Ginger Carrots

Fermented foods, they're great for your health. I spend like, LOTS of money on them and I'm totally tired of it. I started making my own. Here is the simple recipe:

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrots, tightly packed

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons sea salt

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices.

2. Place in a quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices cover the carrots.

3. The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.

4. Cover with cloth secured with rubber band and leave at room temperature for about 3-4 days before transferring to cold storage.

Coconut Oil Ghee

Green Pasture's Coconut Ghee blend is heaven-sent!  Not only am I head over heals in love with Green Pasture's products (their Fermented Cod Liver Oil is literally altering my overall health for the absolute better!), but this is the most delicious stuff I've had in a while.  I fry my morning eggs with it and/or cook my greens with it and the flavor is unreal.  A great company - a great product - a must try!

Fermented Foods for Digestive Health

It's simple: digestion is the key to good health. Good digestion is absolutely essential for optimal assimilation of the nutrients that we take in with our food. We Americans tend to think of eating food as fueling up and filling up, instead of what the act truly is- the taking in of the nutrients from which all future cells will be made. And those cells, of course, make up every single organ and system in the body. If you think about fermentation at all, you probably think about alcohol. But there are many other kinds of fermented foods such as yogurt out there. Foods that are labeled “pickled” are also fermented foods. Fermented food uses microorganisms to convert sugars into lactic acid, creating a signature sour taste.

That sour taste which many people may find unfamiliar should not be equated with unhealthy or expired. In fact, including fermented foods in your diet a few times a week or more could be beneficial for your health.

Fermented foods include:

• Miso. A paste made of fermented soy beans, it forms the base of soups or glazes.
• Sauerkraut. This familiar condiment is made of finely shredded fermented cabbage.
• Sourdough bread. Real sourdough bread is made with milk and other foods that have been allowed to ferment before making the bread dough.
• Kefir. A fermented drink made from milk.
• Yogurt. Yogurt includes live bacteria called probiotics.
• Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish made from pickled vegetables like cabbage or radish.
• Buttermilk. Buttermilk also includes probiotics.
• Natto. These fermented soybeans are a traditional Japanese breakfast dish.
• Poi. A fermented paste made from taro root.
• Tempeh. A cake made of fermented soybeans.
• Kombucha. A fermented tea.

Fermented foods help aid in digestion, so enjoying a spoonful of sauerkraut before a meal will go a long way. Goat's milk is a healthy yogurt option if cows milk does you wrong.  An added plus, consuming sour foods such as some of the ones above will help curb cravings...yippee!

Another way to keep your gut flora filled with the friendly bacteria that your digestive system needs to stay healthy, while boosting your immunity is to invest in a high-quality probiotic. Since I'm on the go a lot, I travel with Jarrow's probiotics because some of their formulas do not need to be refrigerated.  However, you can find many reputable brands in the refrigerated section of the health food store, or even a Vitamin Shoppe, or contact me to purchase high-quality Metagenics probiotics that will work best for you.