Do you want the good flora in your gut to be happy?
Yes, probiotics need to eat, as well!
Foods with healthy bacteria can help you to get slim, stay healthy, and feel better than ever. Healthy bacteria may play a role in reducing inflammation, a risk factor involved in ailments ranging from colds to tumor, heart disease, arthritis, and cognitive decline.
What are probiotics?
Probiotic is a Latin word that means life-promoting. Probiotics refer to the ‘good’ bacteria or helpful. They have tremendous advantages on overall health and are especially useful for supporting digestive health.
Note that not all probiotics are the same. Some strains of microbiome serve differently from others to offer a wide range of benefits.
Probiotic cultures are seen in fermented dairy products including milk drinks and yogurts. Besides, fermented foods such as Cultured Yogurt, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Miso, Kombucha, Cultured soymilk, Kvass, Sourdough bread.
Start with these 10 probiotic foods that are super healthy.
- Cultured Yogurt
Cultured yogurt contains live bacteria, and note all yogurt is not cultured.
These bacteria present in the yogurt during the natural fermentation process, and they can be added after the yogurt is produced and pasteurized.
The National Yogurt Association certifies brands with at least 20 billion probiotics for each serving.
Cultured yogurt which is away from the expiration date and has the highest content of probiotics.
Keifer is a fermented dairy product originally from Turkey and nearby regions of Russia.
Goat, sheep, or cow milk is fermented with kefir starter grains, quickly producing a thick and tangy milky beverage.
Using dry Keifer starter mixes Keifer can be made at home or it can be bought ready made in the refrigerated sections of many grocery stores.
Keifers which are commercially produced, come in many fruit flavors.
Sauerkraut was once a much more typical vegetable dish. This is because the fermentation process of making sauerkraut out of cabbage allows for preserving the vegetable for long time periods, which was important in the days before refrigeration.
Sauerkraut comes in sanitized and unpasteurized types, however only unpasteurized sauerkraut contains active probiotics.
Unpasteurized sauerkraut is effervescent and tangy and has significantly more flavor than pasteurized types.
Tempeh is similar in consistency to tofu and is also made from soybeans.
Tempeh is higher in calories per serving than tofu, yet it also has more vegetarian protein and fiber, and in addition, the probiotics missing in tofu and most other protein sources.
Tempeh is prepared in a similar way to tofu or as a meat alternative.
Kimchi is an excellent food to promote digestion. It is a source of probiotics attributing to the process of fermentation involved in its preparation.
The process of fermentation improves the taste as well as makes healthy bacteria, Lactobacillus, which is required by the body to keep a healthy condition of intestinal flora.
It is made from cabbage which is already well known for its detoxification qualities and helps the body in getting rid of the wastes and toxins.
Miso is a salty paste made from fermented beans, generally soybeans. It’s been a Japanese staple for thousands of years.
Miso soup is a common method to incorporate miso in a tasty way, but it can also be used to add flavor to sauces, marinades, dressings or vegetable dishes. It’s produced with a fungus called Saccharomyces rouxii.
Though some people make their own, it’s a time-consuming endeavor if you want to try miso ASAP, it might be a better idea to buy it!
Kombucha is a fermented sweetened black tea that has a mix of yeast and bacteria. It originated in China and has a slightly acidic taste to it.
The bacteria and yeast eat the sugar in the tea and transform it into a fermented beverage. The longer the tea is left to ferment, the thicker the layer becomes.
In case you’re looking for something that you can drink instead of eating, this could be for you!
- Cultured soymilk
Cultured soymilk, or soy yogurt, is a non-dairy alternative that also boasts live active cultures.
The majority of these products are fortified with calcium and vitamin D to make them comparable to dairy yogurts.
It makes a great option in case you’re a veggie lover or lactose intolerant.
In case you’re looking for more variety, almond milk and coconut milk yogurts are also rich in probiotics.
A traditional Russian drink, the present version of Kvass is made with fermented beet juice or fruit and veggie juices.
One bonus of beetroot: rich in nitrates, it might boost oxygen flow to muscles, enhancing exercise performance, studies show.
One bottle of Zukay Beet Kvass contains only 50 calories, is low in sugar, and is a good source of vitamin C.
- Sourdough bread
Sourdough might be the healthiest bread choice if diabetes is a concern for you: one study found that individuals with pre-diabetes who ate sourdough bread had to a lesser degree a blood sugar spike compared with when they ate bread made with baker’s yeast.
Specialists also say fiber-rich whole grain bread can also reduce a post-meal sugar spike.