Fermented foods have been used by civilizations for thousands of years and in the modern era with the plethora of processed and toxic foods on the market, we need them more than ever in our regular diets.

The gut biome is the epi-centre of our body and is responsible for delivering nutrients to our system and so needs to be looked after so that it can maintain effective and efficient distribution of those nutrients to keep us healthy and dis-ease free.

Our fermented foods allow the good bacteria to flourish and provide very high enzymatic activity to accelerate healing and disease recovery. Even better, the use of fermented foods daily can avoid the issue of having to deal with disease in the first place.

The good guys of the bacteria world include acidophilus and bifidus and go about their business consuming compounds in the food, making it more digestible. Think about it – if your food is more digestible and digests at a reasonably fast rate, your system is going to be receiving a much higher level of nutrients. 

It is a bit like regular car servicing; if you have your car serviced regularly, it is going to run more efficiently and not be prone to break down. Our bodies are the same and our gut biome needs to be regularly “serviced” to make sure it is operating at the highest level possible, to keep dis-ease at bay.

Anyhow, back to how ferments help our digestive system.

Once fibre in our food has been broken down, it will take on a more acidic character to enable our stomach to produce more stomach acid to aid digestion which means, (as mentioned above) our food is digested more effectively resulting in more nutrients being absorbed into our system.

This is how raw fermented foods work:

• Promote the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract (including the colon)
• Our “good” bacteria work with the immune system to ensure our body is able to fight off dis-ease more readily and keep us healthy
• They also keep us “regular” meaning no constipation
• Help to fight candida
• Ensure the absorption of important micronutrients
• Help us to maintain a feeling of “well being”.

They can actually produce missing vitamins and minerals from our diet (including vitamin B12) and assist to digest minerals we would not normally be able to absorb

Fermented foods (raw cultured vegetables) are alkaline forming and packed with vitamins. They should be consumed with each meal to maintain a healthy inner ecosystem. (Donna Gates – Natural Health Pioneer)

What Makes Fermented Foods So Good For Us?

Basically, fermented foods are already predigested before we even consume them. What this means is that our “good bacteria have already converted natural sugars  and starches in the vegetables to lactic acid, saving your saliva and digestive enzymes the job. 

By maintaining your enzyme reserves and improving your digestion, your body has more energy to rid toxins, rejuvenate our cells and boost the immune system. This means a longer and healthier life.

Fermented foods assist with appetite and are perfect for people who want to avoid sugar cravings, thus leading to weight loss.  This achieved by the live acidophilus bacteria fighting off the Candida yeasts that contribute to our sugar cravings. Therefore we should have less desire to eat:

• Bread
• Pasts
• Dairy products 
• Sweet desserts

Finally, our fermented foods are very cleansing and will assist to restore the body’s homeostatic balance, (Meaning the body is in equilibrium and in a peak state of health), particularly if your body is in a toxic state.

Medicinenet.com defines Homeostasis as:

A property of cells, tissues, and organisms that allows the maintenance and regulation of the stability and constancy needed to function properly.

What Fermented Foods Should You Be Eating?

• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Jun
• Coconut Kefir
• Cultured Nut Milks

WARNING

If you are buying these foods from a retail outlet avoid any that have been pasteurized as this process destroys enzymes because the process of pasteurization involves heating and “cooks” all the goodness out of the product.

With Kombucha make sure the culture is “living” as a lot of the commercial Kombucha on the market now is “dead” meaning there is no live culture. Also, most Kombuchas now have added juice and flavourings which dilute the potency of it to do its job.  More reason to drink a Hippie!

If you can, make your own ferments with organic ingredients and your body will love you for it!

That’s it! The good bacteria in fermented foods do an incredible job of keeping our inner ecosystem healthy and clean. As always, the best result for your body is achieved by approaching your diet holistically, meaning you are eating clean mostly organic food and avoiding processed foods heavy in additives, bad fats and sugars. 

If you don’t cleanse your system on a regular basis then you need to look into this as well, because a detox will enable better absorption of nutrients into your system.

Ultimate Fibre is an incredible product I highly recommend to cleanse and rebuild your intestinal wall. Activated Coconut Charcoal is also extremely good for cleansing too as it binds the toxins and chemicals in the gut together, stopping their absorption and enables the body to excrete them more efficiently.