It turns out that a vast number of the pathogens we harbor are grouped into communities called biofilms.  Biofilms form when bacteria stick to surfaces in certain environments and begin to excrete a slimy, glue-like substance that can anchor them to all kinds of material such as human tissue. These bacterial builders make use of their site for the arrival of other pathogens by providing more diverse adhesion sites. They also begin to build a solid foundation that holds the biofilm together.

“Disease-causing bacteria talk to each other with a chemical vocabulary,” says Doug Hibbins of Princeton University. Multiple studies have shown that during the time a biofilm is being created, the pathogens inside it can communicate with each other thanks to a phenomenon called quorum sensing. This process always them to create a stronger fort and multiply quickly. Whether it is in our gut or on our teeth, bacteria survive and thrive in a structure that they create around themselves.
If you run your tongue along your teeth after a long day and feel a slimy coating, this stuff is the beginning of biofilm. Little bugs, which are found everywhere inside and outside the body, create biological homes using a mixture of sugars and proteins. These structures are pretty tough. For example, biofilm in the mouth is dental plaque, that hard stuff the dentist scrapes off your teeth with a special dental tool.

In a healthy gut that is filled with beneficial microflora, the biofilm that they create is thin mucus. This healthy biofilm allows the passage of nutrients through the intestinal wall. Healthy gut biofilm is moistening, lubricating, and anti-inflammatory.  An unhealthy gut biofilm, as you might suspect, does all the wrong things. For example, an unhealthy gut biofilm:

• Prevents the full absorption of nutrients across the intestinal wall.
• Protects disease-causing microorganisms from the immune system.
• Protects disease-causing microorganisms from antibiotics and antifungals (this means both herbal and pharmaceutical-grade).
• Promotes inflammation.
• Houses toxins like heavy metals.​

This applies to conditions like:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, which are often thought to have an infectious root.
• Parasites.
• Systemic Candida overgrowth.
• Heartburn or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux).
• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which includes symptoms like heartburn, bloating, gas, abdominal cramping, brain fog, arthritis, acne, and other skin conditions.
• Irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. 

​Unhealthy biofilm allows some infections to persist for years. This means that the body may become more susceptible to other infections, or co-infections, as well as other chronic degenerative diseases.

Apple cider vinegar, a popular all-purpose home remedy and household cleaning agent, is an acetic acid solution. Apple cider vinegar strips away important minerals from the biofilm matrix. It can be taken internally for this purpose. 
There are two ways to rebuild your gut flora
1.    Eat a diet of whole and nutrient-dense foods. Eating this way sounds like a lot work, and it is. But your health matters. Think of it this way: if you only cut out all processed flours, sugars, and refined oils, you are off to a good start!
2.    Eat a diet rich in beneficial microbes. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchee, and natto, cultured sauces and dips with sour cream and yogurt and spend money on a good probiotic taken withkefir each morning.

People who have fibromyalgia are also more likely to suffer from sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, headaches, IBS, lupus, arthritis and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

According to Katherine Zerensky, nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic, probiotics, the "good" bacteria in the gut, may help with digestion and offer protection from the destructive properties of "bad" bacteria. Probiotics can be taken in supplement form or attained from foods such as yogurt, miso and some juice or soy drinks. Look for labels with wording such as "live and active cultures."

Probiotics may help treat conditions such as diarrhea, IBS, intestinal infections and may even prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu. Probiotics may help anyone who has recently taken antibiotics, since antibiotics strip the gut of bacteria, including your good bacteria.

Probiotics are often a useful tool to relieve the IBS symptoms that afflict most fibromyalgia patients. As the National Fibromyalgia Association states, "Glutamine plus probiotics are also among the supplements often used for fibromyalgia. These are intended to promote an optimal environment for absorption of nutrients and are based on the theory that fibromyalgia symptoms may be caused by gut malabsorption of nutrients."

A probiotic, which adds good bacteria only for the time it is being taken, seems to influence other bacteria already present. For example, it might stimulate other bacteria to turn on or off certain genes. These genes, in turn, might be involved in various functions, such as immune regulation or nutrient metabolism.

There is now evidence that shows gut health and brain health are inextricably linked. What you ingest and how healthy your stomach is can be directly related to neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, fibromyalgia, and depression.

A review from March 2015, written by Canada’s McMaster University researchers, claims there is bidirectional communication between the gut and brain. If the bacteria in our gut are unhealthy, the communication dysfunctions and can lead to metabolic, neuropsychological, and gastrointestinal disorders.

