For MOMS, MOMS-TO-BE & TODDLERS 1 YEAR+*
If there were one supplement that I’d suggest every person take it would be a probiotic. Good health starts in your gut and the only way to have a truly healthy body is to have the right balance of healthy gut flora. However, thanks to the typical American diet, including overly processed foods, grains, and sugars, as well as medications, genetics and even stress, keeping our stomach bacteria balanced is pretty much impossible – even if you do eat extremely healthy.
With that said, taking daily probiotics can solve the issue (of gut health), as long as you are taking the right balance of healthy bacteria. And then, you have to make sure you actually remember to take them
Since many people have trouble – or just plain don’t like – taking pills, GoodBelly Probiotics has aimed to solve that problem and make it easy for everybody to get their daily probiotics with their line of liquids.
THE PRODUCT: GoodBelly is a line of probiotic drinks that promotes healthy digestion and makes it easy for you to maintain a healthy gut. Non-GMO, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan and kosher, they have also come out with a couple gluten-free options so everyone can enjoy their products.
Whether you are looking for Organic By The Glass cartons (basically juice with probiotics), Gluten-Free By The Glass cartons, PlusShot (for those who are not big juice drinkers and want a quick, highly-concentrated source of probiotics), StraightShot [a gentle non-dairy oat milk (not a juice), containing only 30 calories per serving and no sugar added], or GoodBelly SuperShot (a dairy-free oat milk that contains a whopping 50 billion CFUs of probiotics per 2.7 oz serving for use when you’re experiencing digestive flare-ups or feeling particularly run down), GoodBelly really does have something for every body.
NUTRITION-WISE: So what are probiotics and why do we need them? Here’s the low-down:
We all have a digestive tract populated by a microbial ecology. Unfortunately, we are not born with many intestinal ‘helpers’ (aka, good bacteria), and instead rely on them through the food we eat and drink. While this is all good in theory, most of us don’t always make the healthiest food choices, which can lead to an imbalance in our ecology – more bad bacteria than good – and can cause a number of digestive issues. The use of antibiotics and certain medical conditions can also cause a reduction of healthy digestive microflora, exacerbating this problem even further.
By using probiotics and consistently flourishing our bodies with these healthy microbes, we will not only increase the ratio of good versus bad bacteria in our gut, it will make our whole bodies work more efficiently as well. However, probiotics must be plentiful enough in the body to do their business. Just like the cells of our skin shed constantly, so do the cells of the intestinal lining, where the probiotics set up shop. As the intestinal lining sheds, the probiotics are released back into the world. That being said, it’s important to replenish the good bacteria in your gut daily.
Now about GoodBelly, in particular: GoodBelly probiotic drinks contain live and active cultures of the probiotic strain, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299V®). In fact, they contain 20-50 billion colony-forming units of LP299V probiotics per serving. This particular strain was chosen out of many, due to the 16 well-documented research trials that indicate its ability to promote healthy digestion.
According to GoodBelly’s website, the LP299V probiotic strain:
Has a superior ability to survive the stomach’s harsh acidic environment in order to set up shop in the intestine Has been used by millions of people safely for two decades Was initially used by gastroenterologists in Sweden to help their patients recover from surgery
I will say that some of the GoodBelly products definitely have more sugar than I would advise [drinking]. Thankfully, they also offer products with no added sugar, including their Cultured Probiotic Coconut Water (with 13 grams of sugar), GoodBelly StraightShot (with 3 grams of sugar), and GoodBelly SuperShot (with 5 grams of sugar), all of which are great alternatives and help you reach your daily probiotic quota.
*GoodBelly is formulated for people of all ages. However, no research trials have been carried out with infants under 12 months of age. If you are interested in giving GoodBelly probiotics to your infant, it is always suggested to check with your healthcare professional. And again, I would also suggest steering clear of the GoodBelly Juice products, especially for children, since they are loaded with sugar. The shots are great though!
WHERE TO BUY: Please visit GoodBelly’s Store Locator for the location that sells them nearest you.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Unfortunately, “gut-health” is a long time struggle of mine, no thanks to my dad and his genetics. Growing up, this was magnified by my love of sugar and eating of white, processed breads, pasta, etc. Thankfully I learned better as I got older and stopped eating these foods, but sadly, I can’t change my genetics and so still struggle with this, although to a much lesser degree. For this reason, I have long been a fan of probiotics and can see the benefits they have on a daily basis – especially on the days I don’t take them!
And while the pills are generally just fine for me, I do understand how some people hate taking them and rather get their vitamins, etc. some other way. Well now you can with GoodBelly Probiotics. Whether you prefer to drink juice or take a quick shot while running out the door, these supplements were made for those who don’t like supplements.
Try any or all of GoodBelly Probiotics products today and find out for yourself how these probiotics can help make both you and your belly happy.
To learn more about GoodBelly please visit their website and check them out on Facebook.
And remember, Contact Healthy.Fit.Fab…Moms today to learn more about helping you and your family live a healthy, fit, and fabulous life!
