How You Can Improve Your Gut Health #BioGaiaUSA

Are you aware of how important good gut health is? So many of us don't realize that we are unintentionally wrecking our bellies. There are so many things that can really throw your gut health off beginning with diet.  What we eat and drink makes a difference in not just your overall health, but especially your gut health. With life being so busy all the time, it's often easy to pull up to the drive-thru window to order a meal on-the-go. I mean who can resist a tasty sandwich paired with some hot, crispy fries? Of course, I know it's not the best choice for me. Fried foods may taste delicious, but really is one of the worst things for your belly. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post

According to Healthline, here are 7 signs of an unhealthy gut. 

1. Upset stomach
2. A high-sugar diet
3. Unintentional weight changes
4. Sleep disturbances or excessive fatigue
5. Skin irritation
6. Autoimmune conditions
7. Food intolerances

What can you do to help heal your gut?

• The number one thing you can do is to adjust your diet. Hydration is a good start. Drink water throughout the day. 
• Make dietary changes. Avoid sugar, processed and fried foods. Lean protein, fruit and vegetables are all good choices. Also, don't forget to eat slowly and chew chew chew your food!
• Get enough sleep. Stay away from screens as much as you can before bedtime. 
• Avoid stressful situations as much as you can. Exercise and deep breathing can be beneficial in lowering stress levels. 
• If you notice major stomach issues that won't seem to go away, it might be a good idea to be allergy tested to see if you are eating foods that might be triggering the problem. 
• Take a probiotic supplement like BioGaia products. 

About BioGaia products: 

BioGaia’s probiotic products with Limosilactobacillus reuteri (formerly known as Lactobacillus reuteri) are among the most scientifically well-documented probiotics in the world. To date the efficacy and safety of BioGaia’s different strains of L. reuteri have been documented in 224 clinical studies in around 18,000 people of all ages (May 2020).

BioGaia’s strains of L reuteri has been tested in 110 studies in children, from newborns up to 18 years old, and in 114 studies in adults. You can also learn more here. 

BioGaia products come in different varieties for your individual needs. There is a product for everyone in your family. I have been using the Immune Active with added vitamin D, and the Gastrus for optimal gut health. I am doing my best to make some small changes for myself. I've been suffering from an unsettled tummy that doesn't seem to go away fully. I am hoping these products will help. I will say that so far I have bot been feeling overly bloated at night. That's a big win for me. It's hard to go to bed when your stomach doesn't feel so good, so these probiotics will be a great help. 

If you are suffering from stomach issues like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea or heartburn, a probiotic with the proper lifestyle changes can be beneficial for you. An unhealthy gut means an unhealthy you. Take a look at the BioGaia USA website to read up on the benefits of probiotics.  

Überrito Fresh Mex Opens First Restaurant in Columbia, SC

Überrito Fresh Mex (Überrito), dedicated to old school Mexican scratch cooking, announced that its first restaurant ever in South Carolina is officially open. The new Columbia Überrito located at 275 Park Terrace Drive, just off Harbison Boulevard and across from Walmart and Sam’s Club. The Columbia Überrito is owned and operated by local residents and business partners Ricky Patel and Deval Patel.

“We’re burrito, taco, bowl, and nacho-loving locals that live and breathe Columbia,” said Ricky Patel, co-owner of Columbia Überrito. “We knew as soon as we tried Überrito for the first time in Houston, we had to bring that authentic, scratch-cooked Tex-Mex flavor straight back to our community. One of the biggest differentiators for us will be our huge menu variety. From students at the University of South Carolina to state capital employees, office workers, families, or those just craving authentic Tex-Mex – there is something for everyone at Überrito. In fact, you could eat Überrito seven days a week and get something different each time, but my favorites are probably a chicken or shrimp burrito with spicy avocado and serrano ranch.”

Since signing the rights to develop Überrito in Columbia, both Ricky Patel and Deval Patel have been active brand ambassadors while their restaurant was under development. Deval’s husband Hiren (Harry) is managing day-to-day operations at the new restaurant. Their new restaurant is part of Überrito’s strategic growth plan that features new restaurant prototypes that accentuate design and operational enhancements such as a stronger focus on delivery, drive-thru, and outdoor dining, while highlighting a softer color palette, more lighting and a modern edge that boosts the customer experience.    

“Now that we are open, we’re so excited to serve our community while giving back through our new Überrito,” said Deval Patel. “Because Columbia is and always has been a community that thrives when we work together, we’re going to do our part to also give back. When we learned that Überrito was interested in developing in South Carolina, we jumped at the opportunity to serve the best scratch-made Mexican food with my friend and business partner Ricky by my side.”

