A vicious cycle

When your gut is upset, you feel upset.  But stress can affect your digestive system just as much as it affects your mood.  It can impair the secretion of digestive acids, slow down the motility of the gut, allows the unfriendly bacteria to grow, reduces your friendly bacteria and exacerbates intestinal permeability (leaky gut) (20), (14).  This is a recipe for an unhappy digestive system, and as you know this can then go on to send more messages to your brain: so you can see how the cycle continues.

People with gut problems are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.  Some studies have found a high proportion of anxiety in those with gut conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease (21), (22), (23).

Look after your gut and it will look after you

The body has an amazing ability to heal, if given the right means to do so. If you eat a predominately plant based diet that is free from processed food, get your microbiome happy by feeding the good bugs with prebiotics and occasionally adding in some good bugs with fermented foods and probiotics, you’ll be on the right track to start healing your gut.

Works Cited

The post The Importance of Gut Health appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Health & Wellbeing Podcast #33

This episode I’m joined again with the lovely Brooke Hile – women’s health physiotherapist. She joined us previously to talk about hypertonicity of the pelvic floor muscles (aka when the muscles in your vagina are too tight) and is back to talk about our lady bits again, but this time it’s the boobs. We are chatting about mastitis, and how physiotherapy can be helpful to reduce the occurence of it and how it can help with treatment. We also talk about how to prevent it with proper feeding techniques, probiotics for mastitis, herbs for mastitis, and what to eat to prevent mastitis.

Have a listen at Soundcloud here on on the embedded player below, then check out the pretty diagrams showing how you can do some self drainage at the bottom of this post.

Podcast Breakdown

0:00 Intro

1:50 What is mastitis?

2:25 Why you should learn about mastitis whether you plan to breastfeed or not

3:08 What are the symptoms of mastitis?

4:08 Abscess in mastitis

5:00 Benefits of breastfeeding

6:00 Conventional and common treatments for mastitis, and the wrong way to massage your breast if you have mastitis

9:37 When should antibiotics be considered for mastitis?

10:17 Antibiotic resistance

11:32 The golden key with mastitis: drain the breast. Some tips on how to feed on the affected side with mastitis

13:12 Ultrasound treatment of mastitis

14:26 Reasons why women can get mastitis

16:00 Breastfeeding isn’t easy

18:45 the natural treatment for mastitis including diet and herbal medicine

19:48 Echinacea, Calendula and lymphatic herbs for mastitis

21:45 How stress affects the milk ejection reflex, and how herbs can help this

23:50 Probiotics for prevention

24:25 Prevention tips

24:45 Posture when feeding

26:50 More on probiotics

27:50 Gut health and biofilms

28:30 Looking after your immune system with nutrition, dealing with stress and the importance of a village

30:50 How recurrent mastatitis is associated with some common vitamin and mineral deficiencies

32:00 How an incorrect latch and tongue tie may affect drainage

Self-Drainage for Mastitis

These exercises can be practised daily to encourage good lymphatic drainage and help prevent mastitis, but they can also be done to help with a current infection.

Thanks to Brooke for the guidance with these exercises. Drawings are by Caitlin Duckett.

Effleurage Encouraging the flow from the breast to the lymph system for clearance, gently sweep under the breast up towards the armpit

“The Pec Wobble” Pull the pec muscle off the chest wall and give it a wobble, this is as aggressive as you will get – not it is not the breast tissue you are moving but the muscle.

“The Lift and Twist” Gently cup the breast and lift it upwards, maintain the lift and gently rotate the breast back and forth.

“The Lift and Bob” Gently cup the breast and lift upwards, maintain the lift and bob up towards the collar bone and underarm

Get in Contact with Brooke:

Instagram @thingsdownthere
Brooke’s booking page: https://auappts.gensolve.com/p360/clinician/details/brooke_hile

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here:

iPhone   Stitcher   Youtube   Soundcloud

Related

Caring for Mama Podcast

Self Care for New Mothers

The amazing benefits of breastfeeding

Why You Should Choose Chemical-Free Products For You & Your Baby

Filling Your Own Cup First

Naturopathic support in pregnancy

How to manage reflux in babies

Why Gut Health is Critical to Your Wellbeing

The post Mastitis – How Naturopathy and Physiotherapy can help with Prevention and Treatment appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Thrush – it’s something that most women have experienced at least once in their lives. Vaginal thrush is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of Candida, a type of yeast. Candida albicans is the most common species of the Candida family, and when it becomes overgrown this can be referred to as a Candida infection, a yeast infection, thrush, or Candidiasis.

