WHAT YOGURT IS BEST FOR KIDS?

The most healthy and nutritious fermented milk products should ideally come from unpasteurized, unhomogenized, full fat, certified milk from grassfed animals who have access to pasture and sunshine.. This milk can come from cows or goats. Goat milk is purported to be easier to digest than cow's milk but many find that when cow's milk is unheated, unhomogenized, and comes from animals fed their natural diet, with no antibiotics, hormones.... or added sugar...then most people have success in the digestion department. There are also fewer problems with allergies.

Children and adults need the full cream in the milk to buffer the absorption of the milk sugar. When skim or low fat milk is consumed, ....the quicker absorption of milk sugar, due to the low or no fat, can stress the body's insulin handling abilities. Fat is also needed for the absorption of calcium and fat soluble vitamins. If we are unable to absorb many of the vitamins and minerals of a food then what is the point of consuming it?

When milk is homogenized the fat particles are broken down into very tiny unnatural particles which may play a role in milk allergy. However, if one does not have access to unhomogenized raw milk then organic, pasteurized whole milk products would be the next best choice.

Instead of starting your baby out with the sugar filled baby yogurts, try a more natural brand, such as Stoneyfield plain unsweetened yogurt. You will be surprised at how babies and toddlers will love the plain tart taste.Added sugar only defeats the purpose of the good bacteria which is found in fermented milk products

 Make sure the yogurt you choose says that it currently has live yogurt cultures. Some brands will say that they "are made with live cultures"....however, this can mean that the milk product was pasteurized after the yogurt was made with live cultures, which can mean that the good bacteria are no longer alive or active.These "good" or beneficial bacteria comprise a large portion of our immune system. Making sure our diet is full of healthy fats and fermented foods will boost our immune systems in a natural way to help ward off colds, flus and more serious disease. One way to ensure that your fermented food is brimming with these healthful organisms is to make it yourself. You can find all the equipment, cultures and directions you will need through the banners below.I haven't made my own yogurt yet but I do make kefir(drinkable yogurt) every week, which I drink plain or I make it into a shake with frozen berries and or bananas and sometimes healthy raw egg yolks from pastured hens.It is very simple to make kefir. All you have to do is acquire the culture (which can be reused forever) and put it into a jar of milk of your choice . Leave it for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature, shaking it several times. Once it jells, you place it in the fridge till ready to use. No heat required.

One of the purposes of healthy fats, calcium and other important minerals found in milk products from grassfed animals...is for the formation of healthy bone structure.Today, in modern society, crowded teeth, braces, and malfunctioning sinus cavities are all considered fairly normal. It is important to know that this growing tendency is far from normal. Well formed dental arches and sinus cavities depend on the pregnant mother having a diet rich in healthy fats (rich in vitamin K2) and minerals and it also depends on the child consuming the same healthy fats in their formative years. Below are examples of a well formed arch (horseshoe shaped) with room for all the teeth and an arch which is malformed and which forces the teeth to be crowded.

                               

For more information on why we need Vitamin K2 from healthy fats and why we should fill our diets with live fermented foods, see the following links

http://www.foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/11/disease-fighting-properties-of.html  The Disease Fighting Properties of Fermented Foods

Vitamin K2 for Healthy Heart, Bone and Skin Health  http://www.foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/01/vitamin-k2-for-heart-bone-and-skin.html

EASY TO MAKE LACTO-FERMENTED FOODS: VIDEO REVIEW

Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods

Presenter: Annie Dru

"Life in all its fullness is mother nature obeyed”. This quote from Weston A. Price summarizes his research and is included on the cover of every issue of The Price Pottenger Journal of Health and Healing. Annie Dru, the presenter of the video “Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods”, strongly believes that we can restore society back to health, harmony and fullness of joy, by following the principles of Weston A. Price. This video is divided into two basic sections. The first part summarizes the work of Weston Price and explains why it is so important. The second section deals with the actual demonstration of how to prepare different types of food for the fermentation process. Oodles of interesting facts and helpful hints are sprinkled throughout the entire video.

Immediately upon watching this presentation, I was very impressed with Annie Dru’s effervescent nature and clarity of thought. I felt that her presentation flowed beautifully, was very well organized and very entertaining. Her exuberance is a testimony to the six principles which she lays out for us in the first part of the video. She is a natural speaker and engages her audience with her wonderful examples and descriptions.

Annie begins the six principles with fermentation and the fascinating role this process plays in transforming already nutritious foods into even more nutritious superfoods. She explains that vitamins, enzymes and beneficial bacteria are all increased upon fermentation.