For nearly a decade, Überrito has drawn in crowds for its hand-made Mexican food rooted in a tradition of fresh, hot, and fast with a generous dash of Southwestern hospitality. Today, that set of core values, along with its tradition of quality, variety, and experience, still determines the restaurant’s direction and has kept the brand on solid footing, even during the height of the pandemic.

“There is something classic and quintessential about Überrito that everyone can relate to,” said Pete Pascuzzi, CEO of Überrito and MRI Heritage Brands, Inc. “Almost everyone can relate to a freshly made burrito or taco because people are driven by an emotional connection to our authentic food – it’s very strong and powerful. We’re thrilled that Ricky and Deval have now joined our team to introduce Columbia and the surrounding communities to Überrito. We’re ready to spread our fresh-is-first Überrito approach to the entire region.”

With one foot anchored in tradition and the other firmly planted in the future, Überrito has several original locations spread across greater Houston and its revamped model, upgraded training and support, state-of-the-art technology and new operational efficiencies are igniting the brand’s surge into Columbia and beyond.

“Our longstanding history of operating multiple restaurant brands across several states provided us with the runway and experience to position Überrito for success in Columbia,” said Pascuzzi. “There was a fundamental shift happening in consumer dining habits prior to 2020, which the pandemic accelerated. Überrito is a fresh, fast and friendly environment that has adapted to today’s guest, which allows our owners to take full advantage of dine-in, take-out, delivery, drive-thru, and pick-up lane options.”

The new Columbia Überrito is located at 275 Park Terrace Drive, Suite 800, Columbia, SC. 29212. The restaurant will operate Monday – Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. To learn more about Überrito visit uberrito.com.

About Überrito Fresh Mex:

Überrito Fresh Mex is a Mexican fast casual concept dedicated to craft cooking highly customizable burritos, bowls, salads, and nachos made with fresh ingredients and toppings. This allows Überrito owners to honor traditional Mexican cooking excellence while simultaneously elevating tradition to create better opportunities for growth and profitability. True to its name, Überrito’s signature dish is a burrito, but restaurants also offer a complete menu of Mexican favorites, sides and more. Überrito is part of MRI Heritage Brands, Inc. For more information about Überrito ownership, visit Uberrito.com/franchise.

The Best Gifts for Colorado Alumni

College can hold a special place in people’s lives long after graduation. If you’re looking for gift ideas for a Colorado college graduate who is brimming with school pride, here are some of the best gifts for both new and old Colorado State and Colorado University alumni.

Apparel 

Nothing says school pride like wearing your school’s logo for all to see. Whether your alumnus prefers comfortable sweats or snappy polos, there are plenty of apparel options to choose from. Both Colorado State University and Colorado University offer online shopping through their school’s bookstore, making it easy to find styles that are only available through the university. University bookstores are also a great place to find inspiration for unique gifts, so if you’re feeling stumped take a look and see if something jumps out at you! 

Jewelry

For Colorado alumni who want to show their school pride every day, jewelry is a wonderful gift. CU jewelry featuring Ralphie is sure to be a favorite for Buffs, as is Cam the Ram on CSU jewelry. From elegant and understated to bold and flashy, there are many different styles of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets available, so it’s easy to find a style that matches your giftee’s. 

Jewelry is often considered to be a gift for women, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! Simple leather bracelets are a stylish addition to casual wear for both men and women. Add a small CSU or CU engraving to the clasp for a comfortable, soft leather bracelet perfect for everyday wear.\

Engraving

Engraving is a great option for creating a meaningful, personalized gift. Even the simplest items can be made extra special with a personalized engraving. Whether you buy an item from a shop that customizes things directly or take your gift to a specialty store, engraving can elevate a gift from simple to special. Some great options to consider for engraving are travel mugs, pocket knives, glass tumblers, and metal fountain pens. Engrave your giftee’s school logo, name, graduation date, fraternity or sorority letters, or anything else you think will be the most meaningful to them. 

Diploma Display 

Earning a degree takes hard work, dedication, and for some individuals, it’s the realization of a lifelong aspiration. If you know an alum who doesn’t display their diploma or if you are looking for a gift for a soon-to-be college graduate, help them celebrate their achievement with a display for their diploma. There are many different display options, from simple, single-pane frames to sectioned displays for both diploma and tassel. To make your gift even more special, diploma frames with mattes featuring the CU or CSU logo can really add a personalized touch. These diploma displays are easy to find at many different online stores, as well as the CU and CSU bookstores. 

No matter what occasion you need a gift for, celebrating a person’s college of choice is a great way to honor one of their major personal achievements.

