Why We Should Consume Fermented Foods
Digesting food takes energy and resources from the body. The harder it is for the body to perform digestive processes, the less energy it has to perform other vital bodily functions. The body has to be able to break food down effectively into components that it can determine (in its infinite wisdom) what is necessary for energy and what can be discarded through excretion processes. Many people suffering from symptoms of ill-health can find their discomfort rooted in poor digestion (i.e. undigested food) and minimal nutrient absorption. Western medicine focuses most of its time and money on identifying symptoms of disease and eliminating those symptoms. However, it rarely if ever identifies the root cause of the issue. If we view disease as a presentation of nutrient deficiency, providing nutrient-rich food that our bodies can properly digest should be a top priority, if not our first. Particularly when we consider the amount of time we spend preparing and consuming food each day and the importance of good health for meeting the daily demands of our lives. Most people wouldn’t argue that it’s better to obtain necessary vitamins and minerals from our food than from synthetic supplements. Therefore, learning to properly prepare foods so we can get the maximum nutritional benefit from them is worth the time and the effort!
Let’s begin with grains. While we are often advised to eat whole grains, this recommendation can be misleading and is only part of the story. All grains contain phytic acid in their outer layer (bran) which can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. The process of soaking grains in warm acidulated water (adding whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk) for at least seven hours allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other beneficial organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid and greatly improve the nutritional value of whole grains. Additionally, gluten is a protein found in many types of grains and is a prevalent food allergy because it’s one of the hardest proteins for humans to digest. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are broken down into simpler components making them easier to process. Many who suffer from gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease find they are able to eat sourdough bread despite the fact that it contains gluten due to the fermenting process that occurs during its preparation. Grains that do contain gluten include oats, rye, barley and wheat and should be soaked or fermented. Grains that do not contain gluten such as buckwheat, rice and millet are more easily digested but should be gently cooked for at least two hours in a high-mineral gelatinous broth to neutralize the phytates they do contain and provide additional minerals to compensate for those that are still bound. If you’re not interested in making your own fermented breads, check out sprouted breads like Ezekiel bread or other breads made from sprouted grains. Don’t assume, however, that breads advertised as “sourdough bread” are actually real sourdough as explained by the Traditional Cooking School website.
When properly prepared, nuts are an extremely nutritious food, but like grains, they contain enzyme inhibitors that put a strain on the digestive system. Soaking them overnight in salt water activates enzymes that neutralize enzyme inhibitors and makes them much easier to digest and their nutrients more readily absorbed. To avoid eating soggy nuts, simply strain them after soaking and either dry them in a dehydrator or place them on a stainless-steel baking pan in a warm oven (150 degrees or lowest setting) and leave them all day (or night) until they have the desired crispiness you prefer. Be aware, however, that walnuts contain large amounts of triple unsaturated linolenic acid and are more susceptible to becoming rancid so, unlike other nuts, they should always be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Additionally, cashews come to the consumer after undergoing two separate heating processes so they aren’t truly raw, in other words the enzymes have already been destroyed. They should be soaked in salt water for 6 hours (no longer) and then dried in a 200-to-250-degree oven. Personally, I prefer drying my cashews in a 200-degree oven to prevent over browning. If you’re not interested in soaking and drying your own nuts, check out Lark Ellen Farm and Go Raw for delicious sprouted nuts that give a healthy zing to your salads!
Like nuts and grains, legumes also contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that interfere with digestibility and proper nutrient assimilation. They should be soaked in either warm acidic or alkaline water (depending on variety of bean), drained, rinsed and cooked slowly while carefully skimming off all foam that rises to the top. Although the canning process in the industrial preparation of canned beans does reduce the phytate content, the processing denatures the proteins and other nutrients in the beans so they should only be eaten sparingly. Additionally, soybeans should only be eaten after they have been fermented (miso, tempeh and natto) because they are high in phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that are deactivated only after a long, slow fermentation process.
The body needs food for energy. If it’s unable to adequately digest and assimilate necessary nutrients from the foods consumed, the body will forgo an opportunity to replenish its nutrient stores and will likely use up existing stores trying to support a vulnerable digestive process. Is it possible that nutrient deficiency is the root cause of most of our diseases today? Is it possible that the alarming rise we’ve seen in food allergies over the past 30 years has more to do with how foods are prepared and that with proper preparation methods, most foods could be well tolerated and nutritionally beneficial? So many people struggle with being overweight or overfat. Is it possible that our rising rate of obesity is due to the fact that we are eating food our body is unable to effectively or efficiently utilize for energy and is forced to instead store as fat? Think about the foods you have ever eliminated from your diet that seemed to support improved weight management. Is it possible you were eliminating a food that simply wasn’t properly prepared for your body to utilize for energy? Maybe you don’t need to exclude an entire food group from your diet to manage your weight. Maybe you can enjoy a wider variety of foods by following traditional methods for preparation and cooking to improve your overall health and quality of energy production!
For a great online guide to soaking and preparing specific nuts, seeds, grains and legumes, check out Nurture Me Wild. A wonderful cookbook with a wealth of information on how healthy traditional societies prepared and cooked their food is the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.
References
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hJwnhIidjAXP/
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/gluten-sensitive-sourdough
Fallon, Sally. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. 2nd ed., 2001.