Before we started canning food our Foremothers were fermenting fruits and veggies in salt water and spices then leaving them to see out the winter in the cellar or a dark cupboard. What better way to ensure none of the abundance from spring and summer was wasted? It’s a frugal, sensible and extremely healthy way to use your produce.
Fermented foods have made a bit of a come back in recent times. For Macrobiotic (a Japanese diet) followers they never left. And the same goes in Europe where foods like sauerkraut and dill pickles are a staple and important part of their diets.
Why are these foods so fab’? Basically it’s because they are ‘pre digested’, a lot of the work has been done before they even get into your mouth. The process of fermentation creates good bacteria that make for a healthy intestinal tract, thus good digestion. Microorganisms such as lactobacillus perform this, and the science is known as ‘zymology’.
Often all that’s needed for this process to happen is good salt and water, and lovely organic veggies. Fermentation increases vitamin levels, and contains antibiotic and carcinogenic (anti-cancer) substances. If our guts are healthy, then our immunity will be stronger and our minds clearer. (We now know that we have brain cells in out gut. Phrases like – What’s your gut feeling? Have been around for ages.
The sugars – glucose, fructose and sucrose in the foods are converted to energy and lactic acid. The acid levels rise so harmful organisms are killed. The lactic acid produced prevents purification, feeds the veggies throughout winter and keeps them perfectly preserved.
Most of us are familiar with the symptoms of poor digestion. Bloating, indigestion, acid reflux, loose bowels or constipation, nausea, abdominal cramps and/or stabling pains, sugar cravings, fatigue, skin problems, Candida. Our digestive tracts have taken a battering from antibiotics, medication, stress, refined sugars, chemicals added to our food and those used to grow our produce, and overeating.
Some of the good flora simply must be replaced if we wish to have any chance at all at achieving good health.
The other benefits of including about a tablespoon of fermented foods each day are –
And what about K2? It has recently been re-discovered and it looks like most scientists are surprised that we have forgotten about this very important vitamin for so long and its role in a healthy body. Vitamin K is made by the blood vessels that line your gut and it goes to your blood vessel walls, bones, liver and other tissues. It can be separated into 2 categories – K1 comes from green plants and maintains healthy blood clotting – it goes directly to your liver. K2 is really important to keep your bones strong and your blood vessels clear. It activates proteins that control cell growth, so clearly has a very important role is cancer prevention. K2 is found in fermented foods.
It’s easy to make your own fermented veggies at home. All you need are quality veggies – and the best ones to pickle or ferment are root veggies, daikon (Japanese radish), garlic, and ginger, cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, onions and white radish. The softer veggies go a bit mushy and yuck. You’ll also need the best quality salt you can afford like Himalayan or Murray River and clean water. You can add a capsule or two of a probiotic supplement to speed up the fermentation process. Whey powder is a popular addition here also, and for the same reason as you’d add the probiotic, but I’d rather avoid using processed and refined dairy. If you use the probiotic reduce the salt in any recipe by 1 tbls. Once you have your veggies prepared you bash (kindly) the veggies with a wooden mallet or pestle (from a mortar and pestle) until the veggies start to break down and release their juices. Store in a mason jar (one with a tight seal) and wait. Easy. Don’t panic when you start to notice bubbles and white foam appear. This is a good sign – it means the activation process is happening.
Adding different seaweeds, spices, ginger and turmeric just makes them so much healthier. Talk about food as medicine showing off.
Making your own fermented veggies is satisfying and cheap but if you’re a bit scared of this process (and that’s fair enough) in the beginning, or you’re short of time, then there are some great store bought ones available. As always be sure to read the ingredients carefully as you don’t want any sugar in them, and sometimes they are pasteurised which kills the lactic acid, defeating the whole purpose of having them.
Commercially available kits are available these days so will make the process of making your own a whole lot easier. Look on line or at good home ware and health food stores. Some Asian grocery stores should have them also.
