Higher number of centenarians

I have discovered that in certain parts of the world yogurt and kefir have been strongly linked with an unusually high number of centenarians. In the Caucasus Mountains, Kefir (called the "Miracle Food") is a staple food. Many have lived over 100 years, and some claim to have lived to be over 150. Kefir is much stronger than yogurt because of the many different strains of bacteria in kefir. I don't go for many days without kefir. Since yogurt has some colonies, too, it's always a good idea to add yogurt to your diet as it helps your gut microbes grow and thrive.

I have done a lot of research on yogurt. Many of the world's centenarians have consumed yogurt and kefir daily and often as a dessert or meal. For instance, Bulgarian yogurt has a rich history surrounding it. It dates back to the Thracians, ancient inhabitants of the Bulgarian lands. Stock breeders would place sheep’s milk in lambskin bags around their waists and would create fermented yogurt using their own body heat. They credit themselves with inventing Bulgaria’s only source of yogurt. They also produced the healthiest yogurt in Europe thanks to a unique bacteria native to their country. Dr. Stamen Grigorov found the specific Lactobacillus bacteria responsible for Bulgarian yogurt fermentation. Grigorov went on to identify two more bacteria: Streptobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which coexisted with Lactobacillus in perfect symbiosis. Interested in Dr. Grigorov’s discoveries, the Nobel prize-winning Russian scientist, Ilya Mechnikov, noted that more people lived to the age of 100 in Bulgaria than in any of the 36 other countries he studied. He directly linked this to Bulgaria’s consumption of yogurt.

The Mediterranean region has become an area of interest for nutritionists, doctors, and conscious-living experts all over the world. There, several cultures exist in which an unusually high number of people live to the age of one hundred or more. Greek yogurt has become a huge market as people gobble it up. Higher in protein than regular yogurt, it is a treat for me and I consider it a dessert food. Top it with some lemon zest, a fresh squeeze of lemon, some cherries, and a small dollop of honey and you have a treat for sure. Another thing often found on this diet is Chevre cheese. This probiotic goat cheese is digested differently from cow’s milk and is a hypoallergenic alternative for those allergic to cheese made from cow’s milk. Goat's milk also contains capric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that has been shown to possess antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and that's not all! It also has a prebiotic, oligosaccharides, that is found in certain foods and in mother’s milk. There are thought to be four to five times more oligosaccharides in goat’s milk compared with cow’s milk. I make my own Chevre cheese. It's easy, no special equipment is needed and it is crazy good.  I use it as a spread for toast in my Tuscan bruschetta tomato recipe. You can find lots of things to feed your microbes in many different types of foods.

Examining bacteria from older people

Some of the most important changes in gut microbiome occur both at the beginning of life and in our later years. These periods are also when the immune system is at its weakest. Examining bacteria from older people has shown lower levels of microbial composition which is likely due to medications and antibiotics as well as changes to diet and exercise. Scientists have linked such changes to alterations in both the composition and function of the gut microbiome to aging poorly.

As I move into my sixties on my next birthday I can't tell you how thankful I am for those microbes in my gut that keep me feeling young and healthy and full of energy. I often feel that I'm a newborn who has just gotten started. I started my business ten years ago on my fiftieth birthday after ten years of research and experiments that I did on myself, family and friends. Nothing has been as life-changing for me as embracing my trillions of unseen friends. Feed those microbes and care for them and watch them change you from the inside out. Don't live your life not feeling good, you don't know what you're missing! I know what it's like to live with sickness and disease and then watch my body transform and what a journey it has been for me. No one can ever convince me that probiotic and prebiotic foods are not the secret to living a healthier life. My own life experience showed me the way and my trillions of microbes were my constant companions and teachers. Who would have ever thought the answer to my prayers would come in a jar filled with billions of probiotics? It was the road less traveled but it has made all the difference. My hope is it will help you too. If you sign up to read my newsletters or find my posts on social media, rest assured I will keep teaching till my last breath. So much negative news out there and scary diseases but you, my friends, are the captains of your own ships, and one day I will convince you. I am the voice for these trillions of microbes that abide in you and are here to serve you. I do love your guts . . . quite literally.