Remember, the underlying cause for MD is an imbalance of bad bacteria in the gut. If this is news to you then you need to take a step back and read here before going any further. For whatever reason, people like you and I have far too much bad gut bacteria and that is what sets the stage for MD. Things that can cause this are high sugar/carb diets, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, stress, and repetitive antibiotic use, just to name a few. If you somehow skipped part one and are joining us here, I suggest you read this first…
So, how do we fix it?
With probiotics, lots and lots of probiotics! You are going to take in massive amounts of good gut-friendly bacteria. The probiotics you will be taking will help crowd out the bad bacteria and replace it with good bacteria, they are the foundation of the NMM Program. Basically, we are starting our own little army to help fight this bacterial imbalance for us. Now, before we discuss how we are going to do this, I want to go over “good gut bacteria 101.”
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are microorganisms that aid in digestive health. They are composed of good bacteria and yeast. Remember what I shared with you about the imbalance of bad bacteria in your digestive tract? We need to change that. To change it, you will need to consume massive amounts of good bacteria. So, how are you going to do that? With yogurt! But, not with just any yogurt. No, you are going to learn how to make homemade yogurt. Why? It is all about getting as many CFUs as possible.
What are CFUs?
CFUs or colony forming units, are a unit of measurement used to count the number of probiotics in a supplement.
One of the biggest reasons that homemade yogurt is so effective is due to its high probiotic count. Depending on how long the yogurt has been incubating, yogurt can have up to 350 billion CFUs in a four-ounce serving. You would need to take a ridiculous number of supplements each day to take in that many probiotics. Not to mention, it would be incredibly expensive to purchase enough supplements each month to get the quantity you need to heal.
By making your own yogurt, a bottle of 100 probiotics will literally last you almost an entire year. That is a lot of money saved!
What is the gut microbiome?
Your gut microbiome is composed of trillions of bacteria, yeast, and fungi that live in your digestive tract. For the sake of simplicity, we will simply refer to the organisms living in our digestive system as bacteria.
Can I just buy yogurt in the store or take probiotic pills?
Not really, the yogurt that you buy in the store has a very low probiotic count compared to when you make it yourself. Additionally, by making it ourselves we can include more bacteria strains that we would like to have in our yogurt. Plus, there is something about probiotic rich food that makes it much more potent than just taking a probiotic capsule. Maybe it is since the probiotics in the capsules are still in a dormant state, making them less effective. Another reason that homemade yogurt is so powerful is due to its extremely high probiotic count. Adding these high quantities of probiotics to your diet is the foundation for treating MD.
What are the health benefits of probiotics?
Here are just some of the many benefits of taking probiotics
- Helps to reduce inflammation
- Enhances immune function
- Can lower total and LDL cholesterol levels
- Aids in digestion
- Anti-aging
- Treating skin disorders
- Treating MD!!
What are the main types of probiotics?
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium – Are acid producing bacteria. Lacto probiotics produce lactic acid and help break down lactose and carbohydrates. Lactic acid helps to prevent bad bacteria from colonizing and thriving in our gut.
Saccharomyces boulardii – This is a probiotic yeast. It can be highly efficacious in helping with MD. These probiotics can survive stomach acidity and colonize the gut.
Saccharomyces boulardii is astonishingly powerful. If you are able to try it, then I recommend you do so. For me personally, the capsules tend to give me a headache so that unfortunately rules them out for me.
Bacillus – These are soil-based organisms. There is a lot of conflicting information regarding this type of probiotic. Ultimately, for our purposes it does not matter since we will not be using them to treat MD.
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are dietary fiber that help gut-friendly bacteria grow. Examples of prebiotic foods include apples, bananas, and asparagus. Think of probiotics as the seeds you are trying to grow and the prebiotics as the fertilizer that helps them grow.
How do probiotics work?
Probiotics help your digestive system to break down foods such as protein and fiber.
Will I need to consume probiotics every day?
Absolutely. To prevent this from happening again and to maintain a healthier digestive ecosystem, I recommend that you make probiotic consumption a part of your daily life moving forward.
Yogurt instructions
Most people will need about one quart (about 950 ml) of yogurt a week. You will eat one heaping tablespoon of yogurt at the end of each meal. Initially, you may experience bloating and feel tired after waking up each day. Do not worry, your body will adjust, and you will feel much better in about seven to ten days.
Required supplies and instructions for making homemade yogurt
- Two – 16 oz jars
- One quart of whole milk (whole milk makes a much thicker yogurt)
- One cooking thermometer
- One container of lactic acid probiotic capsules (look for one’s with about 10 different strains)
- One heating pad without an auto shut off
To make yogurt in the microwave
- Heat one – 16 oz container of milk in the microwave. Depending on the microwave this could take about three to six minutes. You want to heat the milk up to about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (83 degrees Celsius). You will be heating the milk until it almost begins to boil but not quite. You are heating up the milk to kill any additional bacteria that may be present and to create a better environment for the bacteria that you will be adding. For some reason heated milk seems to make better yogurt.
- After heating up the milk, now you will let it cool until it is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
- Once the milk is at the correct temperature you can add one probiotic capsule and place the jar of milk on the heating pad or in a yogurt maker. Simply twist the probiotic capsule to open it and empty the probiotic powder into the milk. I personally use a heating pad to make my yogurt. It is easy to use, and I can travel with my heating pad. Use low heat to make your yogurt, you do not want the temperature to exceed 115 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) since higher temperatures will kill off the probiotics. Try to maintain a temperature between 100- and 110-degrees Fahrenheit (37-44 degrees Celsius).
- Place the jars containing the warm milk and probiotics on the heating pad. Turn the heating pad on low, cover the jars and the heating pad with a towel, and let it incubate for about seven to ten hours.
- You want the yogurt to be almost solid, it should have the consistency of firm Jell-O and be surrounded by a clear liquid (whey). Once the yogurt has thickened, put it in the fridge and you are ready to begin the NMM Program.
To make yogurt on the stove top you would simply follow the same temperature guidelines for heating the milk and then use either method to incubate the yogurt once you have added the probiotics. Remember to pay attention to your temperatures.
The longer you let the yogurt incubate and the thicker it is, the more probiotics it will contain. But be careful to avoid the law of diminishing returns. If you heat it for too long, at a certain point the bacteria will begin to die off.
When do I eat the yogurt?
It is important to eat one tablespoon of yogurt after each meal. Additionally, stop eating at least three hours before bedtime, except to eat another tablespoon of yogurt just before going to bed.
What if it is not working?
If you are not noticing any results within three days, then I want you to add one more tablespoon of yogurt. So, in this case you would now be eating two heaping tablespoons of yogurt with each meal and another two heaping tablespoons right before going to bed. Continue adding an additional tablespoon after meals and before bed until you feel it working. You will know that it is working when that awful itchy feeling is no longer present.
At this point, if you are watching your diet, eating the yogurt, and taking the antimicrobials, then over 90% of you will be almost completely better.
A small percentage of people may need an additional tool. In this case I recommend you begin taking Saccharomyces boulardii as well.
Are there any side effects?
Initially you may feel some side effects. They are primarily bloating and fatigue, but do not worry because this will disappear within two weeks. Soon you will be feeling better than you have in years! One positive side effect you may notice is that you will not crave sugar. I personally love ice cream and had sugar cravings for years, within one week of adding the yogurt after meals and before bedtime, my sugar cravings vanished. From here on, if you are having sugar cravings then that is a direct sign that you need to consume more yogurt.
Now let’s move on to part 3 of the No More Morgellons Program.