My War on Germs: Step 1

A probiotic capsule

Over the years, I have noticed that my digestive tract is one of the weakest points of my body. I have gotten food poisoning more times than I could count, and I seem to get more than my share of stomach viruses each year. Over the years, I have heard different theories from various doctors, including perhaps it is just the way I was born or it is from all the antibiotics I had to take over the years. Regardless, my doctors often recommended I eat yogurt daily or even take a probiotic supplement to try to get my digestive tract in proper balance.

I love yogurt, but it isn’t one of those things I can tolerate eating every single day. Plus, one of my doctors pointed out that realistically people may have to eat at least 3 yogurt servings a day to start seeing a noticeable difference from the live cultures. I don’t know about you, but that is far more yogurt than I am able to consume each day!

Since I am a strong believer of trying to get what our bodies need from our food first, I tried my best to eat some yogurt every day. I didn’t succeed all the time, but I was definitely eating a lot more yogurt. Still, I found myself sick far too often. If the live cultures were helping, I just wasn’t getting enough.

So here I am with my first box of Align probiotic supplements, and I’m going to give it a shot. I ordered an 8-week supply since it was cheaper per capsule than the 4-week supply. Although I’m hopeful that this product will be a baby step toward a healthier me, I know there’s a chance that it may not work out for me. But hey, I’ve wasted a lot more money on cold medicines over the last few years. And with no risk besides a little gas and disappointment, why wouldn’t I give it a try?

This is only the beginning of my war on germs, so stop by occasionally to see what else I might try to defeat these annoying little invaders. And just as a precaution, if you are taking any medications or have any health issues, please talk with your doctor or pharmacist before trying Align or any other supplement.

My War on Germs

Empty antibiotic bottle

I don’t know anyone who enjoys being sick.  Sore throats, fevers, achiness, stomachaches, headaches, and a general blah feeling—they are all a pain in the neck, and at the first sign of illness, we scramble to find someway to alleviate our symptoms and get through it all faster!  We just don’t have the time or the desire to deal with even the slightest of colds.

Unfortunately, dealing with a chronic health issue (such as fibromyalgia) just complicates things.  I don’t know about you, but I know that my little sicknesses tend to not be so little anymore now that I have fibro.  I also tend to get sick more often now, and the illnesses last longer.  It is as though my body is so worn out from dealing with my chronic condition that it doesn’t have necessary resources to kill germs immediately.

On top of this, I have also discovered that being sick often causes an increase in my fibromyalgia symptoms.  I become a stumbling, miserable zombie whenever I get sick now.  In fact, I was out of commission for over a week recently because I was sick on top of a fibro flare.  I was so incredibly thankful when I finally took the last of my antibiotics and woke up feeling much more myself a couple days later!

Frankly, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!  I have enough on my plate with my fibromyalgia before adding viruses and bacteria into the equation.  As such, I’ve decided that it’s time to take action and find ways to lessen my chances of catching something.  I know it’s easier said than done, but I certainly abhor getting sick, and if I can I avoid even a minute of illness, I’m game!

Over the next week or so, I’m going to research ways to build my immune system and tips for generally staying healthy.  This last bacterial infection was so awful that I’m officially declaring war on any and every germ lurking in vicinity.  I’m finished playing fair.  It’s time to turn another page that will help lead to a happier and healthier me.

Please check back later throughout the month.  I will be sharing some of the research and tips here, so you can join me as well.  Here’s to good health and less sick days!