Diversity and Probiotics: What are you Missing?

We’ve certainly heard about improving our gut health with probiotics, live bacteria that help with good digestion, proper nutrient extraction of the foods you eat, and more. And though we often think of bacteria as something bad, encouraging good gut bacteria is an important issue for ensuring our continued overall good health.

Pioneering neuroscience is calling the gut the “second brain”, as new research suggests that gut health may directly influence our neurological health and could even play a role in the regulation of depression and anxiety. But how do we keep our gut happy so we’re happy?

You’ll be familiar with the probiotics in natural yogurts and kefir but the more diverse bacteria in your diet the better. With the complex combination of environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors including aging issues it’s increasingly advantageous to include different types of gut friendly foods in our daily menu. Fermented vegetables are a rich source of good bacteria and are an easy addition to many meals you already enjoy.

How can you ensure that the fermented vegetables you are eating do contain the good bacteria you’re seeking? Look for products made the traditional way. Brands like Karthein’s Organic unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi use this traditional process. It is naturally fermented, meaning it is aged in a brine of salt and its own juice. It’s made with certified organic cabbage and unrefined grey sea salt and there’s:

• No vinegar
• No preservatives
• No destructive heat processing

This strict recipe and process encourages the proliferation of strains of lactobacillus, probiotic microorganism, that are beneficial to the flora in your gut.

It’s easy to incorporate sauerkraut and kimchi into your diet. Mix Karthein’s Organic kimchi with roasted vegetables and potatoes and enjoy a variety of different tastes and textures. Fermented cabbage with ginger and carrots will spice up any lunch wrap, or even a plain grilled cheese sandwich.

Here are two easy, gourmet, bite recipes that are full of zingy flavour and probiotic support.

Kimchi Mango Salad

Ingredients:

​A 350 ml jar of Karthein’s Kimchi
A mango cut into cubes
A diced tomato (if desired)
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Place all the ingredients in a salad bowl and mix well. Serve as a side dish or eat with corn chips.

Raw Sauerkraut Makis with Chives and Smoked Salmon

​Ingredients:

8 to 10 slices of smoked salmon or smoked trout
1 green apple
A 375 ml jar of Karthein’s Sauerkraut – Traditional
1/2 small lemon
1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsp cream
2 Tbsp chives finely chopped
Pepper​​

Preparation:

1. ​Chop the sauerkraut roughly and put it in a bowl.
2. Grate the green apple. Mix with sauerkraut. Sprinkle with a drizzle of lime juice. Mix.
3. Put everything in a clean cloth. Squeeze above the sink to remove excess liquid. Return to the bowl.
4. Add the chopped avocado, chives and cream. Pepper. Mix well.
5. Place a strip of plastic film on your worktop. Place 4 slices of smoked salmon, overlapping them slightly to form a rectangle on the plastic film. Shape half of the sauerkraut mix into a roll the same length as your rectangle. Arrange it on the salmon rectangle 1 cm from the edge. And form a roll by tightening well. Repeat the process with the remaining 4 slices of smoked salmon and the other half of the sauerkraut mix. Wrap in the film and place your two rolls in the freezer for about twenty minutes to facilitate cutting.
6. Take the rolls out of the freezer. Cut sections about 1.5 cm (about ½”). Decorate each maki with a little salmon or trout eggs, sprigs of chives or green apple slivers