Normally, Candida lives harmlessly within our digestive system, however if our immune system or gut flora is disrupted an overgrowth of the yeast can occur. For most people who experience an overgrowth it is only a temporary, albeit unpleasant occurrence. Genital thrush is more common in women than men, and oral thrush can occur in the sick, the very young and the very old. Systemic candida can occur in those with a very weak immune system.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a vaginal thrush infection can include:

• Inflammation (swelling and redness) of the affected skin
• A creamy or cottage cheese like discharge that may be white or slightly yellow, and can have no smell or a slightly yeasty smell.
• Itching and/or pain

Types of Candida

Candida albicans is the most common species that causes thrush, however there are some less common forms of Candida which are becoming more prevalent, most likely due to resistance to the commonly used forms of antifungal treatment. These types include Candida glabrata and Candida rugosa.

Why does it happen?

While it’s fairly common to get thrush after a course of antibiotics, if thrush sticks around for a long time or is recurrent, then there may be some other causes.

This article is not exhaustive, so if you’re dealing with a difficult to shift thrush issue then consult a practitioner who can help you get to the bottom of the problem.

Have you ever wondered why you get thrush more if you’re on the oral contraceptive pill? Or why pregnant women commonly experience thrush? Oestrogen levels have a lot to do with it – when oestrogen is consistently high and doesn’t fluctuate as it normally would in a monthly cycle it sets up an environment that Candida can grow in easily.

Pregnancy and being on the Pill aren’t the only instances where oestrogen levels are high – some women with hormonal imbalances, thyroid disorders, poor detoxification of oestrogen and exposure to xeno-oestrogens (chemicals which interact with oestrogen receptors) will also be more susceptible to thrush.

If the vaginal environment is disrupted, such as change in the normal vaginal pH (3.5-4.5) or the normal flora (mostly lactobacilli) this also sets up an environment where Candida can grow. Some things you may not know that affect this environment are spermicides, semen, douching, regular use of diaphragms, as well as getting your period (blood has a pH of 7.35-7.45).

If your immune system isn’t up to scratch this can also allow Candida to grow more readily. This can happen during periods of stress, as a result of poor diet and/or nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin c and zinc, use of steroid or immunosuppressant medications, after chronic infections (including glandular fever but most notably HIV), as well as during pregnancy (the immune system changes during pregnancy to allow a foreign body to exist within you – isn’t the body amazing?). People with diabetes are also more susceptible to yeast infections.

Does your diet affect thrush?

The “Anti-Candida” diet is well known method to keep thrush at bay. It involves strictly avoiding all sugar, refined carbohydrates and in some instances the recommendation is also to avoid yeast containing foods (such as breads and beer), and fermented foods.

When patients who have been following this diet seek my help, I observe that the diet often causes a lot of stress as any lapses in the condition can cause the person to blame themselves, attributing it to a ‘slip up’ in their diet.

I recommend keeping sugar and refined carbohydrates to a minimum for the majority of people, and you have most likely heard me prattle on about the importance of a whole food diet in the past as well, so it should come as no surprise that I would suggest to someone who is experiencing thrush to avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates (as much as possible), but in no instance would I recommend doing it to such a degree that it causes stress.

While I think the dietary component is important in dealing with thrush, it’s not the only factor. It is common for fluctuations of chronic Candida infections to occur (as it can be with most health conditions) so blaming yourself for poor adherence to a diet isn’t good for your happiness.

There have recently been challenges to the view that ingestion of yeast containing foods increases the incidence and severity of Candida. Theoretically, it may be that foods which contain yeast are often sources of simple and refined carbohydrates, which if over consumed can negatively affect the immune system and the balance of good and bad bacteria in the digestive system, which act to keep our normal levels of Candida in check.

Crowd Control

Most people are aware of the importance of ‘replacing’ the good bugs after a course of antibiotics to prevent thrush, but what you may not know is that just using a general probiotic may always not do the trick.

After taking a course of antibiotics, a lot of the friendly bacteria that exist in your digestive system are also killed and this can make room for opportunistic organisms such as Candida to grow. In other instances, bacteria such as Clostridium difficile can grow, the culprit for antibiotic associated diarrhea.

Taking probiotics during a course of antibiotics can help to keep the unfriendly bacteria from taking up too much space, but if Candida is a regular occurrence and needs to be treated directly there are some specific strains of probiotics which can be used.

The probiotic strains that have the best research behind their use in supporting vaginal health and reducing Candida are Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Probiotic capsules containing these species can be taken orally as well as occasionally inserted vaginally for best effect. For an over the counter option, I like Blackmores Women’s Flora Balance.

The therapeutic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, commonly referred to as SB, can also be beneficial in the treatment of thrush.

