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A few weeks back I mentioned I was going to discuss more about fermentation and the AMAZING benefits it provides you for better health and vitality.  Well, here it is!  Within my 10 years of eating a raw diet, I have experimented on and off with fermentation.

There are SO many differing opinions on fermenting…especially in the raw world.  Some experts say its really not good for you and your basically eating decaying food.  Others spout extensively about the wonderful benefits and feel passionately that fermenting is really vital to your body’s health.

Within a few years of eating a raw diet, I learned about fermenting.  I started making many of my own fermented foods, just to see how it would effect my body.  You will hear me repeat OVER and OVER on my blog how important I believe self experimentation is.  Everyone’s body ecology is different.  Everyone has personal physical weaknesses that might deeply benefit from fermentation.  Mine did!

I spent the next few years fermenting away and really LOVING it!  Because my bowels and immune system has been weakened by all my surgeries, bad lifestyle habits, & loads of pesticides in my food, fermented foods works powerfully well with my body and its need to have energy and feel strong.  Though fermented foods can definitely help anyone who tries it,  I think the extremity of the results will speak for themselves on how badly your personal body may or may not need fermented foods.

I do think everyone has compromised immune systems nowadays and fermenting foods really can increase ALL bodily functions and organs to perform better.  To function more effectively.  I’ve seen with myself and the people I’ve worked with who have tried fermentation for themselves.

You have about 400 different types of microflora or good bacteria inoculating your internal stomach lining.  This microflora does a WIDE variety of things for your body….from helping food to digest and assimilate better….to increasing systemic enzymatic activity.  When you increase systemic enzyme activity, you look and feel younger.  You have more energy.  Enzymes are catalysts to help rebuild tissues and keep our skin and hair looking and feeling great!

All this microflora aids in almost every bodily process to keep your system functioning at its highest.  When your bowels are short microflora or your not producing or ingesting enough,  or you’ve ever taken antibiotics in your lifetime, your health suffers.

There truly is only one disease….constipation.  Lots of flourishing microflora, increases bowel movements which includes quickened excretion of waste, decayed fecal matter.  Cleaning house internally through bowel cleansing, is an excellent way to get yourself started on a HEALTHIER you, along with rebuilding all that microflora through use of probiotics and fermented foods.

I ADORE the article below because not only do we know about all the AWESOME benefits physically of balanced gut flora but now its showing an inspiring emotional reason to eat fermented foods.  You might actually feel HAPPIER!  Who doesn’t want that?

I’m a very happy, content person in my life right now and I’m open to believing part of the reason for that is my extensive use of fermented foods.  About 4+ years ago, I decided to try a pretty strict raw diet that advocated no fermented foods.  I wanted to experiment with myself again to see how my body responded when I stopped eating fermented foods.

I did spend a couple years not noticing a significant difference.  It wasn’t until I reintroduced fermented foods back into my diet that I noticed that biggest difference.  I did notice I was feeling more elation, for sure.  But even better, I noticed my skin looking better.  My hair looking better. My brain fog I get off and on is COMPLETELY gone!  My body just functions BETTER, in every way.   I’m a believer at this point….

I have taught classes here locally on  fermented foods.  I used to make VOLUMES of my own kombucha years back but decided quickly that was more work than I wanted and moved onto just purchasing it from the store.  Making your own kombucha is very SIMPLE!  It was the 12 gallons I was making at once that made it overwhelming for me.  You should google how to make your own and try it.  You are always welcome to email or call me if you have questions.

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Laurel Farms is the BEST site to learn EVERYTHING you want to know about Kombucha.  Betsy is actually is the women to helped bring kombucha to America.  I’ve actually talked with her on the phone a couple of times.  She’s VERY sweet and takes the time to make sure you feel you know what your doing.  If you are going to purchase a mother, I would make sure its from her! 

Of course, I am discussing fermentation today because I believe fermentation is a very VITAL key to the health of your unborn child.  Read the article below for yourself and decide what you think.  Some recent research is showing the effects of coconut kefir on children with autism.  Gut flora feeds seems to feed the brain in ways other foods may not.  I just recently watched a video where a women swears she helped get her husband’s Alzheimer’s  symptoms decrease in every way.  In fact, she thinks he’s cured from it.  All because of coconut kefir!

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Also, balanced gut flora feeds your baby in EVERY way possible during your pregnancy.  It does set the stage for the health or ill health of your child after birth.  GBS (Group B Streptococcus) seems to be a huge fear for a lot of women and families right now.  I believe working on creating healthy microflora before and during your pregnancy, can potentially thwart any issues with GBS.  I will post more on that later and discuss my personal views on GBS so check back soon!

I have posted 3 videos below as well.  The first shows the health benefits of drinking kombucha.  The second is just a video I thought was quite funny, is a little girl gnawing on a kombucha mother. (The mother is the main microbial piece that keeps the teas good bacteria growth in check)  HYSTERICAL!  Let me tell you, that thing would NOT taste good! I’m was shocked this little girl was eating it.

The last video shows you how to make your own coconut kefir and yogurt.  We’ve been making coconut kefir at our house for about a year now.  I make sure my kids get it several times a week.  POWERFUL stuff!  The MOST delicious food we make is coconut yogurt ice cream!  YUMMY!  Oh, I do not use kefir grains.  Never have.  I just used the magnificent probiotic capsules!  Those seem to do just as well. 🙂

I hope you all start experimenting with microflora and fermented foods.   I will be posting a lot more about it.  I do see fermentation playing a large role in keeping you physically healthy and fit.

In Peace,
Rachel
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Early Gut Bacteria Regulate Happiness

This research shows that normal adult brain function depends on the presence of gut microbes during development. Serotonin, the major chemical involved in the regulation of mood and emotion, is altered in times of stress, anxiety and depression and most clinically effective antidepressant drugs work by targeting this neurochemical.

Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC used a germ-free mouse model to show that the absence of bacteria during early life significantly affected serotonin concentrations in the brain in adulthood. The research also highlighted that the influence is sex dependent, with more marked effects in male compared with female animals. Finally, when the scientists colonized the animals with bacteria prior to adulthood, they found that many of the central nervous system changes, especially those related to serotonin, could not be reversed indicating a permanent imprinting of the effects of absence of gut flora on brain function.

This builds on earlier work, from the Cork group and others, showing that a microbiome-gut-brain axis exists that is essential for maintaining normal health which can affect brain and behavior. The research was carried out by Dr Gerard Clarke, Professor Fergus Shanahan, Professor Ted Dinan and Professor John F Cryan and colleagues at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC.

“As a neuroscientist these findings are fascinating as they highlight the important role that gut bacteria play in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, and opens up the intriguing opportunity of developing unique microbial-based strategies for treatment for brain disorders,” said Professor John F Cryan, senior author on the publication and Head of the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience at UCC.

This research has multiple health implications as it shows that manipulations of the microbiota (e.g. by antibiotics, diet, or infection) can have profound knock-on effects on brain function. “We’re really excited by these findings” said lead author Dr Gerard Clarke. “Although we always believed that the microbiota was essential for our general health, our results also highlight how important our tiny friends are for our mental wellbeing.”