Healthy Living Guide: Barbeque Season

Enjoy the seasonal BBQ, take the digestive supplements and feel good.

Summer, long weekends, beach days and wrap-up parties... all mean that barbeque season and summer fun foods (possibly some drinking) are underway.

While many people enjoy indulging in these seasonal foods, it’s quite different than how you may typically eat throughout the rest of the year. While you may balance with fruits and vegetables (yes, eat those greens), it’s a good idea to do a check to ensure your gut, digestion, and immunity doesn’t slow you down from enjoying the other summer-time activities.

We are stepping in to share our barbeque season supplement guide to keep you going strong.

Prep your gut health

The best way to prepare for a successful barbeque season is to start with gut health. After all, your whole body's health starts there.

We have a couple of key supplements that help keep that intestinal health in check and things moving smoothly. These are best taken daily and regularly for overall wellness.

Bone Broth

This is a high protein alternative to conventional bouillon, available in chicken or beef. In addition to enhancing dishes, it’s a highly nutritious stock that helps to support the gut. The collagen and gelatin content (from the beef and chicken) are what works to heal the gut, specifically the lining or barrier of the digestive tract. How? Both gelatin and collagen are involved in building and promoting healthy connective tissues (which helps our joints and gut lining).

Shop Organika's Broths here.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

By now you may have heard that probiotics are responsible for a healthy gut flora – the good bacteria the body needs to keep your gut’s ecosystem in check and promote an overall healthy digestive system. What is equally important are prebiotics. These are dietary fibers that help feel the good bacteria to flourish and continue supporting digestion. Both taken together (as in our Probiotic + Prebiotic Powder) help improve any digestive discomfort and promote overall intestinal health.

Shop Organika's Probiotics and Prebiotics here.

Collagen

Because collagen helps to build connective tissues in the body, it works on the lining of the gut (as mentioned above). Taking collagen daily (such as Enhanced Collagen Original) will help. There are a few collagen supplements that work specifically on targeted gut health though.

Full Spectrum Collagen – a blend of types 1, 2, 3 collagen. Different collagens target various parts of the body’s tissues, taking the whole spectrum helps to increase your gut healing between all.

Biocell Collagen – this is a naturally rich source of type 2 collagen, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate, that has been bio-optimized for increased bioavailability.

Shop Organika's full line up of collagen here.

Digestion support

While gut health focuses on overall digestive health and prevention, there may be times where symptoms hit, and you just need relief. For those reasons, attending a barbeque can become uncomfortable quickly.

We recommend having some digestive aids in your arsenal for relief as you need it.

Digest Relief

Digest Relief Ginger with Activated Charcoal is formulated with 25mg of Ginger 20:1 Extract and contains 250mg of Activated Charcoal for quick and effective relief of digestive upset, including lack of appetite, nausea, digestive spasms, and indigestion. Ginger has a long history of use in various forms of traditional and alternative medicine to aid digestion and reduce nausea. Activated charcoal has traditionally been used as an acute remedy for indigestion, flatulence, or venous congestion.

Full Spectrum Plant Enzymes

When eating a full spectrum of fats, protein, and carbohydrates, give your digestive system some support with enzymes. Taking plant enzymes with meals can support your digestive capacity, increase absorption, and decrease digestive symptoms. Organika’s Full Spectrum Plant Enzymes contain amylase (to break down carbohydrates), protease (to break down proteins into amino acids), lipase (to break down fats), lactase (to break down sugars in dairy), and cellulase and hemicellulose (to break down fibre).

Magnesium

Magnesium is becoming known as one of the hardest working minerals. It plays a big role in energy, metabolism, and muscle function. Specifically, Magnesium Citrate - Soothe helps to relieve constipation and relaxes the digestive system. When you find yourself uncomfortable after a big meal or trouble moving your bowel this is a good mix to add into ice water and “soothe” your digestion.

Help your liver

Other than food, barbeque and patio season is also often associated with drinking alcohol and enjoying more cocktails than normal. For that reason, it’s a good idea to serve your liver some love.

Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle has been used traditionally in herbal medicine to support liver health. It protects the liver and raises glutathione levels – which helps with detoxification. When the liver is stressed or exposed to liver-damaging agents, such as alcohol, milk thistle works to protect it from the damage. It can be used as a preventative measure to combat stressors that your liver faces.

L-glutathione

This antioxidant plays an important role in detoxification. Sometimes with exposure to alcohol, athletic overtraining, or exposure to toxins and oxidative stress, our natural levels get depleted. It’s then a good idea to supplement with L-glutathione Capsules to prevent free radical damage and support keeping your tissues healthy.

Other supplements worth mentioning

While your diet may be different than in regular months, there are two other items that may be helpful should you be consuming alcohol or have gout.

Goutrin – when indulging in more red meats, this can prevent flareups

Chlorophyll Drops - helps detox and can also help with perspiration

Cider Vin – a convenient capsule form of apple cider vinegar, which helps digestion and metabolism.

Whether you want to prevent symptoms or just have items on hand to better enjoy barbeque season to its fullest, Organika has your health top of mind.

Love living healthy.