Why We Should All Probably Be Eating Fermented Foods
This accidentally became a series (following in the footsteps of my last article entitled “Why We Should All Probably Be Eating (& Growing) Microgreens”) and I realized it when the idea to write this came to me late last night before I finally nodded off to la-la land.
In case you haven’t read about fermented foods, there are a lot of different types of cultured culinary delights depending on your pallet preferences.
Let’s start with some of the basic ones that many are familiar with:
yogurt
cottage cheese
sourdough bread
sauerkraut
buttermilk
pickles
apple cider vinegar (best is the raw version with “the mother” floating in it)
chocolate
coffee
wine
And here are some of the ones that are becoming more popular today:
kimchi
kefir (dairy-based)
kombucha
kvass
coconut kefir
water kefir
Some of the lesser-known ones (depending on your culture and knowledge):
miso
tempeh
natto
raw cheese (yes, it’s fermented and best if aged at least 6 mos.)
Here are the reasons why most of us should probably include some of these foods into our regular eating patterns:
improve digestion (important for those with IBS and various related issues)
boost cognitive function
boost immunity
help build bones (due to high mineral content)
can help to lessen allergy symptoms
eliminate harmful microbes and yeast in the body
These beneficial bacteria-laden foods are excellent for increasing your probiotic intake (all the rage these days) so the many people who suffer from brain fog, digestive issues, allergies would probably do themselves a world of good to start smashing more of these foods into their collective faceholes.
Remember: keep these fermented foods as close to their natural states as possible (not a lot of added ingredients, sugar, preservatives, etc.; think “less is more” here) when consuming them. That goes for all your eating - the cleaner, the better. If it’s packaged and labeled (unless it’s organic produce), best put that down and find a cleaner version of that food elsewhere (or just don’t eat it at all; most supermarket food is garbage for our bodies nutrition-wise).
And - last, but not least - DON’T EAT THE BUGS! Gross!
I am thinking about doing one more in this series - stay tuned!
Always educate yourself and eat very well!