Fermented Foods
Why eat fermented foods? Why not just take a probiotic supplement?
As a holistic nutritionist, I get this a lot. Many people aren’t accustomed to the taste of fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and so on. So it can be new and a little scary to start adding it into your daily habits. It’s so much easier to just take a pill, right? Well, I’m all for supplementation. But it has to be that, a supplement to your already healthy diet.
The large intestine contains the largest bacterial ecosystem of the human body. These bacteria, fungi, and even viruses help certain things like:
Digestion & bowel movements
Cognitive health
Immunity
Emotional health
Psychological health
Metabolic health
Liver health
Having a healthy gut microbiome is crucial.
Probiotic supplements are great, but they only provide you with a few strains of bacteria. When eating real, fermented foods, they contain a diverse range of beneficial bacteria, and they also increase the probiotic strains. A higher diversity of gut bacteria is directly correlated with less weight gain and improved energy metabolism independent of calorie intake and other factors.
Start with pickles. The real pickles, the ones you would find in a health food store and not on the grocery store shelf. Eat one every other day. Then try a form of REAL sauerkraut. Then try to add kimchi to your salad. You can even buy a coconut kefir and start with ¼ tsp in your morning smoothie.
I hope this has convinced you to start incorporating fermented foods in your daily habits. This week I will share recipes that contain some fermented foods for you to enjoy.
Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to smile with your heart.