Probiotics are the good guys; the good bacteria we need in our gut that help to keep us healthy. They support healthy digestion and healthy immunity. They live in the intestines and all too often are outta wack. Use of antibiotics, and diets high in processed sugary foods and low fibre are the ultimate hot spot party place for the bad guys; the yeasts and and pathogenic bacteria that makes us all kinds of unwell. This imbalance in bacteria is all too common and relates to a massive assortment of health problems from chronic yeast infections (sexy sexy) to irritable bowel to headaches, PMS, moodiness and brain fog.
As a society we are all about pill popping. So much easier than actually changing our diet right? Sure thing. But if you want to go the au naturelle route, we have to deal with the diet first. Otherwise Dear Liza, Dear Liza, you are mopping up the floor with a hole in the bucket.
So before you start dishing out the dollars for expensive probiotics (and you seriously get what you pay for with these goodies), how about some probiotic foods?
Here is are my favourites based on a longer list compiled by the inspiring Nourished Kitchen
- real sauerkraut has a crispy, not mushy, texture and is loaded with vitamin C and B vitamins.
- the process of fermenting cabbage actually creates isothiocyanate – a substance thought to inhibit the formation of cancer and tumors.
2. Kombucha
- long been considered a health tonic.
- has a sour flavor with a taste reminiscent of apple cider vinegar combined with club soda
- home-brewed kombucha is often less acidic than store bought.
- A starter culture sometimes called a kombucha mushroom, mother or scoby(symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) is necessary to prepare kombucha.
- this starter culture thrives in the combination of brewed tea and sugar.
- rich in beneficial bacteria and vitamin B12
- contains a substance called glucaric acid- deeply detoxifying
- Check out the cultures and starters exchange at Nourished Kitchen where you can find kombucha mothers free for shipping.
- composed of soybeans in combination with barley or rice, miso is a traditional Japanese condiment used primarily in soups or as a seasoning for vegetables, meats and fish
- primarily fermented by aspergillus oryzae, a mold, that is also responsible for the transformation of soybeans into shoyu or tamari.
- a good source of phosphorus, manganese and zinc. Zinc, in particular, is essential for proper immune system function.
4. Moroccan Preserved Lemons
- naturally fermented without the use of a starter – just benign bacteria and yeasts naturally present in the air, on our skin and on the fruits themselves.
- preserved lemons are rich in beneficial bacteria and their acidity is sufficient enough to keep pathogenic bacteria at bay.
- Lemons, like all citrus, are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C in particular concentrated in the lemon’s rind
- Culturing lemons naturally with unrefined salt and brine renders the lemon rind not only edible, but also delicious.
- Here is a guide to make Moroccan Preserved Lemons
5. Sour Pickles
- Most grocery store pickles use vinegar which is tasty but not fermented. Sour pickles are the traditional alternative
- prepared using a simple solution of unrefined sea salt and clean, chlorine-free water which encourages the growth of lactic-acid producing beneficial bacteria which customarily outcompete pathogenic bacteria.
- traditional sour pickles are raw after culturing unlike vinegar-based cucumber pickles which are cooked during the canning process thus killing food enzymes, bacteria and destroying heat sensitive vitamins.
Of course, I don’t expect you to turn your kitchen (or cool dark cupboards) into a fermentation cellar. You can get some good quality goodies at the store. Check your health food store for traditional kimchi, coconut, goat or sheeo milk yogurts, sour pickles, sauerkraut and other fermented veggies. Just check the labels, there shouldn’t be much more than the vegetable or choice and sea salt.
Also remember that you should introduce these foods gradually. Too much at once and you’re neighbours may think a flock of ducks have moved in to your home.
Good post indeed! Thanks for sharing such nice information.
I sincerely regret teasing my dad for his kimchee addiction. Seems he was on to something.
THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK You for this!
I am afraid of sauerkraut..don’t know why!
I just found coconut milk yogurt… cuz I ditched dairy for the time being!
Sesame street did a “there’s a hole in the bucket” skit and I should go you tube it…. I never forgot it and you just reminded me of it!
was very cute!
again, thanks for the SMILES!
Hooray! I’m currently addicted to sauerkraut, miso, sour pickles and kombucha because they helped rid me of some bad bacteria and keep it that way. I guess Moroccan lemons are the only thing left to try on the list!
haha I laughed out loud, mind you in the yoga studio that I work at on tues. mornings, when I read all the symptoms of bad bacteria in the gut ohhh soooo me. can I say all of the above? oh dear.
its also good to know that the arm and leg I paid for new probiotics yesterday is actually totally worth the extra cost.
I like miso and I do force myself to drink Kombucha – I can sip about half a bottle a day. The second half is always saved for the next day. I’ve struggled with good bacteria/bad bacteria issues ever since I was hospitalized with strep as a 12-week-old babe. Not fun. Probiotics are my friend. Refined sugar is the devil.
Interesting. I like your method. Every method I’d previous read involves fermenting it in buckets and weighing it down.
I have one that I bought at the farmer’s market last summer and still haven’t eaten. I moved with it.
I am interested in trying some of your suggestions, especially your three-day smoothie cleanse; however, I have ulcertis colitis, and I am wondering if the cleanse is a good choice for me. (I have spent the last 12 years on and off prescription medication, and I’ve had it. I want to control my colitis through natural remedies.)
Becky- the best thing you can do is try out a smoothie and wait a day and see how you feel. Changing a diet, no matter what your health situation should be gradual with changes introduced one at a time so that you can work out what works for you.
Hey Meghan,
I have candida issues on and off so this is a great post for me…However, I’ve gone on a couple of “candida cleansing” diets a few times and miso is often on the no-no list…Is there disagreement on this?
Also, do you know if nutritional yeast is candida safe (I’ve heard that because it’s inactive, it’s ok, but I’ve also heard that it’s to be avoided).
Haha, flock of ducks…I have a friend who exclaims, “Aah! The ducks!” everytime he…you know.
Thanks again!
Alex- Miso is okay in small amounts but it is also on a personal basis. Some people handle it while others do not. You could get good quality miso and just try it in small amounts and see how you go. As for nutritional yeast, I am not a proponent… mainly because I have yet to fully understand what it is, so I am going to go with no though I am sure many a vegan will argue that one.