Hi All,
It's incredible to see how much I've learned since writing this blog about Traditional Nutrition! Since beginning more research on bacteria's role in our bodies I have been finding that I need more ways to introduce these incredible parts of life into my own diet and environment. And, after doing so, am seeing how much of a difference they make in the way I feel and the way my body looks and operates.
Every traditional culture that I have studied, meaning a culture that has lived in the same place and eaten the same traditional foods for many generations, has had many sources of bacteria in the diet. For example, a traditional meal would consist mainly of bacteria (lactobacillus) rich foods. Raw, prepared cheese, yogurt, or kefir, saurkraut or kimchee, fermented drinks such as kvass or kombucha or even beer(once a traditional herbal fermentation!). Finally, very different from our culture today, the meat portion of the meal would sometimes be fermented! This sounds distasteful to our trendy palates, however pickled herring is still popular in some places, and is a delicious treat that can be fermented with bacteria rather than pickling solution.
Yesterday I went to visit a friend in Lexington, KY. She works on a CSA during the summer, and cans her excess vegetables for the winter. I was admiring her beautiful shelves of stock, but asked if she ever considered fermenting rather than canning her abundance. She had never though of it, she said, because she didn't really know how. Her granny had always canned, and so she followed suit.
I understand that well. My grandmother also canned, and made incredible applebutter! However, even though our closest ancestors canned vegetables it doesn't mean that we can't change the tradition and begin fermenting...thus teaching our progeny the value of a smart way to keep food alive during the winter, enriching our bodies not only with the beneficial bacteria found in these foods, but also enhancing the vitamins (espcially C) already present in the cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. that can be put into kraut. It's a change that would literally change the way we think of health, and taste.
In this blog, I also wanted to encourage everyone reading to look into the Weston A. Price Foundation. Founded in 1999, this foundation encourages real milk, whole foods, and a balanced traditional way of life. They are easily found on the web, and have countless articles, all for free, to help lead us in a very holistic direction. In addition, they publish a Buying Guide. This guide lists all of the approved foods of the foundation, and is an easy way to begin eating a very whole foods based diet.
Hi, I'm Victoria LaFont. I live in Paducah, KY and own Kentucky Roots Market. I just finished training to become a DONA certified doula, and am excited to begin assisting in births!
I have recently been asked to do more work with children and families suffering from autism. While continuing my education on the subject of autism, and the results found through diet changes, I read an article entitled 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome: The GAPS in our Medical Knowledge' by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. I found this article in the Winter 2007 edition of Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, a publication of the Weston A. Price Foundation. I have always been blessed with the information I find in this publication, along with all readings that the WAPF recommends. However, this article taught me so much more about our bodies extreme need for beneficial bacteria. Dr. Campbell-McBride begins by citing the incredible increase in cases of autism, ADD, and ADHD in the past 15 to 20 years. She then goes on to state that she has never worked with a child who was suffering from one of these disorders that did not also suffer from a digestive problem. Allergies and malnutrition are also universally preset among her patients. She states, 'When we test ... patients, we always find that they do not have normal gut flora. The beneficial bacteria in these patients have been replaced by all sorts of pathogens." She goes on to state that many 'harmful' pathogens exist in every patient...however in those with a healthy balance of gut flora the pathogens are not a problem. It is when the balance is off that the pathogens are able to reap havoc on the body, such as in cases of autism, ADD, or ADHD. She goes on to recommend fermented foods, a very small amount of probiotic increased over time, and a bacteria friendly diet as ways to begin recovery. This article cements my belief that the health of our bodies are so amazingly linked to the balance of healthy flora present.
Victoria LaFont is the owner of Kentucky Roots Market. You can contact her at kentuckyrootsmarket@riseup.net.
Although I've focused more on food preparation with lactic acid fermentation in past blogs, I'd like to use this blog to speak to a current issue in my own health that deals with bacteria. For a few months I've had problems with my teeth and gums. I've noticed that my gums have been receeding, and for someone who follows a whole food, traditional diet, I've been puzzled. What could be causing this painful and unattractive problem? I did some research and found that our oral health is very related to the balance of bacteria in our bodies. The presence of cavities, receeding or bleeding gums, and oral tissue health all deals with the amount of beneficial bacteria present in our salivia, and consequently, our bodies. I knew from my diet the wonders that whole foods can create in the body, such as the healing of cavities, chronic tendon and ligament pain, and depression. However, I was not so educated in the importance of bacteria balance. After carefully monitoring my pH balance (through testing with biological pH strips on urine and salivia) and slowly incorporating more bacteria rich foods into my diet, I noticed a marked change in my gums! Ah ha! My research was correct. Approximately three weeks of fermented drinks such as strong kombucha, kvass, and yogurt improved my gums. As well as these foods I began taking a very high quality probiotic from Dr. Ron Schmidt's website. This small instance proves more than ever the importance of fermented foods in my diet. I am continuing to learn the incredible amount of work that bacteria does for our bodies.
