One Thanksgiving break in college I went to San Miguel de Allende as a nanny. At home the kiddos were on a very strict diet and I was a college student eating quick simple meals, but on this trip we all indulged. We were away for three weeks and I came home with a changed gut biome.
For over a year I came down with regular head colds and lost weight at a dangerous rate. Doctor’s visits finally led to a simple solution: Eat foods with live enzymes and take probiotics. Yogurt, kimchi and kombucha became my go to eats and quickly my body stabilized.
Chances are you’ve heard a version of this story in your own life. Our immune systems are tightly interwoven with gut health and saying so makes me feel like a lesser Gwyneth of the GOOP lands, but in my experience it’s been true. The results weren’t immediate, but in the long run I’ve seen consistent value in adding fermented foods to my regular diet.
These days I do a fair amount of fermenting at home. Brined veggies and kimchi’s are favorites. In Portland there are great local fermenters producing all sorts of live enzyme goodies. Their approach to fermentation may vary, but each maker references layered flavors, gut health and immunity boosts as why they ferment. Here are a few of my favorite Maine based fermenting business.
Resurgam Fermentation – Probiotic, Uncut, Wild Fermented Hot Sauce
Thirty Acre Farm – Raw and Fermented Krauts, Hot Sauces and Kimchi’s
Root Wild Kombucha – Naturally Carbonated Wild Kombucha
