LIVING MAJIK

LIVING MAJIK Founded by Board-Certified Naturopath Rashelle Black 🌿
Women’s health • vitality • plant-powered self-care
Better health made simple.

09/10/2026

Greetings from Greece! 🇬🇷

I’m standing at the Acropolis, surrounded by thousands of years of history—and this is only the beginning.

While I’m here, I’ll be exploring Greek yogurt making, joining an herbal walk, and learning more about the foods, plants, and traditional wisdom woven into life here. 🌿

Of course, I’ll be taking you along and sharing what I discover.

Come learn with me in Greece. 💜

09/08/2026

I was on tetracycline for 6–7 years for acne.

And the best part?

It didn’t work. 😅

Back then, long courses of tetracycline antibiotics were much more common in acne treatment. Today, we’re far more aware of antibiotic resistance, microbiome disruption, and the importance of using antibiotics more thoughtfully.

Here’s the part I wish more people knew:

Antibiotics don’t only affect the bacteria you’re trying to target. They can also change the diversity and composition of the microbiome, sometimes quite significantly. Recovery after antibiotics is highly individual — some microbial populations rebound quickly, while others may take much longer to recover.

That doesn’t mean your microbiome is doomed.

The microbiome can be remarkably resilient — but recovery is individual.

What happens afterward can be influenced by things like:

fiber
fermented foods
diet diversity
targeted probiotic strains
time
and, in certain medical situations, microbiome-directed therapies

What I would not do is assume one random probiotic automatically replaces whatever changed.

Different strains do different things.
Different people recover differently.
And antibiotic exposure is only one piece of the microbiome puzzle.

But after 6–7 years of tetracycline?

Yeah… I became very interested in rebuilding mine. 😉

What did you get prescribed antibiotics for growing up? I’m curious how many of us have a story like this.

— Rashelle Black, BCN

09/07/2026

Not all probiotics are the same.

And this is where it gets interesting.

A bottle can say Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium in giant letters and still not tell you one of the most important parts:

the strain.

Different strains have been studied for different things.

A few examples:

Bifidobacterium longum 35624
Studied for IBS symptoms like bloating, abdominal discomfort, and bowel changes.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)
One of the most studied probiotic strains, especially for certain types of diarrhea.

Saccharomyces boulardii
A probiotic yeast studied for several diarrhea-related GI situations, including some antibiotic-associated cases.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GR-1 + Limosilactobacillus reuteri RC-14
Studied for urinary + urogenital microbiome health.

That does not mean every probiotic with a similar species name does the same thing.

This is why I look for the full name:

Genus → species → strain

Not just the giant word PROBIOTIC slapped on the front of the bottle. 😉

And yes, this is also why I pay attention to what I add to homemade yogurt. Some strains can continue multiplying during warm fermentation, but strain + time + temperature + acidity all matter.

So when I say different bacteria do different things, I mean it.

Different strains. Different research. Different jobs.

Now I’m curious — check your probiotic bottle 👀
Does it actually list the strain numbers, or just the species?

— Rashelle Black, BCN

09/06/2026

This is one of the traditional ways I learned to make yogurt.

I’ve made yogurt from scratch many times, and when I was in other countries this was one of the methods I was shown: heat the milk, let it cool enough for the live culture, add a spoonful of yogurt as the starter, then let it ferment warm.

That warm fermentation is what allows the cultures to multiply and acidify the milk. And here’s where it gets interesting: different strains behave differently.

Depending on the culture I’m using, I may continue straining it at room temperature for a period of time, because some cultures can continue fermenting and increasing in viable bacteria under the right conditions. If the strain is better suited to a more controlled or cooler environment, I’ll use the refrigerator instead.

The key is that strain, temperature, acidity, and time all matter. More time at room temperature does not automatically mean more beneficial bacteria.

Then as the whey drains out, the yogurt gets thicker — from yogurt, to Greek-style yogurt, to a thick labneh-style spread.

Old-school method, a little microbiology, and a very good reason to make your own. 😉

— Rashelle Black, BCN

09/05/2026

Your gut is basically running its own little ecosystem down there.

And no, it’s not as simple as “good bacteria in, bad bacteria out.”

Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt can bring in fermentation compounds, fiber, and sometimes live microbes. Certain fibers also act like food for specific gut bacteria already living there — those are your prebiotics.

And probiotics? They’re not all interchangeable. Strain matters. Different strains do different things, which is why grabbing any random probiotic off the shelf isn’t exactly a precision strategy.

I actually make my own yogurt because I like knowing exactly what’s in it, what culture I’m using, and how it’s fermented. Sometimes I use little or no added sugar depending on the culture. With dairy yogurt, the bacteria are already working with the lactose naturally present in the milk, so dumping in sugar isn’t automatically necessary.

If I buy yogurt, I’m looking for:
live cultures + low/no added sugar

Then I add my own fruit, nuts, or granola and make it actually taste good.

Your microbiome is not a one-food fix. It’s an ecosystem. Feed it accordingly.

— Rashelle Black, BCN

09/05/2026

Too slow or too fast — both can affect digestion.

When stool moves slowly through the colon, more water is absorbed and there’s more time for bacterial fermentation. That can contribute to harder stool and constipation.

On the other side, persistent rapid transit — especially with diarrhea — can reduce the time available for nutrient absorption and may increase the risk of deficiencies.

Fiber helps support healthy stool formation and regularity, and foods like apples, pears, potatoes and broccoli can all contribute different types of fiber.

And when I say food can become “rotting” or “rancid,” what I mean more precisely is that slow transit gives bacteria more time to ferment what remains while the colon continues pulling out water.

Constipation and diarrhea can have many different causes, so hydration and fiber are important pieces of the picture — but not the whole picture.

— Rashelle Black, BCN

09/04/2026

What happens in the gut can affect far more than digestion.

When the intestinal barrier is impaired, bacteria, bacterial fragments, and other microbial products can move beyond the gut. This process is often referred to as microbial translocation.

Those gut-derived materials can interact with the immune system and contribute to systemic inflammatory signaling. Researchers also study gut connections with the liver, brain, lungs, and biliary system.

That doesn’t mean every case of inflammation starts in the gut, or that gut bacteria routinely “invade” every organ. It means the gut barrier and microbiome can be part of a much bigger whole-body picture.

— Rashelle Black, BCN

In a 2025 National Cancer Institute study, people averaging 7,000 daily steps had an 11% lower risk of developing 13 can...
08/28/2026

In a 2025 National Cancer Institute study, people averaging 7,000 daily steps had an 11% lower risk of developing 13 cancers linked to physical activity compared with those averaging 5,000—and their walking pace wasn’t associated with the difference.

Just 2,000 more steps. One realistic change that may matter more than we realize.

Walking cannot guarantee cancer prevention, and this research does not place blame on anyone facing cancer. It gives us useful information about one choice that may be within reach.

This is why we’re showing up at Relay for Life: to support the people affected by cancer and share knowledge that can help us care for the bodies carrying us through life.

Small Choices Big Difference. 🌿

I lost both of my parents to cancer, so Relay For Life is personal for me.I know treatment is only one part of what a pe...
08/27/2026

I lost both of my parents to cancer, so Relay For Life is personal for me.

I know treatment is only one part of what a person and their family go through. People also need information they can understand, support they can lean on, and care for their body and well-being along the way.

That’s why I’m bringing LIVINGMAJIK to Relay this weekend. We’re donating products, sharing education, and being there for a community that understands how much support matters.

I can’t change what happened to my parents. But I can show up for the people going through it now.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

4 days until we walk. 💛As we count down to Relay For Life, we’re sharing one small choice that can support our health at...
08/25/2026

4 days until we walk. 💛

As we count down to Relay For Life, we’re sharing one small choice that can support our health at every stage of life:

Your plate doesn’t have to be perfect. It needs to nourish you.

The American Cancer Society recommends building a healthy eating pattern around vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds—with about 28 grams of fiber a day being a helpful goal for most people.

Don’t overhaul your plate. Add to it.

One more vegetable.
One handful of berries.
One serving of beans or whole grains.

Small Choices Big Difference.

Nutritional needs can change during cancer treatment, so survivors and patients should always follow the guidance of their care team.

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