The Joy of Fermented Foods!

The Joy of Fermented Foods!

Fermented foods contain live healthy bacteria and enzymes and are considered “pre-digested” foods that are easy on the digestive system. These include- kim chee, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, seed cheeses, coconut yogurt and kefir.

Fermented foods have been through a process whereby the natural bacteria feeds on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.

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Cultures around the world have been eating fermented foods for years, yet this trend has declined sharply over the last few decades.

Introducing fermented foods into your diet is as easy and fun as it is beneficial for your body! Besides the fact that fermented foods taste great, here are a few more reasons to introduce fermented foods into your life:

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  • Probiotics- Eating fermented foods and drinking fermented drinks like Kefir and Kombucha will introduce beneficial bacteria into your digestive system and help the balance of bacteria in your digestive system. Probiotics have also been shown to help slow or reverse some diseases, improve bowel health, aid digestion, and improve immunity.

  • Absorbtion- Having the proper balance of gut bacteria and enough digestive enzymes helps you absorb more of the nutrients in the foods you eat. Pair this with your healthy real food diet, and you will absorb many more nutrients without having to add supplements to your diet.

  • Budget Friendly- Incorporating healthy foods into your diet can get expensive, but not so with fermented foods. Drinks like Water Kefir and Kombucha can be made at home also and cost only pennies per serving. Making your own sauerkraut or pickled vegetables is also inexpensive and can be done when seasonal food is in excess that you can store all through the year without spoilage.

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Once you start to become creative with fermented foods it can become quite addictive! It is a wonderful routine to add to your lifestyle and it means you will always have a good supply of healthy, living food available to you that you can add to meals. While initially the process of making some of these recipes can be intimidating, its actually very easy and relatively fool-proof.

Check out some great recipes here…

http://nourishedkitchen.com/recipe-index/ferments-cultured-food/

http://girlmeetsnourishment.com/56-fermented-recipes/

(Not all of these recipes are vegan but the ones that are vegan are wonderful and easy to follow.)

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