Recipe by: Siggi’s
Ingredients
1 cup Siggi’s 0% plain skyr
½ avocado
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup tarragon, roughly chopped
¼ cup chives, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Combine Siggi’s skyr with remaining ingredients in a food processor or immersion blender and puree until smooth. Enjoy as a salad dressing or a dip with vegetables.
Makes 16 servings, Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts similar to the microorganisms that naturally live in your gut. They help promote a healthy bacteria balance in the gut by counteracting unhealthy gut bacteria from a poor diet, inflammation, antibiotics, and illnesses. Probiotics help restore the natural balance of gut bacteria.
When it comes to probiotics, scientists have discovered there’s a wide variety of different types and therefore, probiotics are differentiated by the strain of bacteria. If you’ve ever looked for a probiotic, you’ve probably been a little overwhelmed and confused with the long and complicated names. There is a good chance you’ve said something like, “I was told to take a probiotic, but what does Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacteria longum even mean?”
In an effort to help simplify things, I’m sharing a few common strains of probiotics, what ailments they treat, and where to find them.
Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus)
Primary Purpose:
Digestion and overall general health. L. acidophilus helps break down sugars such as lactose, into lactic acid. It is also known for protecting against harmful germs.
May also help:
Reduce cholesterol
Improve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome
Prevent or reduce diarrhea
Improve symptoms of IBS
Treat and prevent vaginal yeast infections
Boost immune system
Found in: Naturally found in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh. Commonly added to foods such as cheese and yogurt. Can also be found in a supplement.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus)
Primary purpose:
Prevent and treat a variety of types of diarrhea, specifically antibiotic-related diarrhea.
May also help:
Relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Improve overall gut health
Protect against cavities due to the antimicrobial properties.
Found in: Supplements and often added to dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk.
Lactobacillus casei (L. casei)
Primary Purpose:
Prevent and treat diarrhea, including infectious diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea and diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics.
May also help:
Reduce symptoms of other digestive issues such as constipation, Crohn's disease, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and ulcerative colitis.
Found in: Fermented foods such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. Also found in supplements.
Bifidobacteria longum (B. longum)
Primary Purpose:
Boost immune system
May also help:
Decrease inflammation
Decrease cholesterol
Improve gut health
Boost brain function
Improves mood
Found in: Naturally found in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, and miso.
Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii)
Primary Purpose:
Treating rotaviral diarrhea in children and diarrhea caused by antibiotics.
May also help:
Acne
Diarrhea caused by “bad” bacteria overgrowth in adult
Traveler’s diarrhea
Diarrhea associated with tube feeding
Found in: S. Boulardii is actually yeast and easiest to take in the over-the-counter supplement form. Can also be found in African fermented foods such as kenkey, ogi, and amasi.
