Reviews

Yogurt Review – Zoi Greek Style

Zoi Strawberry Yogurt

The Rise of The Greek Yogurt Empire

Today we’re reviewing Zoi Greek Yogurt.

Greek style yogurt is a yogurt that has been strained to reduce extra moisture. It also has a higher fat content. Those two properties causes it to have consistency similar to a high moisture cheese. I would say it’s half-way between a firm sour cream & a soft cream-cheese. Even that doesn’t quite describe it properly, as the texture is pretty unique.  Basically, it’s thick, it’ll stick to your spoon without sliding off. The texture is much more satisfying than a lot of the goopey mass marketed yogurt you’ll find  on store shelves.

Zoi Yogurt is made by Auburn Dairy Products. It’s a regional brand found in the Pacific Northwest. The packing is simplistic but charming. It advertises itself as having a “Great Taste – Fit For The Gods”. You can get Zoi in the following flavors: Plain, Vanilla, Honey, Strawberry & Blueberry. One of the best things about the fruit flavors is that they have “Fruit on the Bottom”, which I feel lends to use of higher quality ingredients and allows one to mix the fruit in or slowly make their way to the fruity explosion awaiting at the bottom. I initially didn’t even know that there was fruit on the bottom(failed to read the label), there was the essence of fruit flavor throughout the yogurt even before I hit the bottom, so the fruit on the bottom was an extra bonus.

Zoi Yogurt has Vitamin A & D3, as well as live cultures(S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, B. lactis, L. rhamnosus & L. casei). This is a cow’s milk yogurt. As far as I can see it looks as though the ingredients are all natural. One thing that might be concerning is the fat & calorie content. For example the Strawberry flavor contains 5g of fat(3.5 of which are saturated fats) & 200 calories per 6oz cup. I actually don’t think that is a big deal as the cups are very satisfying & can easily take the place of your breakfast or lunch. You are at least getting 7g of protein out of that as well. Also because the texture and flavor is so good, I could easily see someone using it to substitute for something much worse like cheesecake or ice cream without feeling disappointed.

Overall, I really like the product. You can find it at QFC, Haggens, Winco or Top Foods. There is a $1.00 off coupon on their website.

Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update

Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update

[Buy Align Probiotics from Amazon.com]

This is a follow-up to my post “Align Probiotics Review: First Glance“. I did have some time to try out Align Probiotics and see how they worked out for me. Check out below for a week by week run-down.

Week #1

Week  #1 started out pretty well. I did notice that I was dealing with some aches and fatigue, possibly due to Align clearing out toxins or possibly due to something else entirely(I am known to get sinus infections randomly). Within a few days these aches and pains stopped. I think I did start to see some benefit from Align almost immediately. Improvements such as not having to go to the bathroom as often, bowel movements feeling more complete & perhaps even less gas/cramping. Having the pills labeled by the day of the week was pretty handy to keep on top of taking it. I tried to take it the same time each day.

Week #2

Continued improvement, but maybe not as large a leap as the first week. Things seem pretty stable. Maybe a small amount of constipation this week ,but not too bad. I think Align is probably a bit more gentle due to only having 1 billion colony forming units versus other products promoting having 6 billion or sometimes 20 – 50 billion colony forming units.

Week #3

This is where our story goes a bit south for Align. I started having chronic constipation again and even started getting some mild lower abdominal pain. Mild nausea also, probably from being constipated. This is pretty typical for me when my body has decided to go south on the probiotics. Also during this time I was under some stress, so perhaps this played a part in it as well. So ultimately I do not blame Align probiotics for fouling up, but rather I just have a touchy system.

Week 4

Unfortunately, at this junction I decided to discontinue taking Align probiotics, in hopes of reliving some of the constipation. Also the stress eased up in my life during this time as well.

Conclusion

I do not think that Align is a faulty product and actually it’s been the most successful probiotic I’ve used. I have a very touchy system and have had much less luck with other probiotics.  I definitely think Align probiotics are worth trying, especially if you’re suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

[Buy Align Probiotics from Amazon.com]

Special thanks to Proctor & Gamble for supplying the samples of Align Probiotics.

