Alrighty, I know this blog was originally intended specifically for movement and self-care practices but since receiving a ton of requests about my diet choices, you get what you ask for. After all, if you don’t have the raw materials in your body to rebuild tissue and create sustainable energy, movement will likely be uncomfortable at best.
Why the heck would anyone want a living, breathing community of bacteria symbiotically feasting on your organic assorted veggies in your pantry.
It sounds so medieval and uncivilized. Well, that’s kind of the whole point. You see originally these methods of fermentation were a product of being forced to find a way to store food over long winters post harvest. Don’t you just love how necessity spawns innovation like that? So what is happening in there with all the bubbles and interesting smells, it may be freaking you out but it’s actually quite magical! Lacto-fermentation is the process of the sugars and starches in your veggies being converted in lactic acid which in turn preserves the food from putrefying bacteria. You see, when we PASTEURIZE our food such as dairy, we kill the beneficial bacteria and enzymes that actually impede the stagnation and putrefaction of bacteria in our food, not to mention they permit our bodies to assimilate the potential nutrients. Hence, why it’s ok to leave raw milk (medicine) out for an extended period of time (it actually becomes more bio-available as the bacteria do their impressive work!) and a complete “no no” to leave out the pasteurized stuff (poison).
Our bodies thrive on adaptation from diverse information in a variety of forms.
The information our immune systems loves is that of new living bacteria such as that found in natural organic food. Remember when you were a kid eating dirt? Did you die? Likely, if you’re reading this, you didn’t and in fact you strengthened your immune system in doing so! We need to stop sterilizing our food if we expect to live up to our body’s sophisticated potential. Same thing goes for sterilized linear, isolated movements in the gym. Our bodies are begging for diversity, give them what they have been asking for since the beginning of time and you will be rewarded with health and a personality to boot.
Lactobacilli actually increase the digestibility of your food and increase the beneficial flora in your digestive system to break down all other food, stimulate a healthy immune system and stimulate energy and overall well being. The brain and the gut after all are highly connected; happy gut-happy brain.
Fermenting increase availability of B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes and don’t forget, tastes delicious! Then there is the ever important vitamin which I am sure you will be hearing more about in coming months and years called K2. This vitamin is crucial in the assimilation of calcium, blood clotting and various other functions tissue development. It is found in RAW dairy products as.
So what is the point of drinking pasteurized milk if you’re not able to process the calcium effectively?
Answer: I can’t come up with anything positive to say, so I won’t say anything at all. Eat raw and ideally fermented if possible and you are guaranteed full benefit.
There are so many fabulous options for fermentation and this blog is not going to become the fermentation hub anytime soon (I don’t think so at least) but here is an example of a kimchee recipe that I make on a regular basis. By the way, I am not Korean nor do I pretend to be a Korean chef. I appreciate suggestions and opinions!
Ingredients:
2 heads Napa cabbage, 1/2 cup himalayan salt or sea salt, 1/2 daikon radish, 3 carrots, 1 onion, 1 bundle of scallion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 tsp. ginger, 1/4 cup brown sugar (I use raw organic honey instead), 1 apple 3/4 cup hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
Tools: Cutting board, knife, two large mixing bowls, blender (not mandatory), air tight glass container
Step 1) Chop the cabbage up into the size of your liking, place it all into a large bowl and massage salt into the leaves until softened.
Step 2) Add water and let sit for 12 hours to begin fermentation process
Step 3) Chop all other ingredients to your liking and and mix in a large mixing bowl
Step 4) Remove 2/5 or so of these ingredients and place into a blender to create a paste
Step 5) Drain the water from the cabbage bowl and mix all of the ingredients together into one bowl thoroughly
Step 6) Place the mix into air tight containers and allow to sit for a week. Be sure to once a day or so allow the gas to escape from jar. (You don’t want a kimchee explosion!)
Step) Refrigerate after a week of fermentation and enjoy!
