Today I woke up with one mean hangover! My eyes felt puffy with big dark bags under them, I woke up heavily and reluctantly, wishing it was Sunday, my head full and fuzzy and I was a generally grumpy human. Alcohol? Oh no, this isn’t your typical one-drink-too-many hang over. This is a DAIRY hangover!

​All I can say is that it was cold last night and I got caught up watching Netflix, so when dinner time came I was rather unenthusiastic about cooking. It was far easier and more attractive, to call up our local Indian restaurant and order a few delicious curries to go. I swear I meant to say Daahl, but ended up saying Palak Paneer instead; homemade cottage cheese cooked in a delicious spinach sauce! Yum!! And it was. I enjoyed every mouthful. But this morning, not unlike a sore headed sailor after one rum too many, I am filled with regret and woe.

A good friend of mine recently went gluten free. She had been eating gluten for the best part of 30 years so avoiding it was certainly something to get used to. After a few months of working out a whole new way of eating while enjoying numerous health improvements, she decided to indulge in a little naughtiness and had a gluten containing treat while out with her children. Within 15 minutes her body was wracked with cramps, to the point where she couldn’t even stand up straight. With difficulty she drove herself and her girls home, only to spend the next 6-8 hours in varying levels of pain and discomfort. The next time she saw me she asked the question that so many people with food allergies and intolerances ask: “What was THAT all about?? I used to be able to eat gluten all the time, but now it cripples me! Why is it that avoiding it has made me MORE allergic to it?” I could see she was also thinking, “I’m not sure avoiding it is better for me, if every time I eat it I get such a horrible reaction. Maybe I would have been better never giving it up…”

So what IS with that? Why is it that you can happily eat an allergenic food for years and years and nothing major goes on until you start avoiding it?

Well it all comes down to inflammation.

When you consume a food your body has a reaction to, this is what happens. Specialised cells in your body detect the offending food and send messages to your immune system. Your immune system then mounts a response. Your ‘solider cells’ start seeking out, attacking and destroying the ‘enemy’, which in this case is a food item. This miniature war causes a whole lot of inflammation. Think of an actual war- the landscape is a heck of a lot worse for wear afterwards. This is what is happening in your body. Your other tissues are taking the brunt of the battle, losing health, vitality and tone.

Now if we were talking about being invaded by a bad germ, this reaction would be fantastic. Even though there would be damage to the surrounding areas, the offending germ would usually be defeated and balance returns. The damaged areas would then be given attention by the body and sped on the way to recovery.
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But what happens when your body does this in response to a common dietary item? The battle is continuous. Think of my friend eating gluten every day for 30 years. There is no time to stop and repair the damage. The battle rages day in day out. And because your body is a marvellous thing, you generally feel OK. You get used to how it feels with this level of inflammation. Your body has reached a point of being so constantly inflamed, constantly reactive and constantly at war, but because this is the norm, you’re used to it. If you had an inflamm-O-meter inside you, my guess is that you’d be sitting constantly in the red.

Those regular headaches for no reason are just something you get, the fact that you sometimes have diarrhoea or constipation just means you have a dodgy digestive system, the rashes on your legs come and go but whatever, you’re used to living with them… This is just the way things are.
 
Fast forward a few months into avoiding those allergen foods and your headaches have disappeared, the rashes cleared up and your bowels moving better than ever. But the funny thing with us humans is that when things are going well, we don’t tend to notice. That is why I always take notes as a naturopath, so when my client comes back after avoiding gluten for 8 weeks and tells me nothing has changed, I get out the files and go through the old symptoms. I must say I love the moment when my clients stop, think about the symptom and go “Oh, headaches? Ah, no, I don’t get them anymore, they’ve just stopped”. OH YEAH!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!! FOOD INTOLERANCES, BABY!!!

So there you have it. After everything has had a few months to settle down, your tiny armies are back at their base sitting around playing backgammon, the clean up crew have done their work and started to heal the damaged caused by the war, and your inflamm-O-meter is sitting well down in the green zone. And then you have a piece of cake, or in my case, a delicious curry.

