Microbes, over 100 trillion of them. These are tiny living microorganisms which include bacteria, viruses and fungi. Together they make up something that is called our microbiome and the majority of them live in our gut.

These friendly bacteria help us to digest and absorb nutrients from our food, regulate our immune system, kill off ‘bad’ bacteria and can make some vitamins, such as vitamin K, all in all, playing a very important part in our general health.



the tummy team

To maintain a healthy gut, we need to make sure we encourage our ‘good’ bacteria’ rather than the ‘bad’ bacteria to grow. The best thing we can do is eat a varied diet, as the more diverse foods we eat, the more varied and healthy our gut bacteria will be. We have around 3000 types of bacteria living in the gut, all with different functions, so the more different types we can encourage to grow the better.

inline happy gut



probiotics

Probiotics are also known as our good bacteria or gut flora. They are great for our immune system and help our body absorb nutrients and fight off infections.

PROBIOTICS & KIDS

Let’s be honest your kids aren’t going to eat sauerkraut or kimchi at a young age! But it’s been well documented about the incredible health benefits probiotics provides adults, and the same can be said for kids.

Kids need probiotics just as much as we do to maintain and build healthy immune and intestinal function. Starting them early can create a positive path for the future.

There are some great multivitamins with friendly bacteria for children on the market so do your research, and introducing some positive eating habits of probiotics foods can massively help.

Kefir (a fermented milk product – contains around 30 strains of beneficial bacteria and is a rich and diverse probiotic source), it can be an easy way to add healthy, cultured foods to their diet. The key is to look for drinks that contain “live and active cultures.”


You can always blend Kefir to make the taste more palatable for children.

KEEP IT NATURAL
Plain kefir – drink or pour it over cereals and fruit.

PURPLE KEFIR SMOOTHIE
100g kefir, a large handful of blueberries and strawberries (blend)

RASPBERRY KEFIR RIPPLE
100g kefir, a handful of oats, fresh or frozen raspberries, 1 date and a dash of vanilla bean paste (blend)

PEACH AND MANGO KEFIR
100g kefir, a big dollop of probiotic yoghurt, a dash of vanilla bean paste and 1 peeled peach and half a peeled mango (blend)

Kefir inline blog


Shop bought probiotic yoghurts often contain a lot of added sugar, so these are best avoided. They may also have been pasteurised to prolong their shelf life, but in doing some of their ‘good’ bacteria will have been killed off. So it’s worth considering making your own.

Good sources of fermented foods are; organic tempeh, organic miso, live yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. Kefir water and kombucha, drinks are also very good.

GOOD TO KNOW
Refined sugar, whilst we all know that it is generally not good for you, what you might not be aware of, is that it acts as a food source for our ‘bad’ bacteria, encouraging them to grow and potentially overtake our ‘good’ bacteria which could lead to health problems.



prebiotics

Prebiotic’s help to fuel probiotics. They contain a type of fibre which passes through the upper portion of the gut undigested, feeding and stimulating the growth of more good bacteria (probiotics) and help to reduce inflammation.

Good sources are; Onions, garlic, leeks, sweet potatoes, asparagus, bananas, barley, oats, apples, cocoa, flaxseeds, wheat bran, and Jerusalem artichokes are all good sources, but go easy as too many can cause bloating and flatulence!

Gut workings

As with any new food types particularly with kids, it’s always best to be a little cautious and introduce them gradually, in case of any adverse reactions.

Cultured foods can taste more sour and tangy than usual so introducing them in small quantities is probably best, whilst eating them yourself so they can see how good they are! Plus if you are making cultured foods at home, it’s generally a good idea to eat it yourself first to test it. There are so many delicious cultured foods which have great health benefits and well worth exploring.

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