Tribute to The Best Toilet Paper In The World

Tribute to The Best Toilet Paper In The World

Yes! That’s right, I am going to praise Conttonelle & their excellent Aloe & E toilet paper. Those with digestive problems are going to be using more TP than the average person. A lot of TP out there, even though it’s soft, doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause wear & tear after awhile. Plus there are some products out there that are too soft, almost like you’re using a blanket. Probably the best thing about Cotonelle Aloe & E is that it has Aloe & E in it, which is good for your skin and helps prevent irritation from occurring.

I looked high and low for an Aloe & E toilet paper product locally & Cottonelle Aloe & E was the only one I found & it works marvelously. Perhaps in your area you may have more choices, but I would strongly suggest you find one with Aloe in it or get Cottonelle Aloe & E. If you cannot find it locally you can buy Cottonelle Aloe & E in bulk from Amazon.com, which if I didn’t have it locally, I’d probably do it.

Plus, who doesn’t like a cute puppy on the packaging :)?

Align Probiotics Review: First Glance

Align Probiotics Review: First Glance – Buy Align from Amazon.com

Please check out my updated article “Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update” for further information on how I did with Align Probiotic.

Recently Proctor & Gamble’s marketing department got in touch with me to take a look at their flagship probiotic, Align. While I haven’t actually started taking Align yet, I’d like to share some of my first thoughts on the product.

I’ve seen Align advertised before & it has received good reviews on places like Amazon.com. I am a little skeptical on mass marketed products that have slick packaging. In some cases the word probiotic is used to attract people to a product that has little digestive benefit. In one case I got some terrible breakfast bars that supposedly had “probiotics” in them, but they were barely a step above sweetened laminated cardboard. I don’t think this is a goal of Align since they are strictly focusing on a probiotic supplement where the cardboard is only in the packaging, not the actual product.

Packaging

As I said above the packaging looks very nice. I received some sample sized versions which have a little fold out flap with information about Align & it even has a nifty 7-day calendar to track your progress. The capsules themselves come in a flat blister pack for 7-days. You can tear each capsule away from the sheet before opening it. Each capsule has a day of the week listed on it. I am not quite sure if this is how the retail 28-day supply is packaged, but I’d imagine it is similar. Additionally Align promotes the use of the AlignGI.com website, which has an online digestive tracker. All these ways to track your progress, I feel are helpful. One of the hard parts about taking probiotics is taking them consistently and at a regular time. Anything that makes it easier to remember to take your probiotic or to really be able to track your progress, I see as a good thing.

Contents

As for what’s in Align, it goes 100% with the B. Infantis 35624 strain of bacteria for it’s probiotics. There are a lot of products that mix it up and go for a bunch of different strains. I am not too worried about only one strain of bacteria being in there, it may even be beneficial to focus on producing a single high quality strain than to put in a mix of different, but lower quality strains. B. Infantis 35624 has been shown in studies to improve Irritable Bowel symptoms.

Align contains 1 Billion Colony Forming Units(CFUs) of B. Infantis 35624, this is considerably lower than other probiotics on the market. Again I don’t mind this so much as I think CFUs are overrated. Really it’s about quality. If you have 20 billion CFUs but they all die before hitting your gut or are contaminated with other things, it’s not going to do you any good. Also a lot of people have problems tolerating high doses of probiotics. Going low & slow may be the best approach.

Another positive is that it would appear Align uses a vegetable based capsule(not geletin), so vegetarians probably shouldn’t have any problems taking this. There is no lactose, gluten or soy in Align either. There is “Milk Protein” listed as an ingredient, but trace amounts are found in other probiotics as well.

Criticisms

One thing that does bug me is the use of Titanium Dioxide & FD&C Blue #1. Perhaps this was something that came out of focus groups or something. I would have preferred no artificial coloring in the product at all. I am sure there’s only a tiny bit in there, but if I am only going to see the capsule for a few seconds before popping it in my mouth, I shouldn’t care if it’s “white” or “off-white”.

