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Fermented Foods
By Val Allen Dip. Ed., ND

Fermented foods provide a pre-digestion technique that has been used for centuries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia to help civilisation digest and utilise nutrients more efficiently through the friendly bacteria they produce. Products such as yoghurt, kefir, sourdough breads, sauerkraut, miso soup, umboshi plums, and blue vein cheese have crept into the diets of Australian households as different cultures have introduced us to these foods.

Yoghurt contains friendly fermenting bacteria and we are now familiar with the importance of the probiotic, immune-stimulating effect of yoghurt cultures for our digestion. Kefir is a fermented milk drink that has been widely consumed in Eastern Europe for centuries; it contains approximately thirty different strains of friendly bacteria, making it a more potent digestive and immune-boosting product than yoghurt. Kefir is available from some health food shops and can also be easily made at home using a kefir grain starter; details about this are on my clinic website for those interested in making their own kefir.

The most important aspect of fermentation and digestion relates to grains and our bread industry. A colleague of mine, Rob Santich, has an interesting theory for the difficulty so many people have digesting bread and the increase of diagnosed coeliac disease. His theory is that until the 1950s, bakers worked in two shifts and the prepared dough was left to ferment and rise overnight before the second shift baked it next morning; this dramatically increased fermentation and breakdown of gluten in the flour, thus making it more digestible. Once large-scale commercial baking became established, baking was reduced to one shift and the long period of the fermentation process was lost. This, coupled with increasing pesticide and chemical changes to wheat production, has made high-volume bread more indigestible.

Many people find that sourdough bread digests well. Sourdough bread baking dates back to the Pharaohs around 1400 BC and was the only bread making technique used until the 1920s when commercial yeast production commenced. Sourdough bread begins with a ‘sourdough starter’ where equal parts of water and flour are allowed to ferment for five days – some of this starter culture is retained for future batches. This fermentation process creates a type of yeast product that produces the rising ability of the dough, and it is then proved for 8-12 hours, further increasing sourdough’s digestibility whilst also reducing the glycaemic index of the bread.

Sensitive digestive systems respond well to fermented foods, so why not consider making yoghurt, kefir, miso soup, sauerkraut and sourdough breads part of your healthy lifestyle.

Karen Smart, a patient at PNMC, describes how she makes Kefir:

Milk Kefir

  1. Do not use any metal whilst handling your kefir – only BPA-free plastic or glass.
  2. The better ingredients you feed your kefir the better quality your kefir will be and the more it will flourish.

Instructions:

  1. Find someone who will divide their kefir grains and give them to you (alternatively you can source them online via ebay).
  2. Place kefir grains into a glass jar.
  3. Add organic full cream milk at a 2:1 ratio to the kefir grains (I use Organic Margaret River Full Cream milk or Cleopatra’s Bath Milk) – non pasturised/non-homogenised is best.
  4. Place a gauze cloth over the top of the jar and secure with elastic band (the kefir must be allowed to breath to continue living).
  5. Place the jar in a darkened area (I keep mine on the kitchen bench out of full sunlight and it is very healthy).
  6. Once a day pour the jar’s contents through a sift/colander – place the grains back in the jar and add milk as per above – drink the kefir liquid, use in cooking or store in the fridge. No need to wash the jar each time – maybe just once a fortnight.
  7. Enjoy!

The kefir liquid is great in smoothies, cooking (in place of sour cream, yogurt or cream). Every morning I blend the kefir with freshly ground flaxseed and frozen berries and I drink about 600mL for my breakfast, my husband has 400mL with his museli, and my 4yr old daughter has 100mL as a drink with her cereal/toast.

Water Kefir (otherwise referred to as Tibicos)

  1. Do not use any metal whilst handling your kefir – only BPA-free plastic or glass.
  2. The better ingredients you feed your kefir the better quality your kefir will be and the more it will flourish.

