Fermented foods. We spend lots of blog space talking about cultured vegetables and fermented foods of all kinds, from kombucha to sauerkraut, and with good reason. They’re chock full of health benefits, taste great, and have a long shelf life, too. There’s more to the story than what we think at Wise Choice Market, however. Health coaches and nutrition experts love fermented foods of all kinds. 

This month, I sat down and asked a few of the top health coaches in the industry what they think about fermented foods, and why you should indulge in them. Rachel Feldman, Casey Thaler, Laurel Moll, Adam Hart, and Daniel Sanelli took the time to share why they think fermented foods should be a part of your diet. Here’s what they had to say. 

Rachel Feldman

Rachel is an amazing mom, health coach, and person. She’s always on the go, and is one of the most accessible experts you’ll find. In addition to running her own coaching practice, she’s also a coach for other coaches, and teaches at some of the top integrative nutrition schools.

Twitter: @rachelnutrition

Website ¹

“Adding probiotics to your diet, in the form of cultured foods increase the good bacteria in your gut, promoting good digestion and boosting immunity. Cultured foods provide a myriad of benefits such as detoxification, nutrients such aa Vitamin K2, and are a cost effective way to get good bacteria into your digestive system instead of buying a probiotic at the store.

Good natural sources [of fermented foods] are:

• Cultured vegetables
• Coconut water kefir
• Coconut yogurt or kefir
• Milk or Goat Kefir
• Miso Soup
• Inner-eco probiotic drink
• Kombucha

Enjoy trying cultured foods in your diet. Cultured foods not only taste great, but they are highly beneficial for you. Start slow and increase as your body can handle the good bacteria. If you feel bloated or too gassy, reduce your intake of cultured foods or drinks until your body has acclimated. Have fun.”

Casey Thaler

A charismatic fitness nutrition expert and personal trainer, Casey also writes for PaleoHacks and Paleo Magazine, and is a trusted authority in Paleo circles. When he’s not hard at work helping others through his writing, he also runs his own fitness consulting company, Eat Clean Train Clean.

Twitter: @EatCleanTClean

Website ²

“Fermented foods are vital to overall health because they help improve the biochemical signaling taking place between the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system, via alteration of the intestinal microbiota. These microbiota play a vital role in healthyneurological function, and without brain health - we don't have any other kind of health.”

Laurel Moll

Author of the popular cookbook Going Back for Seconds, Laurel Moll is a proponent of flavor-filled plant-based diets, and is a strong woman. In addition to her efforts on the dietary front, she also wrote the book Following Fear: How I faced 30 fears and learned to trust the unknown . Her food blog, Laurel on Health Food, is a great place to find recipe inspiration, and is a top 100 blog in Psychology of Eating’s rankings.

Twitter: @laurelmoll

Website ³

"Adding fermented foods to your daily eating routine offers several stellar health benefits including increased energy and improved digestion. My favorite go-to is a bottle of fresh kombucha, a fermented tea easily accessible in the refrigerated juice section of most grocery stores. I love the slightly fizzy nature of it (it's a fantastic soda substitute), and find that it gives me loads of energy for a pre- or post-workout drink."

Adam Hart

Like Laurel, Adam’s blog ranks among the top 100 on the web, according to Psychology of Eating. And it should. Adam is a chef, writer, speaker, health coach, and nutrition whiz whose creations I would happily and guiltlessly devour any day of the week. When I asked him what he thinks about fermented foods, he got personal.

Twitter: @PowerofFood

Website ⁴

“As a former pre-diabetic, overweight couch potato I would never have imagined I would go from eating burgers and fried onion rings to sauerkraut and kombucha. Having gotten to a point where I was tired of being tired all the time, I began to study how to take back control over my own health without relying on what others kept telling me to do. One of the most important things I learnt over the past 10 years studying nutrition for optimal performance is the importance of gut health. The cleaner my gut and more efficient my digestion, the more energy I have and the happier I am.

Fermented foods have played a big role in my transition to better health. Why? Because they are loaded with B vitamins, digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria that help keep your immune system strong and digestion rocking. So the next time you go for a soda, pick up a kombucha instead. Your gut will thank you for it!”

Daniel Sanelli

A board-certified clinical nutritionist, Daniel’s interest in improving human health stretches back decades, but he’s always one step ahead of the curve. Understanding the need for nutrition personalization, he still appreciates the value of fermented foods.

Twitter: @PrimoHealth

Website ⁵

Daniel sent us a recent article ⁶ he wrote on fermented foods, and it’s pretty obvious how he feels about them. He stressed one point none of the other health coaches I talked to mentioned, and it’s a key one. Fermented foods might be trending now, but their history stretches back millennia:

“Fermented foods may be setting trends on The Huffington Post, but these nutrient-potent foods have been around for thousands of years in Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and German cultures. For people living without modern medicine and refrigeration, fermentation was a simple means of food preservation and a way to imbue foods with the health-enhancing properties of the live bacteria the gut needs to stay in balance. Fermented foods are a potent source of probiotics, which research has shown are essential to powering up the mucosal immune system in your digestive tract and producing antibodies to pathogens. Both are key to helping you maintain vibrant health.”

You've heard what the experts have to say. Are you eating fermented foods? Why or why not? Any favorites? Tell us all about your experiences on our Facebook page or Twitter feed, and any new fermented foods you'd love to try. And don't forget to share this article with anyone you know who is hesitant to give raw cultured vegetables, yogurts, or even tasty water kefir a try. 

References:

1. http://www.rachelswellness.com/

2. http://www.EatCleanTrainClean.com

3. http://www.laurelmoll.com

4. http://poweroffood.com

5. http://www.primohealthcoach.com/

6. http://blog.primohealthcoach.com/health-benefits-of-fermented-foods

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