Why Probiotics "Didn't Work"
You want to know what really breaks my heart? Hearing this...
"Oh, I tried a probiotic. It didn't do anything."
UH OF COURSE IT DIDN'T, and it's not the probiotics fault.
You see your digestive imbalance that is leaving you experiencing violent diarrhea or a rock hard stomach from constipation (oh and identifying food in your poop when you do go), is so much more complex than "just" needing to take a probiotic. Having an imbalance in good bacteria is just one small piece of the puzzle. It's like saying "I'll just throw some gas in the car and not worry about the tires, oil, filters, washer fluid and belts and hope that my car stops making that noise."
You need gas in your car, but you also need all the other components in good working order to allow your car to run and it is the exact same with your body. You need good bacteria, but you also need to support all the other components in order for your body to thrive. So why didn't they work?
You are missing other steps in fixing your gut
Sometimes we need to take a good hard look at our expectations to realize how silly they can be. For example, in a lifetime we will experience good times, stressful bad times, trauma, excitement, injuries, travel, adventure, endless food and let's take into account our genes. To think that we have spent our whole life collecting these experiences that have lead us to the gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, brain fog, anxiety, dry skin, extra weight, etc., that one single thing will fix the multiple symptoms we are experiencing is just silly. It's silly!
Do yourself a favour and be super realistic, super patient and super resourceful because fixing your gut is going to take more than just a probiotic.
Your current symptoms are a reflection of several deep rooted imbalances and an imbalance in good bacteria can be ONE of them, so that's why "it didn't work", because it wasn't the only thing that needed fixing.
Poor soil quality
Bacteria are living! I know you know this, but you probably haven't thought about what they are living on. When you take a probiotic, think of it as planting a seed. That seed needs good soil, water, and a safe environment for it to grow. If you are planting your probiotics in a McDonald's Big-Mac, tub of ice cream, your fav chips and an extra serving of deep fried foods, guess what my friend, they ain't going to work.
Prebiotics, a fancy term for the food your good bacteria eats, are important in keeping the good guys around. Eating good quality, whole foods (fruits, veg, grains) will create a beautiful soil that probiotics will be happy to repopulate in.
Your probiotic contains dairy, gluten or soy
While this doesn't apply to everyone (nothing does, we are all unique), there is a good chunk of the population that have sensitivities and even allergies to dairy, gluten and soy. Probiotic strains are often cultured (grown) on these three common allergens. If this is the case for you finding a probiotic that is dairy, gluten and soy free can make all the different for you.
