My Favourite Ingredients to Flavour Kombucha

I've been Kombucha obsessed for quite a while now and have experimented with different flavours to get the most out of my favourite probiotic, gut healing drink!



It has helped to heal some stomach problems that I had and I am constantly recommending it to everyone to at least give it a try! 

For those new to Kombucha, you can flavour your drink after it has finished the first round of fermenting. This is usually after around 10 days. After that, you can bottle it up into airtight bottles (which is called the second ferment stage) and add in whatever flavours you like to really make your Kombucha pop! (Quite literally, my bottles have popped all over my kitchen!) 

You leave your bottles to ferment for another few days or up to two weeks, depending on how deep a flavour you are after. Generally the longer you leave it, the tarter it becomes. Also, the fizzier it becomes!

My absolute favourite flavours, quantities and timings are listed below, although you may need to play around with your timings to get it how you like it.

Second ferment -
Ginger - a few thinly sliced pieces of ginger per bottle. Leave it for only 3-4 days. Produces huge amounts of fizz! Very tasty and the ginger comes through nicely.
Raspberry & Vanilla - 6-8 frozen organic raspberries. Leave it for up to 2 weeks. 1/2 tablespoon organic vanilla paste. Not as much fizz or flavour as ginger but much more mellow and delicious all the same.
Mango & Coconut - 1/4 mango diced into each bottle with 1/4 cup coconut water. Leave for approx 7 days. Very fizzy! Had a little Kombucha explosion over my kitchen when I opened one of these bottles. Super delicious!

Natural Face Mask - Honey & Lemon

I have been reading a lot lately about natural beauty masks and one that I was really interested to try just seemed too simple to work! Why do we always need things to be complicated to believe them? I have only used organic coconut oil as a cleanser and moisturiser on my face for quite a while and have wanted to find a mask that would hydrate and brighten my skin. I read a post on Kimberly Snyder's blog about natural face masks, I have seen these natural remedies around quite a bit but after I read it this time I really wanted to try it out for myself. You can read her post here.

It seems so simple I know, but your skin will love you for it. Think about what really goes into those (most) store bought products. They are full of synthetic ingredients that do more harm that good to your skin.

What you need
1 tablespoon raw honey
Juice from 1/4 lemon

What you do
Mix above ingredients together, and spread all over your face
Leave it on for 15-20mins

If you move around the house be sure to carry around a wash cloth underneath your face as you will drip!

It is recommended you only do this once or twice per week as the lemon can be quite drying.

This is great for people with acne as the lemon & honey are both antibacterial. Also great to refresh and brighten your skin. The lemon helps to reduce blackheads and even lighten skin pigmentation!

My skin was left super soft and noticeably brighter, even after the first time.

Let me know what natural facial masks you like to do in the comments below! I would love to try some others.

Images sourced from:
http://www.ojavanproducts.com/images/768lemon.jpg
http://nourishmintwellness.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/raw-honey1.jpg

Paleo Crumbed Chicken Caeser Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

This is a great week night meal, it's very filling and you can make extra to take to work with you the next day for lunch, or even use the leftover chicken for sandwiches.

Serves 2 as a main meal, with leftovers!

Paleo Crumbed Chicken

Ingredients
2 organic, free range chicken breasts, each breast sliced long way to make about 3 pieces per breast
2 tablespoons coconut flour (or regular flour)
2 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon of paprika & 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup almond flour(you may need a little more or less)
Any other herbs you have on hand, I used oregano & thyme
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil for frying

Directions
Coat chicken in flour, paprika, garlic powder & herbs
Dip the chicken into the whisked eggs
Dip the "eggy" chicken into almond flour to coat
Heat fry pan to medium-high heat
Cook chicken a few minutes each side until cooked through
Set aside, keep warm and get cracking on the other items

Other salad ingredients
1 head cos lettuce, washed & chopped
5 eggs, boiled
5-6 rashers thin bacon pan-fried until crispy
2 tablespoons of sunflowers seeds or any other seeds you have in your pantry for some crunch

Directions
Layer all ingredients together & top with sliced crumbed chicken!

Creamy Tahini Dressing

This is a delicious versatile dressing, similar in taste & texture to hummus

Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon tahini ( I used unhulled, it is much stronger so if your not that keen on the taste you should use the hulled tahini)
1 small clove garlic, minced (very fine)
A pinch of sea/rock salt

Directions
Whisk or blend all ingredients until delicious & creamy
Drizzle over your salad or serve on the side for dipping

Bee xx

Create a Toxin Free Home | Chemical Free House Cleaning Tips

It's easy to forget but creating a toxin free home is really important in creating a toxin free body!

Spraying harsh chemicals around the house isn't good for anyone , especially if you have little kids around!

I personally can't even bare the smell of the chemicals from cleaning products anymore so for the past 7 or 8 years I mostly use the below. 

Swap out the harsh cleaners in your home with some of the below home made cleaners -

Window cleaner -  white vinegar (it works a treat!)

