If you were to ask me to name the best diet book I’d ever read, I would probably say The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates.
I love the fact that the author understands the benefits of whole foods, raw foods, and fermented foods.
Especially fermented foods.
Fermented foods are my new obsession.
Daily intake of these probiotic-loaded powerhouses can boost digestion and immunity enough to have a profound impact on health over time.
So I was interested to hear that renowned raw chef Amy Levin of Ooosha is now offering a Fermentation Masterclass.
It ran last Saturday and my friend Rosi Price went along. She kindly wrote a review of the day for me to share here:
“I have been a passionate believer in fermented food for some time now, having seen and experienced the benefits of live probiotic foods.
In my travels through Europe, the people who eat these foods quite literally glow.
Forget gogi berries, maca and cacao – we have on our doorstep the tools to make our own truly alive and raw superfood.
So you can imagine my delight to find the course run by Amy who I was lucky enough to meet before at a ‘Raw Food Day’ with the wonderful Chad Sarno.
The class took us through sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented salsa, chutneys and of course the amazing raw fermented cheese that tastes so good.
The group was quite small and I think that was essential to ensure the success of the day. Amy and Jo (Balfe) answered every question I put to them and gave me lots of wonderful new ideas (and they have now set up a Facebook page so participants can post any additional questions there).
Amy put into the class the enthusiasm and perfection she puts into everything she prepares. Jo brought to the class a wonderful down to earth approach with a tremendous knowledge.
Jo also runs a live food restaurant in Norwich called ‘The Nectar’ and her kimchi was just the best.
Lunch was a salad with sauerkraut, cheeses and some of the best dehydrated crackers I have ever had. To follow we had one of Amy’s truly fantastic chocolates and later we sampled the famous cheesecake which Amy made in the class.
The flavours were so amazing that the class fell into silence. To have a raw desert so superior to the cooked version is an experience I have only had before at the wonderful Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco.
I enjoyed every minute of this class and would highly recommend it. At £185 it wasn’t cheap but I felt it was worth every penny.
To spend time among experts in this field to gain knowledge that will put your health on a different footing is priceless.
Add that to the fact that we came away with a booklet full of prized recipes, some kombucha culture and a selection of cheeses which even my husband declared wonderful!
Today I am madly chopping cabbage to make more sauerkraut. I have fermented beetroot, carrot and garlic in my fridge. It’s great fun and so exciting to see the fruits of your labour quite literally come alive.
My one tip is always leave enough room at the top of the jar for the kraut to expand or like me you could have a beetroot-coloured bathroom!”
Hi
I am from Europe and even my grand grand grand mom enjoyed fermented veggies, it is very traditional here. I myself eat fermented veggies everyday. I would like to ask you, do you suggest I take a probiotic supplement even when I eat fermented veggies daily? I take every morning on empty stomach supplement too, but just wonder if I could not have it enough from food. Or to include miso soup every day (I eat it several times a week). Thanks a lot.
View CommentHi Misa. Great question! My answer is that food is a much better source of beneficial bacteria than any supplement, so if you are eating fermented veggies every day and miso soup several times a week it probably isn’t necessary. Unless there is a specific reason you need to really load up on the probiotics, or think you might, but even then I would say just eating more fermented foods would probably be your best bet – though I would also advise consulting a nutritionist. The main thing is, it is much easier for the body to get what it needs from real foods, rather than lab-derived supplements. Hope that helps! Sarah
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