WELLNESS
NOGUTS,NOGLORY
HOWFERMENTEDFOODSAREWINNINGTHERACETOGOODHEALTH
By Jaimie-Leigh Bourne
An active Coast Mountains lifestyle requires a certain level of get up and
go. Hoping to enhance our powers of outdoor adventuring, many of us
eat healthy and organic foods to fuel our pursuits. We spend our cash
accessorizingwith the best gear, and allocate precious time for bodywork or
gym training to strengthen our coremuscles for optimum physical ease. But
what if your abdominal six pack is not as important as what lies beneath it?
Are you paying enough attention to themicrobial flora in your gut?
According to fermentation specialist, Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild
Fermentation, “your body is an ecosystem that can functionmost
effectively when populated by diverse species of microorganisms.” A
healthy microbiome has been linked to increased energy levels, as well
as easing stress, anxiety, depression, evenmodulating howwe process
information. So how do you know if you’re in need of a digestive tune-up?
Take a look before you flush. If your poop is not in a group, is particularly
odoriferous, or speckled with enough undigested fodder for a second
meal, you should ring the gastric alarm.
“Because everyone is biochemically unique, their requirements are going
to vary,” says Joey Christensen, a local Registered Holistic Nutritionist
(RHN). She adds that while some people will benefit from digestive
enzymes or probiotics in capsule form, the only way to know for certain is
by having tests done. Instead, a simpler method is to introduce enzymes
into your diet by eating live foods.
Live foods are plant-based foods that are raw, and uncooked, therefore
abundant with living enzymes. Miso soup, made with fermented soybeans,
is an easy place to start, and so is Korean kimchi (spicy fermented
cabbage). Local caterer, Alice Savage (RHN), prepares a wickedly good
garlic sauerkraut that disappears from Sea to Sky farmers’ markets almost
as fast as she canmake it. Soaking beans, grains, and pulses overnight
to begin the sprouting process increases their digestibility and is another
simple way to introduce live foods to your diet. But the latest trend to hit
this area is the consumption of fermented beverages.
Kombucha (tea-based) and kefir (dairy-based) are fermented beverages
that vary in appearance andmicrobial composition, both of which are
considered rich sources of beneficial bacteria. Chances are pretty good
that you know someone intensely engrossed in “Operation Fermentation”
(and don’t think for a second that it isn’t an on-going project), who will be
quite happy to share their latest “bucha babies” or “SCOBY” colony, but
not everyone (this writer included) is keen on accumulating jars of frothy,
fizzy, or semi-gelatinous fluids. Luckily, you can outsource your fermented
fix and the Sea to Sky Corridor is alive with drinkable ferments that are
downright delicious.
Spark kombucha, handcrafted in Squamish, is available in single-serve
sizes for the uninitiated to sample beforemoving up to the large jug. Crazy
about kefir? SquamishWater Kefir Co. makes a dairy-free version that is
dangerously delicious, and quite possibly habit-forming. Don’t guzzle the
entire bottle, however, start with small quantities to avoid feeling sick from
an overabundance of beneficial microorganisms kicking bad bacterial ass.
Consuming ferments doesn’t have to be a sour and stringent venture
either. Yogurt is teeming with good bacteria eager to wage gastrointestinal
warfare against the badmicrobes lurking in your guts. Make a mouth-
watering Mango Lassi by adding one cup of organic yogurt, a half cup of
organic milk, and one cup of frozen or freshmango chunks to the blender
jar. Liquefy, pour, and enjoy a massive jolt of microbial sunshine.
Whether youmecca for mountaintops, bike like a
beast, or have a first-ascent fetish, patience and
perseverance get you anywhere. The same goes
for digestive health—“Bring it back to food,”
Christensen says. “Keep it simple.”
Healthy guts, more glory!
REBECCAAMBER.
88
MOUNTAINLIFE
WINTER /SPRING2016
