In these modern times, we have fallen out of the habit of eating fermented foods. However, in the past, fermentation was a common form of food preservation and most people ate ample amounts of fermented foods.
This was a good thing because foods that have been preserved through the process of lactofermentation are amazingly nutritious and good for gut health.
In this article, we will discuss this process and explain why eating fermented foods is so essential to overall good health. Read on to learn more.
What Is Lactofermentation?
Natural fermentation is an excellent way to preserve foods because it not only allows the foods to retain their full nutritional value, it also improves that value.
In the process of lactofermentation, natural bacteria feed on the starches and sugars found in foods. This creates lactic acid and beneficial enzymes.
Fermented Foods Are Traditional Foods
In every culture around the world, you will find fermented foods. For example, German sauerkraut was once a very popular fermented food in Germany and in German settlements throughout the world.
In Korea, kimchi was once an extremely popular fermented food. Unfortunately, as we have marched inexorably into the 21st century, Westernizing everyone else as we go, consumption of fermented foods has died out in many cultures.
The average Western diet today is sadly lacking in beneficial enzymes and probiotics. This is because of modernization such as the pasteurization of milk and the decline of home-based food preservation skills, such as pickling.
Additionally, food preparation practices have changed quite a bit. In the olden days, grains were soaked and slightly sprouted before using.
This slight fermentation process made them safer and better to eat than the grains we eat today. The decline of this process is partially responsible for the rise in gluten intolerance.
The popularity of processed foods has also taken a toll on consumption of fermented foods.
These days, most people in the Western world and in cultures that have become, or in the process of becoming, westernized consists of food-like products that are preserved with sugar, salt and chemicals.
These foods cause tremendous stress on the body and especially on the digestive system. This state of affairs leads to disease.
How Are Fermented Foods Good For You?
On the surface, fermented foods are good for you just on an enjoyment level. They are delicious and add variety and flavor to your diet.
Although it may take a little time to develop a taste for fermented foods, once you have you will find yourself craving them just as you may have craved carbohydrates in the past.
The difference is that when you crave fermented foods you are craving something that is really good for you!
Fermented foods and beverages contain a wealth of probiotics. This is beneficial bacteria that helps balance and support the good fauna in your digestive system.
Having abundance of probiotics in your system has even been shown to support healing of some types of diseases, improve digestion and bowel health and support a strong immune system.
When you have a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes in your gut, you will have more efficient and effective digestion. Your body will absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat more completely.
When you have a healthy digestive system and eat real, natural, whole foods you are sure to see an improvement in your overall health and in the effectiveness of your immune system.
Isn’t Bacteria Bad For You?
Unfortunately, today most of Western society suffers from extreme germ phobia. The excessive use of antibacterial products of all kinds has stripped our daily lives of contact with beneficial fauna.
The fact of the matter is, a healthy human being is made up more of bacterial organisms than of typical body cells and this is a good thing!
When your body has a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, your immune system can naturally fight off detrimental organisms such as parasites and fungi.
These invaders are tough and rugged and thrive in your system if you eat a typical Western diet of:
- Processed foods
- Use antibiotics excessively
- Take prescription drugs
- Over-the-counter drugs chronically
Adding fermented foods to your diet can counteract all of these negatives.
When you add a significant amount of fermented foods to your diet, you can overwhelm detrimental bacteria with beneficial bacteria.
Probiotic supplements are helpful in this pursuit, but it can be somewhat tricky to find effective supplements.
The reason for this is that every step of the production and delivery process must be carried out correctly for probiotic supplements to remain effective.
Variations in temperature and environmental conditions must be stable and correct every step of the way to avoid damage to probiotic supplement products.
This is why it is so important to learn to make your own fermented foods at home where you can control the entire process from start to finish.
Easy Tips for Incorporating Fermented Foods into Your Daily Diet
There are lots of traditional recipes for a wide variety of traditional fermented foods.
Learning how to pickle and ferment foods and beverages is an interesting and enjoyable hobby. You don’t have to be an expert to get started right now.
For example if you want to make homemade, traditional sauerkraut you don’t need anything more than a mason jar, a head of cabbage salt and some water.
Here Are Some Simplified Instructions:
Begin by making sure that all of your surfaces and equipment are clean. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and shred the cabbage into very thin strips.
Put the cabbage strips in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them with 1 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt.
Massage this into the cabbage by hand until the cabbage becomes limp and watery. This water is brine, and it is very important to the fermentation process.
Put the cabbage into a 2 quart mason jar and press it down with your fist, and pack it in tightly.
You can place one of the discarded cabbage leaves over the top of the cabbage to keep it completely submerged in its brine.
You can weigh down the cabbage by placing a smaller jar that has been filled with clean marbles on top of the it. This will help keep it submerged in the brine.
Finally, place a cloth (e.g. a handkerchief) over the top of the jar and secure it using a rubber band. This will allow air to flow into the jar.
Keep the jar at room temperature and check it periodically (every few hours).
Press down on the smaller jar to encourage the cabbage to release more liquid and to keep it submerged. If it seems as if you need more liquid, you can add salt water.
Make this using 1 cup of pure filtered water and teaspoon of sea salt.
Your sauerkraut will be ready-to-eat after three days, but you can ferment it for as long as ten days. Once the fermenting process is done, put your sauerkraut in the refrigerator. You can keep it for several months.
What If You Want Fermented Foods Right Now?
If making your own sauerkraut seems like too much work for you, take heart! There are many fermented foods you can purchase inexpensively at your local health food store.
Sauerkraut is among them! You can also look for:
1. Kimchi This Korean Kraut is very spicy and flavorful and is filled with antioxidants. The base veggie is cabbage, but it also contains various other veggies and peppers. This is an exciting way to add probiotics to your diet.
2. Traditionally prepared pickles can often be found in the refrigerator section at your health food store. These are made with organic cucumbers, sea salt and a variety of herbs such as garlic, onion and dill.
Natural pickles contain a wealth of probiotics as well as minerals such as silica that support healthy skin, hair and nails.
3. Kefir made with water or coconut milk is a good option if you are sensitive to dairy products. Bear in mind that these beverages are made with yeast, so if you are sensitive to yeast you may want to avoid them.
4. Yogurt is a cultured food that is filled with probiotics. If you are not lactose intolerant, plain milk yogurt is very good.
Alternately, you can enjoy raw coconut yogurt. One benefit of coconut yogurt over dairy yogurt is that it contains caprylic acid and lauric acid which are antiviral nutrients.
Fermented Foods Can Save You Money!
If you aren’t convinced yet, perhaps the fact that you will save money in a number of ways will convince you to add fermented foods to your diet!
It is easy to make homemade whey, and it is also cheap. You can use your homemade whey in combination with sea salt to ferment a wide variety of delicious, healthy foods very cheaply.
Some examples include fermented beverages such as Kombucha and kefir.
When you are able to ferment foods at home, you can take advantage of sales on a fresh veggies which you can preserve by pickling.
When you ferment fresh vegetables from your garden during the growing season, you can enjoy them throughout the year.
Micro-biomes found in fermented food are essential to excellent gut health. Every day, research finds more and more reasons why good gut health is absolutely essential to overall health.
If you do not have good gut health, you are very likely to suffer from weight problems, food cravings, hormonal imbalance and food sensitivities.
It’s easy to see that when you add fermented foods to your diet, you will naturally save money on supplements, medicines and healthcare.