Instructions:

  1. Find someone who will divide their kefir grains and give them to you (these are more difficult to source as these are rarer).
  2. Place kefir grains into a glass jar.
  3. Add filtered water at 2:1 ratio to the kefir grains.
  4. Add sugar at 1:3 ratio to kefir grains (mixture of organic raw sugar, organic cane sugar, organic palm sugar, organic black strap molasses, a large pinch of bicarbonate of soda, organic fruit (lemon/orange/grapefruit/unsulphurised dried fruit)).
  5. Place the lid loosely on the jar (the water kefir becomes carbonated so make sure the lid is placed very loosely so the gas can escape).
  6. Place the jar in a darkened area (I keep mine on the kitchen bench out of full sunlight and it is very healthy).
  7. Once every 2-3 days pour the jar’s contents through a sift/colander – place the grains back in the jar with the water, sugar, fruit and bicarbonate of soda as per above – either do a second fermentation for a stronger more nutritious kefir (possibly infusing with ginger or different fruit for another 2 days), or drink the kefir liquid immediately, use in cooking or store in the fridge. No need to wash the jar each time – maybe just once a fortnight.
  8. Enjoy!

The kefir liquid is great as a refreshing drink – it stores well in the fridge in glass bottles but once again be mindful that the kefir can become quite carbonated and that gas pressure should be released periodically (I keep my lids loose and like to drink my kefir noncarbonated). Experiment with different proportions and types of fruit and sugar to get a different tasting kefir.  If using non-organic fruit remove the skin before placing with the kefir – kefir does not like pesticides and chemicals. My 4 yr old loves this drink and calls it her ‘Magic’ drink and drinks it often throughout the day and over dinner.

Also, watch the youtube.com below for the water kefir – these clips are really good and give you the full run down on how to help your water kefir thrive and what proportions of everything you need to add. Plus directions on second fermentation if you want to do that part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8Dj31B5sg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJ022J3xpk&feature=related
If you are interested in obtaining a kefir starter, please email Karen at
karen@lushartdesign.com.au.

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Talking therapy for chronic stress and mysterious symptoms
By Dr Kitty Campion M.A., M.H., B.I.T., M.C.I.A.

Janine was referred over to me by Val Allen. She had had a benign tumour on one of her adrenal glands surgically removed after considerable delay in diagnosis. This and the operation itself left her feeling abnormally fatigued and anxious with a gnawing feeling of being uncomfortably blown up with fluid all over. The anxiety provoked chronic diarrhoea, which curtailed her social life radically.

Bioresonance investigation on the Vega Check and Vega Select showed a pituitary problem and Candida. Both were corrected herbally and with dietary restrictions. The diarrhoea was eventually stopped with hypnotherapy and autogenic meditation, but my feeling is that the greatest healing occurred simply by constructive talking, listening and offering workable solutions to self-concepts, behaviour patterns and by encouraging changes in lifestyle. She's off to Melbourne for 6 months and really looking forward to the adventure; something she could have never dreamt of doing 9 months ago!

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How important are supplements during pregnancy?
By Natalie Pickering ND, Dip.App.Sc.(Nat.)

Fallacy: During pregnancy a woman must eat for two!

Fact: A pregnant woman's calorie requirement during pregnancy is only increased by 15%, however her nutrient requirement literally doubles.

The scientific body of evidence showing vitamins and minerals are safe during pregnancy and are absolutely essential at therapeutic doses, is too overwhelming to ignore.

Continuing an individually prescribed supplement regime is vital during pregnancy and is just as important as during your preconception preparation. Requirements for specific nutrients increase even further as the pregnancy progresses.

A competent naturopathic practitioner can help you tailor a regime specific to your personal requirements, taking into consideration the stage of your pregnancy, dosage requirements and delivery methods using only the highest quality products to maintain healthy development of mother and baby.