Popular Fermented Foods:
How to use them in your daily life –
1 carrot grated
½ cabbage shredded
1 onion quartered then sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbls good salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Note – I would add 1 tbls powdered dulse or nor and 1 tbls grated fresh ginger and turmeric.
Method – Mix the ingredients together in a ceramic or glass bowl, then using a wooden mallet – pound for 10 mins. Push the veggies down firmly into your sterilised jar allowing their juices to be released. The mixture should be covered by at least 3 cms of liquid. If not then add a bit more water than has a ¼ teaspoon of salt dissolved in it. Seal the jar well then leave at room temperature for 3 days, then pop it in the fridge. Wait about a season, so 3 months (so make lots) then it’s ready to eat.
Most of us suffer with poor digestion and really, is it any wonder with what we give it to deal with? Fermented foods are a way of giving back to our guts; to help it get on with things, with what it does best. And that allows us to do the same.
Pretty exciting to have another healthy and yummy food in your life don’t you think?
Love,
Janella
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Antioxidants are a generic term that describes the mopping up of free radicals (the bad guys) in your body – by increasing oxygenation.
Modern food far from existing in its original state, the stress of living in today’s world, strenuous exercise, sun exposure, pollution, chemicals used to grow our food and make our cosmetics, computers, TV’s and carpets, smoking, and bacterial infections can all cause a rise in free radicals to dangerous levels. This results in damage at a cellular level resulting in premature ageing like wrinkles, bad skin, black rings under the eyes and sometimes, serious illnesses such as cancer.
Many antioxidants are vitamins like C and E, but Carotenoids are the most powerful anti oxidants known. Along with chlorophyll, carotenoids are what give plants their colour. The most powerful carotenoid is Astaxanthin (blue-green algae), and the next is Beta Carotene, of which Spirulina is the richest known natural source. There are other foods high in different antioxidants. This is where you’ll find lots of them –
Astaxanthin
This little known carotenoid is now believed to be the most powerful antioxidant by far. There are only two natural sources of natural astaxanthin—the micro-algae that produce it, and the sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, and krill). Astaxanthin is 65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, 550 times more powerful than Vitamin E. No adverse reactions at all have been found for people taking Astaxanthin. It’s perfectly safe. You’ll find astaxanthin in supplement form on line.
You may have heard of astaxanthin before. The synthetic version made in a laboratory is commonly used worldwide to give farmed fish, especially salmon, its pinkish red colour. You really do want to avoid man-made astaxanthin as it’s made from petrochemicals, which makes it a toxic hormone disruptor.
Cacao
According to a study in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” published in 2003, researchers compared the antioxidant capacity of black tea, green tea, red wine and cocoa, concluding that cocoa has the highest antioxidant activity among the four products and the greatest potential for health benefits.
Garlic and its juice
Garlic is one of the best medicines in the world. It has natural ‘germanium’ and is anti-fungal and antibacterial (just to name a few of its actions). If you’re cooking your garlic, crush it up and let it sit for ten minutes before adding it to your recipe. It has to sit so that the enzymes can create the healing phyto-chemicals we need.
Dried Fruit
Goji berries have an enormous amount of antioxidants, yet dried Pomegranate seeds, (also expensive) have almost double the amount. And then comes dried Indian Gooseberries that have around 10 times more than Goji berries.
Green Super-Foods
Spirulina, chlorella and barley grass are chock full of minerals and enzymes. The enzymes are both anti-mycotoxin (mycotoxins are released by yeast/fungal infections) and antioxidants.
Matcha
This premium green tea powder from Japan is used for drinking as tea, or to use as a vibrant, green ingredient in recipes. Other green teas are grown throughout the world, but Matcha is unique to Japan. One cup of Matcha contains as much as 10 times the antioxidants of one cups of brewed green tea.
Quercetin
An antioxidant belonging to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Some research has shown quercetin-rich foods, such as apples, berries, red grapes, red onions, capers and black tea, are ‘natural antihistamines’ as they prevent histamine release. Quercetin is also available in supplement form.
