The benefits of fermented foods consumed on a regular basis are many. The principle is so fundamental to ancestral diets that over one-quarter of the 100+ videos on this site specifically address the topic of fermented foods and beverages.
The video below covers all the reasons why you should be fermenting foods and beverages in your home on a regular basis. This ancestral practice was key to the extraordinary health of indigenous cultures.
It’s key to your health as well.
If you are like most Westerners, the concept of home fermentation may seem a bit crazy at first. This is because it involves the cultivation of microbial life in your own kitchen!
How can this possibly be safe let alone beneficial to health?
You need to get over that feeling immediately if this is your mindset. Avoidance of all the microbes in nature will get you nothing but sick and riddled with autoimmune problems over time. For example, children who consume raw dairy (loaded with beneficial bacteria called probiotics), suffer from significantly fewer allergies and other autoimmunity issues than children who drink sterilized (pasteurized) milk. This is one of many examples of how beneficial microbes boost health.
Cultivation of well known fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut encourages the same type of microbial life. There are so many more delicious options for fermented fruits, veggies, drinks, and even meat, dozens of which are covered on this blog. So even if you don’t drink raw milk, you can enjoy similar health benefits.
These microscopic creatures are, in fact, the ultimate gatekeepers of our health. There is no need to fear them. Consumption of fermented foods helps encourage these beneficial strains to flourish within our GI tract. Their presence strengthens our resistance to the occasional pathogens that cross our path.
Your Body is Crawling with Bacteria All the Time!
In short, being a germaphobe is a surefire way to put a pathogenic bacterial bulls-eye on your forehead.
I’m not in any way saying don’t wash your hands or maintain a clean atmosphere in your home!
I’m simply trying to drive home the point that bacteria, like everything else, come in a good and a bad variety. The good news is that most of them are good.
Home fermentation involves the cultivation of these many strains of good bacteria and yeasts, also called probiotics. When consumed, these foods will encourage your gut lining to be home to these amazing little critters. Some strains have the ability to aggressively fight and reduce levels of any pathogenic strains like candida that inappropriately reside there. Bad microbes typically gain ground in our digestive tract when antibiotics or other meds like the birth control pill are taken. A nutrient-poor diet high in processed foods high in refined flour and sugar cause imbalances too.
Without the beneficial guys to fight back, you are at the mercy of any pathogen that comes your way. Trying to avoid them by being addicted to hand sanitizer won’t work either.
Bacterial Cells Outnumber Human Cells
There are actually 10 times more bacterial cells in your body than human cells! Our skin and every tissue of the body is crawling with bacteria all the time. Of course, bacterial cells are much smaller than human cells, which is how this fact generally goes unnoticed.
Learning to cultivate the bacteria that are beneficial to your health by regularly eating fermented foods that encourage their growth is absolutely essential to keeping disease and infections at bay. It is also crucial to recovering quickly when you do fall ill.
Every tissue of your body both inside and out is going to be dominated by bacteria one way or the other.
The question is, do you want your body to be dominated by good bacteria or bad bacteria?
If you want it to be good bacteria, then Welcome to the Wild and Crazy World of Lacto-Fermentation! It’s a Fun Ride, so hop on board!
For a complete transcript of this fermented foods and beverages video, click here.
Sources
Humans Carry More Bacterial Cells Than Human Ones, Scientific American
The Microbiome Diet (book)
Hi Sarah,
I just made liquid whey using whole milk organic yogurt, and the color of mine is yellow but I noticed yours is more white. Does the color make a difference? Is it still good?
Thanks,
Adela
Just got a book about preserving food traditionally, using LF methods, among others. It includes methods of soaking/rinsing repeatedly in just plain water, then sealing and cool storage. Have you ever tried this — without salt?? It shows this method for several veggies, incl green beans and Swiss chard. It’s a French book using ‘recipes’ from farmers, that was translated to English.
It shows that even in ‘modern’ times, traditional methods have been used. I got the book because it talked about preserving without water bath canning, which I despise. I use a pressure canner, but of course the high heat destroys the enzymes in the food.
Would love your feedback, Sarah.
Awesome. Thanks Sarah! I am looking forward to watching this with my 5 year old. She loves your video logs. They are a great springboard for us. My attempts to make my own have failed miserably, so I am very excited to try again, with your guidance. We all love Bubbies sauerkraut, but it gets a little spendy when we can go through a jar a day.
I am having yeast issues-can I still have fermented foods?
Yes, fermented foods help balance the gut and resolve yeast problems. You might find that the yeast issues get a bit worse at first before getting better as the pathogenic yeasts die off and cause an increase in symptoms temporarily.
I made the ginger drink recipe in the NT cookbook a good while ago. Nobody liked it. I think your is a bit different so I will try this one. I’ve been buying the gingerale kombucha (still not making my own yet) and we like that. Your gingerale sounds really good. I also want to add that I I find your videos very helpful.
I’ve fallen in love with ferments! Actually I found it surprising but sometimes I prefer the drinks to the foods. Fermented sauerkraut is still wonderful on top of my Mom’s pork roast recipe. Yum!
For the salsa recipe on this video, does the water play a role in the lacto-fermentation process or is it ok to just leave it out? I would instead like to include the juices and seeds of the tomatoes.
It’s fine as long as there is enough liquid to cover all the veggies.
Can the ginger ale be made without carbonated water?
The recipe calls for filtered water. You can add some carbonated water later after fermentation is complete to add more fizz but that is not necessary.
Can’t wait to watch this video when I get home! I actually just signed up for a Fermented Foods class that is a 3 hour small intimate workshop being run in Perth, Western Australia by the Weston A Price chapter. I am so excited, after that they’re running a fermented beverages class. I think between your videos and the classes I’m soon going to be a pro !!!
I just had another question though, is there things you can put around your home to promote good bacteria?? I dont know how this kind of thing works outside of food, but as you say good & bad bacteria are all around us – do people make their homes bacteria friendly – breathing wise?? Just a thought, I’d love if you did an article on earthing in the future too, really excited to learn more about that world 🙂 Love your blog!
Aimee, I know this is a long time on …. but hoping you catch this message. Where, oh where did you find a fermentation class in Perth! I am NOR but definitely happy to travel. And how did it all turn out for you?
Hi Deborah
Fermentation is alive and well in Perth. We just ran a workshop, fully booked out too, in the Hills for free. We’re part of Transition Towns movement and we think food health, food security is pretty important. Also sharing freely! Weston Price is pretty cool too! And Sarah (the HHE)
🙂