It's very important to remember that during pregnancy the baby takes all the nutrients, leaving the mother only what is leftover. At birth the mother will majorly deplete her nutrient stores. When breastfeeding begins the mother gets all the nutrients and baby gets what is left over, hence the importance of continuing supplementation. As a baby's growth and development is so rapid in the early days proper nutrition through excellent diet and supplementation regime is your insurance policy for optimal development.

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Children's Health
By Jacqui Lamplugh Adv.Dip.(Nat), B.Comp.Med.

The start of the school year has began and even for the most organised family the mornings are hectic with less and less time being spent organising school lunches and more time tying shoes laces, shovelling down breakfast and hurrying everyone into the car. With a third of a child's total food intake for the day being consumed at school it is essential that their lunchbox provides nutrients, vitamins and minerals for energy and growth. We all known eating spinach gives you iron, carrots help you see in the dark but what impact does food have on the health of our kids brains and development? Recent research in England has found that feeding young children processed foods lower their future IQ. Children who ate predominately processed foods scored on average five points lower in tests than children who ate a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits.

It is important that we take these new findings into consideration when packing our children's lunch boxes. Put aside 5-10min once a week to plan your child's lunch box for the week. Remember for good health and development a lunch box should contain whole grains e.g. multigrain rolls or wraps, protein for muscle growth from tuna, seeds or cold meats, vegetables and a piece of fruit. A little time investment will protect against a lunch box filled with packaged and processed foods and provide the nutrition required by your child to be their best in and outside the classroom.

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Val Allen's West Australian Column - Healthy Advertising (the French way)

Our media and health professionals regularly remind us that Australians are becoming more obese and that diabetes, heart disease and cancer are killing too many people before they have enjoyed long, healthy lives.

So how can we as a nation convincingly get the message across that we need to eat less fat, sugar, salt and junk foods and increase regular exercise for everyone?

It appears that until life-threatening symptoms present themselves, most Australians adopt the attitude that "she'll be right" and only a hefty wake up call jolts them into commencing a healthy eating and exercise programme.

Unfortunately fat, sugar and salt makes food "taste better" on most palates, and of course, food manufacturers capitalise on this when processing food. Food regulation standards really should be more restrictive on unhealthy foods, especially trans-fats.

Large food corporations regrettably have much bigger advertising budgets than government health departments and apart from the "Eat 5 and 2" vegetable and fruit campaign, there are few healthy advertisements to keep us on track.

Of course Australia is not alone with its obesity epidemic. America and Britain have major problems and now France is facing its own obesity crisis - curiously since fast food chains have invaded that country.

I was fortunate enough to be in France recently and I was pleased to see the clever way their health regulators are tackling the problem of getting healthy messages through to its population. There are mandatory advertising regulations governing all television advertisements for food and drinks, whether they are healthy items such as spring water or fresh produce or unhealthy products such as snack foods, junk foods or take-away products.

Whenever a food advertisement is shown on television, one of the four following banner messages scrolls across the bottom of that advertisement for its duration:

- Eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day

- Avoid eating too much fat, sugar and salt

- Avoid snacking between meals

- Practice an active physical exercise regime

This mandatory programme has been in place for about three years and it seems to be a clever, constant and low cost health reminder to all. Even if an advertisement showed a tasty take-away burger or pizza, the message displayed across the bottom of the screen would hopefully remind viewers that this food needed to be balanced against healthier practices.

As far as I could assess, the messages were randomly selected, paid for by the advertiser and no particular message was assigned to a specific product. I must say I did chuckle when an advertisement for potato crisps carried the banner "Avoid snacking between meals".

I know health regulators have considered a "fat" tax on foods which so far has not come to fruition and that some cereal manufacturers have agreed to start reducing the salt and sugar content of some of their products but consumers must still read ingredient labels.

In these times of government spending cut backs, maybe this cost-effective French television healthy lifestyle promotion campaign could be used in Australia to send some positive health messages to encourage a healthier nation.

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