First and foremost - cultured vegetables. This has been the single-most important food I have incorporated into my diet since I was diagnosed several years ago. They are simple to make and a batch lasts about a month. The recipe I am sharing today was created by Rose, my mother (who we all know is a big part of why I am healthy today). She read a book called Body Ecology, that changed her life (and system)!
Before I get to the recipe, here are a few other healthy habits worth trying this New Year.
Raw Brownies
One of the benefits of cultured vegetables is the natural ability to control sweet cravings. Sugar is one of the biggest culprits of my flareups, and also one of my biggest weaknesses, or at least it used to be. After a year of cultured vegetables in my diet, I can honestly say, I do not really crave sweets anymore. However, when I need a little sweet treat, I turn to these Raw Chocolate Brownies (which contain no sugar). The sweetness comes from Medjool dates. I always have a little bag of these brownies in the freezer for a quick and easy sweet satisfaction.
Habit #2 (Lemon-Cayenne cleanse)
I picked up this habit from the Food Babe, a healthy food blogger that is located in NC as well. She starts every morning with hot water, lemon and cayenne. This is a natural liver cleanse that eliminates toxins from the digestive tract. Considering my condition, I jumped on this habit right away and have been pleased with the outcome ever since. Thank you Food Babe!!
If you can't quite stomach cayenne-lemon water, at least try Dandelion Tea (add a few drops of stevia for sweetness). I drink tea with lunch every day instead of water to help break down the food. I only drink water before and after meals, never during. This helps keeps bloating down and eases digestion.
Ways to Eat Cultured Vegetables
Back to cultured vegetables, which is a form of fermented food. Many people ask me why I eat fermented foods and I usually respond with "why not eat the most healing of foods?!?!"For starters, fermented foods have been around for centuries and now come in several forms: yogurt (plain), kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and soaked grains. For this post, I am focusing on cultured vegetables (sauerkraut or kimchi), which are defined as "cut or shredded vegetables that are left in an airtight sanitary environment for several days or longer at room temperature" according to Body Ecology. This allows the enzymes on the vegetables to proliferate creating a mineral-rich food that aids digestion and eliminates toxins. They help fight yeast and other unhealthy pathogens in your intestines, which is great for controlling sugar cravings (see above). Finally, and most importantly, they are alkaline and very cleansing for the body.
First of all, NEVER heat cultured vegetables. It won't kill you or anything, it will just kill all of the digestive enzymes and good bacteria that you want. Other than just adding them to the side of any meal, here are a few other ways I like to eat them:
- with blue corn chips or other tortilla chips (the veggies act like a salsa)
- similarly, mix with avocado for a guaco-cultured-mole!
- over scrambled or fried eggs
- with cheese and crackers
- use some of the brine as a salad dressing. TONS of great nutrients in the dressing!
- spread on sandwiches in place of a condiment