I've recently purchased GNC's Ultra 25 Billion Complex PACKETS.  I've been amazed at my body's response these last few months.  I've experienced overall less pain and fatigue.  Furthermore, those opportunistic bugs that plague fibromyalgia patients have been kept at bay.  I encourage you to give this one a try.  Just sprinkle on kefir or yogurt in the morning and you're good to go all day!   

Many fibromyalgia suffers are plagued with food in-sensitivities.  Adding probiotics may be a new ticket for better health.  Probiotics are good bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, which play an important role in digestion helping to break food down further.  This makes minerals such as magnesium and calcium easier to absorb.  It also prevents more harmful strains of bacteria from multiplying by using up all the available oxygen and nutrients.

Problems begin when levels of good bacteria are reduced.  This can happen after a bout of gastroenteritis or a course of antibiotics, which destroy all types of bacteria.  With fewer good bacteria present, harmful strains such as pathogens can multiply and cause havoc to good health.  Research suggests certain chronic illnesses may be caused by bad bacteria such as E. Coli and clostridium in the gut which give off excessive amounts of waste products.  When these collide with other food sources they ferment and leave toxic chemicals in the gut.  This process is called malfermentation which some researchers have suggested could be the cause of food intolerances.  

Boosting levels of good bacteria in you gut may help you control food intolerances.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), probiotics are: 'Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.'  WHO states for foods to be described as probiotic they should contain enough good bacteria that are alive and active until the end of use by the expiration date and can survive strong stomach acid.  

Getting lactobacillus, bifodobacteria, and streptocooccus thermophilus into your diet are the most beneficial.  Yogurt drinks such as kefir that contain numerous strains of helpful bacteria are recommended.  Probiotics that contain at least 10 million bacteria per dose is also suggested. But, if you suffer from severe food intolerances, opening the capsule and sprinkling on food throughout the day in a smaller dosage will be of great benefit, too.   

I use Kal as itemized below with great results.  I sprinkle on breakfast foods and again at dinner.  Keep this product in the refrigerator and use before expiration date to ensure bacteria are active.

Something has begun to happen with the implementation of cultured foods to my life.  My nails, which once toted no moons when I was in the full pangs of the initial sickness, have recently started to materialize.  Only two years ago, I noted little slivers, if at all, on some finger nails.  I am a keen observer making mental notes on how body initially began to deteriorate and this small infraction made me scour the internet in search of material to shed light on my  phenomenon.  What I did find was nutritional deficiencies were at the root of the problem.  But thre was no speculation as to what nutrients these could be.

At this point, my moons are healthy and full in only a few short months time.  This time I attribute to when I first began writing about cultured foods and adding them to my daily diet.  More importantly, my nails which were once so painfully thin that I'd often refer to them as "paper finger nails", are now strong.  Yes, these nails that once forced me to bite them because they would tear and peel for no apparent reason are now different.  They are longer and stronger with no possibility of allowing my jaws to traumatize them any longer.  Most importantly, I have had no significant additions to my protocol besides centering my food on incorporating more probiotics/cultured foods into my life.

Cheeses are yet another aged food that offers wonderful enzymes to me daily.  I am not lactose intolerant so I can enjoy a bit each day.  A universe of cultured dairy unto itself, cheese is, as food scientist Harold McGee put it, “one of the great achievements of humankind.” What began thousands of years ago as a simple means to preserve milk now encompasses a brain-boggling variety of styles, textures, types and flavors. There are fresh, soft cheeses like cottage cheese and cream cheese, and fresh, firmer ones like ricotta or queso fresco. There are pickled or salted cheeses like feta, stretched-curd cheeses like mozzarella and pressed cheeses like Colby or Jack. There are washed-rind cheese, blue-veined cheeses and hard grating cheeses.

Most fibromyalgia suffers have latent food sensitivities so it is imporant that you find cheeses that agree with your well-being and don't promote flare-ups.  One I've found I can ingest daily is feta. If you are looking for a tangy, crumbly cheese, feta --a traditional Greek cheese -- offers up a toothsome texture. This type of
cheese  is most often made from goat or sheep cheese, although you may also find it made  from cow's milk. In all cases, you can purchase this cheese made from pasteurized milk or unpasteurized milk. Feta cheese offers a range of nutritional benefits.  A great way to incorporate this treat daily is by making the tasty Fibromyalgia Salad.

Another a great addition that is an easy tote in your lunch bag is string cheese.  This I utilize as a mid-afternoon snack about three times a week.  While cheese does contain dairy, it falls into the protein category in a typical diet. You can exchange cheese for meat-based protein such as poultry, fish and beef.  It is recommended that protein make up 1/4 of all of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Therefore, you can choose to include string cheese as the protein in your meals. Protein rebuilds damaged tissues and ligaments.

