Day 11 of 365 - Food as Medicine - Fermented or Cultured Foods
Most of us are probably now familiar with the concept of probiotics being good for our digestion, thanks to wide marketing of yogurts with added probiotics. But, our bodies can use, and probably need way more of those good bacteria than the miniscule amounts in your cup of yogurt.
I also hope that it is becoming more mainstream knowledge that the health of our gut has huge influence on our overall well-being. There has been a lot of research in recent years about how many inflammation based illnesses, which express in both body and mind, may actually begin with sub-optimal functioning of our digestive system. You may have seen articles talking about the gut as the second brain for example, or that in large part our immune system responses begin in the gut.
Our ancestors used fermenting and curing of food as a means of preservation in days when less refrigeration was available. Fermented foods, like pickles and sauerkraut, for example, would be stored in jars in cold cellars for use over several months. Their versions contained much more nutritional content than we get at present. Now, we can readily pick up jars of these condiments from any grocery shelf. However those jars, stored at room temperature on a grocery shelf, have been heat pasteurized. Though they may still taste good to you, they no longer have the good bacteria that our body needs.
Healthier fermented foods start their process by sitting in a brine, or some other starter, at room temperature until they become very bubbly. That's the signal that the good bacteria in the starter have multiplied by feeding on the prebiotics in the vegetable or other source used. When the fermentation is at this peak, the food is then refrigerated or kept in some cool environment to slow down the process while keeping those bubbling bacteria alive.
Nowadays, kombucha and kefir, other types of fermented food, have become quite popular. You can find these in refrigerated sections of many stores. If you want something like pickles or sauerkraut that still has live probiotics in it, look in the refrigerated section of a health food store or the organic food aisle of a bigger chain.
One of the weekly newsletters that I pretty faithfully read is called Cultured Food Life by author Donna Schwenk. She is very good at describing the value of cultured food, a term she uses for fermenting. She provides lots of how-to information and recipes for those who want to make their own, and shares stories from her own life and others about the positive impact of these foods on health and vitality. She also has books for those who prefer that approach.
I have had kombucha made by others several times but do not make it myself. It makes a lot at a time and unless you are drinking it everyday or sharing with others it may be too much. I've also made kefir from whole milk myself and have enjoyed different versions of that. I've tried a variety of fermented vegetable recipes too. For my purposes, as it is usually just me trying these foods, it makes more sense just to buy something at the health food store in a smaller quantity. You can also buy yogurt at a health food store that has much higher concentrations of live bacteria.
A little of these cultured or fermented foods goes a long way. The process of fermenting really concentrates the good bacteria content, so you really only need a juice glass serving of kombucha or kefir and a tablespoon or two of something pickled like sauerkraut or kimchi.
Small helpings of these really delicious additions to your meals can have a big impact on your health and vitality. I'm really glad to have learned about their benefits.
I also hope that it is becoming more mainstream knowledge that the health of our gut has huge influence on our overall well-being. There has been a lot of research in recent years about how many inflammation based illnesses, which express in both body and mind, may actually begin with sub-optimal functioning of our digestive system. You may have seen articles talking about the gut as the second brain for example, or that in large part our immune system responses begin in the gut.
Our ancestors used fermenting and curing of food as a means of preservation in days when less refrigeration was available. Fermented foods, like pickles and sauerkraut, for example, would be stored in jars in cold cellars for use over several months. Their versions contained much more nutritional content than we get at present. Now, we can readily pick up jars of these condiments from any grocery shelf. However those jars, stored at room temperature on a grocery shelf, have been heat pasteurized. Though they may still taste good to you, they no longer have the good bacteria that our body needs.
Healthier fermented foods start their process by sitting in a brine, or some other starter, at room temperature until they become very bubbly. That's the signal that the good bacteria in the starter have multiplied by feeding on the prebiotics in the vegetable or other source used. When the fermentation is at this peak, the food is then refrigerated or kept in some cool environment to slow down the process while keeping those bubbling bacteria alive.
Nowadays, kombucha and kefir, other types of fermented food, have become quite popular. You can find these in refrigerated sections of many stores. If you want something like pickles or sauerkraut that still has live probiotics in it, look in the refrigerated section of a health food store or the organic food aisle of a bigger chain.
One of the weekly newsletters that I pretty faithfully read is called Cultured Food Life by author Donna Schwenk. She is very good at describing the value of cultured food, a term she uses for fermenting. She provides lots of how-to information and recipes for those who want to make their own, and shares stories from her own life and others about the positive impact of these foods on health and vitality. She also has books for those who prefer that approach.
I have had kombucha made by others several times but do not make it myself. It makes a lot at a time and unless you are drinking it everyday or sharing with others it may be too much. I've also made kefir from whole milk myself and have enjoyed different versions of that. I've tried a variety of fermented vegetable recipes too. For my purposes, as it is usually just me trying these foods, it makes more sense just to buy something at the health food store in a smaller quantity. You can also buy yogurt at a health food store that has much higher concentrations of live bacteria.
A little of these cultured or fermented foods goes a long way. The process of fermenting really concentrates the good bacteria content, so you really only need a juice glass serving of kombucha or kefir and a tablespoon or two of something pickled like sauerkraut or kimchi.
Small helpings of these really delicious additions to your meals can have a big impact on your health and vitality. I'm really glad to have learned about their benefits.
I loved Michael Pollan's book, Cooked, which introduced me to the benefits of fermentation to a healthy digestive system. Even so, kombucha is definitely not my thing. But, it's great that it doesn't have to be. There are lots of other choices that do appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen read that book Susan but I agree that there are many options.
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