better than supplements: nature's original probiotics

the impact of fermented foods - what they are and how they benefit your overall health in ways that might surprise you!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, Noosers 🍀! We had a great weekend spring skiing in Vermont. The weather was beautiful, with soft snow, plenty of sun and warm temps —it was such a treat. We enjoyed skiing with the kids one day, then hiked up the mountain the next. The big takeaway? Finding a friend, getting outside, and moving your body can improve a lot of things — fresh air and connecting with friends are extremely underrated and can do a world of good for your mental and physical health. If you need a pick me up, try it out — we guarantee it will boost your mood…you won’t regret it!

Today’s post explores the benefits of fermented foods — the natural way to work probiotics into your system. Anne dives into what they are, and how they can positively impact your health in a multitude of ways! It can be as simple as adding yogurt or kefir into your daily regimen, or exploring some other delicious and nutrient dense dairy-free options. These foods don’t make headlines in our western diet, so might not be on your radar. At Noos, we believe that awareness is key — the things you learn, experiment with, and apply consistently over time can make a profound difference in your health. Read today’s post for some simple tips to support your gut and overall health — the number one way to supplement is with real, whole foods.

all smiles from the top of Bromley Mountain in VT

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What makes a food fermented?

I (Anne) was reading an excerpt from Julian Baggini’s book: How the World Eats, highlighted on The Bittman Project and was struck by this excerpt:

“Which foods best represent your part of the world? If you are in Maharashtra in western India, you might think of your prized local produce, the Alphonso mango. In South Africa, it could be biltong, a speciality product. Many Persians would nominate Ghormeh sabzi, a traditional stew. Delicious as all these may be, none are truly indicative of how we typically eat today, at least not in the industrialized world.

Asked to bring back the most typical Earth foods, an anthropologist from Mars would fill its shopping basket with sliced bread, frozen pizzas and ready meals, picking up a burger and fries on the way back to the spaceship.”

While we might proudly identify with local specialties or traditional dishes as representing our culture, the reality of Western eating habits is dominated by these types of typically low nutrient, convenience foods. Our Western diets commonly lack fermented foods, an important category that has been a staple in traditional food cultures worldwide. Today, we are going to explore what fermented foods are, why you might want to work them into your diet, and easy ways to add them into your meal rotation!

I often get asked about supplements, which ones to take?!