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HEALTH
Тhe Bite Stuff
A variety of easy-to-stomach foods
just may be the solution to Gl woes.
by LAMBETH H O CHW ALD photos BLAINE FISHER
food stylist GREG LUNA
Heartburn, lactose intolerance, acid reflux—if you’ve
ever experienced these or other bellyache-causing
conditions, you know there are certain foods that
just don’t sit well. But that’s not the end of the
story. It turns out there’s plenty of
stuff you can eat that actually aids a host
of digestive conditions.
PROBIOTICS & PREBIOTICS
We barely had time to know what probiotics
are, and now we’ve moved on to pre? It turns
out they work together. Probiotics are the beneficial
bacteria that live in your intestine and
aid digestion. They also keep naturally occurring
bad bacteria in check and may help treat
gastrointestinal illnesses. Newcomers on the health radar
screen, prebiotics are the nutrients that allow probiotics
to thrive. You can get both from certain foods, and eating
them together is a great way to ensure they’re doing the
most for your body.
Best probiotic foods:
Yogurt, buttermilk, and cottage cheese.
Also, fermented milks such as acidophilus milk and kefir, and
fermented soybean such as miso and tempeh.
Best prebiotic foods:
Artichokes, bananas, berries, almonds,
barley, flax, wheat, oats, leeks, asparagus, honey, chicory
root, garlic, onions, and legumes.
Tip :
Combine oats with yogurt in the morning for
maximum benefit. Not sure about your yogurt’s probiotic
status? Look for the National Yogurt Association’s
Live & Active Cultures seal (aboutyogurt.com) to see
if your yogurt has enough to get a health benefit
(10 0
million cultures per gram, or for frozen yogurt,
10
million per gram).
1 9 8 AUGUST 2010 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
P H O T O : M A R TY B A LD W IN
