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Fermented Foods

Monday, 02 April 2012 10:51

Fermented foods have been used for centuries in many parts of the world, in the form of traditional foods and drinks. We now know that there are many health benefits to consuming fermented foods on a regular basis, especially for digestion and gut health. Foods can be fermented either naturally or by adding starter cultures that contain micro-organisms. It is these beneficial organisms that produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances.

These micro-organisms are what transforms the raw food into something new.The lactic acid that is produced is what preserves the food allowing it to be safe to eat. Lactic acid is also what promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestines.In addition to taking probiotics for optimal gut health, consuming fermented foods is also an effective way to add more good bacteria to our diet. Many people believe that consuming fermented foods helps not only in improving digestion, but in overall health. A main focus being on how fermented foods can actually improve our immune system and make our bodies better at fighting off infection. It is easy to add more fermented foods to our diet -many are readily available at grocery and health stores.Start incorporating small amounts at a time, and notice if you feel improvement with your digestion. If you really wanted to, you can even learn how to make fermented foods yourself. There is definitely a learning curve when you first start, but there is really not much to it once you get the hang of it!

There are many fermented foods consumed around the globe. Let's go over a few of the most well-known ones that are also readily available to us here in Canada too.

Kefir
This is a fermented food that is becoming more popular, and even available to purchase at grocery stores. Kefir is a viscous and acidic milk beverage produced by fermentation of milk, with a particular grain in Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. Kefir is easily digested and provides the body with beneficial micro-organisms that contribute to a healthy immune system. You can drink kefir on its own or add to smoothies.

Sauerkraut
This is one of the most common household fermented foods. Made from cabbage, sauerkraut combines the health benefits offered by all cruciferous vegetables, and cabbage is especially high in vitamins A andC. Cabbage also provides phytonutrient antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. After the fermentation process, sauerkraut contains probiotics giving it more health benefits.

Kimchi
The traditional Korean dish served with every meal is one of the most beneficial fermented foods.Like sauerkraut, kimchi is also made from cabbage and has probiotics derived from the fermentation process. It is beneficial in aiding digestion and helping with constipation. While we may not be accustomed to eating kimchi with our breakfast, it does make an excellent accompaniment to stir-fried vegetables and meat dishes.

What is ORAC?

Monday, 02 April 2012 10:04

Are you familiar with ORAC? It is a term used quite frequently, in reference to super foods, antioxidant supplements, and fruits and vegetables. So what is it? ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical AbsorbanceCapacity and its values are measured in units. ORAC is a method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods.

Since we know that antioxidants are very powerful at fighting off free radicals, ORAC is able to show which foods, like fruits and vegetables, rank highest. We know that foods higher on the ORAC scale will more effectively neutralize free radicals. According to the free-radical theory of aging, this will slow the oxidative processes and free radical damage that can contribute to age-related degeneration and disease.

ORAC value allows us to understand the "power" of a food, meaning how powerful it is for neutralizing free radicals and creating balanced healthy cells. The basic understanding of the ORAC rating is that the higher the ORAC value of a food, the higher the foods antioxidant level. You can use the ORAC value to compare fruits or vegetables themselves, but not products made from them. The ORAC value was not meant to be used as a comparison point between different products.

Different processes will create different results for two products using the same fruit or vegetable. This is because factors like whether a product is fresh, dried, or dehydrated will affect values. Remember, ORAC values are based on weight,which is why raisins score higher than grapes, and prunes score higher than plums. The following is a list of high ORAC value fruits and vegetables. I’m sure most of these will not come as much of a surprise to you!

Top ORAC fruits: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, red grapes, plums, cherries.
Top ORAC vegetables: kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers,eggplant.

You may have noticed some of the super foods on the shelves at health stores. This includes super fruits like acai berry, pomegranate, mulberry, goji berry, golden berries, and more. These super fruits have avery high antioxidant value and ORAC score. One of the reasons the ORAC score is so high is because the real, whole fruits have been freeze dried and ground into a powder. This enables us to get a very high concentration of the fruit or berry in a small quantity.

This is great as just using a teaspoonful in our smoothies will give us a very high dose of powerful antioxidants. For example, one teaspoonful of camu camu berry powder has an ORAC score of 3,000. One teaspoonful full of freeze dried maqui berry powder has an ORAC value of 2,800.

