Fermented Foods: Good for the gut

Along with cutting out refined, sugary foods which feed the bad bacteria, you can start adding naturally-fermented food to your diet. These foods are rich in probiotic bacteria, which are good for your gut.

Fermentation has been used across cultures for centuries as a way of preserving food and drinks – but its benefits stretch far beyond a long shelf-life. During fermentation, microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi convert sugar and starch into alcohol and health-promoting acids (it’s worth noting that most homemade fermented foods, with the exception of alcoholic beverages, produce very small amounts of alcohol that will have no effect on you). These act as natural preservatives and give fermented foods their tangy, pleasantly-sour flavour. But, more importantly, the process of fermentation promotes the growth of naturally-beneficial probiotics.   

Apart from the physical benefits of a healthy gut, it can even improve your mental health. The gut is lined with neurons that influence your emotions, and it’s also responsible for producing serotonin, the hormone that affects your mood. So, if your gut’s healthy, chances are you’ll be happier too.  

There are plenty of fermented foods available in the shops, including yoghurt, amasi, sourdough, sauerkraut and kombucha tea. But they’re just as easy to make at home – and you can ferment just about anything!

Combine cinnamon, lemon juice, zest, salt and water in a medium pot.  Heat over medium heat until salt is dissolved.  Remove from heat, cover and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Wash apples. Slice the tops off two apples and set aside. Quarter apples, and slice very thinly.  Pack slices tightly into two one-litre jars, careful not to bruise them. Fill the jars with the cooled cinnamon-lemon-salt-water mix.  Place an apple top in each jar to submerge the slices.  Cover with coffee filters or cheesecloth.  Leave at room temperature for five to seven days. (The longer it’s left, the sourer it will be.) Keeps for three to six months in the fridge. Delicious with your morning oatmeal!

1 litre of plain yoghurt

Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel. Place colander in a bowl that’s large enough to hold it. Add the yoghurt to the lined colander and cover. Leave to drain for five hours in the fridge (the liquid that drains out is whey, which you can save to make “fermented tomato sauce”). Leave longer for a thicker consistency. Store in a resealable container in the fridge.

Place all your spices in a bowl. Add the fish sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, whey and garlic. Mix well. Place in a jar and leave at room temperature for two days, loosening the lid every so often to allow gases to escape. Store in the fridge and enjoy!