Wellness Weekly 10: Fermented Foods And Probiotics

By Idy Perl

Welcome back to another Wellness Weekly installment! Fermented foods have been all the rage recently, but there is some misinformation regarding their benefits. This week we'll explore whether fermented foods truly all contain probiotics, what probiotics even are, and also see how we can use stairs in our home for exercise. 

Myth Buster

Myth: All fermented foods have probiotics.

Truth: Although fermented foods can contain various live cultures, not all of them actually have probiotics. Probiotics are a specific strain of bacteria that can reach the gut alive, and they’re rarely found in popular fermented foods. Although fermented foods are developed using live microorganisms, many fermented foods don’t have any live microbes at all since most of them are killed when the foods are baked, roasted, pasteurized, or filtered. Typically, only yogurts, some cultured dairy foods and a handful of other fermented foods contain actual probiotics.

 

Healthy Hack

Adding yogurt to foods in your regular diet can help you get some extra probiotics in your system. Throw some in as the base of your smoothie, or in this case, your oatmeal!

Ingredients:

½ cup oats

1 ¼ cup milk or water

¼ cup Greek yogurt

Pinch of sea salt

Optional: ½ teaspoon cinnamon or vanilla for added flavor

Directions:

Combine the oats, water or milk, salt and cinnamon or vanilla in a bowl and mix. Cook in the microwave until the liquid is absorbed, around 2-3 minutes. Stir and let cool. Mix in the yogurt and top with some fruit or honey for added flavor. Enjoy!

 

Wellness Wisdom

What are probiotics anyway and why are they important? Although we usually think of bacteria as a bad things, there are actually many bacteria that are beneficial and even necessary for our health, especially our gut health. Our gut is home to millions of live microbes, and the balance of those bacteria is essential to our gut health. Probiotics help maintain that balance and control potentially harmful bacteria.

 

Mind And Body Exercise:

Its ironic how many of the exercise machines we see in gyms often simulate activities we can do at home. One such machine would be the step climber, which is a never-ending escalator that simulates going up the stairs.

Don’t have a gym membership? Don’t fret! Go to your nearest set of stairs and climb up and down several times in a row. Stair climbing has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, strengthen leg muscles, enhance balance and coordination, and of course, burns plenty of calories as you push your body against gravity. Go on, start climbing!

 

Sharing Is Caring:

What is your favorite fermented food?

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