Sometimes people hear the terms probiotic and prebiotics and get confused. The term “pre” means “comes before”, as in “pre season football” or “preceding.” Prebiotics are foods that nurture those little friendly guys, the probiotics. Bear in mind that probiotics are living creatures. What do living organisms need to survive? They need food, water and shelter or proper conditions. For your good, friendly warriors – the probiotics – the best conditions for survival include a good nutrient source and warm, moist conditions.

Nature’s best source of both prebiotics and probiotics is breast milk. If you’re pregnant, do breast feed your baby. It’s the best way to pass on a healthy, robust immune system. Human breast milk is the perfect food for a growing baby and contains lots of healthy, friendly bacteria that help your baby’s immune system get off to a great start.

What should grownups eat, then, to get enough prebiotics and probiotics? Fresh fruits and vegetables contain soluble fiber, which is great to encourage healthy bacteria colonies in the colon. Some scientists believe that onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas and dandelion greens are the best food sources for prebiotics. Probiotic food sources include fermented foods such as kimchi, or supplements. While yogurt is a good source of probiotics, many people cannot tolerate dairy. We prefer coconut milk based kefir since kefir cultures have more beneficial bacteria strains than yogurt cultures.

Generally speaking, if you eat a diet based on raw fruits and vegetables, with healthy amounts of nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and greens, you’ll show your love to your digestive system and its wonderful colonies of probiotic bacteria.