Cost & Money-Back Guarantee

Align is some what pricey, especially when you are dealing with only getting 1 billion CFUs per capsule. However, if it does turn out to be higher quality & works for you, then I am sure it’ll be worth the money.

Align is offering a Money-Back Guarantee, which is actually pretty sweet. Try it for one month, if it doesn’t work, take them up on the refund.

Where To Buy

• Buy Align from Amazon.com

• Find a local store.

Follow-Up

Once I’ve got some real world experience with Align, I’ll post back with more information and a link here to the follow-up review.

Disclosure:  I was supplied by Proctor & Gamble with samples of Align. The positive or negative outcome of this review is not based on receiving these samples.

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD

Apple Cider Vinegar has a lot of buzz going for it on the internet and the natural health circuit. It can reportedly help with all sorts of problems ranging from gout to heartburn to weight-loss. While a lot of these claims haven’t been proven, I decided to give it a try.

Vinegar is fermented apple juice, yeast help break the apple juice to an alcohol & then bacteria break it down into the sour substance we know. Most commercial vinegar we see in supermarket shelves has been filtered & pasteurized, possibly even distilled(clear). What you want to look for is Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, as the other products have had all their “goodness” boiled out of them.

As far as digestion goes Apple Cider Vinegar is suppose to work two ways:

• 1) It increases acidity in the stomach which helps digest food. Now people with heartburn might think this is a bad thing, but in some cases heartburn/indigestion is caused by a lack of acid, not too much.
• 2) It has something called “mother” which is the cloudy unfiltered stuff in the vinegar. Most people purport the “mother” as being the source of Apple Cider Vinegars healing powers. Reading up on it though “mother” is an ice way of saying “dead bacteria & fermentation byproducts”. There really may not be a whole lot of  stuff inside the “mother” that does anything. It is not dangerous to drink though.

Apple Cider Vinegar on it’s own is too acidic to drink, so it is recommended to mix about 1 tablespoon(15ml) with 8oz(235ml) of water, plus you’ll probably want to add something to sweeten it a bit. It’s strongly advised to use natural sweeteners like honey instead of refined white sugar. I wonder about Turbinado or Panela sugars, as these are raw sugars without excess refining. The flavor after sweetening is like a sour apple juice.

Results were iffy. They seemed similar to results I received with digestive enzymes. Some days it seemed to help, other days it seemed to make my symptoms worse. One meal I’d feel less bloated, another day I’d feel more bloated and sometimes nauseated. Overall I do not think the apple cider vinegar helped a whole lot, but heck it’s pretty cheap & worth a try if you’re suffering from some sort of digestive malady. There is very little harm or risk of side-effect so long as you are taking it with water.

Where to Buy Raw Apple Cider Vinegar?

You can get Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets from Puritan’s Pride.

Fighting Nausea with Ginger & Peppermint.

Fighting Nausea with Ginger & Peppermint.

I’ve probably talked about ginger & mint here before, but I’d like to highlight two products that not only help with nausea but also are quite addictive, err tasty…

Ginger Chews are chewy candies that have a strong ginger kick. They come in individually wrapped rectangular chunks and are lightly coated with powdered sugar. These aren’t at all like those weird jellied fruit squares you might find masquerading in the produce section of your local grocery. They have real ginger flavor & they’re not sickly sweet. There is quite a bit of chew to them(as the name would suggest), so they can get stuck in your teeth if you’re not careful. It’s not a requirement that you chew them, you can treat them like you would a hard candy and they’ll slowly melt.

I get Ginger Chews locally from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you could instead buy Ginger Chews at Puritan’s Pride or check out the Ginger People’s Store Locator. You can also get Anti-Nausea Ginger Gum at Puritan’s Pride as well.

Altoids are “Curiously Strong” mints as the slogan on the front of the tin states. Don’t be too shy about their strength, you’ll soon get used to them, although this is coming from someone who is certifiably an Altoid Fiend™. I think they need to make an Altoids Anonymous 12-step program for me & I know there are others out there! Once you get started, it’s hard to stop nibbling on these things. You’ll start with just one, then two, then three or four at a time. You suddenly realize you just ate the entire tin over the span of one evening. Alas, don’t let my tale of addiction keep you away from Altoids. There aren’t actually any addictive substances inside of Altoids, so maybe if you’re not as compulsive as I am you’ll be able to control their power!