Principle number two involves the importance of bone broth. Dru includes complete instructions on how to make bone broth and discusses the role gelatin plays in aiding the digestion of meats.

The next principle focuses on why we should be soaking, sprouting and sour leavening beans, seeds and nuts. Dru explains how these processes neutralize the anti-nutrients found in these foods and makes them more digestible.

The fourth principle discusses why certain animal foods should be eaten raw. Special attention was given to liver and dairy products.

Principle number five centered on organ meats. Information was shared concerning the practices of animals in the wild and of indigenous people. When there was an abundance of food animals and indigenous peoples went straight for the organ meats and discarded the muscle meat of their prey. The animals instinctively knew what parts of their prey contained the most dense nutrition. People learned the same lesson either from experience and/or from watching what the animals did.

The last principle revolved around saturated fats and cholesterol. Dru explained how indigenous people made it a priority to save the fat from the animals and how important it is to include fat along with the meat we consume. Fat aides in the digestion of meat and also increases the assimilation of various vitamins and minerals. Dru stressed the idea that in order for people to be healthy, the animals that they consume must be fed their natural diets. For example, chickens are supposed to eat insects…..not corn. When animals or people eat a food they are not designed to eat, then their health suffers and their fat ratios also change. The animals pass their health status and their fat properties on to us.

In the second half of Dru’s presentation she actually demonstrates how to ferment vegetables and milk products. Included are sauerkraut, ginger carrots, beet kvass, crème fraiche, and soft cheeses. She encourages the audience to experiment with fermented foods and stressed the idea that fermentation is not a laboratory science. She added the fact that every batch of a specific fermented food will result in a little bit different end product and that this is ok.

 Because our medical system is based on Pasteur’s Germ Theory, we have been taught to fear and obliterate all germs. Dru shares the fact that the human body is largely composed of bacteria and that instead of fearing these organisms, we need to learn how to coexist with them and how to put them to work for our benefit. Better health will result from working with nature instead of against it.

After I finished viewing “Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods”, I realized that watching this video with my family and friends would be an exceptional way to share with them the vital research of Weston A. Price. The information was presented in such a clear, friendly, and interesting manner that it may even convert the most diehard junk foodie …or it would at least plant the seed for further exploration into real nutritional wisdom.

 Our fast food technological society is depriving people of the joy of real connections to the food we eat. However, we don’t have to let this continue. We can once again experience the rhythm of the seasons through growing and preserving our own foods. We can increase our health by preparing our foods using more traditional soaking and fermentation methods. When we turn our focus to restoring and maintaining health as a foundation for increased harmony, not only will the individual benefit but society as a whole will begin to heal. Annie Dru provides a much needed stepping stone in this learning process and I encourage those who want to make a difference to watch this video and to share it with others.

This video can be purchased from the non-profit Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

 http://ppnf.org/index.php/store?main_page=index&cPath=38&view=solidcart&sort=20a&page=4

KEFIR....A HEALING IMMUNE BOOSTING FOOD

Due to our heavily processed modern diet, it is often recommended that we take probiotic supplements to keep our intestinal flora in proper balance.....especially if a person has been taking antibiotics. The word probiotic means "for Life" and the word antibiotic means anti or "against" Life. Probiotics or "good bacteria" are an integral part of our body's immune system. The following benefits of probiotics are from The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity . Referring to the good bacteria, the author Donna Gates tells us...."They help white blood cells fight disease, they control putrefactive bacteria in the intestines, they provide important nutrients for building the blood, they assist digestion, they protect the intestinal mucosa, they prevent diarrhea and constipation and they contribute to bowel elimination. They also manufacture important B vitamins and are the most abundant source of Vitamin B12."

The most economical and healthy way to get our probiotics is through fermented foods. Much of our commercial food supply has been sterilized (pasteurized) and as a result provides us with little enzymatic activity or helpful bacteria. A food that has been universally fermented, is milk. Civilizations , for thousands of years, have let milk ferment into soft cheeses, hard cheeses, buttermilk, yogurt and kefir. Often, if one has a difficult time digesting milk, the fermentation process will help to ameliorate this problem. The good bacteria help to digest the lactose in the milk, which is the component that some people have problems with.

The photo at the top shows the jar I ferment my kefir in. The bowl to the left gives you an idea of the consistency of kefir. If you look closely you can see the yellow butterfat interspersed within the kefir. Despite mainstream nutritional advice, butterfat from the milk of gassfed cows, is very healthy and helps us to assimilate certain nutrients in the milk. If possible it is highly desirable to buy certified raw milk that has not been homogenized. Every processing step we add, further destroys the natural food.To find unadulterated fresh milk near you , visit this link http://www.realmilk.com/where2.html . If you must buy commerical milk to make your kefir,  probably the best choice is full fat organic milk. Organic milk is heated at even higher temperatures than regular store bought milk but at least it doesn't contain the hormones and antibiotics. When fermented, this milk gains back some of its beneficial properties.

