Food-Spa For A Healthy Gut!!!
Homemade Lavendar & Berry Komboucha by Julia Mueller
The paleolithic age. An anonymous being imparts a whole new function to “stone” objects. The man begins to break food into pieces, cut it, crush it, and cook it - the traditional way. There’s a lot to be said for cooking in traditional ways- it's the spirit that makes food taste better. Neither affirming nor denying but one thing I can say with conviction is - its time to get back to our roots, literally! It’s time to get away from processed and industrialized food and enjoy an energizing, nutrient-rich, satisfying lifestyle.
It’s time to feel GREAT!
I'm heavily into traditional food movement which focuses on real, whole food - food that our ancestors ate...and I'm making a conscious choice to change my family’s dietary habits, our lifestyle so that we can nourish ourselves, by being as close to natural way as possible.
From the food perspective, in a 'perfect world’, everything we eat would taste delicious, be conveniently available, and offer plenty of nutritional benefits. And that's my constant endeavor - to try to create the 'perfect world' for my family, on our 'food table'! You may ask if such a choice even exists in the real world? It certainly does -- in fact, there are endless options! One just needs to become more aware and switch to unprocessed, naturally raised, traditionally prepared, deeply nourishing, and decidedly unrefined food. This precisely is the reason, I try to float a maximum of healthy recipes/posts from my kitchen to raise awareness that adopting healthy eating habits without compromising with the taste is easily doable!
Probiotic-rich sauerkraut by holycow
Today I woke up intending to pamper myself. But with all the Spas under lockdown, the next best thing I could conjure up was a warm tub bath followed by a zen-meal in a zen-like setting, with diffused lights, water rippling down the black granite, relaxing aroma of my favorite essential oil filling the space, soft Tibetian raga playing in the background with occasional chimes of tingshas bell to add depth to the soundscapes and 'my kind of food' laid on the table.
Ever experienced five-senses-engaging-food-spa? I blissfully soaked in one today!!!
A non-bubbly, full of bubbles, apéritif made with ACV, monk fruit, freshly squeezed lime, a dash of cayenne pepper, chia seeds and topped with a Perrier
All organic stir-fried eggplant & zucchini topped with sesame seeds
Chia seeds raita made with probiotic yogurt
Puffed millet pilaf
Black rice
Pea & soya-flour chapati
Sauerkraut for a healthy gut
Raspberry and Lavender kombucha tea, a non-alcoholic-digestif, or a perfect full stop to a perfect meal!
Savoring the flavors, textures, aroma, of this healthy and sumptuous meal, all my five senses were fully engaged, soothed, satisfied, and stimulated, having enjoyed a real, meaningful spa in true sense!!
I have mentioned a 'healthy gut' in this post but how does a 'healthy gut' help and how to keep it healthy?
Well, by loading up on foods that help healthy bacteria thrive and your brain, skin, and every other part of your body will thank you!
A balanced gut microbiome is essential for optimal digestion, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of waste. Supporting a healthy inflammatory response, it also keeps your immune system strong. So now you understand why, "your gut matters"?
Many diseases can actually be traced back to an imbalance of the gut. How do you make sure yours is in good shape? By incorporating more of fermented foods in your daily diet. Fermented foods are like gourmet foods that help your gut microbiome flourish. They help to repair and strengthen your gut lining. You also need to up on sources of pre- and probiotics so you have plenty of good bacteria. Think of probiotics as healthy gut bacteria, while prebiotics (indigestible fiber) is fuel for the probiotics to do their job properly.
The fermentation of food and beverages is an ancient practice that has been used in every culture around the world. Germans make Sauerkraut; Koreans make Kimchi; the Japanese use soy to make Tempeh and Miso, and we Indians have our kanji, achars, (pickles), dhokla, fermented batter for idli and dosa! Some of the common fermented foods that we all are aware of and relish are Beer, Wine, Fermented Cheese and the Yogurt of course. Sharing a few more that can help in strengthening your gut lining-
Sauerkraut:
Sauerkraut is good for more than just topping a hot dog. Made from cabbage and salt, this fermented food delivers a healthy dose of probiotics and fiber. You can make your own or buy it at the store but look for the one in the refrigerated section as that will have more probiotics than shelf-stable canned or jarred varieties.
Kimchi:
Sauerkraut's Korean cousin, this fermented dish is made from fermented cabbage, radish, scallion, and cucumber combined with a variety of other seasonings. Its high in fiber and contains high amounts of vitamin C and several carotenes.
Pickles:
Fermenting a cucumber into pickle amps up cuke's power, infusing the crunchy veggie with probiotics. Like sauerkraut, not all pickles offer good bacteria, though. Look for those made with brine rather than vinegar. You can also use water, salt, and spices to naturally culture pickles and other veggies like beets, green beans, and carrots at home with delicious results.
Kefir:
A fermented milk drink, kefir tastes like drinkable yogurt and is full of calcium and probiotics. Just like yogurt, probiotics in kefir help break down lactose, so it may be easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. Kefir is delicious in smoothies or by itself.
Kombucha Tea:
Fizzy, tangy, and even slightly vinegar-esque, kombucha has a cult following for a reason. The tea gets its natural carbonation from the "SCOBY" (that floaty thing you see in some bottled varieties), which is another strategy to introduce more live, active good-for-you bacteria into your system.
Yogurt:
We have to give a nod to the most famous probiotic food, yogurt. Whether you love Greek or regular, low-fat or full-fat, look for the phrase "live active cultures" on the label. Live yogurt is an excellent source of the so called friendly bacteria.
Foods with healthy bacteria can help you get slim, stay healthy, and feel better than ever—reap the benefits of the best probiotic foods!
