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The Magic of Fermented Foods

Kefir, Rejuvelac and Raw Cultured Vegetables

What do famous long-lived cultures like the Hunzans and the Villacambans and Georgians have in common? Well, a couple of things: Since there are no SUV's to cart them from place to place, people of all ages are forced to scamper up and down very steep hills carrying heavy sacks of grain, rocks, babies, whatever, and they work like this way into their nineties. So number one would be: Exercise.

Secondly, they have a Diet Rich in Enzymes. They make extensive use of fermented milk products, grains, vegetables and fruits. I personally think that's why yogurt became so popular back in the 60's - we health nuts had just gotten wind of these terribly old people in the Himalayas, the Andes and in the Caucasus Mountain Range in Russia who ate a lot of yogurt. So we created the demand, Dannon filled it in the 60's and here we are today with what? Fifteen or so brands of yogurts to choose from?

Every ethnic culture has their ferments: The German's have sauerkraut and the Nordic cultures, pickled fish; the Ukraines make beet kvass, the Japanese have tempeh, natto miso and umeboshi plum. The Chinese government distributes cabbage to the population each fall to ferment and store through the cold winter months.

The Russians love their kefir and school kids are still given a daily glass of kefir courtesy of the government. The French are proud of their fancy crème fraiche and at the opposite end of the spectrum we have the indigenous Eskimos with their drop-to-one-knee stinky fermented, "autolysed" or pre-digested fish. (For easier swallow-ability?) Koreans have kim chi. Yogurt was originally from Bulgaria. The Middle East and India both have fermented milk products called laban and dahi respectively and lastly, the Masai consume milk as their principal food, soured and in cultured form and added to the warm cows blood that they are so crazy about.

I don't really think those of us here in the good old US of A have our own indigenous fermented product, except maybe Rejuvelac which Anne Wigmore developed for her cancer patients way back when. So, let's just adopt a couple from other countries - maybe NOT the blood one from the Masai or the stinky fish one from the Aleuts if you don't mind: But how about Rejuvelac, Kefir and Cultured vegetables? All are rather easy to make at home and taste good to boot. Plus they have the very high enzyme content that will give our inner terrain a balanced ecosystem.

Look in the Handouts section of my website and you will find recipes for all three.

Our intestines are sometimes called our "second brain" and house about 85% of our immune system in the microflora. In fact Donna Gates (The Body Ecology Diet) maintains that it is this second brain which ultimately controls the primary brain in our head. This is why, for example, when I suggest that sensitive kids eliminate wheat, they suddenly start paying attention in school and have no need for Ritalin anymore. The same receptor sites for neuropeptides and other brain chemicals that exist in our brain are also present in our gut. Ergo: A Healthy gut promotes a Healthy brain.

As we age, our enzyme levels drop significantly, and as the body becomes older and weaker and the enzymes become fewer, we begin to manifest the signs of aging. Researchers at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago found that old people have about 1/30th the amount of enzymes in their saliva as younger folks. Also that people who carry high enzyme activity into old age, live longer. And live better, I might add: With a continuous population of healthy enzymes in the gut affecting the neuropeptides in the brain, it stands to reason that there would also be a diminution of senile dementias, depression and other neurological disorders as well.

The enzymes from fermented and cultured foods are also terrific at healing a leaky gut or any disorder like chronic candidiasis, digestive problems, fibromyalgia, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, immune disorders. Some report clearer eyes, easier periods, healthier looking skin and a general feeling of well-being. By including fermented foods in our diet, we can reestablish a healthy inner terrain which in turn will protect us from harmful pathogens and environmental toxins.

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