For those times I need an extra snack on a hunger spike, I grab a slice of swiss cheese in the dairy drawer of my refrigerator.  Even small servings of Swiss cheese have nutrients that are good for your bones, your eyesight, and your immune system. A small 1 oz. serving is roughly the same amount of cheese found in a 1-inch cheese cube, a small slice of quiche or a sandwich in which cheese is not the primary ingredient. In addition to these uses, consider adding Swiss cheese to casseroles and salads.

Try centering your foods and snacks on cultured foods.  There are numerous studies that cultured foods no longer are thought of aids to the digestive system.  In fact, it is believed, that we as Americans have lost our lust for such wholesome food products therefore opening our immune systems to a myriad of new disease.

I'm sure you've noticed the recent invasion of Kefir at your local grocery store.  It can be found in the dairy or yogurt section of your local supermarket.  There's good reason this delicious addition is toting record sales lately.  Kefir is a bottle abound with amazing health benefits.  If you have not bought a bottle yet, I encourage you to do so on your next trip.  You'll be utterly amazed of its delicious quality.

Kefir is a fermented milk product that originated centuries ago in the Caucasus mountains, and is now enjoyed by many different cultures worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia.  It is slightly sour and carbonated due to the fermentation activity of the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast that make up the “grains” used to culture the milk (not actual grains, but a grain-like matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars that feed the microbes). The various types of beneficial microbiota contained in kefir make it one of the most potent probiotic foods available.

Besides containing highly beneficial bacteria and yeasts, kefir is a rich source of many different vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that promote healing and repair, as well as general health maintenance.  Kefir contains high levels of thiamin, B12, calcium, folates and Vitamin K2. It is a good source of biotin, a B vitamin that HELPS the body assimilate other B vitamins. The complete proteins in kefir are already partially digested, and are therefore more easily utilized by the body. Like many other dairy products, kefir is a great source of minerals like calcium and magnesium, as well as phosphorus, which helps the body utilize carbohydrates, fats and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.

Certain compounds in kefir may play a role in regulating immune function, allergic response, and inflammation. One study found that kefiran, a sugar by product of the kefir culture, may reduce allergic inflammation by suppressing mast cell degranulation and cytokine production.  Another study found that certain bacteria in the kefir culture inhibited IgE production, helping to moderate the body’s allergic response.

Before refrigeration, ancestors made foods rich in nutrients that can't be found in typical raw foods.  These nutrients included added vitamins such as the B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and B twelve that are infused in a raw food source when lacto fermentation begins. 

Fermented foods are highly nutritious and digestible.  Fermentation pre-digests foods, making nutrients more available and in many cases generates additional nutrients or removes anti-nutrients and toxins.  Ferments with live lactic-acid-producing bacteria intact are especially supportive of digestive health, immune function, and general well-being.

With a 70% of our immune system in our gut, it only makes sense to feed the micro flora that lives there.  And, did you know most of the serotonin our brain uses is also produced in our gut?  Feeling depressed or anxiety ridden?  Then ensuring you have lacto-fermented vegetables may be the answer. 

Most fermented foods available in your local grocery are not lacto-fermented.  To ensure you are receiving the utmost health benefits, find vegetables that are infused in a brine of water and salt, no vinegar.  Most high processed pickles of today have been pasteurized, killing off the beneficial bacteria that lives comfortably in a lacto-fermented environment.  True lacto-fermented products are always labeled with "live cultures".

But, if you are unable to find such products, make your own!  Collect old jars that have tight fitting lids or purchase a mason jar for the following recipe.  Make small portions to ensure your pickles stay crunchy.  And, if your afraid of catching some air borne pathogen, don't be.  There is no way these enemies can live in a salty environment.  Only health bacteria thrive there!  You can smell the freshness when you first open the jar after a few days of fermentation.  Jars that are inhabited with bad microbes would be impossible to even ingest making you puke!

Do begin by eating small portions as  condiments.  Probiotic foods must be incorporated gradually, and I promise you, you will notice the effects on your joints as they promote less inflammatory markers being sent out.  It is believed these inflammatory markers may enhance overall nerve instability.