Yoghurt, in particular Vaalia (because it contains the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG) when consumed regularly can help reduce the frequency of Candida infections.

Prebiotics are an important tool in keeping your gut flora happy – prebiotics are food for the good bacteria. I’ve written more detail about prebiotics here. Eating a diet rich in prebiotic foods will help with the crowd control, but if needed there are some prebiotic supplements which can be beneficial, such as lactulose. Taken in small doses this syrup can help to feed your good bacteria. Large doses can produce a laxative effect, so start small.

Are you sure it’s Candida?

I have had several patients seek my help for treatment of Candida, only to find that the reason they’re having such a hard time with it is because it’s not actually a Candida albicans infection. It’s definitely worthwhile getting a test from your doctor to confirm what is actually happening – it could be a more stubborn form of Candida such as Candida glabrata, or it could be a different condition which is causing similar symptoms such as lichen sclerosis, bacterial vaginosis, vulvodynia or genital herpes.

Related post: What to do when Thrush and BV don’t go away

Other treatments

If after tweaking your diet and using probiotics, chronic thrush is still a problem, then it may be worthwhile looking at some of the other treatment options available.

Boric acid has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for Candida, including the more stubborn form, Candida glabrata. It is something that can be prescribed by your doctor in the form of a vaginal suppository. Depending on how stubborn the Candida is, it may need to be used anywhere from 3 days to 4 months. The use of boric acid can disrupt the vaginal flora, so probiotic and prebiotic use alongside is a good idea.

Some more natural forms of topical treatment include the use of garlic or tea tree oil which have anti-microbial properties, however while they can be effective at killing Candida they are potentially irritating to the delicate vaginal and vulval tissues.

Herbs which producing soothing, healing effects such as Calendula can be used as a topical wash to help irritated and inflamed tissues. Herbs can be taken internally to support the immune system, and there are some herbs which can also be helpful in killing Candida.

Coconut oil can have a soothing effect topically and also has some anti-candida activity.

The New Zealand herb Horopito can also be helpful in killing Candida, both when taken internally and topically. Kolorex has a range of products containing Horopito but I especially like the Intimate Care cream as a way to reduce discomfort and irritation.

Prevention

These are a few tips to help keep thrush at bay.

• Wee after sex
• Wipe front to back
• Use condoms
• Don’t douche
• Don’t use soap down there
• Wear non synthetic underwear such as cotton or bamboo
• Keep blood sugar levels balanced with a low GI, wholefood diet
• Eat a probiotic rich diet
• Seek alternatives to antibiotics first, and limit use of antibiotics if possible (see a practitioner for help with this)

The post Thrush appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

“The immune system present in the gut makes more immunological decisions in a day than the rest of the immune system does in a lifetime”.  (1)

If your immune system isn’t behaving itself properly, you might want to consider that your digestive system is the culprit.

Your digestive system has a special mucosal lining over the surface of your intestines, and the health of your gut flora (the complex, extremely important colony of bacteria within your digestive system, also known as the microbiome) has a huge amount of immune decisions to make on a daily basis – it has to deal with bacteria, viruses and food, and decide each time whether it is a friend or foe.

Setting up the gut bugs

The bacteria within your gut are established within the first 20 days of life.  If the bacterial colony does not set up adequately, babies can be immune compromised and can be more prone to immune imbalances later on in life, as well as increased inflammation which is largely controlled by our immune cells.

Frequent use of antibiotics can severely impact on the health of your digestive system.  In some cases, certain bacteria can never recover after they have been killed by antibiotics (2).

The gut reports to the immune system

There is a special type of cell within the digestive system called a dendritic cell.  This cell is responsible for determining whether our immune system should be on high alert or not.  Occasionally this cell will extend a little feeler (almost like a tentacle) and take a handful of whatever is in your digestive system to examine, to then report back to the rest of the immune system whether everything is okay or not.  This can explain why your diet can have an effect on allergic conditions such as hayfever and eczema, as well as autoimmune conditions (3).

Immune cells in the gut

There are also a lot of other players involved in the gut, such as Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and certain T lymphocytes.  sIgA helps to protect the epithelial layer from being inhabited by bacteria and viruses.  This helpful immunoglobin is actually produced by lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which are actually created by Bifidobacteria (a good bacteria that exists mostly in the colon).  Unfortunately, Bifidobacteria are easily damaged, especially by antibiotics.

