Trenev is likely the best probiotic out there. It is quite expensive, though, and must be shipped cold so just bear that in mind. I only take it periodically and usually not every day. I also like Prescript Assist which contains prebiotics as well which is good. I would completely agree with the above poster that fermented foods are fantastic to get digestion going and are very cost effective especially is you make them at home. Kombucha, sauerkraut and other fermented veg, you could even try fermenting lemons. You might also want to up the resistant starch intake to feed those little bacterial friends. Tigernuts are a great source, or cooked and then cooled starches like potatoes, white rice, etc. When I make white potatoes I peel a whole bag at once, dice them up and boil them. Then I put them in the fridge to cool overnight and begin using them the next day. Much of the starch "gelatinizes" into resistant starch which is not metabolized by the body but beneficial bacteria love them.

Something to consider: with your problem have you been intentionally consuming more fibre, especially insoluble fibre? That's the unfortunate advice that most of us get. I'm not against fermented foods, or probiotics, or enzymes but the best solution for me was to eliminate fibre (don't mind my Canadian spelling). The more I can eliminate (for awhile I ate no plant foods, and best digestive health EVER) plant foods, the better I feel. Might not be the case for you but I still think it's worth looking at the fibre along with the other suggestions offered. I recommend reading "The Fiber Menace" by Konstantin Monastyrsky.

I would agree that fiber can backfire (pun definitely intended LOL) on you. I have to balance it out by making sure that I'm consuming plenty of gut healing substances like gelatin/collagen and also some adapogens like maca, ashwagandha, etc seem to help. I do much better with cooked or fermented fiberous foods. Too many raw fiber rich foods just aggravate my system. You certainly do not want to get things moving too fast, or else all the gains you may have made in healing your microbiome may be lost.

Thanks for posting this topic. The past 2 months I started having stomach pains and digestive issues. That is the same time I upped my fiber. Now I am going to reduce the fiber to see if it goes away. I thought fiber might be the culprit.

wanderinjack wrote: »

The winner hands down is homemade sauerkraut. " 2 ounces of home fermented sauerkraut had more probiotics than a bottle of 100 count probiotic capsules. Translated this means one 16 ounce of sauerkraut is equal to 8 bottles of probiotics." http://nourishingplot.com/2014/06/21/sauerkraut-test-divulges-shocking-probiotic-count/

I'm inspired to make my own sauerkraut, as I've been looking for ways to improve my gut flora (been sick a lot). I'll be starting a batch today!

You do not "need" any fibre as far as health goes. But as long as you are overall healthy, just keeping insoluble fibre as low as possible will likely work well for you. You don't have to "balance" it. Trial and error and keeping a detailed food diary should help; keeping in mind that digestive reactions might take a day or two to manifest.

I'm glad that you have had improvements already. It makes one wonder about all that "eat loads of fibre" advice that is so heavily promoted. Unfortunately information that doesn't support the current dietary agenda gets ignored, dismissed, ridiculed.

I've been completely fibre free now for 10 days and am finally getting back to feeling well. I notice immediate improvements in digestion, ability to feel full on much less food, increased energy level, better sleep (in fewer hours), and a MUCH happier mental state.

My homemade kraut ain't looking too healthy, not sure what I did wrong Back to square one *sigh*

wanderinjack wrote: »

Maybe got too much air? Not enough salt? You can usually scrape off any mild and what is below is fine.

I didn't seal the jar tight enough. My second batch looks promising, thanks!

It was a little mold on top, but I scraped it off, and my batch was delish, so now I get to perfect it.