The picture to the right is a closeup of kefir "grains" or culture.  These grains are a living colony of beneficial bacteria. They look somewhat like cauliflower and have a rubbery texture. They can be kept alive ...just about forever...by storing them in milk...in the refrigerator, when not in use making kefir. Here is a place that specializes in fermentation equipment and cultures and  you can buy real KEFIR GRAINS  here.





OK.....making kefir is really a very simple process. If you use the live grains..all you have to do is find a 32 ounce jar.....or larger, fill it with cold or room temperature milk and then add the grains. Screw on the lid and gently shake it back and forth just a couple of times. The jar can be stored on the counter at room temperature during the fermenting process, which takes approximately 24 to 48 hours to set into one big gel like curd. The fermentation time depends on room temperature and the size or amount of the curds.

 

 Shake the jar gently a couple of times each day to make sure that the grains have contact with all of the milk.When the kefir is done,  there should be no liquid milk left.....only one large softly coagulated mass. I think most people strain their kefir when it is finished setting. This is for the purpose of getting the grains back out of the kefir so you can save them for the next fermentation. I used to strain my kefir after fermentation but decided I like the texture better when not straining it and it was easier for me to just use a spoon to lift out the kefir grains, which float to the top of the jar. 

 

Then before pouring I would gently stir in the fat that rises to the top. I find the texture of the kefir to be smoother when I don't strain it.You may find that your kefir separates into whey(clear liquid) at the bottom of the jar and the solid mass above it. This can mean that the kefir has fermented a bit longer than it needs to. This is ok but you may find that the taste is a bit more tart or sour. When this happens to me...I like to make kefir cheese....which is even easier to make than the kefir itself. When you make kefir cheese, you get to save the whey, which can be used for fermenting vegetables.

I often drink my kefir plain but when I want a real special treat, I make a kefir smoothie. Yesterday I made this smoothie with a banana, a large handful of frozen strawberries, a raw egg and a glass of kefir. I mixed it all up in the blender and when I first poured it into the glass, it was so thick that it formed peaks. The frozen strawberries are what give the kefir smoothie this special quality. It's like a drinkable frozen ice cream! YUM!!!!....and it's so good for you too! Instead of strawberries I also like to use blueberries or raspberries...or even a combination.I usually add a whole or half of a banana for added sweetness.

Two books I always recommend for learning how to ferment are Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats and

 

WildFermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

 

 Also...if you really don't think you have the time or interest to create your own probiotic foods...you can buy kefir already made at the healthfood store or you can buy probiotics in a pill form. I like Jarro-Dophilus because it seems to work well, is reasonably priced and does not have to be refridgerated.  Having to keep probiotics in the fridge was always a hassle for me because it was out of sight....out of mind , and I would forget to take it. Jarro-Dophilus is also handy for traveling.

If fermenting sounds like fun and if it makes sense to you, check out the article below concerning fermented veggies

FERMENTATION IS SELF SUFFICIENT FUN!

Over thousands of years our ancestors experimented with and perfected different methods of preserving meats and vegetables. Often the techniques used to preserve the food would additionally enhance vitamin and enzyme content while...at the same time.. making the particular food more digestible and therefore easier to assimilate. Our grandparents and great grandparents fermented several different products and at least one of these foods was often used at every meal. Among these ferments were beverages, cheeses, yogurts and fermented vegetables. Sometimes even meats and fish were fermented. Fermented foods fortified our stores of good bacteria present in our digestive systems and comprised an important part of our immune systems.

Today just about all of the products in the grocery store are pasteurized and sterilized. Sterilization of our food supply is having very negative consequences so it is important to learn how to ferment your own food from organic sources. Once you have fermented the food, it is important not to cook it or you will inevitably lose all the healthful properties you worked so hard to create.

The art of fermentation involves some experimentation to obtain a final product suitable to your taste. Some people love a very sour ferment where others prefer a milder taste. With just a little bit of trial and error you can become an expert in the ancient art of fermentation. Teaching children how to ferment their food is very educational, helps them relate better to what real food is, helps to bring back beneficial ancient traditions and restores our health and sense of community when this natural science is shared with others.