Selenium
Sources include wheat germ, garlic, Brazil nuts, eggs and brown rice. Brazil nuts are perhaps the best source of this important mineral, and eating just 3-4 Brazil nuts per day may provide adequate intake for most people to maintain levels. Although, a supplement may be necessary if levels are low.
Vitamin A
Is found in dark green leafy veggies such as kale, rocket, baby spinach and all your Asian greens and any fruit or veg’ that is green, yellow, red or green in colour – so pumpkin, carrots, capsicum and broccoli, and spirulina has an enormous amount.
Vitamin C
This vitamin has long been known to battle the effects of ageing and disease. Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant so it will help to reduce free radicals. Most fruits especially guava and paw paw are good sources of Vitamin C as are vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, Brussels’ sprouts and cucumber. Goji berries, Gubinge and Camu Camu have more Vitamin C per weight than most other foods on earth.
Vitamin D
Different from other vitamins because our bodies can make most of what we need with exposure to sunlight, unlike having to get it from our diet. In fact most foods aren’t great sources of vitamin D, and there are only a small amount to choose from. The best sources are cod liver oil, sardines, wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel and mushrooms. Sunlight is the best way to get your Vitamin D as it promotes this vitamin’s synthesis from cholesterol in the skin.10-15 minutes a day is enough, and allowing the sun to shine on as much of you body as you can is the way to go.
Vitamin E
Found in olives, nuts and seeds oils, wheat germ and leafy greens.
Zinc
Good sources are oysters, organic red meat, wheat germ, miso, pumpkin seeds, alfalfa, sardines, legumes, mushrooms, pecans, organic soybeans, sunflower seeds and whole grains.
Herbs + Spices
Extremely high in antioxidants, in fact at least 10 times higher than the foods above per weight, and the herbs and spices below are in a class of their own when it comes to antioxidants. Add these foods to your meals but you can also use them as essential oils and some of them as herbal tinctures. Look for 100 percent pure (therapeutic grade) oils, which are highest in antioxidants, and organic or at least wild-crafted herbal medicine. From the highest are cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley (dried), basil, ginger and thyme
Many of us are now aware that some things are better for our microbiota than others, and to varying degrees. Antibiotics and laxatives, as well as medications against fever and pain, contraceptive hormones (The Pill), or those to alleviate menopausal symptoms all negatively affect gut flora composition. Antibiotics when prescribed responsibly are obviously life saving. They have saved countless lives and wiped out many diseases. But, there’s a price to pay for everything, and in this case the over- use of antibiotics has gotten us into some serious strife.
These days however, it’s pretty hard to avoid them. Even if you’re a raw food vegan who’s never sick, you’re still likely to be exposed to antibiotics. 80% of the antibiotics manufactured world wide are for animals for food, so we’re constantly being exposed to antibiotics, every time we eat or drink, as the manure your veggies are grown with comes from animals that have been fed antibiotics. Antibiotics are in our food and in our water.
Studies are showing that small amounts of antibiotics given regularly, is a whole lot worse than one big hit when you’re sick and you actually need them. Antibiotics are not meant for prevention, but it is a billion dollar industry, so making changes to the system is, well, tricky.
It’s encouraging to see that more and more conscious farmers are using herbs and essential oils like oregano oil to replace expensive and damaging antibiotics that are so commonly and mindlessly used in commercial farming. The over-use of antibiotics both for us and in our food is destroying our gut flora, reduces immunity, increases anxiety and depression and keeps us susceptible to everything. Not to mention the damage they’re doing to our animals and our planet.
So far, western medicine’s answer has been to prescribe yet more drugs, so that now we have arrived in a scary place called ‘antibiotic resistant’. This is now at crisis levels, meaning some infections are becoming untreatable. What we’ve basically done is coat our world in a bubble of antibiotics by our overuse and inappropriate use of them. And antibiotic use is in Australia, which directly affects the development of antibiotic resistance.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a type of staph’ that has developed resistance to a family of antibiotics similar to penicillin. When we take an antibiotic, the drug kills many bacteria, but a few survive. These surviving bacteria are now resistant to that antibiotic, and then they multiply. What this means is, every time a patient takes an antibiotic, he or she is creating more drug-resistant bacteria. The growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a very serious and immediate threat to our health as a species. In 1974, MRSA infections accounted for 2% of the total number of staph infections; in 1995 it was 22%; in 2004 it was 63%. These bacteria were once mainly found in hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and nursing homes, but recently they’ve been showing up in gyms, schools, sports clubs, and other places where people are in close contact.
