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Happy tummies rejoice! The new healthy kids on the block are probiotics. You’ve been getting in this friendly bacteria if you’ve ever had a yogurt-infused treat, but did you know that there are several other ways to get more live cultures into your diet? Well get ready to become a probiotic pro with these great-for-your-guts tips, but first…what the heck are probiotics?

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As a form of healthy bacteria or live cultures, probiotics have been on the scene for centuries. By eating fermented foods packed with probiotics, folks have been reaping many health benefits: improved digestion, lower cholesterol, alleviated allergies and so much more. Plus probiotics totally come in several different forms: powders, tablets, capsules, foods etc. No matter what form you choose, as long as you’re getting enough organisms to grow in your intestines, you are good beauties. In fact, experts say as little as 50 million to as many as 1 trillion live cells per dose will do the trick. So what do you say – are you ready to get your live cultures on?

1. Digest This Diva

80% of your immunity lives in your stomach–which is the prime area of digestion by the way. So by adding friendly bacteria to your diet, your digestive system gets a RAD boost. By improving absorption of nutrients and vitamins, probiotics allows your body to get the most nutritional value from the foods you eat. And boom, your tummy is now happy.

2. pH Balanced Perfection

Dig this girls – when it comes to friendly bacteria, the Lactobacillus genus is pure genius. This gut-buster produces natural disinfectants in your vajayjay and therefore helps maintain a healthy pH balance. So in the event that you get a yeast infection or UTI, probiotics are guaranteed to make a nice complement to traditional treatments.

3. Beyond Yogurt

How exactly is one supposed to get those recommended billions of good bacterias in daily? The most popular probiotic-packer is yogurt. Live-cultured, handmade and the ones made with goat’s milk are best, however probiotics also hang out in kefir, sauerkraut, dark chocolate, microalgae, miso, pickles, tempeh, kimchi and kombucha tea.

4. Take A Sip Of Vitality With KeVita

Because I have a dairy allergy, so my favorite way to get my probiotics in is with KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drinks. With up to 4 billion probiotics per bottle it is a refreshing guilt-free way to get your probiotics in beauties. Plus, it’s also organic and low-calorie. My favorite part is the bubbles. Honestly, I even add this sparkling sip to my favorite cocktails to make them FitGirl friendly. So head over to your nearest natural foods market such as Whole Foods Market and get you some. P.S. Be sure to give their new Master Brew Kambucha and Cleansing Probiotic Tonics a try too.

5. Bad Breath Be Gone

Here’s another fun fact about probiotics–did you know that your mouth and breath are both part of your digestive tract? Well, since probiotics keep your digestive system clean they also keep your oral hygiene on point too. In fact, a study by the International Journal of General Medicine found that the probiotic BLIS K12 is effective in preventing reoccurring throat infections that cause oral issues (including bad breath). So pass on a breath mint and get your probiotics on girl!

6. It’s Totally The New Fiber

When it came to digestive health, remember when fiber was the popular kid in school? Well probiotics is even cooler hun. Unlike fiber, probiotics do good deeds for your digestive system sans bloating. But wait a minute, don’t ditch your belly friendly homie fiber just yet – just add probiotics to the mix. Together they work well since probiotics help soothe your belly.

7. Flu Shot or Not

So you didn’t get the flu shot this year. Cool, no problem. However while you’re busy stocking up vitamin C, garlic, and ginger as your remedies this season, be sure to add probiotics to the list. Since they naturally reduce your body’s inflammatory response, probiotics are a great defense against colds and flus. Already got hit with the flu? Well then fight that sucka off in a healthy way. Naturally, most over the counter and prescription flu remedies kill off bacteria–even the healthy ones. So replenish your good bacteria count with probiotics while recovering for sure. 

Robbie Ann Darby (RAD Experience) is a professional FitGirl, Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in NYC. Follow her sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more fun health and fitness tips!

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You Need This: Probiotics Can Fix Bad Breath And So Much More  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com