5 easy, healthy recipes that’ll add more probiotics to your diet
Every day, we make seemingly small decisions that impact our health in big ways. We know the importance of diet and exercise and how our bodies benefit from the healthy choices we make and regular movement. But, there’s one specific aspect of our well-being that we don’t talk about enough.
WHY IS GUT HEALTH IMPORTANT?
Yep, we’re talkin’ about your gut. It might surprise you to learn that digestion is actually one of the most important functions your body performs. Your gut processes all of the food you eat and its job is to turn it into bodily benefits. It breaks down those raw ingredients and uses the nutrients they contain in order to give you energy, help your body grow, and repair cells.
This is why health and wellness professionals are always touting the benefits of a healthy diet rich in whole foods. Good-for-you choices are those that contain vitamins and minerals that your body can use, or more accurately, what your body needs to function.
THE BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY GUT
If your average morning involves multiple taps of the snooze button and what you already suspect to be a little too much coffee, then your body might be trying to tell you something. Signals like tiring easily during workouts, feeling like your endurance is always low or having trouble with digestion, bloating, or inflammation could all be messages from your gut.
“Uh, hey! Yea, you… I’m struggling a bit down here. HELP!”
A well-nourished gut needs whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. It wants more lean meats and proteins, as well as nuts and unsaturated fats. And if you promise to give it more of what it wants, you’ll find some hefty, science-backed benefits on the receiving end.
A happy gut helps you in the following ways:
- Keeps you energized
- Improves your immunity
- Clears up your skin
- Strengthens your hair
- Improves your sleep
- Stabilizes your mood
- Eliminates bloating
HOW TO MAKE YOUR GUT HEALTHIER
Now that you know why your gut microbiome health is important (we especially love the skin benefits!), it’s time to take action. In addition to adding more healthy, whole foods to your diet, you can double their efficacy by sending even more healthy bacteria down with them. This happens through a fancy-sounding process called fermentation.
When a food or beverage becomes fermented, it gets preserved during a process that enriches it with healthy bacteria. The good bacteria, called probiotics, colonize your gut post-consumption and they immediately get to work helping your body break down sugars and yeast.
So, how do you add more of these gut-loving fermented foods to your daily routine? It’s not only easy, but you also don’t have to spend much. Making fermented foods from the comfort of home can be quick and simple!
HOW TO MAKE FERMENTED FOODS AT HOME
Fermented foods don’t take a lot of time to make. And, because you just eat small portions at a time to supplement and add flavor to other dishes, they’ll last you through the week (if not longer).
You only need a few tools to make healthy, fermented foods:
- Mason jars with tight-fitting lids
- A good quality iodine-free salt
- Fruits or vegetables
- Filtered or boiled water
So, if you’re ready to give it a shot and boost your gut health, here are 5 of our favorite fermentation recipes:
- Easy Kimchi: This is the granddaddy of all fermented recipes and it’s a real kicker. Originating in Korea, it’s made from a blend of veggies that usually include cabbage, ginger, scallions, radish, and pepper flakes. Add a few forkfuls to spice up a noodle dish or salad, or put it on a grilled cheese sandwich for a belly health boost.
- Beet Kvass: If you like beets, you’ll love Beet Kvass. This traditional Russian drink is a rich and earthy beverage that’s simple to make. Drink it on its own or mix it with bubbly water once a day to add more probiotics to your diet.
- Fermented Salsa: For a fresh way to spice up your next salad or taco trio, fermented salsa is a revelation. It’s got a slightly fizzy effervescence for a little extra fun.
- Dill Pickles: Oh yes, if you have a pickle addiction, we’re here to tell you that it’s actually a good thing! This is a quick recipe that gives you the option of spicing it up with chiles if desired. It’ll be hard to keep your hand out of the jar, so maybe double up on these healthy, fermented snacks.
- Fermented Ketchup: This is one way to make your french fry addiction work out a bit better for your gut. If you’re a fan of bright, punchy condiments, this ketchup will knock your socks off. It’s a powerful blend of rich tomato paste, flavorful fish sauce, garlic, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Say bye-bye to store-bought bottles and hello to healthy and homemade.
However you choose to add more fermented foods to boost your friendly-gut bacteria, your belly and your body will thank you. In addition to munchable forms of food-based probiotics, supplement with a high-quality daily probiotic like our Daily Glow Probiotic Supplements. These can help get your levels of the good stuff up even higher. Better digestion and clearer, confidence-boosting skin makes focusing on digestion not only simple, but infinitely rewarding.