Some of the ferments I have made so far...are...kombucha tea, kefir (a type of fermented milk), kefir cheese, fermented salsa, turnips, carrots and cabbage. These fermented foods have a very fresh, bright and zippy taste. They are a great accompaniment to meat and are very helpul in aiding in the digestion of this food. I was very disappointed a year or so ago when a law was passed that cider was required to be pasteurized in CT. One no longer has access to the natural fermentation process which results in hard cider  and lots of beneficial active bacteria. It's interesting to note that hard cider is now sold as a wine and is very expensive. However, after the hard cider is made....it is pasteurized. So...while you have some alcohol present in this commercial hard cider, there is no beneficial bacteria.

The picture below was my first try at making fermented vegetables. I happened to be growing purple and green cabbage that year so I layered the 2 different colors and this is the effect that resulted. Kinda pretty, isn't it? The smaller jar is fermented turnips

I would like to share with you a basic sauerkraut recipe which I got from

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
and to which I added a couple more ingredients.


1 medium head cabbage, shredded
7 peppercorns
10 whole cloves
1 TBSP caraway seeds
1 TBSP sea salt
4 TBSP whey or if not available use an extra TBSP of salt


Mix together the cabbage with the rest of the ingredients in a fairly large pan or sturdy bowl. Pound the contents with a wooden pounder or other similar implement...for about 10 minutes until the juices have leached out of the cabbage. The lactic acid, plus the whey and or the salt...is what preserves the cabbage and lets the mixture ferment into saurkraut. Place the contents into a wide mouthed quart mason jar and pack/pound the cabbage in tight as you add more cabbage. Fill the jar to an inch of the rim and keep pressing the cabbage down until an inch of liquid covers the top of the cabbage. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for about 3 days and then store in the refridgerator. You may want to set the jars on some sort of plate or tray because during the three days of storing at room temperature, some of the juice may leak out of the jars. This is fine. You may also taste the kraut to see if it has aged enough.You can adjust the sourness of the kraut by the length of time you leave it at room temperature and the length of time that you store it in the fridge before you eat it. It can be eaten immediately after it has aged at room temperature but it might taste better or more kraut like after it has aged further in the refridgerator.


The above method is a quick method for making smaller amounts of sauerkraut or you can use a crock for longer fermentation and larger amounts. I have used the old fashioned type of crock  
and the results were good but I did have to throw out the top layer which got a bit moldy. I have more recently acquired the two crocks below. They are fairly expensive but they pretty much guarantee a foolproof batch of fermented vegetables.The Harsch company that sells them has an exclusive design which seals the contents of the crock with a water barrier.

If you would like to learn more about the many foods that can be enhanced and preserved through the fermentation process and if you want to create food that is healthy and alive....you will want to read The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook that I linked to above and another great book on this subject is Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods 

MAKING YOUR OWN PROBIOTICS AND ENZYMES

By Marjorie Tietjen


Since time began, man has preserved his food through the process of fermentation. Humans live in a symbiotic relationship with yeasts, mold and bacteria. These organisms are in everything we eat and are even in the air we breathe. Historically each region of the world is known for it's specific fermented foods.......such as....... sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi (fermented mixed vegetables) from Korea, Kefir (a cultured milk product from the Caucus Mountains), and Japan is known for it's miso (fermented soybeans).


The list of fermented foods goes on to include fermented teas, wine, beer, hard cider, sourdough breads, fermented grain porridges, most vegetables and fruits....and even meat and fish. Rediscovering the miracle of fermentation has become an exciting and magical adventure as I continue to try my own hand at culturing the many different foods which are amenable to this process. I must admit however, that the thought of fermented meat and fish has not yet tempted me.


Beneficial Chemical Changes


Fermentation favorably alters the chemical nature of our food. Not only does it preserve the food but this natural process also improves its digestibility, while increasing nutrient and enzyme content. The helpful bacteria which are involved in this magical transformation are very valuable for the more complete assimilation of nutrients and they are a critical component of our immune system. Many of you are already aware of the fact that these helpful microbes or probiotics (pro-life) help to keep the more harmful bacteria in our digestive tracts, under control and in balance. The presence of friendly microbes actually improves our ability to resist infection. A healthy colon is considered to be our second immune system.


Another advantage of fermentation is the neutralization of anti nutrients or enzyme inhibitors. For example, grains and beans contain phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of zinc, iron, calcium and phosphorous. The culturing process disables the phytic acid and these fermented foods now become more nutritious, easier to digest and less allergenic. A more dramatic example of fermentation neutralizing toxins comes from page 7 of the book... Wild Fermentation: The Flavors, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Ellix Katz. "Fermentation also removes toxins from foods. This is vividly illustrated by the case of cassava, an enormous tuber native to the tropical regions of the Americas that has also become a staple food in equatorial regions of Africa and Asia. Certain varieties of cassava contain high levels of cyanide and are poisonous until they have undergone a soaking fermentation. The fermentation process eliminates the cyanide, rendering the cassava edible and nutritious."


