Fermented Foods(Saurkraut, Coconut Yogurt, Kombucha)

Fermenting Foods I have been having so much fun making sauerkraut, kombucha, water keifer, non-dairy coconut  yogurt and brined Bison Brisket for us and private chef clients! I just had an opening for 2 more private clients, so if you would like a break from cooking, call me! I can work with any budget, diet and customize it all just for you with love. I am amazed at how easy it is to make fermented food, once you know a few tricks, and how much money you can save! I love customizing my food to my own liking, don’t you?  The benefits of enjoying fermented foods are that they contain lots of healthy bacteria like you find in probiotics!  Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics. This can be helpful in improving digestion and overall health.  Although the fermented foods have probiotics, we are not sure how many survive the acid of the stomach and digestion. So, keep taking a good quality probiotic as well. I also suggest you start slowly to avoid any digestive discomfort. Start with 1 TBSP. of sauerkraut which is a great garnish on top of food or 1/4 cup Kombucha/Keifer/Yogurt, and slowly increase the amount each week until you are eating the amounts that you desire.  Did you know that 80% of our immune system is in the intestines(gut)? Yep, it’s true. So, keeping the gut healthy is always a perfect place to start  improving overall health as well as digestion.  I love Naturopathic Medicine because it is really good at healing people’s guts. It also looks at the whole body as a unit and the philosophy is to get to the root cause and heal it, not to block a pathway with drugs and ignore the cause.  I encourage you to eat fermented foods daily, and to have a good Naturopathic Doctor, who has been to 4 yrs. of medical school, on your team because it is important to have a doctor that is educated and experienced.  To find a licenced ND in California go to: http://www.CalND.org, and anywhere else in the US go to: http://www.Naturopathic.org or check out the list of the one’s I know and trust at http://www.NoWheatNoDairyNoProblem.com  Do you want to learn to make your own Fermented Foods; and save money?   Fermented Foods Workshop! If you would like to learn how to make your own, I will be teaching a workshop on many of these items between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz on Saturday August 2nd from 10am-12noon! You will get to take home a big jar of sauerkraut  that you choose from a variety to things to add in! Limited space so Email me now to reserve your place laurenskitchen1@gmail.com If you don’t like to cook, call me and I’ll make/cook customized meals for you and deliver them! I wish each one of you beautiful souls, a wonderful, safe summer! May you enjoy sunshine, eating, cooking and being with loved ones without worrying or suffering. I look forward to seeing you soon in a cooking class or my Fermentation and Skin Care Workshops! See all the classes and workshops I am offering this summer below. Be Well & Thrive into your Dreams,  Lauren