I’d strongly suggest sticking with the Peppermint flavor. Altoids does make a Ginger flavor as well as other minty flavors, but Peppermint uses all natural flavors and no colorings. Some of the other flavors have less than natural flavorings & colorings, plus they taste much sweeter.

Altoids can usually be found at your local grocery in the candy section or in the impulse buy area near checkout. They are usually a bit more pricey if you by them individually(up to $2/tin). If you check the candy aisle you might be able to find a twin-pack for a lower cost per unit($3/2-tins, $1.50ea). You could also check out restaurant supply stores & buy them in a 12-packs($17.04/12-tins, $1.42ea). Sometimes local pharmacies run ads for Altoids as low as $1/tin, which is quite the value! I once found a local grocery offering them for $0.75(75 cents) per tin if you bought 10. I bought the last 10 they had :D! If you can’t find them locally, you could can also buy Peppermint Altoids from Amazon.com.

There are other products that use ginger and/or peppermint to help combat nausea. GPAdvocate recently did some reviews for QueaseEASE & some Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Ginger Gum. You might want to check those out as well :)!

Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)

Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)

So I am sure we’ve all probably had times were we’re filling gassy or bloated. When dealing with IBS these times are probably more often than we’d wish. Now, normally I’d suggest a natural product, but in some cases a less than natural product is needed. This is were Gas-X Thin Strips step in. Why do I like Gas-X Thin Strips? A) It works. B) The packaging and form factor are very discreet.

Thin strip style products have been around for awhile, I first saw them showing up in the early 2000s for things like mints. At the time my co-worker handed me something that looked like a piece of colored tape and said “try it”… I pondered for a bit as I wasn’t sure if I was being handed some sort of psychotropic drug or an actual piece of tape. Luckily it turned out to be a a minty breath freshener. I don’t think my co-worker was trying to tell me something as we didn’t sit near each other, he was just showing me this cool new product(at least this is what I tell myself). So now instead of minty freshness we have minty gas relief thanks to Gas-X Thin Strips.

Gas-X contains Simethicone which is basically an anti-foaming agent, it helps the bubbles that form in your digestive tract form into large bubbles which makes it easier to pass gas. So while it’s advertised as an anti-gas drug, it actually makes it easier to fart. This is probably of benefit for people with IBS, I’d rather fart than feel bloated. Being bloated makes you feel tired & flabby. One of the benefits I’ve found with Gas-X is that it seems to also help motility so if I am feeling constipated as well, it usually helps get things moving again.

The main reason I tried Gas-X Thin Strips in the first place, was because it was in thin strip form. These things are very handy & very discreet. You can fit a bunch of them in your wallet, which is just not possible when dealing with pills. The only thing non-discreet about them is that it says “Gas-X Gas-X Gas-X Gas-X Gas-X” all over the outside of the package. It’s not that big of a deal though as you can easily tear it open and gobble it down with no one the wiser.

Overall Gas-X & Immodium(though haven’t been using this in quite awhile) are my trusty over the counter standbys which I use from time to time. There are probably other similar products that use Simethicone & they would probably work in a similar fashion. Gas-X is just the one I’ve been using. You get 18 strips per box, which is a pretty good value. I am still on my first box and it’s been a few months since I bought it. You can probably find it at your local pharmacy or department store – OR you can support this site and buy it from the Amazon.com link below :)!

Purchase Gas-X Thin Strips Peppermint from Amazon.com.

Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel(IBS) – Buy Iberogast from Amazon.com

Today I’ll be reviewing Iberogast, a natural herbal pro-kinetic motility agent from the company Medical Futures.

So first off, what is a motility?

Digestive Motility

Motility is basically another word for movement. Movement in your digestive tract is obviously important. It’s especially important that these movements are coordinated. A lot of digestive problems can be linked to poor motility, such as chronic indigestion, gastroparesis, constipation or diarrhea.