Enzymes do more than digest food

When you think about digestive enzymes, you’ll probably be thinking that they’re there to break down your food so it’s primed for absorbing.  They also have another important role to play, and that’s in breaking down substances that might be harmful to your immune system.  Due to poor eating habits, the secretion of enzymes is compromised in a large proportion of people.  Implementing habits such as chewing each mouthful more and taking time to enjoy and concentrate on your meal are helpful for stimulating the cephalic phase of digestion – where your brain tells the rest of the digestive system to get ready for food, and consequently more enzymes and acids are produced.

Fix your gut to improve your immunity

By now you are probably realizing that keeping your gut healthy is pretty dang important. In order to achieve this, there are a few strategies that can be implemented, all depending on how bad your gut and immune system is to begin with.

I highly recommend working with a practitioner in this, particularly if you are looking to assess and treat specific microbial imbalances, as it can be a complicated process that may require stool analysis, and some gut infections can take a long time to resolve so it’s helpful having the support of a practitioner.

Balance your gut flora: This process may need to start with a stool analysis to see if you’re lacking in certain beneficial bacteria, or whether you have a unfriendly bug that needs killing off. Depending on where your gut flora is at, you may need to look at using some herbal anti-microbial herbs or oils to kill off the unfriendly bugs, and also replacing the good guys with a probiotic supplement, as well as probiotic and prebiotic foods.

Repair the gut lining: There are plenty of options when it comes to gut healing. Things like slippery elm, the amino acid glutamine and glycine are my favorite tools for repairing the gut lining. Other options that can be helpful include Aloe Vera and Bone broths.

You also need ample supply of protein in your diet, as well as the mineral zinc.

Avoid irritating foods: This can be different for everyone, but some of the most common irritants for gut health include wheat, dairy and processed soy. As frustrating as it is, food intolerances can be developed to anything, so if you’re unsure what you’re intolerant or sensitive to it may be worthwhile completing an elimination diet or a food intolerance test.

Processed foods, sugar, alcohol and coffee can damage the gut lining as well so if gut healing is your goal it’s worthwhile keeping these foods out of the diet, or at least to a minimum.

Minimise stress: Interestingly the state of our gut and our mental health are interconnected (you can read more about this here) so it makes sense that if you are stressed, anxious or adrenally fatigued it is going to impair your gut healing journey.

Yep, stress affects everything in our body, and this includes stress of all forms. So even if your house isn’t on fire or something similarly dramatic, it doesn’t mean you’re not affected by stress. In this day and age there are a lot of pressures and expectations on people, everyone is usually in a rush and we’ve also got less support networks and rituals in place to help us deal with these stresses. On top of that, most people consume a diet that is less abundant in the nutrients that our bodies need to cope with stress, so it’s no wonder that stress has such as huge impact on our health and wellbeing.

Of course everyone deals with stress differently so the degree to which it affects your health will vary, but I recommend that everyone (regardless of whether you’re trying to heal your gut or not) incorporates stress management techniques into their day. This can include exercise, yoga, meditation, mental stillness, leisure time, time spent with friends or family, or journaling.

Works Cited

The post The gut and your immune system appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

It can be extremely upsetting for parents to realise their babies are experiencing reflux, and they are often left feeling helpless. Sometimes it can be difficult to get assistance or advice, but luckily there are plenty of options.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (or simply ‘reflux’) is when contents from the stomach — including stomach acid — are spontaneously passed into the oesophagus, causing a lot of discomfort. You can tell if your baby is suffering from reflux through symptoms such as regurgitation, possetting and projectile vomiting, but a child can experience reflux without any of these symptoms presenting as well.

It can be helpful to remember that as the infants digestive system is not adequately developed until they start eating solids (not that this should be rushed into) almost all babies will experience some form of reflux. It is not always a problem, as often the pH of the contents of a babies stomach is not acidic enough to cause damage, but it can be frustrating when an entire feed is lost and baby is then hungry again.

Most babies will grow out of reflux by the 3rd or 4th month however in some cases it doesn’t just go away; instead, it ends up causing far worse complications. This is more common when issues such as pyloric stenosis is present.

Common treatment for reflux in babies include the prescription of medications which reduce stomach acid production. While this can provide symptomatic relief it should not be used long term as it can result in deficiencies of magnesium, iron, vitamin B12, can affect kidney function and cause imbalances in the important microbiome. Coming off these medications cannot be done quickly, as the stomach acid can rebound and worsen symptoms.

Unfortunately there is limited research on the use of these medications, but as many parents and doctors feel the pressure to do something to help, they are very commonly prescribed. In some instances the baby grows out of reflux not long after the use of these medications is started, and parents associate the improvements with the medication and are then afraid to stop it.

I have compiled some information on factors that can be considered to support reflux, but it is advisable to consult with a health professional to obtain individualised advice.

