Fermented foods are an old tradition that in some countries have long been forgotten as a daily part of our diet. Centuries ago it was second nature that people knew how to preserve foods without the use of fridges and freezers …. They used a process called lacto-fermentation.
Lacto fermentation refers to the process by which there is a chemical change with the natural bacteria (lactobacilli) on the surface of living things and the starches and sugars in the foods themselves that are converted into lactic acid, a natural preservative. Not only is it a way to preserve foods but it comes with many natural health benefits such as improving the digestibility of the food, increases vitamin levels, produces antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances and best of all promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.
In many cultures today it is still a daily part of the diet, for example Korea, China and Japan use pickled foods like Kimchi, Traditional American diets used pickles, in Germany, France and Russia they use Sauerkraut …..I think it’s time we bought it back to our table too being such an easy, affordable method of improving our gut health!!
So where have they gone? Well, unfortunately with today’s ‘throw away’ lifestyle many of the traditional foods like sauerkraut and raw dairy that were once a daily part of life have been replaced with processed foods and processed dairy that do not have all the beneficial probiotics and building blocks our bodies need.
Why do I rave about them? Most people I work with have some form of irritable bowel, digestive issues, skin problems, gut problems and general health concerns. Most of these people are also trying to get their health back into shape and looking for a more natural way to do so. For me it’s not about a quick fix, it’s about real food and a lifestyle change, becoming healthy from the inside out. Our gut health has such an important role on the rest of our body and with so many people suffering nowadays I want to bring back some of the traditional methods of making healthy foods such as Sauerkraut. This is such a quick, inexpensive and easy way to make a natural product at home that has huge health benefits when included in your diet daily. Here are just a few of them:
- Improves overall digestion – the proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables improves their digestibility making it easy to digest; it contains beneficial bacteria that promotes the growth of healthy flora within the gut.
- A natural probiotic – a great way to introduce natural probiotics into your diet. It is suggested that Probiotics aid digestion, improve bowel issues, overall health and the immune system ( meaning it could help improve other health conditions like eczema, asthma and skin irritations too)
- Improves nutrient and mineral absorption – With many factors blocking our ability to absorb nutrients and minerals from our foods nowadays (mineral blockers) it is thought that with a good balance of healthy flora it allows us to absorb more nutrients and minerals from our food easily.
On top of this it is easy to make, and a fun thing to do and learn about with the kids, taking no time at all! It should normally last for a few weeks, even months in the fridge (well, not in our house they don’t!!) the last batch we made I kept hidden for 6 months and when we eventually got round to tasting it, it was delicious !
If you want to make your own Sauerkraut take a look at this easy to make recipe here
Recent Comments