I am delighted to say that Jules Weldon, medical herbalist and passionate convert to ‘all things fermented’, is coming to Balance to share her enthusiasm and knowledge with us for a two-part practical workshop in Sept/October.
In part 1 Jules will introduce us to a range of fermented foods and drinks, which we will get to sample and we will learn how to lacto-ferment vegetables. This workshop is very much hands on and we will be taking what we create home with us. We will need to bring our own basic equipment (a sharp knife, wooden spoon, chopping board, a sterilised kilner jar or jam jar). Jules will answer all our gut health related questions and we will leave knowing how to make our own gut-friendly food.
In part 2 we will taste what we made in part 1, learn from our shared experiences and receive top tips and recipes for further exploration at home. Jules will also discuss the health benefits of fermented food, the role of the microbiome in our health, mood and wellness and why things are so challenged in this respect in today’s modern society.
This is so important for all of us and I’m sure you have heard more and more about gut health and the importance of the microbiome inside and on us. Originally a food-preservation technique from our grandmothers’ era, fermentation of food is now all the rage – with kimchi, saukraut, kombucha and kefir beginning to appear on supermarket aisles and in Sunday magazines. As many of you know, I have had my own gut issues recently and so have been delving into gut health over the last few months in order to help myself heal.
Did you know the human body naturally crawls with hundreds of strains of yeasts and bacteria? The digestive tract alone holds more than 1kg of bacteria and it is said that there are more bacteria on us than there are cells in our body. In essence, we are more ‘other’ than ‘ourselves’!
In the right balance, these bacteria are necessary for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. They are also protective to our gut lining and skin and are our first line of defence in many ways; but, as in my case, the bacteria can become very much out of balance and this leads to all sorts of health problems. A large number of factors can facilitate the disruption of this delicate balance including diet, certain medications such as the contraceptive pill and steroids, stress, anti-bacterial products, parasites and others.
We also host yeast, this is naturally occurring and not specifically dangerous in proper amounts. Yeast overgrowth, on the other hand, which is rampant in today’s world, can have a tremendously negative impact on overall health and fertility. Many people are familiar with yeast infections, but these infections are often symptomatic of a much larger body-wide issue relating to their microbiome.
Most of us are now familiar with ‘probiotic’ supplements – in effect, eating more good bugs in a capsule or powder. It is also possible to eat good bugs from live food (eg live yogurt, kombucha, live fermented pickles). With all the stresses of today, we really all ought to nurture our good bugs and so to learn how to make our own ‘good bugs’ food is what these 2 workshops are all about.
We know sugar is not great for us but so many of us, me included, have huge sugar cravings. These cravings are often driven by ‘bad’ bugs that are living in our guts, rather than ourselves!! They also feed off the sugar, so we are basically encouraging the bad bugs to thrive when we eat sugar. Whereas eating fibre such as from fresh vegetables, actually nourishes good bugs. What better way to combine prebiotic food and probiotic bugs, than in live fermented veggies? Not only is it much more affordable, I gather it has a more long-term effect than taking supplemental probiotics.
So come and join us at Balance for this fascinating couple of workshops. Click here to book your place.