The Importance of Gut Health

A healthy gut is the foundation of good health.Ancient cultures all over the world new the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in the gut and fermented foods and probiotic foods have been used in diets for centuries. In Ayurveda ‘agni’ refers to digestive fire and this fire is essential to longevity, vibrant health and daily wellbeing. In Chinese Medicine, gut health is also prioritised and essential to the ‘chi’ energy in the body.
Gut conditions seem to be prevalent in modern culture and come down to a few simple things- stress, poor diet, lack of movement, poor sleep, abuse of acidic foods or antibiotics etc. Gut conditions can be found at the root of many seemingly unrelated imbalances – from allergies, to arthritis, to depression.
Taking care of the gut is actually relatively straight forward, especially when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. One of the easiest ways to incorporate more beneficial probiotics into your diet and help improve the ecology of your gut is by eating fermented foods. 
Fermented foods lead to an increase of antibodies and a stronger immune system; plus, they regulate the appetite and reduce sugar and refined carb cravings. Recent scientific investigations have supported the important role of probiotics as a part of a healthy diet and provide a safe, cost effective, and natural approach to protect against microbial infection.
Some of the top sources of healthy probiotics and friendly bacteria include:

• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Pickles
• Miso
• Tempeh
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Coconut Yogurt

 You may be familiar with sauerkraut which is a very ancient food that has had a resurgence in popularity over recent years! The same beneficial microorganisms that create lactic acid in our digestive system are naturally present in vegetables and these are responsible for turning raw cabbage into highly-digestible nutritious sauerkraut. The fermentation process increases the number of microorganisms dramatically. When we eat sauerkraut we reap the benefits of absorbing an entire ecosystem into our own internal ecosystem! Incorporating unpasteurized lacto-fermented vegetables into the diet on a daily basis makes for excellent digestion and promotes overall good health and vitality.

Making your own Sauerkraut is actually incredibly easy and fun to do. Try this recipe below at home. Sauerkraut can be added to any meal as a condiment, or it is delicious on top of toast with avocado.
SAUERKRAUT RECIPE
Ingredients:

• 1 medium head green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• purified water

Method:

1. Remove three of the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside.
2. Very finely chop the entire cabbage (discarding the hard core) either with a regular knife on with the slicing blade in a food processor.
   
3. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add the sea salt.
4. With your hands, massage the cabbage until it begins to break down. It will release its liquid and wilt in size. Keep massaging for around ten minutes until you have soft cabbage with lots of juice.
5. Pack the cabbage into clean glass jars, pushing down as you go so that the cabbage
6. remains submerged in liquid. Leave around 3 centimetres at the top of the jar then take the outer cabbage leaves you set aside and roll them up, inserting them into the jar to push down the sliced cabbage, ensuring all of it is underneath the liquid.
7. Place the lid on loosely and set in a relatively cool, dry place for around 7 days.
8. Over the days, the cabbage will bubble a little and appear cloudy, remove any scum that may appear with a spoon. When ready, remove and discard the outer cabbage leaves and keep the jar of sauerkraut refrigerated.

Add to any meal you like for an extra probiotic boost!

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