Processed Foods


When I speak to people of the health benefits of fermented foods, many will say that they already consume fermented foods , such a beer, canned sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables. However, unless the product in the store is refrigerated, it has already been cooked or pasteurized. These potentially healthy vibrant foods have had all the life taken out of them through this heating process. In recent times, the mass production of our food supply has discouraged the use of fermented whole foods. Fermentation involves more labor and time and is really more of an art than a science. The shelf life of the foods is also a consideration.


Homemade cultured vegetables should not be heated on the stove as this cancels out the activity of the good bacteria and of the enzymes. To take the chill off, portions can be brought to room temperature before a meal.



Sandor Katz, the king of fermentation, in his book Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods , assures us that making our own cultured foods can be fun and easy. Sometimes it requires a bit of patience and experimentation, but anyone with a interest can succeed. No fancy equipment is needed. A grater, knives, wide mouth quart canning jars, sea salt, the vegetables you have chosen, and an implement to pound with, are all that is necessary.


One of my favorite recipes, fermented ginger carrots, comes from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. This book is an excellent resource on how to properly prepare foods to retain and enhance nutrient content. It is a treasure trove of interesting facts and valuable information. 




 I will be modifying the recipe just a bit because fresh whey is one of the optional ingredients that many of you may not have access to.


Ginger Carrots ..... makes one quart


4 generous cups raw fresh grated carrots
1 TBSP of grated fresh ginger
2 TBSP sea salt


Mix all of these ingredients together in a container. Then pound the mixture with a meat hammer or an old fashioned wooden pounder. This releases the juice of the carrots, which is needed to cover the carrots during the process of fermentation and to help preserve them while in cold storage.


Place the ingredients into the quart wide mouthed canning jar. Press the mixture down firmly as you add layers of the ingredients. Pressing down as you go, eliminates air pockets which could cause spoilage. Keep pressing until the juice covers the top of the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least one inch from the top of the jar. Cover and leave at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring the jar to the refrigerator. If the jar is filled too full, you may notice the jar leaking during the fermentation period. This is OK because we don't need a "seal" as we do when canning. Because of this possibility it is wise to place
something protective under the jar .... such as a plate.


I have also substituted grated raw turnips for the carrots, with excellent results. The carrots should stay fresh for a couple of months in the refrigerator. Once made, these cultured vegetables can be thought of as the perfect fast food, immediately available to add zip and digestive power to meat, fish and other heavy foods.


Eating a diet rich in fermented foods should provide your body with a sufficient amount of friendly bacteria. However, if you happen to be taking antibiotics for a chronic infection, it would be wise to add a concentrated commercial source of probiotics, for increased assurance and protection.


In order to possess a healthy vibrant body, we must feed the body vibrant living fuel. Summer is coming and local organic produce will soon be available to experiment with. Try your hand at fermentation. The bacteria that initiates the fermentation process is a free gift from nature and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FOODS

                               KEFIR CHEESE:  This Was Made From Raw Whole Milk And Kefir Grains.

                               Its Simple To Make Using Raw Or Pasteurized Milk. Learn More...  http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

by Jyoti Prakash Tamang on May 5, 2010

All around the world, fermented foods and beverages are part of the human diet. In some places they make up a minor 5% of daily intake, while in others their role can be as substantial as 40%.

Using native knowledge of locally available raw materials from plant or animal sources, people across the globe produce this type of food and drink either naturally or by adding starter cultures that contain micro-organisms. Micro-organisms transform these raw materials both biochemically (i.e., the nutrients) and organoleptically (i.e., the taste/texture/odour) into edible products that are culturally acceptable to the maker and consumer.

Fermented foods can be fried, boiled or candied, or consumed in curries, stews, side dishes, pickles, confectionery, salads, soups and desserts. They can be in the form of pastes, seasonings, condiments, masticators, and even colourants. Fermented drinks can be either alcoholic (such as beer and wine) or non-alcoholic, like butter milk, certain teas, or things that contain vinegar.

However, though most fermented foods have health-promoting benefits, their global consumption is declining as traditional food systems give way to the influence of a western diet and fast foods.

A world of therapeutic food

Many of the fermented products consumed by different ethnic groups have therapeutic values. Some of the most widely known are fermented milks (i.e., yoghurt, curds). Containing high concentrations of pro-biotic bacteria, these can lower your cholesterol level........Read More... http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/benefits-of-traditional-fermented-foods/