This week, in my latest posts, I swayed from my beloved topic of essential oils and focused on my other favorite …

It was time to revisit the gut bugs, the trillion little tiny friends that line our insides and outside!!

You can read more about them and their impact on our wellness here and here.

Now, I want to highlight a simple way to keep your microbes happy and maintain a friendly environment for them to thrive.

First the Basics

In the past, I discussed the impact of diet, stress, exercise, and lifestyle on these critters and how these actions can “harvest” the good bugs. These factors are very important and worth revisiting. (See here)

Now Simply, Go Eat Bugs (Not Worms!)

Another way to modulate your microbes is by ingesting probiotics. According to WebMD:

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases. But your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called “good” or “helpful” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy. Probiotics are naturally found in your body. You can also find them in some foods and supplements.

It’s true!

Research has supported that if you are trying to maintain health, swallowing live bugs is actually a good idea!!

In fact, this article and this one explain in detail the benefits and potential of using probiotics for their effect on certain health conditions and supporting wellness. They also both caution in the importance of ensuring quality and using strains that are safe for consumption!!

FEMS Microbiology Letters states:

In the industrialized world, functional foods have become a part of an everyday diet and are demonstrated to offer potential health benefits beyond the widely accepted nutritional effects. Currently, the most important and frequently used functional food compounds are probiotics and prebiotics, or they are collectively known as ‘synbiotics’. Moreover, with an already healthy image, dairy products appear to be an excellent mean for inventing nutritious foods. Such probiotic dairy foods beneficially affect the host by improving survival and implantation of live microbial dietary supplements in the gastrointestinal flora, by selectively stimulating the growth or activating the catabolism of one or a limited number of health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract, and by improving the gastrointestinal tract’s microbial balance. Hence, the paper reviews the current scenario of probiotics and their prospective potential applications for functional foods for better health and nutrition of the society.

You can learn more here and here about the actions of probiotics and how they can enhance wellness.

But Aren’t Bugs Bad!??

There’s a difference between beneficial microbes and harmful ones.

It’s a matter of species and the environment they thrive in. Our favorite peppy pharmacist explains here and on Facebook.

Add in Oils?

I’ve written about how essential oils can support our digestion while enhancing and potentially feeding our good belly bugs. You may now desire to combine your oil regime with a probiotic from a company that has done its research on which microbe strains are backed by science.

My Suggestions for a Healthy, Oily Belly

I’ve listed some of my favorite digestive oils here.

You also want to keep in mind that your specific gut ecology may do well with a different blend of bug species or brand of probiotics. Read more about that here. You can explore other probiotics I use with my clients here as well.

Make sure you are educated on how to safely and mindfully implement any new health measures into your current wellness regime. Also, remember to inform your doctor! Bear in mind that it can take more than bugs and lifestyle to fix an unhappy belly and balance wellness if one has a chronic condition!

Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin.

This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.