Superior Self / Fermented Foods

With all the hullabaloo about fermented foods and the intestines needing probiotics, folks have been eating yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, Kimchee and other stinky food like wildfire.

While I am happy to see so many people wanting to improve their gut mocrobiome and their immune system, there are a lot of products in the pickled and fermented world that aren't so healthy after all.

First of all, if any fermented vegetable has been pasteurized it can sit out on a shelf for a couple of years. So the pickles, pickled veggies, and sauerkraut on the non-refrigerated aisles in the grocery stores have no good bacteria for your intestines. The pasteurization process is heating the food to the point where the probiotics are killed. The big manufacturers usually add sugar and vinegar too. They still have fiber and taste good though. Remember the fermentation is raw, natural, and takes time. Afterwards the fermented foods must be kept in a cool, dark place like our ancestors practiced, or placed in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process. The fermented foods to buy at the grocery store should say raw on the package.

The dairy that is fermented like kefir, yogurt and cheeses should have no sugar added. Some major label brands advertise millions of probiotic cultures inside their tasty and expensive yogurt. There is also about 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in the container too. Sometimes there are stabilizers and additives and preservatives on the label. The sugar makes our glucose level in our bloodstream rise up and negates any good the probiotics may do. I suggest sticking to plain yogurts for the probiotics you want to plant in your intestinal garden.

I want to hear from you!
Blessings,
​KJ Landis