Gremlins And Gut Health Are A Lot Alike, But Lifeboocha Can Help!

13 min read SEP 15, 2024

Gremlins and gut health. These two seemingly unrelated subjects actually have a lot in common!

And, now that I have the attention of all of our 1980’s movie buffs, let me explain for those who might be scratching their heads at such a statement…

Gremlins was a comedic horror film that aired in 1984, and this movie focused on Gizmo, a (somewhat) cute, small, soft, furry, creature that came with some very important instructions - don’t get him wet, don’t expose him to bright light, and absolutely do not feed him after midnight.

If these rules were broken, the creature would multiply, spawning reptilian-like monsters (Gremlins) that would wreak havoc, mayhem, and utter destruction on anyone, anything, and anyplace they encountered.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how this could possibly relate to gut health, of all things?!

Well, when we “follow the rules” of good gut health, we generally don’t even think about any adverse side effects. We live our lives as normal and typically avoid many undesirable physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.

However, when we begin incorporating habits which are detrimental to the health of our gut, havoc ensues. And, this monster (or gut health turned Gremlin) causes us to potentially experience a number of adverse health effects ranging from digestive distress to skin issues, autoimmune disorders, even chronic disease, and so much more.

In fact, I’ve personally read, heard, and even written about gut health for several years now, yet I seldom truly realize how important this one aspect of our health is until…well…I’m personally affected by it.

So then, let’s get personal today, looking at gut health in a slightly different light, exploring what happens when our gut health is good and what someone can experience if it goes full blown Gremlin!

When Gut Health Is Good, When Gut Health Is Bad

When you hear the term gut, this is simply referring to your gastrointestinal tract, or more specifically - your stomach, intestines, and colon.
And, within your gut, there are trillions of bacteria.

In fact, you may have heard of your gut referred to in terms of a microbiome. This is because your gastrointestinal tract is technically an ecosystem, housing bacteria and microorganisms.
Like any ecosystem, there must be balance for peace, harmony, and health to be experienced.
In the world, when we lack balance, peace, and harmony, chaos ensues.

The same is true in your gut microbiome.
In your gut, this looks a little different than what we typically think of in terms of balance though.
As you may know, there are both good and bad types of bacteria. And, when it comes to your gut, you need both for balance.
A healthy, or balanced, gut should contain roughly 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria.

While it may sound like you’d be better off with 100% good bacteria, the bad bacteria actually play a beneficial role, helping your body break down indigestible fibers, even producing nutrients your body needs and can’t obtain in any other way.

However, those bad bacteria numbers can overwhelm your body if not kept in check, and this is only part of where your good bacteria come into play.

The good bacteria within your gut aid in digestion, help your body produce and absorb nutrients, keep your bad bacteria in check, keep your immune system functioning properly, aid in nerve functioning, and even help your body maintain reproductive health.

But, that only scratches the surface, so to understand the importance of gut health a little further, consider the following:

1- A Healthy Immune System Depends On Good Gut Health

Nearly 70% of your immune system is housed in your gut.
Some types of gut bacteria actually serve to educate your immune cells.
Other beneficial (or good) gut bacteria are tasked with producing proteins that fight off viruses.

Rampant inflammation can contribute to autoimmune disorders and good gut bacteria aids in maintaining a healthy gut barrier which helps to reduce inflammation.

Remember our Gremlin analogy from above?

Well, your gut is similar, for when you fail to maintain good balance in your gut, this causes unwanted changes which result in immune dysregulation that can ultimately lead to autoimmune disorders.
Not to mention you’ll be more likely to get sick.

Added stress, excessive amounts of sugar and processed foods, lack of sleep…these all negatively affect your gut health and subsequently your immune system.

This is why it’s not uncommon for folks to succumb to an illness around or after the holidays as this time of year commonly introduces excess amounts of sugar, stress, etc. allowing your gut to become burdened with bad bacteria (sugar feeds bad bacteria, allowing them to increase in number).

2- Digestive Distress And Nutritional Deficiencies Can Develop From Poor Gut Health

Since your gastrointestinal tract is your gut, it’s not surprising that an imbalance in gut bacteria can lead to digestive problems.

When your gut is healthy, both good and bad bacteria work to help your body not only digest foods but absorb nutrients.

When this balance is disturbed or when your gut is not healthy, however, digestion is hindered which can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, and more.

