If you’ve ever read a health blog before, I’m sure you’ve read about probiotics.

And, if you’ve read a few more, you may have heard of prebiotics.

But have you ever heard about a synbiotic?

Synbiotic products are all the rage with nutritionists and naturopaths, and I, for one, absolutely love them.

If you’ve just opened a new tab and typed ‘what on earth is a synbiotic?!’ into Google, I’m going to explain what they are, what they do, why they’re helpful for the gut and where you can get them.

But, before I do that, you must understand how probiotics and prebiotics work. 

Probiotics and Prebiotics

For the unacquainted, probiotics are live microorganisms found in yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut, that add healthy microbes to the gut.¹ Prebiotics, found in artichokes, asparagus, and chicory root, act as food for the gut’s good bacteria.² Prebiotics can improve immune function, reduce inflammation and even help weight loss. Prebiotics and probiotics work harmoniously to help the gut microflora survive and thrive. If you want to brush up on your probiotics and prebiotics knowledge before progressing, you may find these blogs here and here helpful. 

Are you all caught up?

Great. Let’s chat through synbiotics.

Synbiotics

If you think of probiotics and prebiotics like parents, synbiotics are basically the rounded and grounded child; they’ve taken the good parts of both parents to become a whole human.  

The term synbiotics, a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, was born in 1995, but in 2019, a group of scientists proposed a new definition of synbiotics. 

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics met to update the definition and application of synbiotics. The new definition of synbiotics is “a mixture comprising live microorganisms and substrates selectively utilised by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit on the host.”

So, scientists no longer believe synbiotics are simply a combination of probiotics and prebiotics but rather a whole new phenomenon on their own.³ 

Now that we know what synbiotics are, let's discuss what they do for you.

What Do Synbiotics Do? 

While synbiotic capsules are usually found in the gut health aisle, they target the whole body, including the skin, nervous system and immune system. Synbiotics aid metabolic syndrome, reduce parasites and pathogens, manage irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhoea, atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.³

There are complementary synbiotics, where both the probiotic and prebiotic work independently to achieve health benefits, and synergistic synbiotics, whereby the probiotic and prebiotic work as a team to confer specific health benefits.  

Where Can you Get Synbiotics?

Synbiotics are easier to find than you may imagine. You’re probably eating them already! However, it’s not always guaranteed that you’ll receive enough synbiotics from food alone. Plus, if you don’t have the suitable digestive enzymes in place, you may not be able to absorb all the goodness from the food you’re eating, meaning you’re not getting enough bang for your synbiotic buck. So, it looks like you may need to work on getting those digestive juices flowing with digestive enzymes.  

What are Digestive Enzymes? 

Digestive enzymes are a naturally occurring part of the digestive system. They help break down food and assist nutrient absorption. Some foods provide digestive enzymes, but sometimes the body needs a bit of help.

If you’re experiencing bloating or flatulence after food, you may not be breaking the food down adequately, which is where digestive enzyme supplementation can come in handy. Consuming digestive enzymes, such as protease, lipase and amylase, help break down carbs, fats, and protein to aid nutrient absorption and digestion and rebalance the microbiome.

Introducing: Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder

Wondering whether the Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder is right for you?

As a qualified nutritionist, I’ve created Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder for those who are ready to repair, restore, and rebalance their gut health from within. It contains over 20 billion bits of love for your bacteria in the shape of a unique synbiotic formulation, with plenty of digestive enzymes and a supercharged blast of antioxidants.

While the Love Your Gut component cleans and tones the gut, the synbiotic complements it by adding nutrients and a good amount of fibre for extra digestive support. Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder is there for all-round gut loving and is a gut health helper.

The workaholic organ

An effective gut environment will work for you 24 hours a day. And love every minute of it!

During mealtimes it will be best placed to process and digest your food and liquids. At other times, a healthy gut will slowly and effectively send much need nutrition throughout our body and help with other influential conversions and jobs that support our body's functions.  These can include energy production, hormone balance, toxin and waste elimination, skin health, mental health, in a nutshell it is the workhorse that is responsible for putting our body into working order.

The Gut’s Side Hustles

Even at rest, a cared for (loved) gut is working overtime at some amazing side hustles. It’s under less strain and pressure so can pursue other goals like feeding the gut/brain connection. This nutritional body system or network is now well-established and gaining more prominence with very new study. A healthy gut means a healthy, active brain environment.

A healthy, toned gut (what I call a ‘loved gut’) is the key to treating and alleviating many health conditions whether they reside in the gut or elsewhere. 

On the other hand, a sluggish gut can lead to direct gut health conditions like bloating, gas, IBD, IBS, SIBO, weight gain, fatigue, constipation, leaky gut and diarrhea. The list goes on and on.