Cue the cavalry, sound the trumpets, it is on, and in a BIG way! The armies, given time to regroup and recover, come out strong, they start blasting away upon all that newly repaired tissue, and the inflamm-O-meter skyrockets. And because you’re now used to being non-inflammatory, the symptoms may just be worse than ever before.

I like to think of it as your body’s way of saying: “Hey no way, this is not on buddy! We LIKE being all nice and relaxed, we don’t want to fight every day. Here, have this whopping headache or stomach cramps to drive the lesson home. Now don’t do it again!”

Hence my dairy hangover. Thanks little buddies, message received.
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If you feel you may be suffering from food allergies or intolerances, or if your everyday ‘normal’ feel like it might just be the result of a continual internal war, please consider getting a food intolerance test through a naturopath like me. We can test for food allergies and intolerances, and speed up the healing. Just remember, your body is doing all it can to keep you in the best state possible. And sometimes nasty symptoms are messages your body sends, trying to tell you something is wrong. The key is learning to listen. Your body is your friend. Treat it with love and care.

The kids are back at school again and right about now is the time that parents can start struggling with to put in lunch boxes. Healthy food is the obvious goal, but it’s also got to be tasty (it needs to get eaten) and it has to be easy to make (everyone is busy nowadays). Luckily, we have a whole range of cook books, ingredients, containers and premade snacks to help you out! To get the most out of your time, your budget and your kids, try some of these guidelines.
 
Think Outside The Square (Sandwich)
Sandwiches are easy to eat, but they can be a little on the boring side. And if you have fussy eaters that don’t want soggy salad on their sandwich it can be hard to get a healthy lunch into them. Try not to fall into the vegemite sandwich trap, this is not a great choice for growing bodies and minds. Rissoles or meat and veggie balls can be an easy lunch box edition, and little meals such as slices of lasagne, Shepard’s pie, quiche or frittata can be eaten cold and enjoyed. Even cold meats and roast veggies can be put in a container and sent along as an alternative to a sandwich.
 
Think Fresh, Think Colours
Have a look at your kids lunch boxes and count the processed items that came out of a packet- if there is more than 2 packet items you may want to consider tipping the balance back towards the fresh and raw side. Think veggie sticks, cheese sticks, and something to dip into like hommus. Think a little container of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. If the kids aren’t big on eating an apple or whole piece of fruit, try slicing it up or putting a mini fruit salad in with their lunch. Try and have a rainbow of colours in their lunches so you know they are getting a full range of antioxidants and phytonutrients from their food.

Think Sweet Treats
Including a healthy sweet treat in the kids lunch boxes will help reduce lunchbox envy. Snack balls can be a great option, providing protein, good fats and fibre from seeds, protein powder, coconut and (if allowed) nuts, plus a side of yumminess from raw cacao, honey, maple syrup or rice malt syrup. Superfood bars, muffins or slices (we have a great range of whole food options) can be an excellent way to give the kids something naughty but healthy!
 
Containers Count
Nowadays it is recognised that a wide variety of plastics contain synthetic oestrogens which can impact on our health if we consume enough of them. Look for plastic BPA free drink bottles, food storage containers and lunch boxes, or choose something a little sturdier in stainless steel. Be aware of how the kids are storing their lunch boxes, are they in the shade? Do they need an icepack in there to keep things cool and enjoyable? There’s nothing that reminds me more of school then the thought of a hot, soggy, chicken and salad sandwich. No one got food poisoning to my knowledge, but we certainly didn’t look forward to our yummy lunches!
 
Allergies and Intolerances
We have a huge range of cook books, ingredients, and premade items to help you cater for every time of food allergy or intolerance. These are becoming far more widespread, with easily one in two children suffering from some type of reaction to common food items. These reactions can be obvious or not. Behavioural issues are a significant indicator of food intolerances in children, as are digestive issues, excessive gas, recurrent colds, lowered immunity and skin rashes, dermatitis or psoriasis. A simple blood test is available for purchase in store to identify food intolerances from 45 different common foods. If you believe your child may have food intolerances, book a consultation with our naturopath Rhianna to discuss the option of testing.

​Giving your kids a healthy, fresh, colourful and tasty lunch box will be the absolute best thing you can do for their growth and development. We are here to help you if you have any questions or need recommendations or more personalised advice. Give us a call, or pop in today.

