Fermented & fabulous: Three foods that are wonders for your health

Food is medicine, and many people who don't remember this, end up eating medicine like food. 

I've never been one to do shots of wheatgrass, or order a turmeric latte when there's a perfectly good espresso option on the menu. But it's undeniable that what we put into our bodies will dicatate our health. We just need to find what's delicious. Note: It's not wheatgrass.

 

Instead of popping Tums, Maalox, and the plethora of daily prescribed medications that help us to digest, we can eat foods that aid in digestion. Drugs create unnecessary side effects and prescription costs, whereas certain fermented foods can get rid of bloating, add good bacteria to your gut and flush toxins from your liver.

Lately, my husband's been making giant batches of kimchi, storing them in rows of mason jars in the fridge. I get past my anger at how much space (!) it's taking, because it's the best kimchi I've ever had (and trust me, I get around). Also, it's a workhorse in the health department.  Note in the photo above and below - he is elbow deep! 

Here are three delicious foods that work wonders for digestion:

Kimchi

I guess you saw this coming. This Korean staple is eaten with nearly every meal and aids digestion, lowers insulin levels and reduces blood pressure. And it's tasty! Add zest to your ramen bowl with a serving of kimchi. Use it as a hot dog topping in place of sauerkraut (which is also great for digestion). Or make a Korean-style grain bowl with rice, seaweed, kimchi and some sort of protein. Drizzle a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil, and it's perfect!

And a great guillty pleasure? Kimchi fried rice with bacon, topped with scallions and a fried egg. Trust. 

Kombucha

This fermented tea is fizzy and tart, and available in stores everywhere. Made from either green or black tea, it comes in flavors such as sour cherry and cucumber mint. Kombucha helps to prevent liver toxicity, and test-tube studies have also found that kombucha could help induce cancer cell death and block the spread of cancer cells.

Probiotic yogurt

It tastes like regular yogurt, but has beneficial bacteia for your gut, increases bone density and reduces blood pressure. There are so many ways to enjoy probiotic yogurt. Use it as a base for dips, or to thicken up a salad dressing. 

For a fresh cucumber salad, chop up a cucumber and toss with probiotic yogurt, fresh dill, chopped garlic and salt. It's refreshing, and flushes excess water from your body.

Or layer a parfait with probiotic yogurt, fresh fruit and granola. Grape Nuts work in place of granola as well! For extra protein to keep you satisfied longer, mix in some chopped nuts, flax seeds or chia seeds!

These are just three foods of many that aid in digestion. Use these as a jumping off point, but know that they're in good company, along with miso, sauerkraut, kefir and more!