Diet

Occasionally breastfed babies become colicky because of something in their mother’s diet. Some mums find that if they stop drinking cow’s milk and other dairy products, the situation improves. If you’re breastfeeding, try cutting out dairy products for a few days to see if that makes a difference. If your baby’s colic improves, you have your culprit. If not, don’t give up hope — and at least you won’t need to deprive yourself of butter.

Some breastfed babies seem to be bothered if mum indulges in a lot of spicy food, wheat products, or cruciferous vegetables. Again, to test if these foods are making your baby uncomfortable, avoid eating cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, caffeine, alcohol, and other irritants for a few days. If your baby seems better, reintroduce the foods into your diet, one at a time, allowing a few days between reintroductions. It should be fairly easy to pinpoint which one is causing your baby problems: if he starts fussing again after a food is reintroduced, then you’ll know that’s the offending substance. You’ll have to abstain from it until your baby outgrows his sensitivity, which usually at around 3 months, but that’s a small price to pay for a happy child.

I don’t recommend eliminating too many foods at once, as this can be a stressful period at the best of times. In addition it can make it more challenging to identify foods which are the culprits when too much is eliminated at once.

 Irritating Foods in Order of commonness

1. Dairy (Dairy alternatives – Rice milk, oat milk, almond milk, quinoa milk)
2. Chilli and spicy foods
3. Wheat
4. Caffiene e.g. tea and coffee
5. Sulphur containing vegies e.g. broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic
6. Alcohol
7. Food additives and preservatives
8. Soy
9. Mint

Digestive Health

Giving baby some probiotics can help (mix the powder in with a little breast milk or water and the herb slippery elm and squirt a little into his mouth, or ideally supplement via the mother) as this restores the microflora balance, improving their immunity and digestive health.  It’s important to give baby the good bacteria if they were caesarean born, or are not breastfed. Lactose Dairy protein intolerance is one of the biggest causes of colic/reflux, and probiotics can help their little tummies handle this a bit more.

Edit: Through personal and clinical experience I have found that lactose intolerance is over diagnosed in babies. It is actually normal for babies to have some lactose pass through their stools undigested, and the presence in stools is often used to diagnose lactose intolerance. Lactose is the key carbohydrate in breast milk, it is actually extremely rare for an infant to be truly lactose intolerant. What this may be getting confused with is lactose overload, where mothers have an oversupply of milk and are providing too much foremilk rather than the fattier hindmilk. This issue can be corrected with breastfeeding technique adjustment, but it will also improve with time. Some cases may be due to a reaction to the casein protein, which can improve if mother reduces her intake of dairy. If it is lactose intolerance it does not matter how much dairy mother has, as the breasts will regulate their own lactose production.

Always remember if they’ve have to take antibiotics to take probiotics otherwise they can get thrush.

Slippery elm is fantastic for soothing pain as well.  Mix a little of the powder with some water or breast milk and syringe it into their mouths. Start with a pinch and see how that goes.

If possible, my preference is for the mother to supplement with the probiotic LGG which passes through the breastmilk.

Natural Remedies

• Probiotics (use a strain specific to infants) or mother take the LGG strain of probiotic
• Slippery Elm powder
• Herbal tincture of herbs such Meadowsweet, Fennel, Chamomile, Parsley root and Marshmallow
• Weak, luke-warm tea of fennel seeds (crushed) and chamomile (remember to strain well and test temperature)

Breastfeeding Issues

The incidence of reflux is similar in both formula-fed and breastfed infants, but reflux episodes in breastfed infants are less frequent and shorter than those in formula-fed infants. Breastfed infants have more quiet sleep (when reflux rarely occurs). Breastmilk is also significantly less damaging than formula if aspirated (inhaled). Breastmilk is more nutritious and easily digested. It is much quicker, easier and cheaper to give an extra breastfeed than to prepare extra bottles of formula, especially when many babies with reflux are erratic feeders. Regurgitated breastmilk doesn’t smell as bad as regurgitated formula.

Positioning

Babies with reflux are often helped if fed in a more upright position than is usual – you may need to experiment with different positions. Some mothers have found that having the baby sitting facing the breast while straddled across mum’s leg or cuddled against the side of the sofa, facing the breast can be helpful. Others have found that instead of cradling their baby around their body, they can cradle the baby down the body. To do this, some mothers feed twin-style, while others feed standing up. After a feed, keep baby upright and still – many mums find putting baby on their shoulder keeps him happier.