Further, a poor gut environment has an indirect but telling effect on many, if not most, health conditions. Even those not directly linked to the gut. Conditions like these can be supported through nutrition: Crohn’s, celiac, UC, SIBO, candida, GERD, lactose intolerance, diverticulitis, leaky gut (dysbiois), inflammation, mental health, skin health, worms, reflux, gastro, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s. 

Even Covid/Omicron symptoms such as gastro, fatigue and recovery can be greatly assisted by your gut health. This virus can be very debilitating and draining. Your gut and what you put into it is key to your recovery (also consulting your healthcare professional, of course).

How to Take Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder?

Simply add one teaspoon of the delicious tasting powder to your water to support your digestive health and regenerate your gut!  

Show your gut the love it deserves with my new Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder. 

It has been created with love and care by myself, a Clinical Nutritionist and I have developed it over 18 months in my clinic, using the latest in nutrition science.

You can watch a video about it here 🙂 

Lee xo

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031164/

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/

3  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648921/

When it comes to cooking, grilling has always occupied a special place in most people’s hearts. Be it a simple sandwich or your favourite meat, everything tastes better when grilled perfectly. But this mode of cooking is also associated with heavy expenditure. Not anymore, though.

Generally considered an outdoor activity, grilling of food as a method of cooking has evolved to a large degree. Modern lifestyle has made living in urban localities a reality. Home chefs who prefer indoor cooking (either due to lack of outdoor space or budgetary constraints) have found the ideal replacement of outdoor grillers - cast iron grill pans. Also, it's always better to research and choose the best online seller. Dhgate-china wholesale website is a known dealer in these products and offers competitive prices.  

In this post, we will tell you everything you need to know about cast iron grill pans. From what they are, their benefits to common issues with them, at the end of this post, you'll have all your questions answered!.

So let’s get started. 

What are cast iron grill pans?

As is evident from the name, these grill pans are made from a material called cast iron. This material is best known for its sturdy nature and hence is most suitable for withstanding high temperatures without succumbing to the heat. The pan must be seasoned well though. In fact, one of the first things to learn is how to season a cast iron pan. 

Apart from logistical and financial issues, there is one more reason why people prefer cooking indoors. That reason is extreme weather conditions that are prevalent in many parts of the country at various times of the year. Uneven snowfall or windy weather might make outdoor grilling more of an adventure sport. 

What are the types of cast iron grill pans?

The market is flooded with hundreds of types and brands of cast iron grill pans. However, for the sake of information, it is relevant to note that there are broadly two types of cast iron grill pans - raw and enamelled. 

The raw cast iron grill pan has two main advantages - it is non-stick and also capable of handling a lot of heat. However, there are some common problems with cast iron pans which are also found in raw cast iron grill pans. The first and foremost is that they need to be seasoned (more on that later) regularly.

The enamelled cast iron grill pan, on the other hand, is low maintenance as it does not require constant seasoning (which is a major relief) as it does not rust very easily. If it is the convenience that you are looking for, then spending a few extra bucks for an enamelled cast iron grill pan makes sense. 

Are there any benefits of using cast iron grill pans?

Are you kidding? There are tons and tons of benefits of using cast iron grill pans.

I'm so excited to tell you, that I've curated a list for you. Take a look here...

1. They're cheaper than other pans - The best part of these grill pans is that they're not just full of features that other pans do not have, they're also cheaper compared to other more expensive pans. In fact, if you go for wholesale cast iron grill pans, you'll save on a lot of money. 
2. They can tolerate more heat - A lot of meat and other food items cook much better on very high heat. That perfect crisp coating is developed perfectly on a cast iron grill pan as it can withstand heat to very high temperatures without giving away. 
3. They add iron to your food - In many cultures, it is considered a good way of life to use cast iron utensils. There is some science behind this too. Cooking in these grill pans ensures that you add natural iron to your food. Obviously, this also depends to a large extent on how you cook your food.
4. They're durable - Most non-stick pans need to be thrown after a couple of years. However, if cast iron utensils are properly taken care of, then they can last for decades and can stay in the family over generations. 
5. They're compatible with multiple sources of heat - Any material which is naturally equipped to handle considerable heat can be compatible with any mode of heat be it actual fire or gas or induction. This further adds to the benefits of cast iron grill pans.

What about the common problems with such pans?

There's always a catch in these situations. Sure, the advantages of cast iron grill pans clearly outnumber the disadvantages but it always helps to know some of the common problems with these pans too. 

1. Difficulty finding genuine products - When a product is as popular as this, you can find unscrupulous websites that unfortunately offer fake products. That's why it's important to do some research before you buy anything.  
2. Cleaning is an issue - The best way to clean your cast iron pan is with soap and water but you need to be careful that you do not tamper with the seasoning and the iron material. 
3. Sticking of food - Another issue with some cast iron grill pans is that cheese or meat fat gets stuck on the pan’s surface sometimes. 

All said and done, is it crucial to note that none of these problems are unsolvable and just need you to improvise a bit in the kitchen.

Happy Grilling!

Lee xo