Worried about taking antibiotics? 💊

Follow these simple tips to help restore your microbiome, your health and your peace of mind.

Antibiotics: one of the greatest findings of the 20th century, many of us wouldn’t be here with out them. Yet more and more of us are wary of taking them and the side effects they have on our systems.

One of our most frequently asked questions by clients is how to combat the side effects when antibiotics are unavoidable.

Whether you’re taking antibiotics alone, or with probiotics, there are some really simple rules you can follow to maximise and speed up your recovery.

❌ The period post-antibiotics should be an investment: take a stricter approach when it comes to those cravings. Eliminate refined sugars and simple carbohydrates during and immediately post antibiotics to prevent any overgrowth of candida or yeasts that may be lurking in your gut.

✅  Probiotic foods. Think fermented foods: sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, natural yogurt, kefir all contain natural food sources of probiotics that will colonise in your gut forming the basis of your immune system.

✅  Prebiotic foods: these are foods that feed those good bacteria. Here we’re looking at alliums (garlic, onions, leeks), mushrooms, chicory, unripe bananas and wholegrains.

🍇 Focus on gut-friendly polyphenol rich foods: the key here is DIVERSITY. Fibre and polyphenols are what are our good bacteria thrive on, so fill up on as many different types and colours of fruits and vegetables as you can find to help those good bacteria re-establish. My favourites are berries, cocoa, green tea, good quality coffee, nuts and seeds.

🥛 Supplements: a high quality, high strength probiotic supplement is vital for a swift recovery following a course of antibiotics. Look for ones with multiple strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, and remember that timing is important.

➡️ If you’ve finished your course of antibiotics, then take the probiotics first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

➡️ If you’re taking probiotics alongside antibiotics, then last thing at night 45 -60 mins after your last dose of antibiotics.

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🍊 Antibiotics will wipe out the bacteria in your system, but that doesn’t mean that you might not also be suffering from a viral infection at the same time. Consider boosting your immune system with additional vitamin C (think citrus fruits, kiwis, red peppers, little and often throughout the day is best) and zinc (eggs, pumpkin seeds, oysters, legumes and grass-fed meat) to boost your antiviral defences.

Forget stamps, records or LinkedIn followers - your gut microbiome should be your very favourite collection. Add to it every day to give yourself the best chance at long-lasting health in life.