How frequently to feed

Some babies do better with smaller, more frequent feeds. (This causes less pressure on the oesophageal sphincter.) They may not want both breasts at each feed, or may do better if offered only one side, but more frequently. Other babies have coped with being fed from one breast only, and if requiring a top-up within the hour, being given the same breast, encouraged to have a sleep, then being fed from the other breast. It is recommended that the breast is drained at each feed to ensure your baby gets both the more watery (fore)milk and the more creamy (hind)milk, and to reduce the risk of blocked ducts. Continuous or very frequent feeding is generally not recommended.

As reflux episodes are greatest within the hour or so after feeds, some babies may prefer a larger feed less often. These babies may prefer to feed from both breasts at each feed, and have a longer interval between feeds. You may like to experiment to see if any of these methods helps your baby.

Breastfeeding information obtained from: http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/reflux.html

Diaper Changing Technique

Before a baby has learnt to crawl they can be prone to subluxation of their lower vertebrae, brought on by certain methods of diaper changing. When this occurs the nerve that flows to the digestive system can be affected, sometimes worsening reflux and colic.  A visit to a osteopath or chiropractor skilled in helping babies can correct this, but you can prevent it from happening by using a different diaper changing technique. When changing the diaper support their chest with one hand and roll the baby side to side to clean and change the diaper, rather than lifting their bottom up by the ankles.  It may take longer to do this however this can help to reduce colic and reflux by promoting good nerve flow to the digestive system.

Infant Massage

Massage therapy has been used for centuries to help with pain, injury and illness, and infant massage in particular has been found to benefit not only physical health, but also the emotional and psychological health of babies.

With regular massage, infants experience improved function of the respiratory and digestive systems, reduced levels of stress hormones, enhanced cognitive ability, reduced crying and better, more regular sleep. Not only that, but infant massage has also been found to help with infant reflux as well

Reflux is a direct result of the incomplete development of the muscle between the stomach and the oesophagus, and, unlike regular muscles, it can’t be helped directly with massage therapy. Instead, it is the skin stimulation from the massage that affects the nervous system, which in turn helps the muscle develop in two major ways:

Massage on any part of the body stimulates the vagus nerve, which is a nerve in the brain that controls various regions of the respiratory and digestive systems. This includes the oesophagus and the stomach.

Massage helps the nerves in the body to develop more quickly, which means they can begin to operate more effectively sooner. Since nerves control the muscle between the stomach and oesophagus, massage should help to improve its ability to function.

Infant massage instructors are trained to teach a sequence specific for the relief of colic.  Luckily, it has been found that infant massage techniques that are focused on the abdomen can help to relieve the symptoms of colic, wind and constipation in two to four weeks with regular sessions.

Infant Massage information obtained from: http://blog.babymassage.net.au/infant-massage-reflux/

Is it really reflux?

Given that babies will naturally gave some regurgitation and spit ups for the first few months, and that a distressed baby will make similar actions (pulling knees to chest, grimacing, crying) it is possible to attribute the cause of an unhappy baby to reflux. However it may be that this particular baby is wanting something else, such as more contact. Carrying baby in a supportive carrier could help to ease their discomfort whilst still allowing the parent to go about their business.

Resources

Australian Breastfeeding Association
1800 686 2 686 / 1800 mum 2 mum
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/

La Leche

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LLLSydney
Email: sydneylll@outlook.com
Website: http://www.llli.org

Tresillian
1800 637 357
http://www.tresillian.net/

Reflux Infants Support Association (RISA) Inc.
PO Box 1598, Fortitude Valley Qld 4006.
Phone: 07 3229 1090.
Website: www.reflux.org.au
Email: info@reflux.org.au

The post How to manage reflux in babies appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Enhance Your Health with Probiotics

Top Up Your Good Bugs

Your diet and lifestyle play a major role in the balance of bacteria (or bugs) in your body. Amazingly, you are actually a ‘superorganism’ made up of hundreds of microbes living together in and on your body. Your immune system’s job is to monitor the many kinds of bacteria to ensure that healthy bugs are in larger numbers than troublemakers, such as viruses and yeasts. The best way to balance the good with the bad is to ensure you maintain adequate levels of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, and maintain a lifestyle that keeps the bad guys in check. No matter where the unhealthy bacteria live, you can influence your immune system’s fight by starting with good flora in the gut.  If you experience any of the common symptoms below, you may need a top up with good bugs (also known as probiotics):

• Bloating and/or flatulence
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Frequent colds and the flu
• Eczema or allergies

Bug Basics

The most effective way to replenish beneficial bacteria in the gut is by taking  probiotics. There are many different types of probiotic bugs, and in many ways they are just like us.  We employ them because of their occupation. Different strains do different jobs in the body, so it is important to choose the right strain for the right condition. For example, specific strains have been scientifically proven to help with health problems including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and eczema.  Make an appointment to discuss your health requirement, and for help in selecting the probiotic strain that is the most appropriate for you.