1 good size jar
3-4 pickles, speared or whole
1 cup of filtered water
1 tab. salt, use Celtic sea salt or Himalayan for added benefits

Wash pickles and place in jar.  Mix water with salt until dissolved.  Pour on top of pickles.  You may need a bit more water, but ensure the liquid is 1 inch below the jar.  Seal and place on counter.  Let ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days depending on desired firmness of pickle.  You really can't go wrong here, the longer you ferment the softer the pickle will be.  Do unscrew the jar each day to let out Co2.  Just slightly, not taking the lid off.  You may want to use a bit less salt for a less sour pickle.  As you get the hand of it, you will become a master of your own probiotic pickle.  I try a teaspoon less each time making it a bit less sour. 

Once you get the hang of it add:
garlic
mustard seeds
dill
onions
and what ever you like infused in your pickle.  All vegetables are up for grab with this recipe.  Enjoy!

One staple that has been around since antiquity is the desire to make fermented foods.  It is an ancient process of preservation and potentiation, and one that has been used by cultures all around the world, throughout time. These fermented beverages were distinctive to each individual culture, place, time, and value system, and were usually consumed as part of a method in preserving foods during times of unavailability.

It's not surprising that our culture has traded many of the benefits of these healthy foods for the convenience of mass-produced pickles and other cultured foods. Some olives, such as most canned California-style black olives, for instance, are not generally fermented, but are simply treated with lye to remove the bitterness, packed in salt and canned. Olive producers can now hold olives in salt-free brines by using an acidic solution of lactic acid, acetic acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, a long way off from the old time natural lactic-acid fermenting method of salt alone. 

Fibromyalgia patients often report digestive problems that are usually related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which has symptoms that include abdominal pain and constipation or diarrhea.  Inadequate intake or compromised digestion may be a cause of your symptoms and health problems. If you are having unexplained health problems, and are searching for answers, the answer may lie in changing your diet and improving your digestion.

Much present research showcasing the culprit of inflammation throughout the body is pointing to SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.  The small bowel, also known as the small intestine, is the  part of the
gastrointestinal tract that connects the stomach with the colon. The  main purpose of the small intestine is to digest and absorb food into the body.  The small intestine is unable to do its job properly when the natural bacteria become overwhelmed by foreign invaders.  The only way to rectify this is to begin eating probiotic foods daily to combat unwelcomed microbes.  This will restore the healthy gut flora we so desperately need.

So Where Can You Find Healthy Fermented Foods?

As fermented foods expert Sally Fallon asks in Nourishing Traditions, with the proliferation of all these new mysterious viruses, intestinal parasites and chronic health problems, despite ubiquitous sanitation, "Could it be that by abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation, and insisting on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisims?" Like the $2.97 gallon jars of dill pickles Vlasic sells at a loss at Walmart, are we undermining our health and even economic well-being by our insistence on "more, faster and cheaper?"

Eating fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut help keep your helpful gut bacteria happy and
strong. When these bacteria are in a good balance, they work hard to keep YOU happy and strong.  Yes, you heard that right, when your stomach is in order you will feel more joy than ever expected!

Fermented foods contain probiotics.  You must scrutinize labels at this point hunting out such new food items as: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bulgaricus.  Check also for labels that include salt as a fermentating agent and not vinegar.  These hold the highest amounts of beneficial probiotics. 

Top 10 Fermented Foods

1. Yogurt
One of the best probiotic foods is live-cultured yogurt, especially handmade. Look for brands made from goat’s milk that have been infused with extra forms of probitoics like lactobacillus or acidophilus.  Milk brands are wonderful also if you check labels to ensure the highest amounts of live probiotics.

2. Kefir
Similar to yogurt, this fermented dairy product is a unique combination of goat’s milk and fermented kefir grains. High in lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria, kefir is also rich in antioxidants.

3. Sauerkraut
Made from fermented cabbage (and sometimes other vegetables), sauerkraut is not only extremely rich in healthy live cultures, but might also help with reducing allergy symptoms. Sauerkraut is also rich in vitamins B, A, E and C.  Bubbies is lacto-fermented.

4. Dark Chocolate
Probiotics can be added to high-quality dark chocolate, up to four times the amount of probiotics as many forms of dairy. This is only one of the health benefits of chocolate.

5. Microalgae
This refers to super-food ocean-based plants such as spirulina, chorella, and blue-green algae. These probiotic foods have been shown to increase the amount of both Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria in
the digestive tract.

6. Miso Soup
Miso is one the main-stays of traditional Japanese medicine and is commonly used in macrobiotic cooking as a digestive regulator. Made from fermented rye, beans, rice or barley, adding a tablespoon of miso to
some hot water makes an excellent, quick, probiotic-rich soup, full of lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria.

7. Pickles
Believe it or not, the common green pickle is an excellent food source of probiotics.  Most infused probiotic pickles are made with a simple brine of water and salt.