​Many people tell me they have leaky gut as if it were a life sentence. This is not the case. The truth is that leaky gut is curable; it does not have to be something you will always suffer with because you ‘caught’ it. You do not have to have it forever. It is easily remedied once the causative factors have been identified and removed, and the damage, or ‘leakiness’ is addressed and repaired.
 
First of all, what really is leaky gut?
The lining of your gut is a very delicate and specialised thing. A single cell separates your gut contents from your blood stream. Between each cell there are gateways known as gap junctions. These gap junctions control what leaves the gut, and enters the blood such as very small nutrient particles. Larger particles are too big to be passed through these gateways, remaining in the gut until they are either broken down into small enough components to pass through, or passed out of the bowel in the form of waste.
 
If an aggravating factor (such as a food allergen, bad pathogen, poor diet, stress or medication) causes the gut to become inflamed, these gap junctions begin to widen, allowing larger and larger particles ‘leak’ through into the blood stream. When this happens the white blood cells notice these big foreign particles and mount an immune response. The immune system is alerted and informed that there are foreign invaders in the blood, similar to an infection from a virus or bacteria. The immune system then sets to work ‘killing’ the foreign partial. They break it up, transport it via the blood stream to the liver where it is filtered and detoxified, until it is finally returned to the elimination systems of the body, and removed as faecal material or as urine.

​So what’s the problem?
This is a fair enough question to ask. The process above sounds like the body has leaky gut well under control. But the relentless leaking of large particles into the blood stream, the constant activation of the immune system, and the continual need for extra filtration of the blood through the liver puts an enormous burden on the body as a whole.
 
With constant immune system activation, food intolerances are likely to develop. If there is a predisposition for an autoimmune condition to develop, for example there is a family history of autoimmunity, constant immune activation can encourage this disease to manifest. Inflammation also increases leading to a worsening of inflammatory conditions such as fibromyalia, arthritis, etc. The liver struggles to detoxify an ever-increasing burden of waste as toxins leak back into the blood time and time again in a continuous cycle. The other organs of elimination may try to relive the burden of toxic overload, and skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and acne can develop. As the body becomes more inflamed, more toxic and more exhausted, your energy levels can quickly suffer. The good thing is this is not a life sentence- it is easy enough to fix; you just need knowhow and commitment.

​And how is that done?
First of all we need to identify the aggravating factor (or factors) of the leaky gut. As mentioned above it might be food allergens in the diet, a bad pathogenic infection, a poor diet, stress or a particular medication. Once the factors have been identified they need to be removed or managed.
 
Once the trigger has been dealt with, healing can begin to occur. This will usually involve a low allergenic, healthy diet, and various naturopathic supplements depending on what is going on for your body. If there is a pathogenic infection, it needs to be eliminated. Naturopathic healing will often include things like slippery elm, the amino acid glutamine, glucosamine, aloe vera, mastic gum, probiotics, liver support and detoxification, and immune support. Diet and lifestyle changes will usually be recommended.
 
With these elements combined into a healing protocol designed specifically for your needs, the immune system will be supported and encouraged to return to normal activity, the burden will be taken off the liver, and liver support provided, the gap junctions between the gut cells will be tightened, the inflammation reduced and gut function will return to normal.
 
So there you have it. Leaky gut is not something you have to suffer with all your life. Just because you were ‘diagnosed’ does not mean you will have it forever. It is very easily treated. If you think you might have leaky gut, come in and talk to me, or book in for a naturopathic consultation to get you on your healing journey as soon as possible.

I don’t know about you, but I am really looking forward to 2017. I have a feeling it’s going to be a pretty amazing year. 2017 is all about self-love, learning to take care of yourself and putting your health and happiness first. And what better way to start this year of self-care, than with a few healthy gifts to self? This is what I’m gifting myself to start the year, why not join me?
 
Squeaky Clean Cleanse
Yes, I’m doing a cleanse! Why?

• Because I service my car at least once a year and I think my body deserves the same care.
• Because I indulged over the holiday period and feel a bit sluggish from all the naughty food and drink.
• Because it’s been a year since my last cleanse, and 2016 was a rough year.
• Because I want better energy, a happier mood, more restful sleep and glowing skin.