Some of the most effective therapeutic strains include:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCFM): General balance

This strain is a great everyday probiotic to maintain bacterial balance, and has been extensively tested and proven to restore levels of healthy bacteria in the colon.  It is particularly effective after a course of antibiotics and/or  following a gut infection. This strain is antimicrobial in nature and inhibits the growth of unfriendly bacteria.

• Bifidobacterium lactis (Bi-07): Dysbiosis

When there are more bad bugs than good bugs in the gut, it is called dysbiosis. This is the reason we experience many of the symptoms mentioned earlier. Bi-07 has been proven to address dysbiosis, improving overall health. It has also been shown to reduce gastrointestinal disturbances, especially after antibiotic use.

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG): Eczema and allergies

This probiotic strain has been studied in over 350 clinical trials, and has the ability to enhance immune system function, specifically reducing the occurrence and symptoms of allergies, eczema and other atopic conditions. LGG may also help to decrease the risk of digestive upsets such as diarrhoea in both adults and children. It can also shorten the time that you experience diarrhoea if you are struck by a nasty gastro bug.  This is one of the best ‘all-rounder’ probiotic strains for general digestive health.

• Lactobacillus plantarum 299v: Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammation

The 299v strain is a specialised strain of Lactobacillus used specifically for gut issues. This probiotic has been proven to assist and manage the symptoms of medically-diagnosed IBS and other inflammatory bowel disorders. It has been clinically shown to improve the key IBS related problems of bloating, flatulence, pain, inflammation, constipation and diarrhoea.

Lifestyle Tips to Boost Your Good Bugs

To keep your ‘superorganism’ balanced, you need to include and avoid certain factors in your diet and lifestyle. Here are some easy everyday ideas that maintain your good and bad bugs in harmony:

• Reduce alcohol: Reduce your weekly consumption as excess drinking kills off large proportions of the good bugs.
• Manage stress: Stress can lead to an imbalance of bacteria. If stress is an issue for you, make an appointment to discuss lifestyle methods and supplements to support your response to stress.
• Exercise: Moving your body a little each day assists immune function and keeps your bowel moving too.
• Basic nutrition: Drink plenty of water, a minimum of eight glasses per day, and avoid excessive caffeine, sugar and salt intake to keep your good bugs flourishing.

Maximise Your Health with Probiotics

Maintaining bacterial balance is one of the key elements of optimal health and vitality. Remember, your immune system doesn’t just control colds. It also regulates your ‘superorganism’ on a daily basis. Together with healthy diet and lifestyle choices, a daily probiotic is one of the best ways to keep your good and bad bugs in check and bring your body back into balance. Whether you have eczema, allergies or IBS, specific probiotics can enhance the success of your treatment.

The post Enhance Your Health with Probiotics appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ever wanted to tame the microbes in your gut?

You’re not alone. Complaints such as bloating, irritable bowel and flatulence are very common in my clinic. Thanks to a certain television ad, most of us are aware that having the right balance between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ bacteria in our gut (stomach and intestines) is highly important for overall health and well being. You may also be aware that antibiotics, the oral contraceptive pill, chlorine in our drinking water and factors such as stress can interfere with levels of good bacteria in the gut. Antibiotics are particularly problematic because they do not discriminate between the good and the bad bacteria in the gut, killing indiscriminately.

Following antibiotic use or if there are general gut symptoms such as bloating or diarrhoea, many people turn to probiotic supplements to help restore levels of good bacteria in the gut. While this is advisable, in my opinion just taking probiotic supplements in isolation is not enough, particularly when we consider that most probiotic supplements only contain 2-10 species / strains of ‘good bacteria’, yet over 400 bacterial species have been identified in our gut.

The right amount of good bacteria is important for healthy intestinal absorption and digestion of nutrients, and also for enhancing the immune system as up to 70% of the immune system is actually found in the gut.  A healthy gut has been shown to decrease prevalence of allergy in susceptible individuals. The gut is also the site of much of the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for a good mood, so if your gut is not functioning well, your mood may well be affected.  Clearly good gut health is important, so how do we get the balance of good bacteria back into the gut if our intestinal health is not what it should be?

Fermented & cultured foods

Fermented foods (i.e. foods containing naturally occuring healthy bacteria) offer a delicious and nutritious way to get the good bacteria back into your gut. This is because they are a great source of naturally occurring probiotics. Fermented foods are not a new fad; they have been used for centuries as daily nourishment in many countries including India, Japan, Vietnam and Africa. Many people report less bloating, gas, fatigue and bowel issues after using fermented foods. Examples of fermented foods with naturally occurring probiotics include live yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchee, kombuscha, and soybean-based miso and natto.

