This is a great article that came to me today from Dr Mercola and I think it is a topic that we have overlooked to much.
We all know that so much of our good health results from a healthy gut. But once the gut has been damaged how to repair it becomes a huge question. This artilce addresses in a very concise way what we have in peice meal all over our forum, but with the addition of the topic of fermented foods.
When I spent time at Hippocrates Institued in San Deigo I learned about fermented seeds, al la Ann Wigmore. Hippocrates folks eat a lot of fermented things but I didnt' like them much so it was easy for me to overlook. Now that I am gardening I've been thinking about fermented cabbage. Last year I had 10 heads of fresh cabbage stored in my refrigerator. Cabbage does keep for a long time but not forever. We couldn't eat it all. My husband and I keep talking about making sourkraut but it never happened, largely due to inexperience in the process, hence it always got pushed to the end of the list of things to do and of course, never got done.
Sourkraut and fermented foods does have its pitfalls for many, it can be rough to take for it can really make a storm in the gut with the resultant winds. Bad enough to create avoidance in anyone who has gut irritability in the first place.
Dr Mercola's article presents a youtube film by a fermenting expert, Caroline Berrenger. I think it is a video well worth watching for she teaches how to integrate fermented foods into your diet in a successful way no matter what your digestive capabilites may be. This will also introduce you to the concept of fermented fish and meats.She also discusses how to integrate raw foods and cooked foods in such a manner that it brings the cooked foods back to life though re-establisment of the cooked foods enzymatic processes, hence making cooked food premium due its increased ability to digest.
Berringer explains the differences between cultured bacterias, cultured yeasts, and a wide variety of cultured foods, including grains, nuts, seeds, meats, fish a variety of vegetables that you had not ever considered to ferment that will bring in a new profile of organisms that will keep your gut healthy.
I like fermented foods. Cabbage is my favorite. Even more favored than yogurt. It is not easy for me to make. Even when I follow recipes exactly. It mostly comes out too limp. I like it somewhat crunchy.
I also like miso, but too much salt.
Kefir is another one that is just too much trouble for me to keep going. I haven't tried water kefir yet. I understand that kefir is the best due to the wide range of bacteria species.
And I love pickles of all kind. I wonder though, how much bacteria really exist with pickles.
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- Jim
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." �Eleanor Roosevelt
Commercial fermented foods are generally worthless. The video also explains why natural yeasts as well as bacteria are essential for good health in the gut.
Commercial fermented foods are generally worthless.
I wish I could find a report from long ago about German emigrants to the USA. The women started developing many health problems. It was learned that they no longer made their own sauerkraut and instead used commercial ones. The commercial sauerkraut was pasteurized. Of course, that distroys the bacteria.
Someone gave me a kombucha mushroom a few weeks ago. Ive been making kombucha tea with ginger/lemon tea and it really is fantastic. It gives energy... a great fermented product that costs next to nothing.
If you have gut disorders it may be worth a try, although I read one warning that it could be dangerous for ulcerative colitis... dont know if I believe that or not... but you must make sure your culture is healthy, which is not hard to do... just visual inspection.
The only thing we eat regularly is almond yogurt. I started it with a dairy yogurt culture. It's a wonderful way to get probiotics and have the amino acids in the almonds broken down so they can be assimilated easier.
I have several tubs of miso. It always gets us gassy unless we use 1/2 tsp. at a time.
There was a time when I fermented many vegetables but the novelty wore off. Although, if I had a bunch of produce that I had to preserve I would do it through fermenting, freezing, dehydrating and canning. Variety is the spice of life.
We are a couple of weeks into the Kombucha tea now. I have two half gallon bottles going so we can take a daily dose. I do feel that its beneficial.
Was talking to a woman the other day who is thinking of making homemade sourkraut for our farmers market.. that would be great. She will grow the cabbage herself. Im growing cabbages right now so maybe this fall Ill give it a try.
Ive not heard of Sandor Katz.. will look for his book at the library.
Fermented Foods and gut disorder
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