So I’m cleansing. I’ve decided to avoid all alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, sugar, and refined foods for 4 weeks. I’m going to fill up on fresh fruit and veggies, complex carbohydrates, proteins and heaps of water. I will also be taking some naturopathic supplements to help me eliminate wastes and toxins from my liver, kidneys, blood and bowels. We have a great range of natural detox packs in store, or for a more targeted and specialised cleanse, a consult with me will set you on the right track.
 
Start Moving
After 5 years of inconsistent exercise (OK I pretty much didn’t exercise at all!) I decided to make a change a few months ago, and bring movement back in my life. I’m not talking ‘exercise’ I’m taking about moving. There’s plenty of sunlight at the moment, and I have found it surprisingly easy to get into the habit of going for a 45 minute walk either before or after work 5 days a week.

​They say to maintain weight (when consuming a healthy diet) you should walk 10,000 steps per day. Smart watches and pedometers are a great way to track your steps and find out if you’re reaching your goal. Obviously, if you want to lose weight you’ll need to walk further, or exercise  (sweat or achieve muscle soreness).

Walking is a great way to get your body moving, but you may also wish to dance, bounce on a trampoline, swim, or do yoga. Remember this is not about getting exhausted or sweating up a storm. This is just about moving your body, getting the blood and lymph flowing, using those muscles to do what they are designed to do.

After walking on the beach for 45 minutes 5 days a week for 3 weeks I had lost 1.5kg of fat and put on 2kg of muscle. I also felt more energised and more positive. I think that’s a pretty good result for not a lot of effort!
 
Yes! Exercise!
Exercise is one of the best gifts you can give your body. Not only does it help you lose weight and gain muscle, it keeps you strong, boosts happy hormones, improves mood, improves sleep quality, and boosts energy levels. But this doesn’t change the fact that traditional exercise like running or going to the gym is my idea of hell. Don’t worry, I have alternatives. Also, if running or hitting the gym is your thing, great! I admire and envy you (you crazy thing!).

When I talk about exercise, I’m talking about activities that make you out of breath, that make you sweat, or make your muscles sore the next day. But they also have to be fun, interesting and stimulating. You have to love them. So for me, that means the occasional surf, dancing, boxing, and pilates. I’m gifting myself one class of something per week, and I’m going to love it! So find what you love, what makes you sweat, makes your muscles sore the next day, and commit to this activity once or twice a week on top of your daily movement.
 
Get Hydrated
Water! If you ask my partner, he used to say I never drank enough. That was before I bought my latest water bottle. I decided to buy a 1.8L bottle and commit to finishing it every day. And again, I was surprised at how easy it was to get into this good habit.

Our bodies NEED water, and lots of it. Some say aging is simply another word for chronic dehydration, so if you want to slow down the clock, boost your elimination, relieve headaches and foggy headedness, lose weight and feel better, you have to drink water!
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So figure out what works for you. Like me, do you need a big bottle to finish every day? Do you need to have a special jug or glass that you fill a certain number of times per day? Do you need to set a little alarm on your phone and drink half a glass on the hour, every hour? Or maybe setting a bottle by your bed, getting up (for your walk) and drinking 400ml on an empty stomach, first thing? Whatever works for you, commit to watering your internal garden. Let’s get you blooming.
 
If you need any help focusing on self-care, or supporting your body in 2017, book in for a consultation with me today, I’d love to help you.

Turmeric! It seems like every second person is coming in looking for turmeric these days! And why not? Turmeric is one of my favourite herbs, it has the most fantastic anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being a powerful antioxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, liver detoxifying, and showing significant mood lifting abilities.
 
A recent study has shown high strength curcumin to be as effective for alleviating pain as some of the leading pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drugs on the market, without the negative side effects of thinning the stomach lining and possibly causing gastric ulcers. Curcumin is also not addictive or habit forming in any way, plus has a whole range of additional benefits I mentioned before. For long term pain management it is the safest, most effective option.
 