Can a Sports Watch Give You Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

A couple months ago, I started experiencing some weird sensations in the tip of my thumb. It initially occurred when I was harvesting okra from my garden. It almost felt like my finger was pricked by a splinter, and was a bit tingly. It felt like teeny tiny electric pulses concentrated in my fingertip. When I carefully examined my finger, I saw no signs of a splinter, but more of a pink spot. Then I thought to myself that perhaps it was an insect bite. I decided to watch it for a few days to see what would happen. 

Day after day, it was the same feeling. It felt like a part of a splinter was left in my finger coupled with little electric pulses. This went on for 3 weeks. By that time, it started to skip around to different spots on that same finger. I was definitely able to rule out a splinter at that point because it's not possible for it to move to another spot. I did some online research and I saw mentions of nerve problems associated with diabetes as well as carpal tunnel syndrome. I was able to rule out the diabetes part, and the carpal tunnel had me confused since my wrist seemed fine. 

After going into 7 or 8 weeks of this, the tingling sensation started to jump to a couple other fingers on the same hand. Things started getting uncomfortable at this point so I started to get desperate to get to the bottom of it. I knew I have a an upcoming appointment with my doctor, so I decided to wait out the week before I was going to see her. I did one last bit of research and wondered if a sports watch could cause CTS. After all, I do wear my sports watch during every waking hour and also to bed to track my sleep. The only time I ever really take it off is when I have to shower or enter water for any reason. There was no real evidence that this was the case, until I decided to try something. I took the watch off and within an hour, the electric sensation started to spread throughout my hand and wrist. 

I was so shocked and realized that the watch was the culprit. I saw my doctor the next day and explained what had been going on. She confirmed that it sounded like a mild case of carpal tunnel, and suggested keeping the watch off for a while. She told me if I absolutely couldn't live without it to wear it on the opposite wrist and be sure to not wear it at night. I took her advice, and I now feel 100% relief. I am no longer having any uncomfortable sensations in my fingers or wrist. 

If you wear a sports watch all the time, I highly recommend that you don't wear it as tight if you can help it. I have very tiny wrist, so in order for it to stay put, I pretty much have to wear it on the tightest slot. I left the watch off for a few days, and have started back wearing it on the opposite wrist being sure to leave a tiny gap so that this does not happen again. In the event this happens to you, I suggest taking Ibuprofen only as needed, keep your wrist elevated when you can, limit time on devices, and keep the area warm. Cold temperatures will set it off easily. It's all about resting your hand as much as possible. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

Hallmark Channel Original Premiere of "Christmas in Harmony" on Friday, Oct 29th at 8pm/7c! #CountdowntoChristmas

Can you believe that we are in the last couple months of 2021? The holiday season is nearing, and many of us are making plans to attend parties, decorate our homes, and of course, do some baking. Every year we make it a family affair to decorate our house inside and out. It's so much fun coming across those ornaments the kids made when they were in elementary school. We also start prepping and packing for our annual family beach trip. We started that tradition 4 years ago, and always look forward to that family time. It's such a great way to unwind and reconnect at the end of the year. 

Today's post is sponsored by Hallmark Channel

Another tradition that is a must during the holiday season is watching Hallmark Movies with my daughters. We try to catch every new movie, and this year there are 41 ALL NEW original movies premiering on Hallmark Channel and on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. We grab our snacks, drinks and set up our very own watch parties right at home. 

We are extra excited for the  Hallmark Channel movie premiere, "Christmas in Harmony" on Friday, Oct. 29th at 8pm/7c. Christmas in Harmony Stars: Ashleigh Murray, Luke James, Loretta Devine, Michelle Williams, and Basil Wallace. We will be live tweeting, so please join us! Check out the trailer below. 

Harmony is tricked into auditioning for the Holiday Chorus - directed by an ex-boyfriend. By Christmas Eve, they could be harmonizing in the key of love. You have to tune in to find out! 

If you love all-things-Hallmark Channel, be sure to check out: 

• HMNow- (Hallmark Movies Now service) so you can watch your favorites any time you want 
• Grab the Holiday Cookbook so you can bake up some tasty treats!
• Download the Hallmark Movie Checklist App and get notifications for new movie premieres!
• If you're a wine drinker, check out the collection of Hallmark Channel Wines. We are looking forward to trying them. 

We have some great news for our readers. We have partnered with Hallmark Channel to offer a fun giveaway for one lucky winner! The "Holiday Happiness" Package includes:

(1) Hallmark Channel Gift Wrap Package

(1) Hallmark Channel Wines digital gift card

(1) Holiday tea tin from Republic of Teas

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and ends on November 10, 2021. Must follow rules in Rafflecopter. One winner will be chosen randomly. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!