Kitchen cleaner  -   use an old spray bottle and fill it up with half a bottle of white vinegar and the other half water, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil or peppermint oil

Bathroom/ Tile/ Grout cleaner - baking soda mixed with water (works absolute wonders!)

Air freshener - use an old spray bottle and fill it up with water, add a few drops of your favourite essential oils such as rose, lavender, eucalyptus

Moth deterrent - lavender oil. Lavender oil is known to be a natural moth deterrent. Wipe out cupboards with a cloth containing a few drops of lavender oil

If you have any chemical free ideas for your home, I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

Image sourced from: http://juniperdesert.com/beauty/lavenderforburns

 

PRODUCT REVIEW | Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse - 3 Day Juice Detox

Schkinny Maninny are a juice detox company that offer many different cleanse options. I opted for the 3 day juice only cleanse. I wasn't really sure what to expect, here is how it all went.

Day 1

I woke up super excited to start the Schkinny Maninny cleanse... And then it dawned on me that I wouldn't be eating solid food for 3 days which did make me a little nervous.

The little esky containing my juices was waiting for me when I got to work and what was even more exciting was the little bag of goodies next to it! It included some herbal tea bags, relaxing bath salts, a small container of sunflower & pumpkin seeds (woo hoo solid food!) to stimulate digestion by chewing, a small container of psyllium husk just in case you need a little fibre,a little loofah to dry brush your skin which promotes circulation which helps with detoxification and a cute card which told me what should expect to happen while my body detoxes. Once I sat at my desk to start work I had a lovely email from Schkinny Maninny with lots of encouragement and to let me know that any symptoms I may experience are normal and not to freak out. The morning flew by and I had to remind myself to drink the juices, you get 6 different juices per day and they are quite large (600ml to be exact) so you definitely don't feel hungry.

By the time lunch time came around, the smell of my colleagues food was wafting through the office taunting me so I took myself for a quick walk (or window shopping rather) and then found a quiet spot to sit in the sun and enjoy my lunch time juice.

  

I felt fine during the afternoon, maybe a little foggy headed which is normal but I didn't have any major symptoms such as headaches which I was expecting as I do have a coffee everyday. I was really craving a night in on the couch which is unlike me so I guess the worst part about the day was the laziness I felt. Apart from that I was fine. By night time I was fairly tired. Went for a slow walk after my "dinner" couldn't manage much more.

The nut milk went down a treat, it was quite thick in consistency which was nice. It was definitely filling which is probably what made me so tired.

Started falling asleep on the lounge at around 9pm which is not like me at all, I kept myself awake as my favourite show (revenge, how good is it!) was on TV but I kind of just wish I gave and went to bed earlier.

Overall on the first day, I felt pretty good. I wasn't hungry at all and didn't experience any detox symptoms. I thought the three days would be an absolute breeze!

Day 2

Not so good. Where there a highs there must be lows and my goodness day 2 was pretty low. It was awful. I thought because I ate mostly healthy most of the time I wouldn't experience any detox symptoms... Well I had another thing coming...

I woke up feeling ok and quite excited to begin another day of drinking only juices. That excitement lasted until around 10am by which time my head started to feel like it was full of clouds and an awful headache wanted to join in on the party.

By lunch time I was feeling really grumpy (which my colleagues thought was hilarious) and all I felt like I could hear were people talking about food! All day! How dare they! Didn't they know I was doing a juice cleanse! I kept myself distracted with work until the afternoon. The rest of the day was ok minus the headache and trouble concentrating (oh and the fact that I couldn't bare anyone talking to me as I was just too grumpy).

I definitely won the prize for most bathroom breaks in one day. My bladder was more active than all the pregnant women's in office combined.

As soon as I got home, I drank my late afternoon juice, tried to avoid the family as much as possible, then I ran a hot bath and added in the container of bath salts supplied to me from Schkinny Maninny. It was the best part of my day. I felt all my angst wash away and felt a little more motivated to make the hubby and son some dinner. I actually fell asleep in the bath which was quite strange (it was only 4.30pm).

Post bath I drank my yummy nut milk drink, relaxed on the lounge while still feeling grumpy (and trying to avoid too much communication with hubby) and tried to get an early night but couldn't sleep until midnight. I think I drank my nut milk too early, not sure what happened but I had a really restless night sleep.

Day 3

Woke up feeling refreshed and clear and noticed all of my bloating had gone away. I felt great!

Headed into work and the morning flew by.

I had my juice drinking down pat by this day, one every 2 hours from 8.30am or around about that anyway.

By the 3rd juice (lunch time) I was a little over liquid and could once again hear my colleagues talk about food. If you can't beat them, join them, so that's what I did. I sat around the little lunch table swigging my juice while they all had delicious soups with bread oh my goodness it was torture...to make matters worse they started talking about coconut ice cream, then old childhood favourite chocolates (remember the golden roughs anyone..yum!)

