Since our recent celiac disease diagnosis, we’ve been delving deeply into the science of gut health. It’s a veritable Pandora’s box of information and research. In a nutshell though, the disease is an autoimmune response that causes the body to attack itself in the presence of gluten. Some folks with celiac disease have obvious and straightforward symptoms, making the diagnosis somewhat obvious. Others have subtle symptoms such as allergies, headaches, difficulty concentrating, weight loss and fatigue. This might initially seem like a good thing, but the problem with more silent symptoms is that the disease often has longer to do damage to the system before being detected.
In our quest for gut-healing diet tips, one thing that kept coming up was the positive effects of eating fermented food. Things like krauts, kimchi, kefir and kombucha were pretty unfamiliar to us, other than the obligatory sauerkraut on a hot dog, but after doing a great deal of reading we decided to delve into the process further. Sandor Katz is widely regarded as the world’s authority on fermentation, and his classic book The Art of Fermentation is definitely required reading. While there is little research available yet, it’s believed that the probiotic cultures that are created through the fermentation process are healing for the gut, as they help to increase the powerful good bacteria in the gastrointestinal system. The drink has been used in China and in eastern Europe for centuries for this purpose, having originated in Manchuria in the 200s BC.
Having been given a kombucha starter by a friend, it was easy to get started with this simple fermented drink. It is a fizzy and acidic brew made by combining sweetened green tea with the starter culture, a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. After brewing a batch, it sits in a dark cupboard for up to 30 days, fermenting into an interesting drink that is tart, with hints of honey. It is then bottled into tightly lidded containers with fresh fruit, and undergoes a second fermentation for three days. We use mango, ginger, lemon and lime, blueberries, plums, guava berries and other sweet fruits as flavourings, and the result is amazing. An effervescent, slightly sweet, tart and tasty drink that is a wonderful replacement for pop, juice and…dare I say it…beer.
It’s early days yet, but already I’m so pleased to have a very low-cost option for store bought drinks, and can’t wait to see what kind of health effects we begin to notice as we make it part of our regular routine.
