Fermented Foods Challenge
/If you have been within earshot of me over the past month you've no doubt heard that I'm having a lot of fun integrating Good Energy foods into my life. I don't jump on fitness fads or biohacks. And that's not what Good Energy is. All the foods and lifestyle behaviors Dr. Means recommends are known: eat REAL food, drink CLEAN water and MOVE your body strategically. But her story and her presentation of research and science really pump me up. And when she says "I promise, if you eat this way you'll quickly feel amazing" I thought sure, I'm in. And I'm having a BLAST!
First, I HIGHLY encourage all my clients to read (or listen) to the entire book. It's fascinating and for me personally one of the most influential books I've read (along with Essentialism and Why We Sleep). Week over week since starting this book I've slowly and then quickly begun integrating more and more "Good Energy" foods into my diet. And I'm reinvigorated about food as medicine and passionate about trying new things, supporting sustainable farmers and using food to fuel my mitochondria!
And as Dr. Means promised, I feel amazing. I'm sleeping better, my blood pressure has lowered, I have loads more energy, experience less stress and fatigue, feel less bloated, feel more alert and my HRV/recovery metrics have increased. Even my relationships have improved and my sweet husband has commented how I’m thriving. I hear my mitochondria thanking me. Ok, that last part may be an overstatement. But if my mitochondria could talk they would be thanking me!
One of her many recommendations (read the entire book, please!) is to integrate fermented foods into our daily diets. Now, I've heard this before. And resisted. Because... ew. I'm not naturally adventurous with my food choices. Until now. Fermented foods support our gut biome which plays a critical role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function and even mental health. And fermented foods are helpful because of their probiotic and postbiotic properties.
I didn’t know much about how to eat fermented foods. I already eat plain Greek yogurt daily (with mixed berries and local honey) which I love and is fermented. So I set the goal of eating a serving of sauerkraut each day for a week. Turns out it’s not that bad and when you find the right way to integrate it (like in a super salad) it actually tastes good! Then I tried kimchi which always scared me because I don’t love spicy foods. I found a mild one and tossed it into scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. YUM! Now I just add it to my dinner as a side or to my veggies. Easy. My favorite sauerkraut is homemade by my awesome clients Jim and Sarah. But when I quickly ate all of it I found Wildrine (sold at loads of grocery stores) makes great cabbage and beet kraut and kimchi.
Dr. Means recommends building up to SIX servings a day to significantly increase microbacteria diversity and decrease inflammatory markers. That seemed crazy at first. But I was already up to three and feeling it, and I’m no quitter! So I went to the store and got some fermented feta and brine-cured olives to add to my lunch salad and some plain, no sugar added kefir (which I had never heard of). I started making a dessert mixing basil seeds (super high in fiber) with kefir and kiwi and nectarines and cinnamon. It’s pretty tasty. Boom. SIX!
In the coming weeks I look forward to trying Natto, Tempeh, Miso and any other fermented treats I can get my hands on. What are your favorite ways to eat fermented foods?