Fermentation in food describes the process of lacto fermentation, where naturally occurring healthy microorganisms such as the lactobacillus bacteria feast on sugars and other carbohydrates in foods, creating lactic acid as a by-product. The growth of these bacteria in fermented foods affects the composition and function of the bacteria in the gut in many different ways. Their presence not only increases the digestibility of food, they can also increase the nutritional content of the food, for example, vitamin C is more bio-available in fermented cabbage than fresh cabbage.

Fermented foods offer a fantastic way to:

(1) Increase the variety of healthy bacterial strains in the gut;

(2) Increase the quantity of healthy bacteria in the gut, particularly if you feed the probiotics ‘prebiotic’ foods (more on prebiotics below); and

(3) Discourage the presence of the bad bacteria that cause bloating and other gut related symptoms.

Prebiotics promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut as they function as a food source for the probiotic. Prebiotics are things such as inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS). You can find these prebiotics in foods such as asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, bananas and shitake mushrooms.

For best results with improving gut health use fermented foods on a daily basis. My top three fermented/cultured foods (in no particular order) are:

1. Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that tastes similar to natural yogurt. It is one of my favourite fermented foods as not only does it contain high levels of probiotics, it also contains prebiotics such as inulin, which act as a food source for the good bacteria and ensures the probiotics multiply.

My favourite brand of Kefir is the Babushka brand, which you can find at good health food stores. As well as containing high levels of healthy cultures/bacteria (approx 12 billion CFU [colony-forming units] per shot), Kefir is also delicious and perfect for kids as it comes in kid-friendly flavours such as strawberry and honey. Despite the fact that it is a dairy product, it is actually very helpful for those with lactose intolerance. Studies have shown that lactose intolerant adults drinking kefir either eliminated or drastically reduced symptoms related to lactose intolerance. It is believed that the healthy bacteria in kefir possess the enzyme that is necessary to digest lactose.

2. Miso paste

Miso paste is a fermented food that contains healthy bacteria similar to that found in our gut. The healthy bacteria grow during the fermentation process of miso.  Always choose unpasturised miso as pasturisation kills the good bacteria.

My favourite brand is Spiral foods.  Care should be taken not to boil the miso as this destroys the cultures/bacteria.  Add it at the last moment to a soup in place of stock or use cold as part of a salad dressing.

3. Fermented vegetables

Fermented vegetables have been used for centuries. Sauerkraut is a fantastic example of an Eastern European fermented food that many of you will be familiar with. Fermentation by lactobacilli cultures occurs naturally in Sauerkraut as the healthy lactobacilli bacteria multiply on raw cabbage leaves where they grow. Lactobacilli are not the only culture to be found, leuconostoc and pediococcus have also been noted.

When it comes to sauerkraut you are best making your own rather than buying it from a supermarket as quality can be an issue (plenty of recipes exist on the internet). Supermarket versions tend to pickle the cabbage in vinegar, unlike traditional methods which favour just water and sea salt. Water and sea salt is preferable as unlike the vinegar, it promotes growth of healthy bacteria cultures. If you do want save time and just buy some fermented vegetables then my favourite brand is by Life in a jar http://www.lifeinajar.com.au.

I couldn’t miss the opportunity to highlight kimchee, a traditional Korean probiotic-rich food similar to the sauerkraut described above. It is comprised of an assortment of fermented vegetables (usually cabbage, carrot and cucumber) and like the sauerkraut above, the vegetables are fermented over a long period, which ensures growth of probiotic cultures for gut health. If you ever go to a Korean restaurant, be sure to order some kimchee.

Many places now offer classes that teach you how to make fermented vegetables and offer tips on how to add these to your daily meals. Examples include BU Organics in Bondi Junction, partly run by my favourite chef Pete Evans where they teach you how to make cultured vegetables and coconut kefir, yum! If you are interested in reading more on the benefits of fermented and cultured foods check out the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon as she dedicates a whole chapter to them and includes some lovely recipes.

Lisa Costa Bir – Naturopathic nutritionist, Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, Lecturer & Food Coach web content coordinator

B App Sc. Naturopathy, Grad Dip. Naturopathy

Lisa maintains a practice in South Sydney and lectures at Endeavour College of Natural Therapies.

Connect with her on facebook under ‘Lisa Costa Bir Naturopath’ or check out her site at www.lisacostabirnaturopath.com.au

[fb_button]

The post Foods to stop BLOATING and FARTING: Fermented Foods appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.