5 Women Share Their Activia Canada Probiotic Challenge Experience

See how the Activia Probiotic Challenge impacts 5 women we admire

Your gut (digestive tract) plays an integral role in your overall health. It’s responsible for way more than just digesting the food you eat--with research suggesting it even has an influence on your mood. So, it almost goes without saying that taking care of your gut is taking care of your body. And one of the best ways to support gut health is by increasing your intake of probiotics, which introduces good bacteria and helps balance the gut. After all, a well-balanced gut is a healthy gut.

Luckily, getting more probiotics is simple, and includes getting more delicious probiotic-rich foods into your weekly lineup (hello, Activia!). Every flavour of Activia contains live and active probiotics (more than 1 billion Bifidobacterium lactis per serving) and may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues like: bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling when consumed twice per day (2x100g) for 2 weeks as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. So, whether you’re a blackberry kinda person, or you prefer the taste of the strawberry probiotic drink—our probiotic yogurts all provide the same benefits!

Now on to the challenge: getting started is simple and keeping it up is just as easy. Take the Activia Probiotic Challenge by eating (or drinking!) one Activia twice a day for 14 days. Seriously. The Challenge is not much of a challenge at all if you make it your own. To give you a better understanding of what’s involved, we sat down with some ladies we admire to get their opinions regarding the challenge:

• Mila Taillefer [@milataillerfer]

• Sasha Exeter [@sashaexeter]

• Marie-Helene Girard [@tellement_mom]

• Safinaaz Rawji [@thegreycanvas]

• Emilie Desjarlais [@brookandpeony]

Read on to be inspired on how this challenge can be incorporated into your daily routine, and the ways in which it can support your gut health.

1. Real talk: have you seen any improvements since completing the Activia Probiotic Challenge?

@sashexeter:

The biggest improvement I’ve seen since I did the challenge has been around the discomfort I used to feel sometimes after I ate. Especially when consuming larger meals. For me, there has been less bloating.

2. Did anything surprise you?

@tellement_mom:

This is such an easy challenge! The yogurts are so good, the real challenge is to only eat 2 yogurts per day!

@thegreycanvas:

I do love that each of these green containers contains over a billion probiotics per serving, it’s a simple and fun way to not only integrate my probiotics every day but also keep my gut in check.

3. Did you experience physical benefits (reduced gas, bloating, discomfort or rumbling)?

@tellement_mom:

I feel less bloated. I LOVE it!

4. Why do you think it’s important to take care of your gut?

@sashexeter:

Over the years, I have learned the importance of taking care of my gut and balancing both good and bad bacteria. Gut health may affect our overall health, so we need to find ways to have a healthy gut microbiota.

5. Are there any other foods that are good for gut health that you keep in rotation?

@sashaexeter:

There are tonnes of other foods that are good for gut health, that I do my best to keep in rotation regularly in my diet; garlic, bananas, flaxseed, asparagus, broccoli…

6. What else do you do to take care of your gut?

@milataillerfer:

I try to control stress as much as possible. Our society pushes us to have a fast-paced lifestyle based on performance, so it is important [for me] to take time to breathe, do yoga and turn on my essential oil diffuser.

7. When and how do you eat your Activia?

@thegreycanvas:

I have Activia first thing in the morning and another one in the middle of the day. I like to make my breakfast a little special, so I make my own version of a yogurt/berry bowl with Activia (Activia Vanilla Yogurt or Activia Raspberry Yogurt are my go-to for the morning). In the middle of the day, I am usually out and about, so the Activia Probiotic Drink is perfect! Super slim in packaging that it can easily fit into my [bag], which is perfect when I join my friend’s longboarding in summer.

@sashaexeter:

With my busy schedule, the Activia Probiotics drinks work best, so that is what I primarily use. I can drink them while I am preparing breakfast, and it is super easy to take them on the go. But I also love a good yogurt bowl that I top with granola for some fibre, fresh fruit and drizzled with honey.

@milataillerfer:

I like having my Activia in the morning and in the late afternoon when I’m low on energy. I love making a bowl of granola and yogurt or grabbing an Activia drink. My favourite is the blueberry flavour!  

8. How did you make the Activia Probiotics Challenge your own?

@thegreycanvas:

I listened and took [care] of my gut health. Once I achieved that, I started experimenting with various recipes and noticed I was having fun while continuing the challenge. I love that Activia has helped me a great deal in continuing this journey and adapting to my busy lifestyle (the Probiotic drink is a huge game changer).

9. Will you continue to make Activia part of your daily routine?

@tellement_mom:

Most likely! I love the way it makes me feel!

10. What advice would you give to someone taking the Activia Probiotic Challenge for the first time?

@milataillerfer:

I would suggest to choose different flavours and formats when buying Activia. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy this snack during the day.

11. What would you do to take care of what’s inside and improve your overall wellness? How do you stay mindful of your wellness?

@brookandpeony:

I establish simple rituals such as:

1. Start your day with a cup of water before drinking coffee and being on your phone

2. If you’re in a rush, grab a bottle of water and a drinkable yogurt in your bag

3. Make sure you keep some time for yourself to do something you enjoy (listen to music, read a book, etc.)

4. Be active! I love doing some outside cardio when the weather is warmer

One of my biggest challenges is to turn off my phone at night and enjoy time with family without being interrupted. I think it would help reduce stress. Work in progress!

12. Who would you recommend take the Activia Challenge?

@tellement_mom:

I highly recommend it to anyone who cares about their well-being and their digestive health! The Activia Probiotic Challenge is an easy way to jumpstart your journey to support your gut health. Who knew that doing something good for your body could also be so delicious.