But where a lot of people get confused is understanding the difference between a product labelled ‘turmeric’ and a product labelled ‘curcumin’. The way I like to describe it is with an analogy- turmeric is the whole cow, curcumin is the cut of beef you want for your BBQ. If you want to reduce inflammation, you want the product with the most curcumin.

​Curcumin is one of the many active constituents that make up turmeric. In its natural root or powdered form, turmeric is not powerfully anti-inflammatory. That’s because it is made up of fibre and fats and proteins and water and carbohydrates and hundreds of other constituents as well. The specific part of the plant that is anti-inflammatory is called curcumin, and scientists have found a way to isolate it and make it concentrated so it can be put into capsule, tablet or liquid form in greater concentrations than we find in nature.
 
So that means when you are shopping for a natural anti-inflammatory, you need to look at the curcumin content. The leading brands will often have levels of around 250-350mg of curcumin. You can also find curcumin products that have added ingredients to boost absorption such as black pepper, or to boost anti-inflammatory effects such as boswellia or willow bark. While these ingredients are great extras, you still want your primary focus to be on the level of curcumin.
 
With these products, it is also worth mentioning the price- high strength curcumin supplements will usually sell for between 50 cents and $1.00 per tablet. It does make these items more expensive, but usually the cheaper product contain very little active curcumin, or can even just be good old cooking turmeric powder in a tablet form! For more information, or help selecting the product right for you, come in and talk to Rhianna or Jess.

Do you exercise first thing of a morning?  It can often be easier to sleep in or spend those extra minutes lying in bed on social media. As it warms up and becomes lighter, it is a great time to get into the habit of getting up a little earlier to exercise.  Here are some of the benefits to help you get motivated.

Fat Burning
With summer just around the corner lots of people are looking to lose a few kilos. Exercising before breakfast can encourage the body to start burning excess fat, and the body is able to switch into fat burning mode quicker on an empty stomach. If you try exercising on a full stomach you may feel heavy and uncomfortable, or may suffer from stitches. Exercising before breakfast also means the body does not have a lot of glucose in the system from recently digested food, so to provide fuel for the muscle cells, the body is more likely to reach for stored fat. 

Many people go looking for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss, but honestly the best medicine is a healthy diet and exercise. One patient of mine has been walking on the beach for the last 4 weeks. She has been doing about 3-4km at a moderate pace, 5-6 days a week. In that time she has lost 3kg of fat, and put on 1.9kg of muscle. She has also reported feeling more energetic in the morning and has noticed improvements in her general mood and sleep. Which brings us to…

Melatonin Regulation
Melatonin is a hormone responsible for our sleep patterns, and works in response to light stimulation. Sunlight stimulates our pineal gland and helps to ‘turn down’ melatonin production and ‘turn up’ cortisol production. If you sleep in a completely blacked out room, you may not be getting a strong signal through sunlight to wake up for the day. This can cause you to feel groggy and tired, and can make getting out of bed and waking up quite difficult.

Getting out in the sunshine first thing of a morning, can help stimulate the pineal gland and help wake us up! It is best if you can exercise first thing of a morning without sunglasses to further this effect. Waking early can encourage healthy sleep patterns in general. Up early and in bed early is the healthiest sleep patterns you can have, so even if getting up an hour earlier is a little hard to adjust to, or you need to go to bed earlier to get enough sleep, you will actually be doing your body a favour. 

​Health- it’s not all about what you put in your body, it’s also got a lot to do with what you put ON your body! I think many people are trying to be more health conscious these days, being drawn to healthy looking beauty products that claim to be ‘natural’ or ‘organic’. But it is easy to get tricked my clever marketing.
Wandering through my local supermarket the other day I stumbled upon a shampoo with ‘organic’ written on the label- but this was simply the brand name. When reading the ingredients there were a number of nasty ingredients, including a fair amount on non-organic products. Trade marking words like ‘organic’, ‘healthy’, ‘fresh’, and so on, is designed to mislead the consumer into believing the item actually represents these ingredients. It is no different than looking for Johnson’s in the ingredient list of Johnson and Johnson’s. It’s just a name, sometimes, it doesn’t mean anything.
I have made a list of my picks of natural, organic products that you can find in our store. Give some of these a go the next time you need to replace something from the girly cabinet. You might just find a new favourite!
 