Basically somewhere in your system these movements are going too fast or too slow. These symptoms could be a chronic issue such as when dealing with IBS or gastroparesis or acute symptoms brought on by eating too much or food poisoning.

There’s a little diagram to the right to help illustrate motility. Hopefully your digestive tract isn’t really green, orange & red. ;)

What is Iberogast?

Iberogast, which is also known as STW 5,  is a mixture of different herbs that have been shown in clinical studies to aid in the motility of the gut. It was developed in 1961, so it’s been in use for decades. Since it’s herbal and natural, side effects or problems from it should be rare/non-existent.

What’s in Iberogast?

Here’s a list of the main herbs in Iberogast. Probably not what you’d find in your kitchen:

• Iberis amara
• Angelica
• Caraway Fruit
• Peppermint Leaves
• Chamomile
• St. Mary’s Thistle
• Lemon Balm Leaves
• Celandine
• Liquorice Root

How do you take Iberogast?

Iberogast

Iberogast comes in a 100 milliliter bottle. The bottle contains a special cap on top of the bottle to help aid with dispensing it via little droplets. Dosage suggestions are 8 drops for children 3 months – 3 years, 10 drops for children 3 to 6 years, 15 drops for children 6 to 12 years & 20 drops for anyone 12 years or older. For an adult this gives you about 100 doses per bottle or if you’re taking it 3 times a day with each meal, you essentially have a 1 month supply.

The label recommends Iberogast be mixed with warm water, but also states it can be mixed with your favorite drink. It’s suggested that you to take Iberogast with each meal.

Taking Iberogast

Medical Futures has a statement on their website that Iberogast should not be used by women who are pregnant or nursing due to lack of clinical studies on women who are pregnant or nursing. However, they follow that statement up with the fact that it’s been used for years and probably doesn’t pose a significant risk.

The flavor is similar to the taste of raw vanilla extract or perhaps licorice. Iberogast does contain some alcohol, which you can somewhat taste. The flavor would probably be less noticeable in a cola based soft drink like Pepsi or Coca-Cola.

Does it work?

I would have to say, yes it has helped me out from time to time. It has not cured my IBS, but I do feel less bloated & perhaps I have less constipation. It’s certainly worth trying, especially if you’re trying to stay on a more natural route for healing. I have not had any negative side effects or issues that I would blame on Iberogast.

Where To Buy Iberogast:

• Buy Iberogast from Amazon.com

Review: Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children.

Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children

During my searches for probiotics, one of my desires that keeps popping up is the ability to control exactly how much of the probiotic I am putting into my body. Tapering probiotics is important to help avoid or lessen the symptoms of the Herx Effect.

What’s in Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children?

It contains the following probiotic strains:

• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus Casei
• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bifidobacterium breve
• Bifidobacterium longum

The main one we’re concerned with is B. infantis, which as been proven in studies to help with IBS symptoms. Overall, these strains all have a purpose in our gut. One thing to keep in minds is that this product does contain FOS, which can cause gas for some people.

What does Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children taste like & how do you use it?

The taste of a probiotic is not something you normally have to deal with as most are in pill form. The taste is sweet, most likely due to the FOS content. It doesn’t taste bad at all, I liken it to a mildly sweet apple flavor. Once you mix it in with water or a beverage you can’t really taste it. I would recommend mixing it with room temperature or moderately warm water. Cold water seems to cause it to clump together.

Again the nice thing about this product is that you can measure it out exactly to control how much you’re taking. I decided to start with a very small amount, 1/8th teaspoon and then double it every week until I reached maximum dosage. This is not something you can usually do with other probiotic supplements because they are in pill form and rely on the probiotics being contained within the pill before entering the lower gut. The FOS in this product, I believe, is suppose to help it get through the stomach acids and into the lower gut where it can be effective. Though, I am not certain how effective this delivery method actually is.

Keep in mind as well that this product does require refrigeration

Did it help my IBS?

