Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria.
That means YOU are more bacteria than you are human!
Don't let that make you feel skirmish though. These bacteria are only a problem if the 'bad bacteria' overthrow the balance of 'good bacteria'. This imbalance of the gut bacteria has been linked to a range of health concerns including digestive complaints, skin problems, anxiety, depression, most autoimmune conditions and infertility.
Eating Fermented foods has a wide range of health benefits and are an extremely important addition to your everyday diet.
Some of these benefits include:
Help restore the correct balance of bacteria.
Diminish sugar cravings by starving the bad bacteria who thrive on a diet high in sugars, carbohydrates and refined grains. Researchers from University of California, San Francisco, Arizona State University and University of New Mexico concluded from a review of the recent scientific literature that microbes influence human eating behavior and dietary choices to favor consumption of the particular nutrients they grow best on, rather than simply passively living off whatever nutrients we choose to send their way"(1).
Carlo Maley, PhD, director of the University of California Center for Evolution and Cancer and corresponding author on the paper states “Bacteria within the gut are manipulative, there is a diversity of interests represented in the microbiome, some aligned with our own dietary goals, and others not”(1).
Luckily, we can influence our in-house bacteria by altering what we ingest. Maley said, "There are measurable changes in the microbiome within 24 hours of diet change"(1). Now that's some motivation to embrace a wholefood diet that incorporates ferments!
Fermented foods have been used throughout history as a nutritional superfoods to support vitality and health (See more about Fermented Foods in Recover your Gut Health after Antibiotics blog)
LETS GET PRACTICAL!
Breakfast Ideas
Fermented dairy like yogurt, milk kefir and coconut yoghurt) are naturals for breakfast. They can be added to your morning smoothies (See Gut love smoothie blog if you need an idea) or add on top to muesli, chia puddings or fruit. (See Coconut yoghurt blog for recipe)
Top your scrambled eggs with kimchi for an asian twist
Make a breakfast bowl with ½ avocado, sprouts, pesto, sauerkraut and kumara toast.
Loving this Brekky bowl for inspo by https://www.theroastedroot.net/prebiotic-probiotic-macro-bowls/
Lunch or Dinner Ideas
Make kombucha vinegar by letting your kombucha brew longer than usual. You can use it in any recipe you’d use apple cider or wine vinegars. Dress salads with it, use in marinades for meat, and dips.
Miso soup with shiitake mushrooms and spring onions - a great immune booster. Miso paste can also be added to soups or used in dressings.
Umeboshi vingear is a fermented plum dressing that is super delicious on salads
Place in a bowl ½ avocado, 2 eggs or fish or meat of choice, olives, greens of choice and your preference of sauerkraut/kimchi or other lacto-fermented vegetables.
Snacks
Lacto-fermented vegetables
Water kefir or kombucha are popular drinks in many shops now days. It is even easier to have a continuous home brew though. Get in touch if this is something that interests you. They can be drunk as they are or added as a base to smoothies.
FUN RECIPES TO TRY:
Berry Yummy (my kids favourite at present)
1 frozen banana
1 handful frozen berries
Handful of spinach/kale depending how the garden is going
1TBS LSA
Eyeball water kefir as the base. Less for thicker consistency, more for thinner.
Blend and Enjoy!
Kefir Soft-Serve Ice-cream (something a bit different for those already fermenting)
Ingredients:
1 cup raw walnuts/cashews/macadamia nuts (can be made with one sort or a mix)
3 cups frozen fruit – whatever you prefer. The favourite in our house is Berry Overload and Mango Magic
2 organic raw egg yolks, this is optional
1 1/2-2 cups raw milk kefir
2 Tbsp. raw honey
Method:
At least 12 hours before you make, soak nuts in water with 2 tsp of salt.
In the morning, drain and rinse the nuts thoroughly.
Put nuts, kefir, honey, optional egg yolks in a food processor or ideally a powerful blender and blend until smooth. Add frozen fruit and blend until completely smooth.
Can serve immediately as a soft serve “ice cream” or put in the freezer for ½ hour if up want a firmer ice-cream.
Note: We are a berry happy bunch at our house :)
References
1. (2014) Alcock, J; Maley C; Aktipis C. BioEassays: Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? BioEassays Journal