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Attune launches two new delicious granola bar flavors:
Peanut Butter & Chocolate and Chewy Chocolate!
Like Attune’s other probiotics bars, our newest flavors are packed with 5x the live active cultures, are an excellent source of calcium and taste amazing.




Find your favorite Attune bar, and maybe discover a new favorite, next to yogurt at a grocery store near you. Attune is continuing to expand. You can now find our tasty probiotic bars in even more retail locations. Attune is now in Albertson’s in Southern California, Haggen’s in the Pacific Northwest and Publix in Florida and the Southeast.

Visit our store locator to find a retailer near you.

How Probiotics May Help Keep Colds and Flu at Bay
by Samara Freeman-Sharkey, Gastrointestinal Specialist

Back to school also means the start of cold and flu season. To protect yourself, disinfecting door handles and other surfaces and frequent hand washing are strategies often promoted to kill bacteria and viruses; however, there are also good bacteria that can help keep you healthy from the inside.

The digestive tract is a critical place to protect your body from harm, because it is exposed to a large number of air-borne bacteria and viruses that get swallowed and have the potential to make us sick. Generally they don’t because of the intestinal defense system. Our bodies have evolved to deal with these bacteria in the intestine before they have a chance to cross the intestinal wall into our bloodstream. Keeping bacteria in the intestine prevents the need for your body to mount a substantial and aggressive immune response, which results in symptoms like fever, swelling, redness and fatigue that are associated with infection.

There are different types of immune cells in the body with different roles in defense. 70% of immune cells reside in the digestive tract. Some of these cells test for the bacteria and viruses that are present in the intestinal environment; their job is to catalog and recognize the food and bacteria that mean us no harm. These cells signal to the rest of the body that these bacteria are safe and the cells on patrol around the body are programmed not to respond. This important first step of cataloging prevents the immune system from reacting to everything foreign that we come in contact with on a daily basis. At the same time, the immune system retains the capacity to respond rapidly and aggressively to pathogenic or bad bacteria that try to cross the intestinal wall.

Another way our body defends itself from disease is in the design of the intestinal wall. The intestinal wall has a continuous layer of cells that are joined closely together to form a physical barrier. This wall of defense helps prevents non-selective food and bacteria from moving across the intestinal wall into the body. Instead there are specific and controlled transport systems to shuttle nutrients from the intestines into the blood stream. The cells of the intestinal wall are constantly working, and because they work so hard, they are replaced every 4-7 days. This ensures they aren’t damaged and helps to maintain the continuity and strength of the wall. There is a layer of mucus on top of these cells to trap bacteria and further protect the intestinal wall from unauthorized access.

The digestive system has a big job to do in protecting us from harm, while also maximizing what we get out of the food we eat. The intestinal immune system has to be strong, because the digestive system has the dual purpose of taking in nutrients through the wall to fuel the rest of the body, while keeping bacteria and viruses from getting in. That is why the intestine has recruited beneficial bacteria to help. These beneficial, good bacteria have evolved with us to create a positive intestinal environment for us and them. Beneficial bacteria can help maintain the intestinal wall by signaling to the body to strengthen the physical defenses. They can stick to the mucus layer and add another layer to the defense system. They can also kill bacteria that do not belong in the gut and can prevent others from producing toxins that have the potential to make us sick if the intestinal balance is disrupted. The relationship between these bacteria and the cells of the intestine is mutually beneficial and provides a foundation for health. These bacteria stay in the intestine and help the body understand the environment and the threats in it.

Probiotics species are chosen because they have been identified as beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and the strains are developed to be swallowed and survive to the large intestine where they can help boost the beneficial bacteria and their positive actions in the intestine, one being defense from certain types of bacteria and viruses that try to invade our bodies by crossing the intestinal wall. Probiotics are accepted as members of the intestinal bacterial community, so they don’t set off an aggressive immune response; instead they are catalogued and contribute to a healthy and active immune system ready to come to our defense. In a sense, these bacteria help exercise the immune system and keep it in good working order. They contribute in a positive way to the intestinal environment to promote balance and reduce the chance of bad bacteria from taking over control of the environment.

So, while disinfecting is one way to help with not getting sick, it is important to know how your digestive system plays a key part in overall immunity and how good bacteria can help come to your defenses wherever you are. Eating good bugs can actually help keep us healthy through cold and flu season.

Overcome Lackluster Mealtimes
by Carrie Zisman, MS, RD

8 tips for a healthy food foundation
In a food rut? Maybe it's time to update your pantry and get re-energized about nutrition and mealtimes.

1. Take Inventory. Look at all opened and unopened foods in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. For unopened jars, cans, and packages, check the freshness date and throw out any old food. Many products that have been opened already, such as ricotta cheese, canned beans, and orange juice, only stay fresh for 7-10 days. Not every spoiled food will smell or look different. When in doubt, throw it out. For more information, check out the consumer education materials at www.FoodSafety.gov.

2. Try New Recipes. Spice things up with a new recipe. It doesn’t have to be fancy or difficult, just changing a few key ingredients, such as adding sundried tomatoes, artichokes, pecans or goat cheese, may be all that’s needed to awaken the senses.

3. Try New Foods. Has your family tried jicama, carambola (or starfruit), tomatillos, pepitos or quinoa? Popular in the tropics, Asia, and Latin America, these foods can make it fun to eat healthy.

Visit the Baby Boot Camp website for the rest of Carrie’s helpful tips

Want to see where you might be able to meet Attune? Check our website for upcoming Attune events: www.attunefoods.com/events

Attune to You!

“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson