The holidays are here and while we’re still in the early part of the season, it’s important to get your body ready for the onslaught of cookies, cakes and nog that you’re sure to devour.
Before I took my culinary nutrition course I had heard only briefly about kimchi and the power of fermented foods. Now I can’t get enough of them. Many people underestimate the importance of gut maintenance in trying to lose weight.
85% of your immune system is housed in your gut. Yup, you read that right.
You have about 100 trillion bacteria, both good and bad calling your gut home sweet home. Therefore it should come as no surprise that your gut health also plays a large role in your metabolism.
Certain junk foods that you eat such as sugar and refined carbohydrates cause certain bacteria to release endotoxins, which increase inflammation and cause metabolic changes in your body that result in overproduction of insulin, increased appetite, increased fat storage and obesity.
One of the best kept secrets for burning fat and boosting your metabolism is by keeping your gut flora healthy with naturally fermented foods. Share on X
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi are so beneficial in detoxification and ridding your body of harmful toxins. The best thing is, a little goes a long way so it doesn’t take a lot to reap the benefits. About a quarter cup of fermented veggies with each meal is ideal, but I will say it’s a bit of an acquired taste so take your time in warming up to it.
You can make your very own fermented veggies at home with just a few simple steps.
It’s a lot easier than you think. This is one of my go to homemade kimchi recipes from Meghan Telpner which uses nutritious ingredients that you can easily find. Click here for the recipe.
I’ve also turned to fermented foods in my morning smoothie and love using Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Proteins.
You can click here to check it out.
Fermented protein aids in digestion and nutrient absorption. Over the years I’ve used A LOT of different types of protein powders – both whey and plant-based. I found that the whey protein powders aside from having artificial sweeteners and flavours, always made me feel bloated so as soon as I made that link, I dropped them. On my quest for the perfect plant-based protein powders this was the one that I found that didn’t make me feel bloated and most importantly tasted GREAT!
Genuine Health has not sponsored this post. I just think that their product is awesome!
What types of fermented foods have you tried?