Fermented foods have been dietary staples for thousand of years and have been used as natural medicine throughout history. Centuries ago, the Koreans developed kimchi and the Romans used sauerkraut to treat and prevent intestinal infections. The Japanese have routinely served a small serving of pickled vegetables with their meals and many other countries have been using lactic acid-fermented foods for many years.
Fermentation refers to an ancient technique that was developed out of necessity to preserve foods for long periods of time without the use of refrigeration or canning methods. Fermentation is the metabolic process that naturally alters the chemistry composition of foods by converting carbohydrates (such as milk or vegetables) into either alcohol or carbon dioxide, or organic acids using bacteria or yeasts.
Unfortunately, today many of us do not consume fermented foods, which are rich in probiotics. Our modern world is overfed, malnourished, sedentary, sleeping less than ever, and suffering from many chronic related diseases. Our typical Western diet today provokes an inflammatory state in our body and traditionally produces an unfavorable ratio of ‘good vs. bad’ gut flora due to the foods we consume. The convenience of fast foods and packaged foods has wiped out traditional food cultures and poor diet has lead to numerous health issues.
It is estimated that nearly 80% of your immune system is in your gut. Feed your body poorly and your gut will be left with few defenses, easily overwhelmed by bad bacteria and wide open to disease-triggering inflammation. Fortunately, there is an easy fix for this modern problem by incorporating more nutrient- and probiotic-rich fermented foods in your diet.
The following five foods are healthy fermented foods that you should consider incorporating into your diet:
- - finely cut fermented cabbage that is packed with vitamins C, B, K, and probiotics.
- – fermented Korean side dish that’s usually made with cabbage, radish or cucumber. Loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, and lactobacilli probiotics.
- –unique cultured probiotic-rich fermented dairy product that has incredible medicinal health benefits and tastes like a drinkable yogurt. Kefir contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics.
- –easier to digest than conventional dairy yogurt. Coconut yogurt is packed with probiotics plus it’s high in electrolytes and minerals.
- – filled with active bacterial cultures and enzymes. Make sure to purchase fermented pickles from the refrigerator section at your grocery store and not the kind made with vinegar.
Consuming fermented foods will help improve your overall health, remove toxins from your body, promote clear skin, strengthen your immune system, improve digestion, increase nutrient absorption, balance hormones, increase energy, and prevent disease and fight off inflammation.
However, if you are not a fan of fermented foods try our best-selling probiotic products that will help boost your good bacteria and detoxify any foreign substances out of your body. It is well documented that our gut health impacts our immune system, our nutritional status, and even our stress response.
Start eating fermented foods today and try our probiotic supplements. Health benefits of probiotics are strain-specific, and not all strains are necessarily beneficial. If you need help choosing a probiotic, contact us to discuss your options and determine which probiotics are best for you: (800) 219-8405