Health Benefits to Traditionally Fermented Foods

Did you know that the health of your digestive system is crucial to your overall health? In fact, the two go hand in hand.  About 80 percent of your immune system is thought to stem from your digestive system.

Don't think you have a gut imbalance? Have you experienced IBS or indigestion, constipation, food allergies or hay fever, reoccurring illnesses, depression or a general lack of energy? Research shows that an absence of good gut bacteria (usually caused by a poor diet and the affects of antibiotics - I have personal experience with this) are related to all of these health concerns. And most of us in modern society have taken more of our fair share of antibiotics, which wipe out both bad and good bacteria. There are also recent studies that connect autism with gut dysbiosis.

You might be saying, "I already eat yogurt." Sadly, and although marketed so you believe the opposite, most mass-produced yogurt and kefir products do not contain enough live or active cultures. Most manufacturing processes do a heat-treatment after fermentation for longer shelf life, which kill a large amount of the lactic-acid producing bacteria that is crucial to benefiting our overall digestive and immune health. Not to mention that dairy pasteurization has killed off most of the immune-boosting bacteria, which is why I prefer making my own raw yogurt.  I'll save the topic of raw vs. pasteurized for another blog. These pasteurized milk products are usually filled with sugars and high-fructose corn syrup, which can add to bad bacteria growth.

So what can you eat to promote a healthy digestive system?

Why I Support Naturopathic Medicine (and some history)

History of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine has a long history. Hippocrates was a supporter and an advocate for naturopathy.  In the 1930s and 40s, naturopathic medicine declined due to penicillin and other modern medicines, but has made a comeback in the last few decades.  People are seeking alternatives to invasive treatments and western medicine, and as such many insurance companies continue to add and cover naturopathic doctors. Currently, sixteen (16) states have licensing requirements.

But what exactly is naturopathic medicine?

Green Pasture Giveaway

This week is a blog (and giveaway - yay!) about the benefits of fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oils.

While researching supplements and health sites to help heal my digestive issues, I came across the Weston A. Price group on Meetup.com. I found many people who were taking cod liver oil and became intrigued. Once I learned more about it, I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. My energy levels are up, immune system is more responsive, and I can't say that I mind clearer skin and stronger hair and nails.

Interested in reaping the benefits from this traditional food?  Keep reading......

Is Sugar Toxic?

Over the last few years there has been a heap of news on the evils of refined sugars. Many physicians and researchers are now stating that refined sugars can take a serious toll on your health. It is estimated than more than 35 million deaths could be contributed to sugar.

One health trend over the last 3 decades is the low-fat craze. But in order to make these fat-free, tasteless foods more palatable, sugar is added. These low-fat, sugar-filled foods have not seemed to make a difference, as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancers are still on the rise.

What is Stevia?

At the advice of my doctor and because regular sugar encourages growth of bacteria and would further my dysbiosis, I am using Stevia extract to naturally sweeten any desserts or drinks I make. I have been known to have a sweet tooth, so Stevia has been a lifesaver.

Should restaurants have to provide an ingredients list when asked?

Other than rush hour traffic (sigh), I love living in my busy little community of West Los Angeles. Located near Sawtelle Ave. and Olympic Blvd., the area I live in is a "Little Tokyo" area of sorts. There are many sushi, noodle houses and kushiyaki restaurants, artsy boutiques, a cool little Japanese coffee place where they roast their beans in-house, and a touristy knick-knack store with oodles of Hello Kitty goodies.  Normally when my digestive and immune system aren't failing me (like it currently is) I'd be slurping up a bowl of soba noodles or eating some beef satay. But sadly, many private eateries will not divulge their ingredients, even to someone like me who has a dietary reason. Others are just not knowledgable in dietary needs.

Benefits of Homemade Broth - and a Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe

For the last week I have been slowly introducing myself to the GAPS diet.  GAPS stands for the Gut and Psychology Syndrome, a book by Natasha Campbell-McBride M.D. The book focuses on the link to gut health and your overall mental and physical health. The diet is said to help heal damaged digestive systems, which in turn can also substantially help many conditions, such as Autism, Dyslexia, Depression, Dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD, Schizophrenia, and any other condition that has a link to gut dysbiosis. I am suffering from this imbalance, which I believe caused systemic candida and a host of other symptoms.

The diet recommends you use the bones from chickens, beef etc. to make nutrient dense broths that help your immune system. You know, the way your grandmother made soup before all of these MSG laden and artificially flavored broths were so common in supermarkets? And trust me, it tastes so good.