Honey to the Bee

Tuesday, 21 February 2012 13:54

Superfoods are getting a lot of buzz these days. Superfoods refer to nutritionally dense foods from around the world. For the most part, they are foods that have been traditionally eaten for their great health benefits and healing properties by the people and civilizations where they are grown. One superfood that we all have in our cupboard but probably do not give much thought to is honey. Honey is one of the oldest agriculture products that goes back millions of years. Egyptians farmed honey and considered it sacred over 3 000 years ago. Raw honey is considered a superfood because it provides antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, and phytonutrients.

Raw Honey

So what exactly is raw honey? This refers to honey that has not been processed or heated. You will recognize raw honey from its thick creamy appearance and texture, and incredible rich taste. If the honey in your cupboard looks more like a caramel syrup or comes in a bear, it is NOT raw honey. It has been highly processed-destroying beneficial enzymes and minerals, and is more like refined white sugaror corn syrup than real honey. Raw honey can be used to sweeten anything you would normally use sugar in.

Raw honey is loaded with vitamins and is particularly high in calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper,chromium, manganese and selenium. Raw honey also contains amino acids and plant compoundsthat work to support the body's immune system. Raw honey is full of enzymes, which are essential for absorbing food, cellular health, and almost all other biological processes. Remember, once honey is heated and pasteurized, all of the beneficial enzymes are completely destroyed.

Honey is also packed with antioxidants. Raw honey can help to fight free radicals, it contains many ofthe same antioxidants that are in leafy green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and kale. Flavonoids in honey help to increase energy and boost overall wellbeing. A unique flavonoid called Pinocembrin is found in raw honey, and has been shown to improve cognitive function.

Raw honey also has an antimicrobial effect against bacteria, and is a powerful natural healer, proven to work in healing many types of wounds. There are even more benefits to honey that may surprise you! Raw honey can offer relief from diarrhea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats. It can help to increase energy levels and boost the immune system -fighting off colds and flu. Honey also promotes the growth of good bacteria in your intestinal tract.

Once you try pure raw, unpasteurized honey, you will not be able to go back to your average processed grocery store honey. Besides straight from the honeycomb itself, the next best thing is the pure raw honey available at farmers markets and health stores. So put down that bear, and try the real stuff!

The Magic of Chlorophyll

Monday, 30 January 2012 12:47

Last month we went over the amazing health benefits of wheatgrass. One of the reasons wheatgrass juice is so great is because it consists of 70 percent chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a unique substance found in all plant life. It is the pigment that gives plants their rich, green colour.

Chlorophyll is usually found as a supplement form in liquid, and can be added to drinking water. It is often flavoured with spearmint and is very refreshing when mixed with water.

The following are some of the many benefits of Chlorophyll:

- Makes the body more alkaline.

- Builds a high red blood cell count.

- Provides iron to organs.

- Cleans and deodorizes bowel tissues.

- Helps purify the liver

.- Eliminates body odour and bad breath.

- Reduces pain cause by inflammation.

We could all add some more green to our day, so maybe next time give chlorophyll a try. It can also be found in the variety of green drinks and powders that are available too.

Spotlight on Seabuckthorn

Monday, 30 January 2012 11:54

Seabuckthorn is a small, bright orange fruit that has a very long history in Asia, Russia and Europe, being used for more than 1 500 years. The berries are incredibly nutrient dense, containing more than 190 biologically active compounds including vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, K, P, and amino acids, folic acid. tocopherols, flavonoids, terpenes, phenols, and more! The berries are also a source of Omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9, extremely rare in any plant.

More exciting facts about Seabuckthorn: the berries contain 3 times the vitamin A of carrots and have 10 times the vitamin C of oranges! They are one of the highest sources of vitamin E and a rich source of beta carotene. Seabuckthorn is indicated for many different ailments, including digestive issues, and helping to aid weight loss. It is also very effective for keeping skin healthy and glowing. It is used for treating and healing many skin disorders, such as rosacea and acne.

While seabuckthorn has been around for ages and used therapeutically for many issues, it has recently been garnering lots of attention. More research studies have been conducted using seabuckthorn, and proving its effectiveness. The great thing about this berry is that it can be taken in many different ways. You can pick it from your health store as a supplement in capsules, a high concentration juice to drink, and a full skin care line with pure seabuckthorn oils and creams.