I quit making New Year’s Resolutions a long time ago. But I still frequently “start over” with certain areas of my life. One such area is my diet and other health habits. If this describes you as well, read on for some helpful information.
New Year, New Me?
Many of us make resolutions to improve ourselves for the New Year. These resolutions usually include losing weight, dieting, self-improvement and the like. According to many internet searches on New Year’s resolutions, losing weight is at the top of the list. Seriously, go check. I’ll wait.
While losing weight is a fantastic goal for many people, what if we added “improve overall health” and “change eating habits” as well? Once you adopt new habits, the weight will more than likely start to fall off.
I personally struggled to lose weight in between and after three pregnancies. The struggle was real. After failed attempts at too many diets, I had an awakening. What if I just cut out the poor food choices that I was making? What if I avoided processed foods and sugars and replaced them with healthy eating? I researched a lot. One thing that kept making its way into my searches was fermented foods.
Improved Health with Fermented Foods
The process of fermentation exposes food to bacteria and yeasts, also known as lacto-fermentation. The lacto-fermentation process preserves the food, makes it more digestible and creates various strains of probiotics. Probiotics are important for overall health and improving gut bacteria.
“Fermented foods lead to an increase of antibodies and a stronger immune system; plus, they regulate the appetite and reduce sugar and refined carb cravings. In fact, fermented vegetables can help treat Candida gut.”¹
“Some of the beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria consumption include: (i) improving intestinal tract health; (ii) enhancing the immune system, synthesizing and enhancing the bio-availability of nutrients; (iii) reducing symptoms of lactose intolerance, decreasing the prevalence of allergy in susceptible individuals; and (iv) reducing risk of certain cancers.”²
“Eating sugar nourishes pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi in your gut. One of the major results of eating a healthy diet, low in sugar, is that you cause your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real “magic” of restoring your health. You may have noticed that probiotics are now featured in articles about all sorts of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, depression, and heart disease.”³
Fermentation and Weight Loss
Not only do fermented foods improve overall health, they are beneficial to weight loss as well. Gut bacteria can affect and regulate overall body weight and reduce obesity.4
“Focusing on the effect of fermentation, this study hypothesized that consumption of fermented kimchi would have more beneficial effects compared with that of fresh kimchi on metabolic parameters that are related to cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome risks in overweight and obese subjects”5
In addition, as mentioned above, fermented foods regulate the appetite, reduce sugar and carb cravings. Why is this important? Numerous studies indicate the correlation between refined, processed sugars and carbs and weight gain. 6
My Testimony
Now that you see some of the wonderful benefits of fermented foods, there’s no doubt why they should be included with our meals. Those reasons were enough to convert me—a reformed sugar-a-holic.
Over the past few years, I have slowly incorporated them into my family’s diet. Some of the personal improvements which I have noticed since changing up my diet and pairing it with fermented foods are: increased energy, better focus and weight loss. I have lost more than 40 pounds in eight months and finally hit my pre-pregnancy weight.
In the New Year, give fermented foods a try. You’ll start to notice your weight, mood, focus and overall health improve.
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To experience improved health with fermented foods, checkout the following posts:
- Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
- Fermented Foods for Depression
- Health Benefits of Colorful Ferments
- Benefits of Sourdough
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Sources:
1. https://draxe.com/fermented-foods/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16696665
3. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/03/fermented-foods-part-two.aspx#!
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19043404/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21745625
6. http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20130114/sugar-excess-weight#1
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Mary is a city girl from L.A who reluctantly married a real life cowboy, gave up the life and career she knew for a simple, rural life in Nebraska. Here they raise three young children, several goats, chickens, ducks and guineas. They focus on natural living, healthy eating, organization, minimalism, simplicity and their traditional Catholic faith. Mary blogs at Boots and Hooves Homestead.