Many moons ago, when my wife and I only had one toddler running around, we took a trip to Cuba for a week. We had a great time, but after we left, Cuba didn’t leave me! For almost an entire month, anything I ate or drank went in one end and came out the other—fast. My energy levels plummeted, my skin became dry, and I was losing weight like crazy, so I went to see two of my MD friends for help.

A number of stool tests were done to identify the culprit, but nothing showed up. After four weeks of this nonsense, the only thing I could somewhat stomach was broth and rice. I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands.

One morning, I took an espresso-size spoonful of a product called Primal Defense by Garden of Life. This was their flagship product at the time—think of it as friendly, bacteria-rich soil on steroids! I took it every hour, and by the end of the day, whatever had been wreaking havoc inside me was finally crowded out. That Primal Defense went on the offense, and my unwelcome guest was eradicated. I had a gut feeling this protocol would work, and it did! The next day, I was back to normal.

I’m sure many reading this can relate. Diarrhea is common, and everyone has experienced a case of food poisoning at least once. One of the biggest concerns people have is salmonella poisoning, so when I recommend raw eggs in my bedtime muscle-building concoction, it’s not uncommon to get some backlash—pardon the pun.

But getting salmonella from eating raw eggs is actually quite rare—you have a better chance of winning the lottery! If by chance you do get infected, high-dose probiotics can often solve the problem. Of course, check with your physician first before going that route. If eating a raw egg still makes you nervous, simply place it under hot running water for about a minute before cracking it open. That’s usually enough time to kill the salmonella bacteria and let you enjoy your protein pudding worry-free.