And, if you experience these things long term, this can contribute to chronic conditions such as irritable bowel, Crohn’s disease, etc.

Aside from this, when your gut bacteria aren’t balanced, you may experience nutritional deficiencies which can lead to a variety of symptoms and ailments.

3- Fatigue, Weakness, Malaise Can Stem From Poor Gut Health

This one bit me pretty hard lately.

I’ve researched a lot about gut health, and in doing so, I’ve obviously seen where (as we discussed briefly above) nutritional deficiencies can occur when bad bacteria are plentiful.

Well, roughly 5 months ago I’d been under a lot of stress, and my diet and sleeping habits were…well…they were trash!

Then, randomly, I was exposed to a microphone surge, and the intense noise caused my eardrum to rupture. It was so intense that I nearly fainted. My doctor was concerned about the condition of my ear, even noticing some infection forming, so she prescribed an antibiotic.

Now, I rarely take antibiotics. In fact, I could only think of one other instance where one was needed in the last 15 years of my life.

So, I was utterly puzzled to find that after only 2 days on this medication:
  • My running time improved (to the tune of nearly a minute and a half per mile).
  • I was able to lift weights with ease, even upping the amount without problem.
  • I was sleeping so much better!
  • Recurring diarrhea stopped entirely.
  • I could think more clearly.
  • I had so much more energy.
  • My skin cleared up (we’ll discuss this more in a moment).

I thought, “I’m loving this, but what gives??”

Then I remembered…gut health!

I did a great amount to regain balance in my gut after the course of antibiotics was completed, but it was clear, the antibiotics (though also negatively impacting the good bacteria in my gut) were essentially killing off the obvious overgrowth of bad bacteria in my GI tract!

But, don’t simply take my experience as scientific proof.

“Lack of diversity in gut bacteria has been directly linked with lack of energy, chronic fatigue, and sleep disorders.”

Even greater, serotonin is produced in your gut, and this hormone is responsible for both sleep and mood.

Then, the nutritional deficiencies we mentioned above, these can all contribute to weakness, fatigue, energy levels, and more!

So, if you’re feeling overly sluggish, foggy, have tummy issues, trouble sleeping, etc. consider addressing gut health first and foremost. (Hydration, a balanced diet rich in fermented or probiotic rich foods, exercise, and stress management all boost the health of your gut.)

4- Could Depression, Anxiety, And Brain Fog Be Linked To Gut Health?

Did you know that your gut and your brain are directly linked?

This is described as the gut-brain axis, or a network of nerves which connects your gastrointestinal tract and your brain.

This connection, as you’d expect, allows for constant communication between your gut and brain.

When your gut is healthy, this communication can occur freely.

But, when your gut bacterial balance is hindered, again, like our Gremlin analogy, chaos ensues.

Why? Because this connection is responsible for regulating stress responses, mood, memory, and overall brain function.

Just as your brain sends signals to your stomach to tell you when you’re hungry, so your gut sends signals to your brain to tell you when you’re happy, sad, excited, etc.

And, an unhealthy gut can lead to miscommunication, making you feel excessive sadness, anxiety, confusion, etc.

Whereas, a healthy gut makes sure these signals are sent effectively.

On top of this, good gut bacteria also support both the production and regulation of dopamine and serotonin, hormones needed to enhance your mood.

5- Want Great Looking Skin? Treat Your Gut Well!

Even the health of your skin is dependent upon good gut health.

Like your gut, your skin is also a delicate microbiome, housing both good and bad bacteria.

So, a disruption of this balanced microbiome (on your skin) can certainly lead to breakouts, dry skin, etc.

But, an imbalance within your gut has been shown to affect the skin as well.

Some believe this is linked to inflammation, where poor gut health both causes inflammation and allows it to run rampant, leading to immune dysfunction which can negatively affect the surface of your skin.

Acne, eczema, psoriasis, even bacterial infections and candida overgrowth on the skin have all been linked to poor gut health.

Lifeboocha, Lifeboost Coffee, And Supporting The Health Of Your Gut

Many of our customers have stated that they enjoy the low acid benefits of Lifeboost Coffee.
Traditional coffee often causes stomach distress, partially due to the high levels of acid in some brews.

But, many folks don’t realize that there are other components to mass-marketed coffee that contribute to digestive distress as well, including the presence of pesticides, molds, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and more.

Lifeboost coffee isn’t just free of harsh chemicals, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, it’s’ also nearly as alkaline as water!
Low acid coffee has fewer acidic compounds, which can help to prevent reflux, bloating, and other digestive issues.

And, if you’re already drinking Lifeboost Coffee, you’ve likely already noticed and appreciated this good gut health difference, but we aren’t just a coffee company!

Did you know we also provide you with a selection of other items formulated to support whole body health?

One of which is our Lifeboocha, a kombucha powder that’s well…better than traditional kombucha!
What does this have to do with gut health?
Everything!

Some medications, pesticides, processed foods, excessive amounts of sugar, stress, environmental toxins, lack of sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle can all harm the balance of bacteria in your gut.

Thankfully, there are a variety of ways you can improve the balance in this delicate microbiome:
- Consume fermented foods and beverages such as kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Include high fiber foods in your diet
- Stay hydrated
- Get plenty of sleep
- Reduce stress
- Exercise regularly

Fermented foods are important for good gut health because they contain a high amount of probiotics, or good, healthy bacteria.

Enter kombucha…

Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from a combination of bacteria (technically, a probiotic colony of bacterial yeast), sugar, tea, and sometimes fruit and/or herbs and spices.

This probiotic-rich beverage can be a powerful aid to your gut health, providing your body with healthy, beneficial, good bacteria.

However, traditional kombucha does have some downfalls.

Since these beverages are made with sugar, and a lot of it, these drinks can have a high caloric price tag.

Since most of the sugars are turned to alcohol in the fermentation process, the final product isn’t entirely saccharine, but I can assure you, it’s still highly noticeable (both to your palate and your body).

And, while the alcoholic content of kombucha is very minimal, for those avoiding it entirely, this can put such a beverage on the no-no list.

Then, while kombucha is a probiotic drink, most fail to specify the exact amount of beneficial bacteria each beverage contains. So, sometimes it’s hard to know just how much your body can benefit from it.

The fermentation process also causes kombucha to have a vinegar-like taste, and while some folks enjoy this, for others, this is a complete and total turn-off.

Another downfall of traditional kombucha is that this drink is very high maintenance.

Most people don’t realize that kombucha should never be bottled in clear containers, as exposure to light breaks down the beneficial microbes in the drink.

Kombucha must also be stored under refrigeration, which makes it difficult to carry along for your work day - especially if you’re a slow sipper.

So, for the above reasons and more…Lifeboost created Lifeboocha!

Lifeboocha is a probiotic-rich kombucha powder that boasts all the benefits of kombucha without any of the pitfalls.

- Lifeboocha is low in calories, coming in at only 10 calories a serving!

- It also provides 1 gram of dietary fiber per serving, and fiber helps your body maintain proper bowel health while feeding the good bacteria in your gut.

- You don’t have to worry about sugar or alcohol with Lifeboocha because it doesn’t contain either of these! Since there’s no fermentation, there’s no alcohol. And, as far as sugar, we only include a small amount of stevia leaf extract to give it a touch of sweetness to aid in bringing out the natural fruit flavors we’ve infused into this gut health treat.

- Then, most traditional kombuchas cost $3-$5 per bottle/serving, whereas Lifeboocha comes in at only $2 per serving, even less when you take advantage of our 3 and 6 unit subscriptions.

- The added ingredients in Lifeboocha benefit your health too, as beet root powder is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.

- And, I had to save the best for last… Possibly the best benefits of Lifeboocha are found in the fact that this kombucha powder contains a unique blend of innovative ingredients, such as enzymes specially designed to improve gut health. If this wasn’t enough, it also offers 3 billion colony forming units (CFUs) of good bacteria from a diverse range of probiotic strains per serving!

But, what about flavor?

Our Lifeboocha powder comes in 2 flavors - watermelon mint and strawberry lemonade.

I’ll admit, I haven’t tried the strawberry lemonade flavor yet, only because I’m thoroughly hooked on the watermelon mint, but I just ordered the strawberry lemonade, so I’ll have to update when I receive it.

The instructions recommend mixing 1 scoop with 8 ounces of water, and while I love it this way, I also commonly mix up some then add a little ice, a can or two of watermelon LaCroix, and some frozen watermelon pieces. YUM!!

So, while I’m not sure if giving Lifeboocha to Gizmo after midnight is advisable, I can personally attest that my gut health has benefited greatly from incorporating this delicious drink as part of my regular gut-health-supporting routine! Enjoy!

Check out Lifeboost Coffee Lifeboocha.

Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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