Why We Should All Probably Be Eating Fermented Foods

by Smart Sucka

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.)

Fermented foods - YUMMY!

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!

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