There are trillions of microorganisms that reside within your gut. Having a healthy, balanced diet will generally keep your gut healthy, but there are many factors that may disrupt your gut health such as medication. Your gut health impacts your mind and body, aiding the immune system and ridding your body of toxins, as well as impacting your moods.
How can fermentation contribute to a happy, healthy gut? Fermentation is the process of bacterial microorganisms converting food components, such as carbs, making the food more beneficial and easier to absorb its nutrients. Struggling with the following may indicate an unhealthy imbalance within your gut, but consult with a specialist if you're having persistent issues:
Inconsistent skin allergies
Inconsistent stool changes
(Piedmont Health, 2020)*
One of our favorite methods of fermentation is fermenting cabbage, also referred to as sauerkraut. The fermentation process creates live, probiotic bacteria that can help re-balance your healthy gut bacteria. Our method is simple with 1 head of cabbage, sea salt (not iodized) and a large mason jar. It's an easy and budget friendly way to incorporate fermented foods to your diet, and to do so in a hands-on fashion. Here is an ideal and well explained recipe for making sauerkraut https://therealfoodrds.com/how-to-make-sauerkraut/
We enjoy it on top of our veggie stir fry (topped after the stir fry is cooked). Here are a few pictures of our current batch of fermenting cabbage:
Family Physician Shares Signs of Poor Gut Health | Piedmont Healthcare, Piedmont Health, 2020, www.piedmont.org/living-better/signs-of-poor-gut-health.