Shampoo and Conditioner
Natural Instinct- this range is inexpensive, smells like lavender no matter what product you buy. I know plenty of people who use it and like it so if you don’t know where to start and you have a budget- start here!
Sukin- these have been around for ages. They have recently been up grading their range and brought in a really nice lime and coconut, men’s and super greens selection. Also very cost effective.
MooGoo- A fantastic range for those with itchy, irritated scalps, or dandruff. Smells milky and powdery and comes in large sizes that last ages.
Giovanni- more expensive and probably one of the better ones I have tried. It is more along the lines of a salon range, but the natural coconut based line is really rejuvenating.
 
Face Cleanser
Avene- this is a fantastic range to try if you have sensitive skin or suffer from dermatitis or eczema. Made with a special French thermal water, many find redness, irritation and dryness easing with use.
Kora Organics- a more expensive range, but 100% natural and organic. With a choice of cleaning gel or cream, this lovely smelling range suits the majority of skin types.
La Mav- Locally made, the 2 types of cleaning gels and one cream are natural, chemical free and deeply cleansing.

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Pale Mucous Membranes
The mucous membranes of your inner eye lids, lips and gums can give you a good indication about your iron status. If you have very pale mucous membranes that look faintly pink to almost white, naturopaths will usually suspect a deficiency. Your inner eyelid should be a nice healthy pinky-red.
Your palms and fingertips too should be a healthy pinky-red. The colour should disappear from your finger tips when pressed and then quickly flood back. When you spread your hand wide you should still be able to see your palm lines in red while the rest of your hand goes pale.

Pupils
The black pupil in your eye can tell us a lot about your state of mental health in regards to how stressed your nervous system is. People suffering from an acute stress such as a deadline, will often have tiny pupils, while in people where the stress has dragged on a long time and their nervous system has suffered as a result, are often seen with large and ‘blown out’ pupils. If I ever see a patient with huge pupils I always know some serious nervous system support needs to happen in order to get the patient feeling better.

​So now as I leave you running off to find a mirror to check your pupils, tongue, mucous membranes, I will also leave you with this: these are naturopathic signs that help us identify areas of concern. They are not definitive alone. That is why we ask so many questions. We back up the signs with information from you about your health and put together a treatment plan based on the total information gathered. It is a little hocus pocus, but that is what I love about natural medicine! 

Please call to arrange your naturopathic appointment today.

Ok ladies, it’s time to talk about periods. As a naturopath, I feel I am pretty open with the workings of the human body. But still, there are things that you talk openly about, and things that you don’t. So it came right out of the blue the other day, while walking with my friend, we find out that we both use Menstrual Cups. After we chatted excitedly for ages about how much we love these things, my friend turned to me and said, “Why isn’t anyone talking about these? People NEED to know about them! You HAVE to write about them!” So here I am.

Originally made in Finland and now available all over the world, the Menstrual Cup is an easy-to-use, safe, and clean alternative to pads and tampons. Conventional pads and tampons contain a cocktail of chemicals, bleaches and even deodorisers which can harm the delicate balance of the vagina. We have a whole host of good bacteria there which keeps our vaginas healthy, so disrupting this ecosystem with chemicals can lead to problems such as Candida infections (thrush, urinary tract infections, increased pain during menstruation or intercourse and decreased lubrication and natural immunity. With tampons, fibers can be caught in the vaginal canal upon removal and its absorbency can dry out the mucous membrane. Pads create a stifling, moist environment that is a breeding ground for yeast, bacteria and odour. Ever organic cotton pads and tampons will alter the pH and bacterial composition of the vagina, encouraging the problems above. The collected blood sits against the skin for hours, providing an environment where harmful bacteria are more likely to grow.
 
Menstrual cups are made of medical-grade silicone, a non-friendly environment for bacteria. They come in 2 sizes, one for a lighter flow or for women who have not had children vaginally, and the second for a heavier flow, or those who have given birth vaginally. They are an easy-to-use, safe, and hygienic alternative to pads and tampons and can last for up to 5 years. They help to save the planet, by cutting down on waste- 5 years worth of pads and tampons! Not to mention the money you save.

