Auto-Immune disease- Can food heal?

• Your immune system is vastly strengthened, or weakened, by the foods you consume. That means what you eat has a profound impact on how your body could respond to disease. In a time of this global pandemic, your health is more important than ever.

• Eating healthy, whole, and plant-based foods can help your immune system get the nutrients it needs to protect you from illness — and not just in the current pandemic — but also from long-term diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

• Your brain and heart can also be protected. The science of performance is evident, and your diet plays an enormous role in how well you sleep, think, feel, and perform in every aspect of your life.

A qualified nutritional counsel can be the very guidance you need to help hold you accountable for taking control of your health and well-being. It’s one thing to read what to do, it’s another to have a human being guide you through the process and teach you how to use the tools.

Fermented Food. is it good for you?

What is Fermentation?

Fermentation is a way of preserving the flavor, texture, and quality of food as well as enhancing shelf-life. 

It’s a natural process through which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert complex molecules into simple ones; for example carbohydrates, like starch and sugar into alcohol or acids. Through the fermentation process, beneficial bacteria like probiotics are formed. 

While some fermented foods can have strong odors (think bleu cheese and sauerkraut), the process of fermentation is very different from rotting, which is an uncontrolled decomposition leading to the growth of dangerous bacteria and molds (and which, eventually, turns food into dirt). While rot makes foods break down quickly, fermentation preserves them.

Types of Fermented Foods

There are many fermented foods at the grocery store, many of which you’ve probably seen –

Some of the most common fermented foods include:

• Sauerkraut, which is a type of fermented cabbage

• Kombucha, a fermented, effervescent tea that is often flavored

• Miso, a salty paste, usually made from soy, which is often used for soup and flavoring bases

• Kimchi, a traditional spicy Korean food made with cabbage and other veggies

• Pickled vegetables, like carrots, green beans, or cucumbers (note that these are high in sodium)

• Yogurt, which can have probiotics added and be made from dairy or from non-dairy milks based on foods like cashews, almonds, coconut, peas, and soy (stick to unsweetened varieties to avoid the high added sugar content of many commercial yogurts)

• Natto, a sticky food made from fermented soybeans ( an acquired taste!)

• Cheese, a fermented dairy product that can also be made using non-dairy options like cashews or almonds (check the label to see if they contain probiotic strains)

• Kefir, a cultured probiotic food that can be made from dairy, coconut, or water bases.

For those with auto-Immune diseases from Lupus to HS, should proceed with caution, as much of the fermented foods have yeast and yeast is known to aggravate your condition and cause flare up. Fermentation also creates high acidity.