I am a nut about balance. That comes from a Libra-rising sign, I suppose. After a writing streak of too many book reviews, I wanted to do a post on stress. Especially because everyone on the planet needs the help and support.
It has been said that stress is a matter of perception. What will stress one person will not necessarily stress out another (except in the cases of death of a family/friend/pet, losing a job, etc.). Something I discovered quite by accident that directly insulated me from reacting to stress in a negative way was probiotics.
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines of humans, dogs, cats, birds, horses, etc. There are billions of them and they play such an important role in our existence, we would die without them. They cling to the lining of the intestinal wall, preventing bad bacteria such as e. coli, streptococcus, salmonilla, etc., from burrowing through the gut’s lining, attacking your internal organs and killing you. That is a side-effect of why they are there, but who cares? It is a brilliant side-effect that gives us good health and that’s what’s important.
I found the bacteria acidophilus to be particularly fascinating because they interact DIRECTLY with the body’s immune system. Anyone suffering from allergies, auto-immune disorders and even Parkinson’s and Alzheimers should listen closely to this. Acidophilus uses chemicals and LIGHT WAVES (yes, light waves) to communicate with the immune system of its host and, in layman’s terms, tells it to CALM DOWN, stop freaking out. Allergies are the over-reaction to the protein molecules found in pollen, animal dander, peanut butter, sulfides and so on. Calming down our allergies will make life a million times more manageable and pleasant and add one less straw to the camel’s back and not attribute to its fall.
Not all probiotics are the same. They are living organisms with a terribly short lifespan – a week or two in some cases is the longest they live after they reproduce like mad. They are sensitive to many factors – herbs, antibiotics, citrus acid and, big surprise – stress itself kills them off in HUGE numbers. This is why they need to be replenished in the body constantly.
Because they are sensitive and live such a short time, the most potent ones are refrigerated and dormant until they are ingested and hit the body’s temperature, which triggers them to wake up and get to work. Neat little system, right?
I worked at a probiotic company for three years, immersing myself in all the scientific research they had discovered others had done over the past near-century into the benefits of good bacteria. That was important, because all the drug companies quote the benefits of all the poisonous drugs they peddle, BUT those findings are BY THEIR OWN RESEARCHERS! NEVER trust these reports because, OBVIOUSLY, the drug companies pay them to “discover” the benefits they want to sell the drugs on. Like a friend of mine says, “Follow the money”. If it goes from the drug company to the research company, don’t believe them when they tell you their drug will cure all the world’s ills.
I no longer work at the probiotic company (it is called, Natren, by the way) I discovered all this at, and do not get kickbacks from endorsing them, so I can say without taint of unscrupulousness that they are the REAL DEAL and I trust my health to them every day of my life. They keep my blood sugar perfectly even – with no dips or spikes (I have low blood sugar), I only get sick ONCE a year and no longer get pneumonia every year like I did the first six years of our marriage and I also find I am very calm and relaxed when I take them, and get rather stressed and out of sorts when I don’t.
Give them a try. If they work for you, they will be a miracle. They saved my cousin’s LIFE when she was nearly dead of C. Diff. and to me, who could have lost her forever, that is endorsement enough.
