So I don't know if any of this will be helpful to you, but lately, I've noticed a huge hype surrounding probiotics. Commercials for them being in yogurts, cereal bars and other foods. What I wanted to know is: what is a probiotic, what makes it so healthy and why should I eat it?

Here is the most basic elements of what I found.

When you see "live cultures" on a product, that's a probiotic. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are "good bacteria" because they can support general wellness and prevent diseases.

These types of bacteria help your body build up a stronger immune system which is what helps prevent future illenesses.

You don't have to eat probiotics in your food. There are also probiotic supplements you can take.

Probiotics are also said to have therapeutic effects for individuals with bowel problems, as well as anti-carcinogenic effects on the colon.

Scientifically, much more testing needs to be done on probiotics and the effect it has on the human body. But for now, research says that they cannot hurt you if you consume them.

What do you know about probiotics? Do you plan to actively seek out foods with probiotics?

There's a lot going on in the world of weight loss lately.

So, I thought I'd use this post to give you some avenues to learn more about what's going on.

For starters, as my last post talked about, there is a great debate going on about whether or not exercise can help you lose weight. In my opinion, this is just absurd, and whoever started this vicious rumor that you can not exercise and fit into your skinny jeans is a mean, mean jokester.

This article from ABC News talks a little bit about the debate:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/MensHealthNews/story?id=8297625&page=1

You decide whether it's a fact, or fluke.

In other news, more municipalities, and states, are jumping on the bandwagon to have calorie information labeled on the menus of chain restaurants. By putting the number of calories in each item up front, for consumers to see, legislators feel that consumers will be able to make healthier choices when dining at chain restaurants. Here's an article I wrote for my newspaper on the subject:

http://www.spotlightnews.com/247/article.php?article_id=tF1249953601t4a80c7412ae7e

In other news, you may have noticed a lot of talk lately about probiotics and why they are good for you. I won't lie-I don't know ANYTHING about them. BUT I want to. I plan to do some research and write an informational post for you guys tomorrow on the subject, but for today, if you want to get started, here is a link to a story that asks if probiotics are merely a trend or a lasting health benefit:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27454348/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

I think that's enough news for now, but if you have more, please share!