For thousands of years fermented and cultured foods have made up to 30% of our diets. Sadly modern generations have turned our back on these traditional processes and favour foods that are stagnant, empty and devoid of life. It seemed like we may have lost the art form forever, but recently fermented foods have made a comeback and its now ‘on trend’ to have a jar of kombucha fermenting on your kitchen counter, or to enjoy sourdough bread with your avocado for breakfast.
What is Fermentation and why do we ferment our products?
Fermentation is an ancient practice, it is nature’s way of converting basic foods into nutritional powerhouses. It is a process where compounds like sugars and starch are converted by beneficial microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) into alcohol or acids. During this transformation microorganisms convert nutrients into highly active and easily digestible forms, as well as creating a vast array of additional nutrients that support our health.
If you look at any traditional culture they would have had fermented foods as a staple in their diet, from kimchee in Korea to injera in Ethiopia, not forgetting cocoa, coffee and beer on a global scale. Two of the most prized fermented foods are kefir and kombucha, our ancestors knew how beneficial these foods could be and today research is backing this up.
Benefits of Fermentation
• We are able to enhance nutrition rather than extract it, and we are able keep foods and herbs whole as you would find in nature.
• Both bacteria and yeast produce a vast range of enzymes to convert any food into a true superfood. Our bodies produce 22 digestive enzymes, but fermentation produces 200+.
• Fermentation breaks down nutrients in sugars and starches into easily digestible forms.
• It increases the availability of vitamins and minerals for our bodies to absorb and it destroys anti-nutrients which are harmful, allergenic and can interfere with our nutrient absorption.
• Fermentation also helps to create new nutrients and compounds which support digestive health and create the right environment in the digestive tract, which plays an important role in immune health.
The Living Nutrition Process
At Living Nutrition we use a unique Kefir-Kombucha style fermentation.
We take a select range of organic foods and herbs such as Maca, Turmeric and Rhodiola and add them to 35 strains of bacteria and yeast common to both kefir and kombucha. We let them do their thing for 30 days whilst they ferment away to become a living matrix of activated nutrients, enzymes and beneficial micro-organisms which are easily absorbed and have many proven benefits to health.
We ferment in small batches by hand for a whole month, creating the most alive, active and nutrient dense food possible. Once the fermentation is complete, we use a gentle and slow freeze drying process to capture the full range of nutrients, enzymes and microbes.
We never use heat or pressure and we don’t add any fillers, binders or additives. All products are organically certified, Vegan friendly and gluten free.
Fermentation is so much more than just a way to preserve food.
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