My journey with probiotics began 23 years ago. I was suffering from chronic bouts of bronchitis
that were cured by antibiotics, followed by a bonus round or two of a yeast infection. Sound
familiar? After several years of this cycle I knew I needed to try something else.

I shared my frustrations one day with my designer friend who insisted I try these “probiotics”
she’d gotten from a Chinese herbalist in downtown NYC. Back then, naturopathic doctors
weren’t mainstream, so the idea seemed alternative, but not too much so, to scare me off. I
tried them. At $30.00 per bottle in 1995, they were quite an investment.

The results? I never ever got bronchitis or yeast infection ever again!

Probiotics were and still are the single most effective way for me to address 80% of my health
ailments. They are always the first place I look. They are my wonder solution and I swear by
them.

Too much wine? Take probiotics.

Feel like a cold coming on? Take probiotics.

Constipated? Take probiotics? Upset stomach? Take probiotics…

I have been telling anyone who will listen to take probiotics for years, but it is only in the last 5
years that I have really understood the gravity of how our gut affects our whole body and how
it functions, along with the role that “good vs bad” bacteria plays in our overall health and
helping balance our microbiome.

So what are they? What is the microbiome and how does this relate to or affect our SVT?

According to Dr. Mercola, “Probiotics are an essential tool toward achieving digestive health.
Probiotics containing multiple strains of live bacteria can lead the way to a stronger, healthier,
happier immune system.”

By definition (courtesy Merriam Webster) ”Probiotics are a microorganism (such as
lactobacillus) that when consumed (as in a food or a dietary supplement) maintains or restores
beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract.”

Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your
microbiome. It has many jobs, from breaking down food, to producing vitamins, to fighting off
invading germs. Antibiotics or overgrowth of less desirable organisms (Candida) reduce the
number of beneficial bacteria and microbes your body needs to do those jobs. Probiotics help
the body replace them, which leads to better digestion, increased absorption of vitamins and

minerals, plus the reduction of “bad” bacteria and virus growth. This means less inflammation
in your body, and a better functioning immune system, too, and all of these things lead to
better management of SVT symptoms.*

We’re coming to realize this is just the tip of the iceberg in understanding the gravity of the
impact our microbiome has on our immune system, our bodies, and overall health. Microbiome
research has arguably become the hottest area of medicine.

To get the full spectrum of this vast topic, I encourage you to read this article written by a
highly respected naturopathic doctor and leader in the field, Dr. Peter Bongiorno:
http://ndnr.com/anxietydepressionmental-health/gut- and-mood- the-microbiome- in-anxiety-
and-depression/

As you begin to become aware of how your gut health impacts your overall health, here are
some of my suggestions to begin to create the best environment possible for your gut to heal
and thrive:

Identify food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances.

Remove common irritants, any foods that have been shown to increase inflammation in the
body, and foods that deplete the immune system: sugar (especially white sugar), wheat, dairy,
alcohol and all processed foods.

Consider a high-quality probiotic supplement that contains both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

Add in a fermented food into your diet such as this product that I like from Hawthorne Valley
http://hawthornevalleyfarm.org/artisan-foods/sauerkraut- cellar/

Eat foods with fiber: Dietary fiber (eg, vegetables, fruits, psyllium, flax, and inulin) feeds the
beneficial bacteria and supports the proper balance of short chain fatty acids in the colon,
according to Dr. Peter Bongiorno.

Even starting with the smaller changes can be helpful in getting you on the road to better gut
health, and a happy gut means a happier body. Probiotics can change your life, give it a try!

If you want to learn more about Gut Health and SVT, and the differences between traditional cardiology and an integrative approach, start with my new e-guide, Heal SVT Naturally THE BASICS.  This guide shares with you important information that everyone with SVT needs to know.

It is the guide that I WISH I had at the beginning of my own SVT healing Journey.

More Heal SVT Naturally RESOURCES for You:

• Get my TOP TEN TIPS to HEAL SVT NATURALLY a free 14 page e-guide when you sign up for my email list for FREE HERE
• Join The Heal SVT Naturally Private Facebook Group HERE
• Read Heal SVT Naturally THE BASICS here
• Read The SVT Prevention Diet Here
• Download the Heal SVT Naturally E-books a HERE
• Please comment below with any questions. I LOVE to hear from you and try to answer as many q’s as possible!

I hope this info was helpful for you! Let me know

Love Laura

Your SVT Health Coach