Fermentation Travel Fun

I eat probiotic foods also known as fermented foods to augment my gut flora. After 2 years of antibiotics for Lyme disease, my microbiome was depleted and I desperately needed new tenants who would help me on my wellness journey.  Probiotic foods are nutrient dense foods worth trying. Consistent support is key, so I also make an effort to eat probiotic foods when I travel and have some fermentation travel fun.

All the information on healing I read suggests my fullest recovery depends on repairing my gut. Gut bacteria, help digest food, protect us from less desirable organisms like candida and c-diff and interact with and modulate our immune system. I was taking probiotic supplements, then I read that wild fermented foods provide a much broader base of live organisms than the up to 20 or so freeze dried strains in most supplements.  Whenever possible I try get the nutrients and biome tenants I need from real whole living food, so wild fermenting seemed ideal.

I started slowly by purchasing living kraut and pickles. You really have to check the labels. Some refrigerated products are preserved with sodium benzoate or other things. If sauerkraut is preserved or canned at room temperature, it likely contains very few of the organisms you are looking for. Look for a company like Real Pickles who make living ferments.  For a sweet graphic and more info on types and benefits of fermented foods, click here.

Figure out The Fermented Foods you like

After that I transitioned to home fermenting. Now I always have pickled beets and my version of Saurkraut in the fridge and my favorite pickles diakon and garlic. I put a little on our plates at least once a day to supplement our main meal. I just finished “cooking up” a batch of fermented beets and cranberry apple chutney is on the counter as I write. On occasion I make coconut yogurt using my dehydrator. I didn’t learn this in my family kitchen. My mom taught me about vinegar pickling rather than Fermentation.

How did I start fermenting at home? Slowly,  I wanted to make sure I didn’t poison myself, so I took a wonderful class with Brittany Wood Nickerson of Thyme Herbal http://www.thymeherbal.com Brittany made everything clear and doable for me. I followed up with some books on fermentation. Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz has a broken binding from use. A number of Paleo cookbooks have fermentation recipes that are fun and easy to make.

Ayurveda which I study and love suggests balance in the intake of the variety and amount of probiotic foods.  In Ayurveda there is a lot of focus on digestion as a cornerstone of good health. It’s about optimizing digestive fire or agni. Food based probiotics help keep digestive fires stoked. Cate Stillman has blog post “Ayurveda and Fermented Foods” that discusses this in depth.

Fermentation Travel Fun on a tour?

While traveling on vacation fermented foods came up as a topic in discussion. I brought some coconut kefir in single shot bottles for the trip. I was adding fermented coconut water shot to my morning drink and my sister in law asked about it.   She grew up in a southern family that had home- made fermented products as part of their regular diet. We started talking about how I use fermented veggies and liquids as part of a healthy diet to help heal my gut.

When she found out I make my own ferments at home, she suggested a little road trip. Off we went to Superstition Meadery in Prescott Arizona for a tour and tasting.  Oh what fun….

As a rule I don’t drink, but I broke the rule to try a taste of Meade. Meade is fermented honey. Four of us tried 4 specific one ounce taster samples. I have to admit, compared to any other drink I have tried, there was more differences mead to mead, than in wine or beer. Here is a web site with information on Meade. http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/index.htm. I really enjoyed the experience.

A small business Superstition Meadery is a fun and unique cafe with the fermentation room visible through a window. The Meade samples I tried were good to extraordinary. The flavor evolved in my mouth unfolding into delicious. Although there wasn’t a big probiotic benefit from the samples I got to enjoy a new taste and see fermentation in action.  Nice add to an Arizona visit.

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