Believe it or not, the inner surface of our intestines has the same surface area as a tennis court!

Just how important is your tummy to your overall health? Consider this: you are only one cell layer away from the bacteria in your intestines poisoning you.

Not that bacteria is a bad thing. The good bacteria that live in your gut are mostly the thing that keeps you healthy. They are thought to comprise some 70 percent of our immune system. Most of us carry 2-3 pounds of good bacteria, or probiotics, around with us on the inner surface of our intestines.

There are a number of things that will upset the balance of good to bad bacteria, and these things we can influence by what we put in our mouths. Yogurt and other fermented milk products contain good bacteria, called probiotics; which we desperately need with our Western diet.

I just read a paper by Dr. Robert Martindale who is a board-certified surgeon specializing in gastrointestinal and laparoscopic surgery. He has been very successful at treating patients who have undergone surgery with small amounts of yogurt.

Stressors on our bodies, such as surgery, have a huge influence on the probiotic bacteria in our system. Within just 30 minutes of undue stress on the host, the balance of bacteria can become pathogenic.

Dr. Martindale notes that the probiotics in yogurt have a profound effect on the healing process. In fact, studies have shown that  by introducing probiotics in this way, blood flow goes up by as much as 50 percent, which speeds up healing.

Another way to introduce good bacteria is a regular intake of probiotic capsules, more practical than the liquid kind, they don’t need refrigeration, and are easy to carry with you on those trips away from home.