Mrs Winstons - Healthy Salads, Sandwiches and Smoothies

Mrs. Winston's Green Grocery has been voted the best salad bar in Santa Monica and Los Angeles (check out Yelp's reviews), and when you go you'll know why. This health food store and lunch spot boasts high quality produce and are eco-conscious (the salad containers are made form post-consumer plastic bottles). Everyone from vegans, vegetarians and just those who want delicious, organic whole foods will love the large selection of salad bar offerings. Other salad bars can't compete!

Visit Your Local Farmers Market for Health

I believe in whole foods. No not the grocery store sometimes referred to as "whole paycheck." What I'm referring to are fruits and veggies, and animal proteins like free range chicken and beef, without the use of antibiotics, and preferably fed more grass than grains, and wild fish.

Simple meals made with whole foods remind me of my great grandmother's cooking. My great grandmother Margie grew up in Texas, picking cotton in the fields, working hard in the heat of the sun. I didn't know her parents, but I'm sure most of their food came from their farm or one close to home. I can't remember much in their house that was processed food. Most meals consisted of a roast chicken, or maybe a ham or pot roast, and don't forget the mashed potatoes with real butter, and a side of veggies like spinach, green beans or broccoli. One of my favorite memories was of an old-fashioned ice cream maker that she preferred to use when peaches were in season, and man oh man, did we ever look forward to that. There's nothing like homemade ice cream. Cream, milk, eggs, sugar, fruit and salt - that simple.

Margie eventually moved to Long Beach, CA with my great grandfather Alfred, and started a family. She had two boys around the age of 20, and in turn my mom was born about 20 years later. My mom would drive us to visit on weekends, and Margie would always ask my mom, "Are you feeding these skinny girls?" She would feed my sister and I non-stop to try to fatten us bony kids up. We were very skinny girls, and no matter how much we ate, we never gained weight due to our fast-paced metabolisms. Whatever she made for us, they were almost always simple whole foods - usually nothing with more than a few ingredients listed on the label, or no label at all.

Nowadays there has been a sharp increase in the amounts of convenience foods that contain a large list of ingredients; many being sugar or high fructose corn syrup, simple carbohydrates, bad fats and oils like canola and cottonseed that are toxic to our immune systems, and many a preservative or flavor enhancer that overstimulate our nervous systems. Most of these foods are scarce of any real nutritional value and cause your insulin to spike and pancreas to work overtime, which can eventually lead to a host of diseases like diabetes.

I feel most people have lost their connection to whole foods. We have lost our enjoyment of the simple things in life and what it can bring to our health and well-being. It is so easy to go through the motions of visiting a supermarket and mundanely grabbing whatever is on the shelves. We live in a fast-paced society, and these lifestyles are catered to by many a food manufacturer, and mostly to our detriment. We lose sight of what we are putting into our bodies, and this catches up to us in forms of ailments and chronic diseases. And when we start to get sick, we don't stop to think that it could be how we are fueling our engines; instead we reach for a magic pill to cover up the symptoms.

I am a key example of this.  After years of taking too many antibiotics and a diet high in simple starches and consuming more sugar than I realized, my body became unbalanced with systemic candida and I ended up in the hospital due to severe muscle inflammation - resulting in fluid in the lining of my lung.  Fun, eh? Three years later, I am still battling the effects of this today - fatigue and mood swings, memory and concentration problems, and many other symptoms like joint pain. It is very difficult to recover from and I am on a strict diet trying to regain my health.

Nowadays, I want to know where my food comes from. I truly believe that food has a pharmaceutical quality, and you are what you eat. I try to visit a farmers market at least once or twice a month to buy local, organic produce, healthy fats like avocados and nuts, and grass-fed meats and wild fish. I enjoy strolling down the aisles listening to street musicians and conversing with all of the interesting people who appreciate whole foods too.  It gives me a feeling of being part of the community I live in. No matter how urban my surroundings, I find it reassuring that I can go to the farmers market on the weekends and feel like I am in a different world altogether.

On my last visit, I bought grass fed beef to make stuffed cabbage, fennel for salads and stews, crunchy sweet Asian pears, and organic blueberries to add to my almond meal pancakes, gluten free cereals and smoothies. When I was drinking milk (I'm not now due to the sugar content and candida issue), I would buy raw milk from Organic Pastures. I believe that there are many nutrients we miss when drinking pasteurized milk. Curious about raw milk? Check out this site and read about the benefits. Also check out what the highly regarded Weston A Price Foundation has to say.

I try to carry on the traditions of many of the recipes my great grandmother used. I still remember those hot summers when my sister and I would enjoy cool, creamy homemade peach ice cream out of fancy sundae bowls. There were smiles all around. And that's how food is supposed to make you feel - good.