Let’s move on to the 3rd food you’ll want to add to your grocery list, especially if you’re focusing on this month’s topic: DIGESTING LIKE A CHAMP.
Go on, add this to your list:
FERMENTED FOODS. Especially all things kraut-related.
For those who wish to know the ‘why’ behind this idea, I’ll give you three things to think about.
TO HELP ENHANCE YOUR DIGESTIVE FIRE
In a few different ways, in fact. Fermented foods have naturally occurring lactobacillus bacteria, and many other types of bacteria. When something like cabbage is fermented into a sauerkraut or kraut juice, the pH is similar to that of your hydrochloric acid at the stomach level. This helps enhance your stomach’s work of producing enzymes that will break down protein. This enables you to better break down those proteins you’re eating into smaller components = nutrients.
Fermented foods are also rich sources of probiotics and live enzymes. Enzymes are the chemical scissors you need to break foods down into nutrients - huzzah to their work!
Ferments help better break foods down for you, and enhance your ability to get those nutrients IN to your body as well by nourishing the cells lining your gut.
FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR MICROBIOME
Consuming fermented foods help enhance diversity at the gut lining, in that 3rd layer of your gut — the MICROBIOME. The weird, wonderful world of your innards, kitten.
When you help enhance the microbiome, now you work at reducing inflammation at the gut level. Did you know that low grade inflammation is but one of the saboteurs to shutting down your digestion?
Get at it! Fire it up - with all types of ferments including sauerkraut and kraut juice.
FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR GUT LINING
Kraut juice is a rich source of glutamine - an amino acid (protein building block) that happens to be one of the favourite foods of the cells of your intestines. When they have their fave food, they have the best chance at full expression of their work + abilities. This helps nourish deeply in order to build a strong gut barrier.
When this works is achieved, you now work at reducing the low grade inflammation stress that inadvertently ends up shutting down digestion in the first place. So in a round about way, by looking after the cells of your gut, you then help improve digestion at the next incoming meals!
All kinds of ferments can help enhance your digestive fire.
Ferments. Who knew?
ok well I did. But now you do too! Fermented foods do so much. I think they’ll also do the dishes for you, if you ask them nicely…
Of course, if you struggle with histamine issues, adding in fermented foods is one of the much much later steps for some, and a never-step for others, depending on your situation. Holler my way if I can help with that.
Aiming for a return to digestive prowess? Looking to fire this important function up? Need some help in achieving it?
Get in touch by clicking here. Let’s meet up to start drawing up your road map to support you in both quantity and quality of life.