I grew up thinking that germs were bad and that killing them was always beneficial. There was even a cartoon in the Sunday Funnies showing an alternative care doctor with his patient. The caption read, “We don’t prescribe antibiotics. We teach our patients to coexist with the germs.” This was a parody mocking a philosophy that is now realized to be true.
Every moment of your life, you are coexisting with trillions of bacteria. Now they say that the “good” bacteria are causing a competitive inhibition of the “bad” bacteria. Well, when we kill the “good” a host of problems occur. Here is a list of things that may compromise the delicate balance in your gut:
- Chlorinated Water– Filter your drinking water and if you have a pool/hot tub consider a salt water and ozone system. Breathing chlorinated water in the shower can be helped with an inexpensive shower filter.
- Stress- We must balance out our stress with stress relieving activities. Prayer, walking in nature, sex, yoga and having an attitude of gratitude imperative.
- Sugar and Sugar Substitutes- Go with organic raw honey or stevia for added sweetness.
- Alcohol- Sure there are a lot of studies on the health benefits of alcohol but not for intestinal flora. Major buzz kill!
- Non-Organic Meats- Unless your meats are organic or chemical free they are laden with antibiotics. “Anti” (against) “biotics” (life) go into your body when you eat most cows, chickens, lambs and other animals.
- Farm Raised Fish- These are crammed into a small space and are given prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infection from spreading.
- Antibacterial Soaps Wipes and Cleaning Products
Now that you’ve learned things to avoid, stay tuned for part 4 to hear how to replenish your good bacteria.
