Are You Eating Fermented Foods Yet?
Written by Ellie Steele, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Advanced EFT Tapping Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach
Any of my nutrition clients could probably tell you how (weirdly) excited I get about fermented foods and how strongly I encourage them to eat them daily! Optimal health begins in the gut, so no matter what is ailing us, taking care of our gut microbiome is an important pillar of health. Fermented foods can be thought of as traditional probiotic foods and in some cases prebiotics (food for probiotics) as well! We need these healthy gut microbes to help regulate blood sugar, help digest our food, balance our moods, support our immune function and much more!
The health benefits from fermented foods all tie back to the diversity of the organisms in our gut microbiome. In fact, recent research on the gut microbiome found that consuming five servings of low-sugar, fermented foods per day resulted in a lowering of markers of inflammation for the duration of the study. Science is confirming ancient wisdom yet again!
Every culture has used fermentation as a way to preserve and improve the nutrient density of common foods and as a way to improve digestion of other foods like fatty meats (think sauerkraut and sausages). It’s time to re-adopt these traditional foods and the wisdom of our ancestors by making an effort to eat these fermented powerhouses daily.
Researchers are learning a lot about the mysterious world that lives in our intestinal tracts these days. One of the most interesting findings is that probiotics don’t “colonize”, or take up residence in the gut and there is doubt about how beneficial they are at restoring the gut after antibiotics, for example. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve personally witnessed amazing improvements in my clients after introducing a probiotic and if you have gut health issues, I highly recommend seeing a professional (like one of our amazing practitioners at Natural Route Health) that can help you choose a probiotic. This new evidence suggests that a blanket recommendation for everyone to take a probiotic supplement as a way to maintain gut health may not be appropriate.
For those of us wanting to maintain and build a strong gut eco-system, the science confirms the ancient knowledge that fermented foods are a traditional, less expensive, tasty and more effective way to do it. FOOD FIRST should always be the approach to restoring and maintaining robust health!
Fermented foods may be rough on people suffering from a small intestinal microbe overgrowth or a FODMAP sensitivity, so if you notice a lot of bloating, gas or worsening of any symptoms you're currently experiencing, stop fermented foods and make an appointment with one of our ND's or Integrative Nurse Practitioner asap to assess your gut health!
For healthy people, fermented foods won’t cause any issues unless you eat too many too fast, in which case you could experience mild gas or loose stools. Work your way up to 2-5 servings per day over the course of a few weeks to let your gut microbiome adjust to its new inhabitants. Think of it like this, millions of little superheroes are moving in to the neighbourhood that is your gut and it’s going to take a bit of an adjustment while they paint park benches, clean up graffiti and bring a happier vibe to the place.
Here are a few recommendations to get some of these superheroes into your daily diet! Just remember you can't heat these foods too much or you'll kill off those precious organisms and fermented foods should be started slowly and ramped up over a few weeks. In most cases you can just add a tablespoon or two to a meal as a condiment.
1) Organic, plain yogurt: most people that can handle dairy foods are already consuming yogurt, but to reap the full benefits of the fermentation without additional sugars, preservatives, colouring and flavouring, I recommend plain, organic yogurt. You can always add your own fresh or frozen fruit to add some flavour if you don’t like the sour taste that comes from fermentation. Use it in smoothies, in place of sour cream, in dips and dressings or just eat it in a bowl with fruit and nuts. The fermentation process “eats” lactose, which is the sugar found in milk, so even for people that have difficulty digesting milk, yogurt may be well-tolerated. It’s easy to make yourself too! All you need is some good quality milk and a yogurt culture.
2) Organic, plain milk kefir: Milk kefir tastes very similar to yogurt but is generally thinner and a bit more sour. It uses a different culture to ferment, so it offers different superpowers than the yogurt, but you can use it in the same way you would yogurt and the same holds true about the lactose content. Saugeen Country and PineHedge Farms are two of my favourites, but if you’re really ambitious you could order your own dairy kefir grains here (not an affiliate link) and make your own with local, organic milk from Limestone Organic Creamery!
3) Sauerkraut- the good stuff: which means the only ingredients should be cabbage and salt. Sauerkraut that's pickled in vinegar or wine is not the same as fermented cabbage, a.k.a "the good stuff". Again, making your own is pretty easy and fun and it’s generally where most people start with home fermenting. Here is a great resource if you’re interested in learning how to make your own!
4) Kimchi: a Korean version of sauerkraut using a mix of carrots, kale, napa cabbage, radish, onions and hot pepper. It is great paired with heavier meats like ribs or sausages to boost digestion. You can buy it at Farm Boy, Sigrid’s Natural Foods and most high-end grocery stores.
5) Organic, wheat-free miso paste: Miso is a popular food used in Asian cooking that is the product of fermenting soybeans with other ingredients. There is a wide variety of miso pastes available. My favourite is a mild white or red miso made with pure organic soy beans and salt. Use the paste in sauces, dressings or add it at the end of cooking for a nice salty hit of umami flavour. Miso soup should be heated gently, not boiled.
6) Any other fermented vegetable or vegetable medley (or the brine from the jar) which you can buy in the refrigerated section of health food stores or better yet, make yourself! Some of my favourite ferments include sour pickles, green beans, watermelon radishes, jalapenos and a fresh, fermented salsa! YUM!
Fermenting your own foods is easy lots of fun! You may be wondering why I didn’t include kombucha tea, water kefir or jun tea in this list, and it’s mostly because we’re focusing on the lower-sugar options and these fermented beverages can still contain quite a bit of sugar after fermentation, but I do consume those myself too!
If you’re interested in learning more about fermented foods, including some resources to start your own ferments, feel free to reach out to me! Email me at Ellie@natural-route.com
