By Dr. Hyun K. Lee
The modern diet is filled primarily with processed foods and medications. Because of this, it is also filled with obesity, digestive issues, and a variety of diseases. The majority of people are also eating far too much food but ironically, not getting nearly as much nutrition as they need — their bodies are actually starving. These processed foods are a major threat to the beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, in your body, and help take you down a very unhealthful road.
Probiotics are an extremely important element of health. They populate your gut, have a profound effect on your gastrointestinal and immune system, keep your weight down, detoxify your system, and improve and maintain your overall health.
You can find probiotics in a lot of foods and in capsule form, but the easiest delivery for your body is within fermented foods which are very easy to make yourself. You can even ferment what you grow organically in your own backyard garden, making it very low in cost.
Korean Dr. Kuk Moon Park uses the fermentation process to create his own probiotics that he administers to cancer patients and others with serious health problems that are no longer responsive to conventional treatment in hospitals. He ferments the wild plants that grow in the organic fields where he lives in the mountains of Korea. Patients come to his retreat for a seven-day fast, detoxifying their bodies with his seasonal mixtures. He has yielded excellent results with this process.
Eating fermented food is an ancient practice that fell out of tradition for one reason or another. It was very common during Roman times, in ancient Indian society, Asian cultures, and Eastern European countries. Fermentation increases the nutrition in a food source. For instance, if you have one gram of nutrition in one fresh apple, the fermentation process increases the nutrients of that apple 10 times. Because of this, your body is fed as it wants to be fed and requires less food. When you’re eating less food, your organs don’t need to work as hard, and they retain their energy to extend your health and life.
Fermenting is a very creative process as there is no exact recipe for doing so. It can depend on the environment of your home (warmer environments ferment things faster), your preference to sweet or sour, and your personal taste regarding fruits and vegetables. (Seasonal foods are best, but not required.) You can ferment only one fruit or vegetable or a mixture of several different ones. It all depends on what you like best. (Fermenting animal products like dairy is not recommended for health.)
There are several ways to ferment fruits or vegetables, but Koreans keep it simple by just adding sugar to the mixture. Sugar acts as a pre-biotic — in other words, an immediate and accessible food for the microflora of bacteria. Be certainthat the sugar you get is organic from sugar cane (not sugar beets as they are most commonly genetically modified) and as minimally processed as possible. Something like sucanat or muscovado sugar is recommended as it retains the sugar cane’s mineral-rich molasses but is not an absolute must.
It is recommended to use a clay bowl/jar (because the clay is a breathable material, allowing oxygen to travel throughout its walls) for this process, but you can begin with a glass container as you feel your way through the first several tries. You should try small batches at first until you discover a recipe you enjoy, and then you can enlarge the batch to supply your whole family. (Be mindful of the batch. If it tastes toxic, throw it out. It is easily contaminated by flies, extreme weather, and the like.)
In this clay bowl/jar, add fresh, organic (very important), and clean fruits or vegetables that have been diced small. The standard recipe is to use half of the weight of fruits/vegetables of sugar, so if you are using ½ pound of strawberries, use ¼ pound of sugar. Pour the sugar over the fruit/vegetable and mix to incorporate the sugar throughout. Seal the jar with a breathable type of material that keeps flies out, such as a piece of cotton, kept taut on the bowl/jar with a large elastic band or the like. Leave it on your counter and stir once per day.
You will see the fermentation process in action as there will be a bubbling happening throughout the mixture. After three days you can begin using it or you can taste the brine and decide whether or not you want to leave it out longer.The longer you leave it out, the more sour (like vinegar) it will become. Eventually, it will turn into vinegar. When it is to your liking, strain out the fruit/vegetable matter and preserve the liquid brine in a jar and refrigerate. You can use it as you like. Drink it straight, add it to smoothies or juice, mix it into a salad dressing, etc.
If it is too sweet, lessen the sugar. If it is not sweet enough, add more. Feel free to play around with the recipe until you get it right for everyone in your family.
(It should be noted that this microflora is extremely sensitive to the environment. If its atmosphere is very negative, with bad feelings throughout the house like fighting and negative thinking, it will not taste as good as a home environment that is peaceful and positive.)
Keeping your family healthy can be a fun and inexpensive task that you can share with your children. Allowing them to formulate their own recipe they enjoy will teach them more about health and the wonders of probiotics.
Dr. Lee’s office is located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. Dr. Lee also has offices in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. To make an appointment call (805) 693-5162 or 310-666-8021.