If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you might have seen our photo last week displaying our awesome fermented food fridge! Since putting up that post, fermented foods seems to be quite the topic of conversation, so I thought I’d write a blog outlining our popular ferments, how they differ, and what they are good for.
 
Kombucha
This fermented fizzy drink has really taken off on the Gold Coast over the last 4 years, and plenty of cafes and restaurants carry various brands. Kombucha is the end result of fermenting black or green tea, water and sugar. A SCOBY is the organism that consumes all the sugar in the liquid and turns it into a fermented drink. SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. After the initial ferment is completed, fruit, flowers and other items are added to give the Kombucha its flavour. Many people choose to drink Kombucha as a refreshing fizzy drink alternative, but it can also be drunk simply for its medicinal value.
 
When starting out, try 50-100ml of kombucha per day and increase it from there. There is no medicinal need to have more than 200ml per day, but many like drinking 350ml as a beverage. When choosing kombucha a sour, tangy brew is better than a sweet lightly bubbly brew. Sweetness means the sugar has not been all consumed by the SCOBY and its nutritional benefits are not at their peak. Kombucha is full of live probiotics, good bacteria that live in our guts and are needed for healthy digestion, immunity, mood balance, and general health.
 
Kefir
Kefir is another traditional fermented beverage that has been consumed for centuries due to its unique health-enhancing properties. Kefir is also made from a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts but instead of a SCOBY, they exist in granules. Traditionally kefir is made with dairy milk as the lactose feeds the good bacteria, however it is now possible to get water kefir, or as we stock- coconut water kefir. This means the product is dairy free and suitable for all people.

Kefir promotes good digestion, gut health, immunity and even enhance brain function and mood. A potent and delicious beverage to enjoy daily, coconut kefir has said to be beneficial in cleansing and detoxifying the body, aiding digestion, balancing hormones, increasing energy levels, reducing cravings and eliminating unhealthy bacterial infections in the body. 30-50ml per day of kefir is the ideal dosage.

Sauerkraut
With a very long history from Eastern Europe, fermenting vegetables (originally cabbage) was one way to preserve them before refrigeration, canning and freezing. Nowadays fermenting many types of vegetable  including cabbage, carrot, daikon, kale, ginger, seaweed, broccoli and beetroot has become popular. Unpasteurised, raw sauerkraut is very high is healthy probiotics and enzymes to aid digestive health. It has also been attributed to improving general health and healing of gastrointestinal disorders.
 
It is a wonderful addition to most meals. Traditionally eaten with meat, it aids digestion of proteins. Adding it to salads, sandwiches, wraps, sushi or even just eating a spoonful before meals is a great way to incorporate it into your diet. Start off with only a tablespoon per day. Too much will often cause bloating and flatulence. The amount you eat can be increased as you become used to the high level of probiotics and fermented foods.
 
Tempeh
Traditionally made  from fermented soy beans, tempeh is now being produced from chickpeas and fava beans for those wanting to avoid soy.  Tempeh is a fermented ‘living’ food, which originated in Indonesia but has been consumed in many Asian countries for centuries. As a whole food, tempeh is nutritionally very rich. Tempeh is one of the highest known vegetarian source of vitamin B12. It is also one of the best sources of vegetarian protein. Because of its fermented nature, tempeh is very high in natural probiotics. This makes it very easy to digest. Tempeh is high in fibre, contains no cholesterol and is very low in saturated fat.
 
It is best thinly sliced, marinated in soy sauce, tamari, or sweet chili sauce and shallow fried in coconut oil to become crispy on the outside. Add it to salads, on burgers, instead of sausages at BBQs, or in kebab style wraps.
 
All of these naturally fermented foods are fantastic for digestive health, but can cause some gas, bloating and flatulence when you initially start consuming them. Starting with the recommended amount and them working your way up from there will ensure you don’t suffer side effects. Your body will likely take only 2 weeks to become used to the increase in your fermented foods, and you will begin noticing benefits around the same time. For any questions please pop in store and talk to Rhianna our Naturopath, or Jess our vitamins consultant. Both are big fermented food lovers and are happy to help you get started.

PS Below is a picture of some stir fried veg, topped with chickpea tempeh, avocado and Kim Chi Kraut!