by Angela Elliot, author of Alive in Five
In a society overrun by antibiotics and sickness, it appears we’ve forgotten our roots. Let’s travel back in time to when small farmers made their own yogurts and mountain people made kefir. The origin of fermented foods goes so far back it predates recorded history.
Many of the longest-lived societies included cultured foods in their diets because of the amazing benefits. Most authorities agree that the ancient people of the Middle East ate yogurt regularly. Written records confirm that the conquering armies of Genghis Khan lived on this food.
The benefits of friendly bacteria first came to the attention of the general public in 1908, when Dr. Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian biologist, wrote The Prolongation of Life. Dr. Metchnikoff devoted the last 10 years of his life to the study of consuming lactic-acid-producing bacteria as a means of increasing life span. After much research, he was convinced that he had discovered why so many Bulgarians lived noticeably long lives. This phenomenon, he theorized, was due to their consumption of large quantities of cultured foods, especially yogurt, which he believed help maintain the friendly bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract.
Dr Metchnikoff was among the first to recognize the relationship between disease and what he called the poisons produced in the bowel. He demonstrated how friendly, living bacteria normalize bowel habits and fight disease-carrying bacteria, thereby extending the normal life span. His book persuaded many that living longer is the happy result of an intestinal tract that maintains a healthy daily supply of the cultured bacteria found in yogurt. It was Dr. Metchnikoff who named the primary yogurt-culturing bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus, in honor of the yogurt-loving Bulgarians.
Modern technology has given us many advances in science, but with that comes a price. We have declared war on all germs! Many of us use chemicals to kill germs in the bathroom, germ-killing sprays for the air, disposable wipes to clean kitchen counters and floors, antibacterial fruit and vegetable wash, antibacterial soap for dishes and hands, antibacterial gels, lotions, and cleansers for our faces. It’s no wonder that so many people have illnesses like constipation, candida, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Raw cultured foods are unheated and fermented using friendly bacteria to help proliferate lactobacilli, healthful micro-flora. This healthful bacteria helps to break down sugars and starches in our bodies, aiding the intestines and pancreas in proper digestion.
Cultured foods help to repopulate the digestive tract, help the body to be more alkaline, and greatly decrease cravings for sweets or deserts. Cultured foods are “super foods” because they are partially digested, so the nutrients are readily available with little work for your body.
Cultured foods actually add to the enzyme stores of your body. In addition, they help restore balance if your body is in a toxic, acidic condition. Besides providing an abundance of friendly bacteria, these enzyme-rich foods are a high-quality, alkaline, expansive food, which balances out the foods that make us crave acid-forming sugars.
In my book, Alive in Five, I show you how to make scrumptious and beneficial yogurt out of your favorite nuts, seeds, and coconuts. You can use these cultured yogurts as a base for your favorite salad dressings, dips and smoothies, or just eat the yogurt plain. It is easy to include cultured foods into your daily regime and start reaping amazing health benefits.
Watch the next issue of Health In High Heels for some yummy recipes from Angela for cultured, raw yogurt!!