The Benefits of Fermented Foods & Drinks
There are sooo many reason to consumed fermented foods and drinks and it’s not just because they are delicious and preserve food for longer. Here’s some of those other reasons…
Fermented foods restore the balance of the gut;
Improving food intolerance, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, poor absorption, yeast infections, candida, allergies, hay fever and even asthma.
Fermenting vegetables increases their nutritional content;
Most fruits and vegetables are already high in many different nutrients, but the fermentation process harnesses these vegetables beneficial bacteria, enzymes and additional vitamins and also increases the available nutrients you uptake as none are destroyed in the preparation of these foods unlike cooking/drying vegetables etc.
Lessens the load on the digestive system;
Your body has to do much less work to break down the fermented item. Also, the boost of beneficial flora that’s delivered to your gut helps elimination, which is not only key to digestive health but also for the body to detox itself.
Fermented foods heal the intestinal tract from damage and restore optimal health;
Our modern diet, even of those of us who try to “eat healthy,” is composed of enormous amounts of refined and processed foods. These foods ravage the gut by blunting the villi (the little “fingers” that grab and process each bit of food) and killing off the beneficial bacteria, leaving the intestinal walls raw, inflamed, and unable to efficiently absorb nutrients. Yet eating fermented foods can actually heal the gut by repopulating it with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria and providing a proper pH balance.
Stimulates and supports the immune system;
Lactic acid bacteria fight off pathogenic bacteria, lower the pH of the GI tract and enhance immunity, thus keeping us healthier and better able to fight infection.
They have been dubbed Nature’s Prozac;
As they assist the body’s production of serotonin.
Supports the endocrine system;
By supporting gut health it already supports our hormones, but also by removing yeasts and parasites from this system fermented foods and drinks really help it to work more effectively. Plus the additional uptake of more nutrients is a big bonus too.
Fermented foods promote food skin, hair & nail health;
Because fermented foods and drinks are supporting uptake, elimination and gut health they by default support skin, hair and nail health too. You can even use fermented drinks and you kombucha scoby in skin and hair care protocols and put them on topically too.
Increases energy levels;
As you increase your consumption of fermented foods and drinks your energy levels may also increase because you are healing many imbalances with many systems of the body, meaning these systems don’t need so much energy to function as they were and also because you are up-taking more nutrients you have more fuel for your body to use.
Assists in reducing sugar cravings;
Mainly because you are getting lots of nutrients you actually need, but also because it’s removing yeasts and parasites too.
Fermented foods promote dental health;
Cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and bad breath are all caused by harmful bacteria in our mouths. By eating fermented foods rich in lactic acid bacteria, we improve our mouth health. `
Can Reduce Blood Pressure;
As it has the potential to dilate the blood vessels due to the histamine levels of many fermented foods.
Helps Dairy Intolerances;
This deserves it’s own section because so many people struggle with this issue however not only because fermented foods and drinks assist in healing the digestive system are they helpful for this. But because of the fermentation process itself people with dairy issues can often tolerate fermented versions of diary dishes absolutely fine because it’s partially pre-digested (this is often the case with other foods too).
Creates conscious kitchen creators;
When you take the time to prepare and look after you fermented foods and drinks you are more conscious of the food you are putting into your body and how it is affecting your body too. And this is increased if you also grow those veggies yourself first too.
You can ferment pretty much anything;
Make your own sides dishes, salsa’s, dips, drinks, spreads, desserts, you name it, you can make a highly nutrient dense, probiotic version of it.
It’s cheap and easy to do;
Fermented foods and drinks require very little equipment and most of the ingredients are cheap, easy to get hold of and you can also grow yourself. When they say healthy food is expensive food it’s just not the case with most fermented foods and drinks.
Helping the environment;
When you ferment your own foods, you are minimis food waste, landfill space and collection, packaging, shopping, fossil-fuels, chemicals, shipping and your own time and money.
And, of more support with your health check out my online membership site here, it’s free to join for a month and totally rinse all the resources in that time and come along to our live sessions too.
