Feeding Your Microbiome with Magic Fertilizer (Fermented Foods)

Your microbiome contains over 100 trillion bacteria. Housed in the mouth, genitals and nose (think entry points into your body), not to mention 80% of your immune system is in your body’s bacteria in the gut. A balanced microbiome results in health, energy and vitality. However dysbiosis or an imbalance is extremely common due to processed food, sugar, stress, antibiotics, antacids and c-section birth.

You can improve and CHANGE your microbiome by:

• Diet (remove processed food, and sugar)
• Prebiotics
  • The best way to create a strong and balanced microbiome is to feed it with pre-biotics
  • radishes, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, jicama, asparagus, carrots, and, of course, garlic and turmeric
• Fermented foods – Like magic fertilizer to your gut. Sauerkraut, kefir, fermented greens, yogurt, kimchi, kombucha
• Digestive Enzymes
• Probiotics
• Get in a relaxed state

Fermented vegetables 

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 5 days or more for fermentation
Cook Time: 0
Servings: 1-liter jar

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1 liter mason jar
• 2 inches fresh ginger – peeled and sliced
• 2 medium carrots – sliced
• 1 cup radishes – sliced (I like to keep them whole sometimes it they are small)
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1 small cabbage leaf

Direction:

1. Combine salt and water in a large glass and stir until the salt is dissolved.
2. Place the ginger, carrots, radish, and cauliflower florets in a clean mason jar.
3. Pour the salt water over the vegetables, leaving at least one inch at the top (the vegetables has to be completely covered by the salt water). Note that you might not need to use all the salt water.
4. Fold the cabbage leaf and place it on top of the vegetables so that it keeps the vegetables in the salt water. Cover the jar tightly and let it stand at room temperature.
5. Around day 2 of fermentation open the jar over a sink to release some of the gas. Continue to do this at least once a day.
6. The vegetables are ready around day 5, but you can let it ferment for longer. The longer they sit, the tangier they become (you can do a taste test at this point and decide if you would like to let them ferment for longer).
7. Once you have decided they are ready, place the jar in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a couple of months.