Fermented foods are well……… foods I’ve been fermented.
Fermentation is a process in which bacteria and yeast break down sugars.
Eating fermented foods can also boost the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut as they are packed with the good guys.
Many fermented foods contain probiotics as they are added into the food or they naturally occur in the food. Yogurt For example contain the probiotic strain Lactobacilli which also lives on the surface of some foods such as vegetables and fruit.
Some example of fermented foods are
- Live yoghurt
- Kefir
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Miso paste
- Kombucha
- Sourdough bread
- Cheese (in moderation, of course)
- Red wine (again in moderation, of course)
Studies have now shown that adding in fermented foods to the diet has many health benefits such as improving your overall gut health, strengthening your immune system, and overall heart.
You should eat your fermented food little but often, they say around 4 to 5 small portions of fermented food is what is recommend. Some people however do struggle with fermented foods as they are quite strong in flavour and may not be to everyone’s pallet. A couple of suggestions is mixing them into food to to help with the taste. For example, you could add kimchi into cooked rice or add sauerkraut into shredded lettuce. You may also want to look at adding live yoghurt or Kefir into curry sauces, but of course, making sure that you don’t overheat them, as you want to keep those are good bacteria alive.
Some of my favorites ways to add fermented food into my meals are
If your still really not a fan of these foods, but want to get that good bacteria in then look at a high quality and live probiotic supplement would be the way to go. I recommend Symprove as it is a liquid based probiotic and has been proven to reach the gut alive.
If fermented foods are for you and you want an extra challenge, you can make most of these at home. For example, you can purchase Kefir grains online and start making your own kefir yoghurt, or you can ferment your own vegetables to make kimchi or simply find someone who has been making sourdough and ask for some of their sourdough starter as this is the live bacteria that you need to make that delicious tasting bread, which you could then add on some poached eggs with kimchi win-win.
