Do you remember those inner-health plus ads on the TV, where they used to show the good vs the bad bacteria?
While they were memorable, I don't think they really drove home how important probiotics are for your health.
Probiotics are a beneficial bacteria that is found in the gut microbiome. These little critters are crucial for digestion and immune function.
If you have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your body, then you're susceptible for poor gut health and even dis-ease.
Traditionally, people ate a lot of probiotics (and pre-biotics) through their food, and getting it from high quality soil.
Unfortunately these days, the quality of good bugs in the soil has depleted, and with the stress and environmental and food stressors we experience on a near daily basis... so has the quality of our gut health.
Supplements are a great way to get probiotics into your body 100%, but we also highly recommend including probiotic rich-foods into your diet daily if you can.
We stock a range of probiotic rich foods in our online store to make it easier for you to boost the good guys & gals in your gut, therefore influencing your overall health.
Here is a list of some really awesome (and delicious) probiotic foods that your body and tastebuds are gonna love!
1. Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is made from fermented cabbage, and sometimes other ingredients like carrots, apple, garlic, beetroot, turmeric, ginger and more are added for different flavours and health benefits.
While it's not as high in probiotics as something like yoghurt, it does have a lot of good organic acids that encourage the growth of the beneficial bacteria.
We are big fans of Sauerkraut and easily go through a jar (or sometimes two) a week.
You can add it to salads, meats, broths or eat it on its own straight out of the jar!
In our store we stock a few different types from local makers:
Red Cabbage & Pepperberry
Smoked Garlic
Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric
Beetroot & Citrus
2. Yoghurt
Probably the most commonly recognised form of probiotic is yoghurt.
Incase you've been living under a rock for the past few thousand years, yoghurt is made from culturing milk from cows, sheep or goats.
Not all yoghurt is created equally though. You need to make sure that the yoghurt you're eating is organic, otherwise you're not doing your body any favours (or the planet).
We stock a large range of yoghurts from Barambah Organics which you can find under the grocery section of our store.
3. Coconut Yoghurt
Coconut yoghurt is a dairy-free alternative to traditional yoghurt.
Popularised and modernised by companies like CO-YO, it's allowed dairy-free folks to enjoy some of the benefits of yoghurt, but without the dairy.
Be careful as some brands try and cut costs or use lower-quality ingredients or probiotics.
We've found COYO to be our favourite and so that's why we decided to stock them in our store. Whether you're vegan, lactose intolerant or don't like the taste of normal yoghurt, we got you covered!
We've got a few different coconut yoghurt flavours in store - mixed berry, mango, honey and Vanilla!
4. Kimchi
Kimchi is like a spicy Korean version of sauerkraut.
They often use Chinese cabbage and mix it with a bunch of other ingredients like ginger, garlic, fish sauce, radishes, carrots, chilli, pepper, salt and others to give different flavours.
Sadly much of the Kimchi you'll get in Korean restaurants is most likely not LIVE and lacks the benefits of a real sauerkraut/kimchi.
We do have 3 different types of Kimchi in store that all have the good bacteria and benefits of Kimchi, plus they taste amazing too.
5. Sauerkraut Juice
Literally the excess juice from making sauerkraut. It's basically a sweet slightly sour probiotic drink full of goodness.
I used to drink the juices from my sauerkraut jar all the time until I realised I could literally just buy the bottles on their own.
Now I just have a few sips throughout the day to top up my body with extra probiotics.
You can add it to salads or use it in anyway you like too!
We've got two different flavours in store, and if you like sauerkraut you'll most likely love this!
6. Kombucha
We've all become much more familiar with this bubbly treat in the last decade, but did you know Kombucha has been brewed for thousands of years?
It's a delightfully satisfying concoction made from fermenting black tea using a SCOBY - a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.
It can be good for your digestion, liver and overall wellbeing. Plus it's a great substitute for alcohol or soft drinks.
Not all Kombucha's are good quality though, there are many companies that have jumped on the bandwagon and are shilling basically pointless fizzy flavoured imitation kombucha.
We love the Buchi range which are delicious and are also locally crafted in Brisbane.
We've got a stack of those instore too so you can just go to our grocery section and check them out!
Okay that's great, but how do I effectively use probiotics?
It's honestly as simple as including some in each of your meals, or swapping regular foods for their fermented counterparts.
👉 Add sauerkraut to salads, bowls, side dishes.
👉 Drink sauerkraut juice straight from the bottle (yum😝), or have a shot daily.
👉 Add yoghurt to your smoothies, desserts, fruit, cereal, oats or muesli.
The key is to get as creative as possible, and explore this delicious and bubbly world of probiotics!
