I came across an article on Yahoo the other day that grabbed my attention. According to their nutrition expert who was examining a Stanford health report, there is some correlation between weight gain and bad bacteria.

When I was young, I assumed that all bacteria is bad but I’ve learned that there is a difference between good and bad bacteria. Its interesting to note that the human body contains more bacteria living inside than individual cells. 300 trillion microorganisms live in our gastrointestinal tract as compared to 10 trillion human cells.

So what does this have to do with the holdiays and weight gain? According to some studies, its because we have too many bad bacteria. The solution? Get more good bacteria into your body. How do you do that? You ingest probiotics.

Foods that contain probiotics are yogurt…and not frozen yogurt either. Yogurt contains live cultures that help your digestive system. Avoid the one with fruit and sugar too. I like something called Keifer. Some friends of mine make it themselves from keifer grains. Its a little more work. I prefer flavored too. You can take it straight or do as a friend of mine does…make a power drink with it and some protein powder and fruit. I found a really good way of adding some preserves to it…yummy! There are also supplements of probiotics. I recommend a good health store with a nutritionists to help you. I don’t trust the ones in mass market stores.

Another key is to eat prebiotics. These are tiny fibers found in certain fruits and vegetables and are what probiotics and good bacteria eat. Examples of these include wheat, bananas, onions, garlic, and leeks.

Of course, if you have digestive issues, make sure you talk to your doctor or nutritionist about other forms of probiotics that will help you. Another thing, eating probiotics does not take the place of exercise and eating healthy.

And of course, don’t forget the Master Creator. There is wisdom found in His Word that will help you. When you sit down to eat, give thanks to the Lord and ask Him to bless it.