This post has been sponsored by GanedenBC³⁰® through Kitchen PLAY.

“Digestive wellness” has been trending now for a few years, especially the use of probiotics to help support a healthy and active lifestyle. Unlike some of the weird and potentially dangerous nutrition advice on the uptick, probiotics have been around since the dawn of time, are safe to use, and are backed by volumes of serious scientific research.

As a life-long runner and competitive athlete, I believe my diet is equally as important as my training. I strive to eat a balanced and functionally beneficial diet that supports my fitness goals – complex carbs from fruits, veggies and whole grains; a variety of lean proteins; heart healthy fats; specific micronutrients targeted to my needs and the like! I also rely on probiotics to help support the optimal functioning of my body and recently discovered the shelf-stable probiotic,GanedenBC³⁰ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086). Read on to learn more about this natural probiotic ingredient which is conveniently found in many of my favorite brands of foods and beverages.

 While I like to have fun, I take my recreational activities seriously – I’ve been doing all this sporty stuff for my entire life and train hard, rest easy, and eat clean. When I need convenience in my diet (like packing snacks for an adventure race or fully embracing rest mode and avoiding cooking duties), it’s reassuring to know there is a probiotic strain available to support my lifestyle needs in easy-to-find, easy-to-fix, easy-to-store products that taste great too – like that chocolate protein muffin I’m snacking on (top pic) that is fortified with GanedenBC³⁰.

So, what are probiotics anyway and why do I need them? Simply put, probiotics are helpful bacteria that live in the gut and do beneficial things for the body. Having bacteria in your gut sounds a bit gross, but the human body has trillions of good bacteria cells that live in and on our bodies. When in balance, the flora help ensure we are functioning at our best. However, everyday lifestyle stressors can disrupt gut microbiota and this can impact overall health and wellness. Antagonists to a healthy gut environment include the use of antibiotics and certain other medications, hormonal changes, a poor diet, illness, aging, stress and travel. Regularly taking a probiotic can be a safe and effective way to take your health and wellness to the next level.

How can probiotics help me as a runner, athlete or active and on-the-go person? While probiotics won’t directly make you run faster, jump higher, or swim longer, they will help keep your body’s systems functioning at their best, optimizing your health – which all indirectly allows you to train harder and recover faster.  There is no denying that a healthy athlete is a better athlete, at least that’s my experience. As a hardcore fitness enthusiast, who has high expectations on my body to perform well, I am particularly interested in how probiotics (especially GanedenBC³⁰) provide:

• Digestive System Support: As a runner, I don’t need tummy troubles or a surprise call from nature when out on a run and GanedenBC³⁰ has been shown to help support digestive comfort and improve stooling habits.
• Immune System Support: It’s common for endurance athletes to catch colds or other illnesses right after a race or during periods of over-training. As beneficial as exercise is for the body, it’s also a stressor that requires adequate recovery.  A significant portion of our immunity (up to 70%) can be linked to the helpful flora in our gut – these microscopic super-heroes facilitate an environment where your immune system can do its job better, making you more resilient in the process.

 Check out the research studies on GandedenBC³⁰ and assess the merits of this probiotic for yourself.

What foods are probiotics found in? Not too long ago, probiotics (because they are “alive”) were typically only found in refrigerated products like yogurt, kefir, kombucha and other fermented foods. Also, probiotics in capsule, tablet or “pearl” form have been available, but for me that was always a hard pill to swallow (pun intended, lol)! The good news is that the GanedenBC³⁰ is a spore-forming probiotic, which means it can survive harsh preparation processes (think boiling or freezing), which means it can be used to add probiotics to your everyday foods and beverages.  

Product categories GanedenBC³⁰ can be found in include teas and coffee; juices and smoothies; powdered and liquid beverages; snacks, dips, spreads and baked goods; frozen foods and desserts; plus, gummies and confectionary!

Are all probiotics the same? NO! There are many, many, MANY strains and no two from the same bacterial species are exactly alike. This means, the benefits and characteristics of a specific probiotic strain can vary, and data from one strain can’t be used to support the benefits, safety and efficacy of another.  Make sure to check out all of the benefits and research on GanedenBC³⁰ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) and/or other probiotic strain before starting a regimen to ensure it will adequately meet your needs.

What makes GanedenBC³⁰® different? Unlike sensitive vegetative probiotics in things like yogurt, GanedenBC³⁰ is a spore-forming probiotic, which means it has a protective shell allowing it to better survive extreme temperatures – like microwaves, boiling water, and the freezer. This makes it very versatile and a quality-consistent ingredient in consumer food products – like teas, baking mixes, and other things that face extreme temperature change in some other way. GanedenBC³⁰ can also survive stomach acid allowing the bacteria to successfully travel down into your intestines where they team up with your own bacteria. Non-spore, vegetative probiotics are much more fragile and often fail to survive these internal and external challenges, meaning few of them arrive in the gut still alive. Research has shown that GanedenBC³⁰ is an effective probiotic choice that supports digestive health and  immune health– all in easy-to-source consumer products found in most markets and online.

To determine if a consumer product is made with the ingredient GanedenBC³⁰, simply flip the item over to the nutrition and ingredient label and look for the GanedenBC³⁰ logo

Is GanedenBC^30® safe?Yes, research shows this spore-forming probiotic is safe for everyone including children, adults and seniors. It is gluten-free, non-allergenic, vegan, and Kosher and Halal certified. Foods fortified with GanedenBC³⁰ can be eaten daily without worry of having too much. However, if you have specific health concerns, please consult with your medical professional for further advice. 

Improving gut health is a goal in 2021 for me. I’ve done pretty well taking care of myself in this way in the past, but there is always room for improvement. Improving gut health is a goal in 2021 for me. I’ve done pretty well taking care of myself in this way in the past, but there is always room for improvement. Being proactive and supplementing with easy-to-find and tasty products that contain GanedenBC³⁰, a safe and effective probiotic that provides benefits for my top issue areas – digestive help and immunity, is an easy way for me to take care of my health.

Lean more about GanedenBC³⁰® at BC30probiotic.com , or:

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