Initially, I believe I was having some positive results. The first couple of days were similar to other probiotics I’ve taken, I felt bloated & somewhat nauseated. This did subside somewhat over the following weeks. I noticed a mild improvement in the regularity of bowel movements, though my symptoms were not dramatically improved. Unfortunately after about a month of use, I accidentally left my fridge door open and all my food became spoiled & perhaps my probiotics. Not wanting to risk taking “rancid” probiotics, I bought a new container. I resumed my 1 teaspoon regimen, which is where I was at, at that time. Unfortunately I got bloated and became nauseated again with this product immediately, even though I seemingly had been using it before at the same dosage. I am guessing perhaps the batch I had before was older and thus perhaps less potent.

Would I recommend the product?

Yes I would. It did improve my symptoms for a short period of time. I have a touchy system so don’t use it as an example, it may work much better for you than for me, so it’s definitely worth a shot. Taking a powdered form is good for dosage control, which is pretty much impossible with a pill.

Where can I get it?

You can check out your local supermarket or nutrition store. I found some at my local Fred Meyer’s(may also be called Kroger’s in some areas) or purchase Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children from Amazon.com, by clicking the link.

Product Review: Goodbelly Probiotic Drink

GoodBelly Strawberry Fruit Juice Drink

GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drink

I found out about GoodBelly juice drinks from my local public radio station. Between shows they’d have an advertisement for the “non-dairy probiotic fruit juice based drink”. Intrigued I went off in search of this stuff. The first visit to the GoodBelly website suggested that my local Fred Meyers carried it, but when I went there it was not to be. I then tried a local Safeway(may also be known as Vons), which did indeed carry it, but it took some looking as it was near the yogurt and not on the juice aisle.

So what exactly is in GoodBelly? Obviously it’s a fruit drink with probiotics, but getting in a bit deeper it appears they grow their own strains of B. Lactis & L. Planatarum299v from oat flour & barely malt which I imagine the little bacterias munch down on. While their test show that the product doesn’t contain detectable amounts of gluten, it is not considered a gluten free food. This is important if you suffer from Celiac Disease. So basically you whirl some juice concentrate, fruit puree & probiotics together & you have GoodBelly.

How does it taste? Pretty good actually! I tried the Bluberry Acai & the Strawberry flavors.  There’s a slightly sour aftertaste to it, but it doesn’t taste bad. It is comparable to other juices you’d find on the market, just not as sweet(which is a good thing). I could not find the quart containers, so I had to use the little “Good Belly Plus shots”, which are about 2.7oz(80ml) each. There are usually some fruit seeds hanging out at the bottom of the container no matter how well you shake the darn things up.

Was it effective? The little shots contain 20 billion colony forming units(CFUs), to me, this seems like too much. While their website does state “You can never get too much of a good thing”, I would have to disagree; especially for people just starting with probiotics. Much better to taper up with a small amount of probiotics to let your system adjust. Overall I experienced the same thing I’ve dealt with with other probiotics – constipation  & bloating.There is such as thing as the “Herx Effect”, where you have to tough out these symptoms for days/weeks before you start feeling the benefits. However, I’ve tried toughing it out with other products and in the end I have to stop taking them because these symptoms do not subside. Thus, my search for the perfect probiotic continues. Importantly, do not take my experience for your own. Try the product, see how it works for you! We all have different bodies & mine is extremely picky. Bottom Line:  It did not cure my IBS.

Cost? Cost is a concern, it was about $3.50 for 4 little shots. You’re suppose to drink one per day. This could get pricey, especially when considering you can get a bottle for a months worth of probiotics in some cases for $10. You’re looking at $26.10 per month if you’re going to be drinking a GoodBelly a day. Keep in mind though that some of the higher quality probiotics are just as much and don’t offer as many CFUs, nor are they as tasty. GoodBelly does offer a “2 for 1″ coupon on their website. This lil’ coupon could save you quite a bit! It looks like you can only use it once per visit, but you could just do it with your weekly shopping & be good to go. The website has had it up there for months, hopefully they don’t take it down anytime soon.

Final thoughts? A worthy choice for those who may not like taking a pill or those who are adverse to trying healthy things. It’s worth a shot! :)