the future and food

to celebrate my birthday, it flew north to spend some time with a friend in the bay area, land of the original fruits and nuts. i'm enjoying my stay. people seem smarter here. more open here. more connected here. so it does not surprise me that they are ahead of the curve on food consciousness too. every body up here knows exactly what i am talking about when i go off on probiotics and integrated nutrition. even my friend's healthy young son, a berkley student, was talking about white fat cells vs. white fat cells and how it relates to weight loss. it seems the next generation will have a whole new wealth of information about body science to help guide their nutritional choices (thanks in part by all the research that has gone into space travel)

the future of food is changing. experts are predicting that by 2030 nearly half of americans will be obese. the fat will get fatter and the strong will get stronger. it's a matter of educating ourselves, changing life habits, and demanding healthier, whole food options from our schools, stores and eating establishments.

easy-breezy probioatics

If you have tried or heard of the fermented tea, kombucha, this is kind of similar, although a hundred times easier to make. Kvass is a russian fermented beverage traditionally made with beets, whey and rye bread. This simplified fruit version is whey- and grain free, and still packed with nutritious probiotic enzymes and amazing natural bubbles.

I found this wonderful recipe on the GREEN KITCHEN STORIES blog:

Fermented Fruit Kvass  
(Fermenting technique from Rebecca Wood)
1 large glass jar

Make sure to always use organic ripe fruit when fermenting.
1/4 of a large glass jar of mixed organic ripe fruit (we used fresh peaches and blackberries)
1 tbsp unpasteurized honey
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled
pure water to almost fill the jar (you get best result with filtered or mineral water)
Place fruit, honey and ginger in the jar. Add water to fill up the jar, except the top inch. You’ll need that extra space to allow pressure to build. Tightly close the jar. Place in room temperature for 2-3 days, give it a shake twice a day to prevent bacteria from forming on the surface. After 24 hours you can see fermentation bubbles. Taste your brew every day to see when it is ready, it depends on the room temperature and sugar content. It should taste sweet and tangy and the fruit look ‘cooked’. Strain the brew and drink as it is or store in the fridge for up to a week.
If you have any problems with the fermenting process, you could add whey or yeast as a starter, it could depend on the water or the honey you use. I use (scandinavian) tap water or filtered tap water.
The natural alcohol level in homemade Kvass is very very low, about 0.05%-1.0%, which means that children can drink it too.

Other Kvass Combinations:
cherry, raspberry, cardamom
apple, raisins, cinnamon
lemon, dried apricots, ginger
mango, chai spices
beet, apple, lemon balm
nectarine, camomile
blackberry, peaces, vanilla bean
dried prunes, lemon, ginger
Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Probiotics are the good!

In my search for reasons for my slow weight loss, I found this information:

While diet is important, what is metabolized and utilized is key. Without proper utilization of nutrients, weight does not come off, diet changes are ineffective, and you become disillusioned. In order to metabolize the foods eaten, a working digestive system is essential. The pancreas makes enzymes that break down all carbohydrates into sugars. Carbohydrates are eaten in the form of breads, pasta, grains, cookies, candy, fruit and vegetables. As the body ages, the pancreatic output of enzymes decreases by 12% each decade starting at age 30. By age 50 pancreatic enzyme production is down by 25%. This is one of the reasons why digestive issues start around age 30.
Enzymes are also present in the food we eat, if raw foods are eaten. Years ago, people ate a lot more raw foods than we do today. Whenever food is cooked or processed, the digestive enzymes are destroyed.
Any time antibiotics are taken, both good and bad bacteria are destroyed. This is the reason there are often digestive problems during or after antibiotic use. Probiotics are the good, live bacteria that coat and protect our digestive tract, which are destroyed by antibiotics. Probiotics assist pancreatic enzymes in breaking down the food we eat. This is why it is important to take an enzyme and probiotic supplement together, especially when there are digestive issues.
With the decrease in pancreatic production as we age, and the increased consumption of cooked foods, we simply do not have sufficient enzymes to break down the foods we eat. When food enters the stomach and there are an insufficient amount of enzymes to break it down, the stomach produces more acid to try to break down the food.

To successfully burn fat you need a delicate balance in your routine. Make sure you have optimal digestive function, with the right amount of digestive enzymes and probiotics so that your body can easily lose weight by burning fat. Eating a diet rich in raw foods, alkaline fresh fruits and vegetables, and eating frequently will aid with weight loss. Combining every area of fitness is what will enable you to reach your goals, along with consuming the proper nutrients from your foods and supplementation.

Here is some additional info on Probiotics.