Two-thirds of the children today have already taken a course of antibiotics by the time they are 12 months old. Antibiotics have been shown to affect the childhood microbiome causing changes associated with allergies, obesity and autism – three of the biggest childhood issues in developed countries. This means long-term health implications for these children. While this link is still being researched, the evidence is mounting.
Bacterial infections need antibiotics, as the infection will only get worse, if it’s not treated. Examples of serious infections that arguably need antibiotics under one year of age are meningitis, whooping cough, pneumonia, infection in the blood and urinary infections. Antibiotics are ineffective for common viral infections however, so treating these with antibiotics results in none of the benefits and all of the disadvantages. These include most respiratory infections – for example of the ear, throat and chest, yet we are still constantly being prescribed antibiotics for these conditions. There are many effective alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. Herbal medicine and essential oils have both undergone much research and the results are exciting.
A recent British report estimated that antibiotic and microbial resistance could kill an extra 10 million people a year and cost up to $100 trillion USD by 2050 if it is not brought under control, and soon.
Btw, scientists often modify seeds using antibiotic-resistant genes in the genetic engineering process. Some people wonder if there’s a link between these GM Frankenfoods and the ever increasing rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Castor Oil – coming from the seeds (or beans) of the Ricinus communis plant, is an oil rich in antioxidants and Ricinoleic Acid (RA) and also contains small amounts of linoleic, oleic and stearic acid. The healthiest and safest version of castor oil comes from de-hulling the bean, then cold-pressing the seeds to produce the rich and viscous oil.
Castor oil packs have been used by healers to help reduce a variety of health conditions for many generations. Placed over your abdomen or liver, these packs are used to improve liver detoxification, breakdown kidney stones, reduce period pain, reduce symptoms of autoimmunity, support uterine and ovarian health, improve lymphatic circulation and reduce inflammation.
To DIY: Mix two to four drops of an essential oil – depending on what you’re treating – with enough warm castor oil to lightly soak a piece of cloth, (either a lightweight tea towel, or a piece of linen, or even a face washer). Castor oil has a rather strong smell, so be ready.
Btw, you can buy packs that include a piece of flannel cloth and a pack, with straps – so you’re all sorted. Just Google ‘castor oil packs’. (See images.)
Wring out the cloth to remove any excess oil, then place it over your abdomen or liver for at least 30 minutes, with a heat source like a wheat pack or hot water bottle over the top of it. This helps to stimulate lymph and liver function. Lie flat in bed, and perhaps cover your eyes with an eye pillow and use this time of quiet relaxation to go within.
Placing the pack on the right side of the abdomen or the whole abdomen will help support the liver and digestive systems, as well as reproductive and colon health. These packs are used also to relieve pain. Aim to do it 3 times a week, and relax.
Castor oil packs can be a bit messy, so I wrap mine in a plastic-free cover like a bees wax wrap, or an apron. Be aware of any skin sensitivities, so avoid applying the oils directly to your skin.
Side note – I was once at a sanitarium (health retreat/hospital) in Austria, and part of the program was a daily liver pack, such as this one above. Instead of the oil-soaked cloth though, they used flaked pieces of dried burdock root (a great liver herb) that had been warmed and stuffed in a plastic zip lock bag. It was delivered to my room like this, so all I had to do was lay down on my bed, put a light towel over my abdomen and then the compress over the top. Gawd it was nice. And I really did feel the benefits. Gut and reproductive pain, as well as pent up anger and resentment – all but disappeared using these packs daily for the 5 days I was there.
Either way you decide to do it – it’s going to help.