8. Tempeh
A great substitute for meat or tofu, tempeh is a fermented, probiotic-rich grain made from soy beans.

9. Kimchi
An Asian form of pickled sauerkraut, kimchi is an extremely spicy and sour fermented cabbage, typically served alongside meals in Korea. Besides beneficial bacteria, Kimchi is also a great source of
beta-carotene, calcium, iron and vitamins A, C, B1 and B2.


10. Kombucha Tea
This is a form of fermented tea that contains a high amount of healthy gut bacteria. This probiotic drink has been used for centuries and is believed to help increase your energy, enhance your well being and maybe even help you lose weight.

Don't become overwhelmed with so many wonderful choices.  Begin with one, incorporate it into your daily eating plan and go from there.  You'll notice immediate health benefits in doing so.  Check yogurt labels to ensure you are receiving the most beneficial strains of bacteria.  Chobani  yogurt is a personal favorite at our house.  LIfeway kefir houses so many variety of tastes you'll look forwardt to trying each one.

Probiotic rich foods should be ingested several times daily to ensure you have optimal levels of healthy gut flora.  So, what are you waiting for?  Find you favorite probiotic food today and experience inner joy again!  Keeping your digestive system in check helps eliminate depression and allows happiness to permeate your life again.


 

I've been toting the glory of probiotics since this blog was first established.  I noticed a direct correlation to painful flare-ups when I ran out of the my probiotic supplements.  Recently, I've also observed that the probiotic lasts until mid afternoon then I feel waves of sporadic pain intermittently throughout the evening. I've been trying to find natural sources of probiotics to ingest later in the day to prevent this cycling.  Since the onset of this illness, I've sensed a direct correlation with the gut.  Many of my fibro symptoms begin minutes or hours after eating a covert food item.  Hence, the reason I donate so much of my writing to nutrition.

Many studies promote fibromyalgia issues being related to digestion issues. Several of these studies now tie fibromyalgia back to the gut. There is a strong relationship between fibromyalgia and bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, a condition known as SIBO, or small intestinal bacteria overgrowth.  It seems the microbial ecology becomes imbalanced allowing yeasts, parasites, fungus, bacteria, and viruses to enter the blood stream.  In a normal person these intruders are stopped at the door by the output of Hydrochloric Acid produced in the stomach.  But with chronic illnesses this amount of digestive aid is often compromised and allows these intruders to inhabit and grow in the small intestine allowing toxins to enter the blood stream.

Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that 100% of the participants with fibromyalgia had abnormal test results. They also found that the more abnormal the test results, the more pain a fibromyalgia volunteer was in.

The degree of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine has a direct relationship with the severity of fibromyalgia!

Once our inner ecosystems reach a state of imbalance, the intestinal lining can become “leaky,” or permeable. This becomes a problem because bacteria produce their own toxins and waste products that enter the blood stream such as:

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS): Otherwise known as endotoxin, this molecule gives structural support to certain bacteria. It also elicits a strong response from our immune system. Endotoxins contribute to inflammation in the body. We also know that in fibromyalgia patients, it leads to increased pain.

Tryptophanase: Another by-product of some bacteria is an enzyme that degrades tryptophan, called tryptophanase. Tryptophan is an amino acid that may sound familiar. That is because it gets quite a bit of attention as a precursor to serotonin. Without tryptophan, serotonin (our happy brain 
chemical) could not be made. And without serotonin, it is pretty difficult to manufacture melatonin (our sleepy brain chemical).

By ingesting probiotics daily you enable your digestive system to promote a healthy ecosystem that can fend off foreign intruders and kill off inhabiting microbes.  Probiotics must be consumed daily as our body is unable to produce our own.  With our multitudes of ready prepared packaged products, we've gotten away from fermented foods.  Our ancestors lived with less illness due to healthy consumption.  Introduce probiotic foods into your life daily.  Begin with a healthy serving of Bubbies twice a day and see what happens!

How Many Probiotics are in Bubbies Products?

Sauerkraut has approximately 360,000 active bacteria per 2-oz serving size.
The Pure Kosher Dills Pickles have approximately 15,000,000 active bacteria per 1-oz serving.
The Pickled Green Tomatoes  have 65,000,000 per 1-oz serving.

These products fight viruses, reduce inflammation, clear out Candida, and help to establish a healthy gut. They can kill just about anything that ails you!

Begin with 1 -2 teaspoons twice a day for one week.  Probiotics can wreck havoc on your system as bacteria and yeasts die off and produce toxins.  Then increase one teaspoon per week as your body adjusts to the traditional serving of 2 ounces.