Victoria LaFont is owner of Kentucky Roots Market, a nutritional and fertility consultation located in Paducah, Kentucky. She loves goats, gardening, and snowy weather.
Fermentation can be applied to any food...even grains! Think sourdough bread and biscuits, the yummy slightly sour taste of these breads is also a digestive enhancement thanks to our little bacteria friends in the dough. While sourdough bread is sometimes a daunting thought to those of us in the rush and bustle of modern life, there are easy ways to incorporate the fermentation of grains into our diet. Simply soaking grains for a time before eating them in a warm, slightly acidic water (think adding a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice) allows enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid to be broken down before they hit our stomachs. These anti-nutrients make it hard for the body to absorb the good stuff found in grains, such as phosphorous, calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Soaking grains, however, allows these nutrients to be assimilated into our bodies. A simple and fast recipe is soaking oats overnight. The night before I will eat them I simply add boiling water and a bit of lemon juice to my oatmeal. In the morning I can warm it if desired, or eat cold. And, I always add lots of fresh butter, coconut oil, and of course, maple syrup.
Victoria LaFont is owner of the new business Kentucky Roots Market, based in the beautiful bluegrass. She loves goats, container gardening, compost, and sourdough bread.
Hello all! I have been at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's conference this weekend in Louisville, KY. I have had such an incredible and exciting time that I can't wait to post my blog! My first blog, Easy Fermentation, explained a simple way to make traditionally fermented saurkraut. After a little practice with the recipe, most people find a combination of cabbage and other spices that they can ferment for a few days and enjoy as a small savory serving with meals. A small amount of fermented vegetables, or some other lacto-fermented food or drink along with meals, introduces digestive enhancing bacteria to our bodies. Another step in preparing lacto-fermented vegetables is the introduction of whey to your vegetable mixture. Whey is a highly nutritious and multi-functional by-product of milk after cheese is made. Whey can be bought from a local provider, such as a farmer who makes homemade cheese (preferably from raw whole grass fed milk) or ordered from a whole food farmer near your home. I will cover some simple ways to make cheese in another blog, but for now let's assume that you are able to obtain whey without undertaking the task of making your own cheese. By introducing just a few tablespoons of whey into your fermented vegetables you are inocculating the mix with the lactic acid already present in the whey. Using whey will allow you to obtain a more predictable food, rather than relying on the unknown bacterias present in your vegetables and fermenting container. One of my all time favorite foods is shredded and pounded carrots, ginger and sea salt with an innoculation of whey obtained from making goat cheese. The flavor obtained from adding the whey is fantastic!
For the past four years I have been enjoying incredible homemade saurkraut. As a child I would watch my grandmother make saurkraut with vinegar and salt, and then use high heat to can the pickled cabbage before storing it on her pantry shelf. Then I learned a new way to make kraut, as well as other fermented vegetables.
Fermented foods were a staple of all traditional diets. Cheese, sourdough bread, aged meats, and fermented drinks such as kvass and kombucha were tasty everyday dishes, a smart way to preserve an abundance of food, and finally a very beneficial part of the diet.
To begin learning the beautiful art of fermented foods, let's start with an easy recipe for fermented cabbage, or saurkraut. Start by shredding your cabbage into thin strips, no bigger than 1/2 in. wide. A food processor is a fast way to go, but I prefer the old wooden kraut shredders. After shredding, take the cabbage and pound it! In order to break down the cell walls of the cabbage you must pound the cabbage in a mortar and pestle. Breaking down the cell walls better allows beneficial bacteria to begin the process of fermentation.
After pounding, mix the cabbage with unrefined sea salt, ginger, onions, or any spice that you like to eat. I love dill in my kraut. Take this mixture and tightly pack in a clean glass or crock container. Then, fill to the top with pure water. Place a whole cabbage leaf on top of the mixture to keep it fresh. Finally, lightly seal the container, or use a rubberband and cloth on top, and put in a warm but shady spot with a plate underneath (on top of the refrigerator works great).
Check this mixture in three days. You will begin to smell the distinctive saurkraut smell. Continue to allow the mixture to ferment as long as you'd like! Sometimes I find that it takes more than three days to aquire the taste that I prefer, such as in the cold months of the year. To stop the fermentation process, simply place in the refrigerator or a cold spot.
Introducing fermented cabbage and/or other vegetables in our diet greatly inhances our digestion. The beneficial bacteria helps to break down the other food eaten at a meal and places many strains of body friendly bacteria into our digestive systems. I especially love kraut with liver and onions!
I am a born and bread Kentucky woman who currently lives in Paducah, KY. I am a life student of 'the old fashioned ways' through nutrition, birthing (I am studying to become a doula and midwife), animal husbandry, and sustainable living. I have just opened my own business called Kentucky Roots Market! I focus on helping incorporate whole food nutrition into my client's busy lives, helping those who are struggling with fertility issues, and consulting on sustainable living solutions. If you'd like to contact me, email me at kentuckyrootsmarket@riseup.net.
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