American food culture ditched fermented foods many decades ago. At least traditionally fermented foods. When Weston A Price traveled around the world in the early 1900s he observed how people who were still eating along the lines of their traditional ancestors had overall better teeth and health. Part of what these people were eating were traditional fermented foods like fermented dairy, fermented meats and lacto-fermented veggies.
Taking my son through the GAPS diet taught me a great many things about health and wellness. Food really is medicine and one of the pillars is fermented foods. But not just any fermented foods will do. For example, store bought sour cream or yogurt pale in comparison to their homemade versions. Not to mention, most yogurts contain far too many sugars that end up making gut dysbiosis worse.
If you are doing GAPS, or preparing to do GAPS, it is best to make your ferments at home. Anything you purchase at a store is going to have some level of pasteurization which means heat, which means death to beneficial microbes. Even brands like Wild brine, which I like, have been pasteurized to some degree. If you are in a healing journey of your own you will get a more desirable outcome by making and consuming your own ferments. Consuming many different strains of beneficial bacteria is the best way to change the environment of the gut and help the gut heal.
Some of my favorite fermented foods:
- Fermented/Pickled Garlic – I almost always have this ferment in the house. Garlic combats yeast overgrowth (eczema is connected to yeast overgrowth). It is also a really great ferment to have during cold and flu season. Garlic is an antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and just all around a bad you-know-what.
- Traditional Sauerkraut. I love a good Sauerkraut and we tend to eat a heaping spoonful with every dinner. When we were on GAPS I made every batch. But now that we are not on GAPS I tend to purchase some higher quality versions. Wild brine is one of them. Always look in the refrigerated version for all ferments. Sauerkraut is very high in vitamin C. So if you feel sickness coming on I would increase the kraut!
- Kefir – If you tolerate fermented dairy Kefir is King. Kefir is made up of beneficial bacteria AND yeast. It is a powerhouse ferment and excellent for treating eczema. Many eczema sufferers can see their eczema disappear just by consuming kefir. If you can make it at home from raw dairy that is excellent. The next best option is from grass fed milk from the store. Make sure it is not UHT but vat pasteurized or just pasteurized. If you are purchasing it be sure and ask if it is a 24 hour ferment. To be GAPS-legal all dairy must be 24 hour fermented. This ensures all of the sugars are eaten up. We don’t want to feed the pathogenic bacteria, we want to get rid of it.
- Cabbage Tonic – This is another great one for those who maybe can’t stand sauerkraut but want all the benefits. It is great for the early stages of Intro when you can only consume the brine of ferments.
- Pickles – I love a good pickle. I have made my own and bought them. Bubbies is a decent brand if you are purchasing but if you can master the homemade pickle I think those are best.
- Ginger Carrots – Other than pickles, this one seems to be a good transition ferment for most kids. It is sweet with a slight tang to it. It is simple to make, too. You shred a couple of cups of carrots and grate 2 tablespoons of ginger. Mix them together, add your salt or salt and whey combo and filtered water to ferment.
Do you have a favorite ferment? Or brand? I’d love to know.