Real Food Resources:
Tropical Traditions-Source for Coconut Oil, coconut flour, shredded coconut(and all things coconut) as well as maple syrup, organic sugar, olive and sesame oil, freeze fried fruit, organic dark chocolate and more. The highest quality coconut products I’ve found.
Mountain Rose Herbs: My source for herbs, spices, real salt, elderberries, essential oils, cocoa butter, shea butter, natural soap and lotion making supplies and teas.
US Wellness Meats – Where to get grassfed beef, free range poultry and wild caught seafood (unless we can get them locally), they have great prices on organic beef liver, organic beef jerky, tallow, and more!
Mercola.com--High quality supplements, fermenting products, cookware and more.
Amazon: Many of the grocery and food products that we can’t find locally, can be ordered from Amazon.
Gnowfglins Resources- If you’re new to fermented and natural foods, Wardeh has some great online classes and eBooks to make your transition easier!
What Are Fermented Foods?
Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and various strains of probiotics.
Natural fermentation of foods has also been shown to preserve nutrients in food and break the food down to a more digestible form. This, along with the bevy of probiotics created during the fermentation process could explain the link between consumption of fermented foods and improved digestion.
Cultures around the world have been eating fermented foods for years, from Sauerkraut in Germany to Kimichi in Korea and everywhere in between. Studies have even shown the link between probiotic rich foods and overall health (PDF).Sadly, with the advances in technology and food preparation, these time-honored traditional foods have been largely lost in our society.
Where Have All the Fermented Foods Gone?
The amount of probiotics and enzymes available in the average diet has declined sharply over the last few decades as pasteurized milk has replaced raw, pasteurized yogurt has replaced homemade, vinegar based picked and sauerkraut have replaced traditional lacto-fermented versions…the list goes on.
Even the much dreaded grains were safer to eat in earlier times since their preparation included soaking, sprouting and fermenting, which largely reduces the anti-nutrient content and makes them less harmful (I still didn’t say good!)
Instead of the nutrient rich foods full of enzymes and probiotics that our grandparents probably ate, the average diet today consists mainly of sugar laden, lab created dead foods.
Why Eat Fermented Foods?
Besides the fact that they taste great and really grow on you, there are several great reasons to start making and eating fermented foods:
- Probiotics- Eating fermented foods and drinking fermented drinks like Kefir and Kombucha will introduce beneficial bacteria into your digestive system and help the balance of bacteria in your digestive system. Probiotics have also been shown to help slow or reverse some diseases, improve bowel health, aid digestion and improve immunity!
- Absorb Food Better- Having the proper balance of gut bacteria and enough digestive enzymes helps you absorb more of the nutrients in the foods you eat. Pair this with your healthy real food diet, and you will absorb many more nutrients from the foods you eat. You won’t need as many supplements and vitamins, and you’ll be absorbing more of the live nutrients in your foods.
- Budget Friendly- Incorporating healthy foods into your diet can get expensive, but not so with fermented foods. You can make your own whey at home for a couple of dollars, and using that and sea salt, ferment many foods very inexpensively. Drinks like Water Kefir and Kombucha can be made at home also and cost only pennies per serving. Adding these things to your diet can also cut down on the number of supplements you need, helping the budget further.
- Preserves Food Easily- Homemade salsa only lasts a few days in the fridge- Fermented homemade salsa lasts months! The same goes for sauerkraut, pickles, beets and other garden foods. Lacto-fermentation allows you to store these foods for longer periods of time without losing the nutrients like you would with traditional canning.
Bring on the Bacteria! How to Incorporate Fermented Foods Into Your Diet
I’ll be delving into this more in the next few weeks and providing some recipes, but adding fermented foods to your diet can be an easy process (and can save you money on probiotics and digestive enzyme supplements!)
On a basic level, you can make foods like sauerkraut with just cabbage, water and salt on your counter (that recipe can be adjusted down to make 1 head of cabbage worth in a quart size jar).
You can also incorporate fermented drinks like Water Kefir and Kombucha (cultures available here) which are inexpensive to make and can be carbonated like soda!
Some other great recipes from around the web:
Fermented Salsa (lasts up to six months!)
Books--Health and Wellness Related:
Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Bath Back To Health by William Davis (Dr. Davis is a great guy and even agreed to do an interview with me!)
Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso – This is a great book full of great recipes and fun workouts. Sarah is an inspirational woman and I was also honored to guest post atEveryday Paleo, Sarah’s Blog. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It by Gary Taubes – A well researched critique of conventional wisdom on diet and nutrition.
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes- A more in-depth version of “Why We Get Fat.” It was actually written first, and then simplified in “Why We Get Fat” but it is a great read and it will indulge the inner scientist in you 
Lights Out by T.S. Wiley- Though I don’t agree with everything in this book, it cites some good studies about the importance of sleep and is good encouragement to start getting enough!
The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith- A great read, especially for anyone on the fence about vegetarianism.
Perfect Health Diet by Paul Jaminet- Don’t agree with all of his ideas (like safe starches) but he makes some good points.
Protein Power by The Drs. Eades- A great read by a great husband and wife team.
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston Price- A little dense at times but I highly recommend this book! He was one of the first to suggest many health ideas that are becoming mainstream today and this book is often referenced within the health community.
Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel- An informative book that follows many of the ideas of Weston Price.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Campbell-McBride-The book behind the GAPS diet and a good read. Especially important if you struggle with any kind of mood disorders, mental health difficulties or autism.
The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife- As if you needed more reasons to consume coconut oil… if you do, check this book out!
Power to the People by Pavel- A fitness book about kettlebells from the master himself.
The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss- I loved some of the strength protocols in this book and the promotion and way the book were written are as fascinating as the content!
Food and Cookbooks:
Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield- Some fun and easy recipes.
Make It Paleo by Bill Stanley and Hayley Mason- More good recipes!
The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam- The definitive guide to almond flour baking! Not all are low-carb, and I wouldn’t suggest using the agave (use honey or omit) but some great recipes overall.
Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals by Mark Sisson- The quality of the recipes in his original cookbooks but in much less time.
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz – An interesting read and some fun recipes and ideas for natural fermentation.
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon- A highly comprehensive cookbook of traditional foods.
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