If you want a strong immune system, healthy brain and optimal weight, you need a healthy gut. That’s right, a major key player to maintaining optimal balance and harmony between our mind and body is connected through our digestive system. To keep your belly happy, I’m showing you how to make sauerkraut at home!
What can help us maintain a stellar digestive system and healthy gut? Sauerkraut. Now I’ve written about the benefits of fermented foods before, how probiotics can boost your mood, and how to eat more probiotics (with sauerkraut receiving its rightful mention), so you know some of the reasons why I love it so.
Today though, I’m showing the ladies at WCIU how to make sauerkraut at home. Why would you want to do this, you ask? By making your own fermented foods you are eliminating the pasteurizing phase (destroying pathogens through a heating process). By keeping your sauerkraut raw, living and unpasteurized, you are ensuring that the probiotics and antioxidants are being preserved in your jar.
As mentioned in the video, there is a huge link between our mind and gut. Maintaining a healthy gut helps us maintain vibrant health. Here’s why:
- Since Sauerkraut is a fermented food, it’s packed with probiotics that are created during the fermentation process. If you want to learn more about fermented foods and how they support a healthy gut, you can read my recent article about it here.
- Our gut is the epicenter of our health. We contain healthy bacteria that is linked to our immunity, our ability to maintain or lose weight, and even our mood. If the bacteria in our gut is imbalanced, then that could cause illness, weight problems and added stress.
- Our gut is also connected to our brain through a specific nerve that allows it to communicate. For example, when you are nervous or you see a cute guy, you experience the feeling of butterflies. This is your gut communicating to your brain.
- So, having probiotics in our lives (whether that’s in the form of foods or supplements), ensures that our gut has a line of defense. Even better ladies, is that sauerkraut is a glorious weight management food since it helps us maintain a natural elimination (if you get my drift!).
So now that we’re all pumped about protecting our gut, let’s make this dang thing!
How To Make Sauerkraut
What you need:
- cabbage
- kosher salt
- caraway seeds for seasoning
- chopping block
- knife
- mason jar
- cheese cloth
- rubber band
Instructions:
- Wash all utensils and ingredients
- Chop the cabbage
- Transfer to mixing bowl
- Pour 1 1/2 tbsp of salt over the cabbage
- Massage your cabbage (that’s right!) for 5-10 minutes. A natural fluid will produce and wilt.
- Add caraway seeds for flavor
- Pack into mason jar
- If you need more fluid make brine tablespoon salt with water. pour over cabbage make sure it’s submerged
- Take little glass to submerge cabbage
- Take cheese cloth to cover and secure with rubber band
- Let sit for a day, stir, then let sit for week to 2 weeks – check back every once in a while to see how it tastes and if you want it to be more fermented you let it sit even longer!
Happy gut, happy life!
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