I didn't feel hungry at all but I couldn't stop thinking about what my first meal would be post cleanse. I also had an intense craving for slow cooked beef with polenta that I just couldn't get out of my head! That would have to be a meal for the weekend. On my post cleanse motivational card from Schkinny Maninny it mentions not to get stuck into anything to crazy like a steak the day after the cleanse as your body needs time to adjust back to solids. If that wasn't the case I would have found some ragu and eaten it for breakfast post cleanse!

Overview -

Post cleanse I felt fantastic. Lighter (although I don't own scales so I'm not sure if I lost weight), my eyes and skin felt much brighter and clearer and I definitely had much more energy. My stomach was flatter and I didn't have any bloat whatsoever which was great. I didn't want that feeling to ever go away so I stopped drinking coffee every day.. hopefully that lasts!

It was so nice to have a break from making my own juices/ smoothies so that part of the detox was a real treat!

Post cleanse, you should do what the team at Schkinny Maninny recommend and eat only salad and fruit the day after your cleanse. I thought it would be a great idea to treat myself to a gluten free muffin for breakfast the next day.. Not such a great idea, 3 little bites and I felt ill.

I felt like Schkinny Maninny was a great company to try for my first cleanse. There were lots of motivational emails and note cards which did help along the way so you know what you should and shouldn't expect.

Most of the juices were really delicious (my absolute favourite was the pine grapple and the nut milk). A couple were difficult to drink (green salad was very lemony) but I drank them anyway knowing that it was for the greater good of my detox.

Would I do it again? Absolutely! Just maybe not for a little while..

Would I choose Schkinny Maninny again? Definitely, loved all the little things that were included in the gift bag and the juices were a great size so I was never hungry.

You may or may not experience similar symptoms to me, it totally depends on the level of toxicity in your body.

The funny part is since I stopped the cleanse I'm craving juice more than ever!

CHEAPER TUESDAYS - Schkinny Maninny offer a 10% discount if you order on a Tuesday :)

You can learn more about Schkinny Manniny here.

If you have completed a juice cleanse or are about to embark on one, I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Bee xx

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RECIPE | Raspberry & Coconut Cream Love Bites (Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free)

Just in time for Valentines Day! Why not make your loved one a treat, or just make some for yourself! These are a great little refreshing treat, they need to be eaten semi-frozen so great to have during summer time :)

Raspberry & Coconut Cream Layer Ingredients:
2 cups frozen raspberry (you could use strawberries instead)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons real maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons coconut nectar (optional)

Chocolate Icing Layer Ingredients:
1/3 cups coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons real maple syrup or honey

Directions

• Line a small square cake tin with baking paper (you need a small one or it will spread out too far in a big one, mine was about 20cm x 20cm)
• Blend all of the raspberry & coconut cream ingredients together until smooth, you may need to stop the blender to mix them up a little half way through depending on what time of blender you have
• Fill lined tray with blended mix and freeze for a couple of hours or until almost set

Chocolate Layer

• Melt together all chocolate icing ingredients in a small saucepan over very low heat
• Pour over raspberry layer and put back in freezer for around 20 minutes

It should be ready now to take out a slice up & enjoy!! You may need to wait a couple of minutes after you take it out of the freezer to slice up.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! 

If you do, please hit one of the share buttons below to spread the love! 

Bee xx

Don't Give Yourself a Black Eye!

I am an idiot. No really, I am. I managed to give myself a black eye the other day. I mean, who does that?! Me obviously! Anyway, I thought I'd share with you what I learnt from my little drama.

When we are in a rush we tend to get into a bit a of a fluster (or is that just me? Please tell me it isn't so). So when you're running around trying to get things done faster, you tend to make a mess of everything and potentially give yourself a black eye! Like me, on the weekend when I was rushing after yoga as the class ran late and had to get to an appointment, I went to pick up my clothes from where I'd thrown them in the kitchen and because I moved so fast I whacked my cheekbone on the kitchen bench. Yep, I am idiot.

But at least I have learnt from my stupidity and instead of acting like a maniac when I am in a rush I will slow down and take a deeeeep breathe and calm the hell down.

Who cares if you're a few minutes late?

It's really not worth a black eye!

Bee xx

Image credit: http://www.terilynneunderwood.com/2013/11/action-step-breathe/

The Joys of Having Your Own Vegetable Garden

This little post is to show what can be done with a little love, a little dirt and a few seeds. How exciting to be able to grow your own organic food from almost nothing to something that you can see, touch and eat. 

At my house I can't really take any of the credit for our garden. My hubby has put in many hours and lots of love to grow all of the wonderful vegetables. I am pretty sure I have caught him a few times talking to the plants (but we won't mention that to him now will we?). 


The main reason for me mentioning our organic garden is because I think if we all had a little garden we would be helping the environment just that little bit and helping ourselves too. To have fresh produce available in your backyard it is so rewarding and so much better for you.

How nice to know that the little tomato you picked from your own garden didn't have to come from the other side of the country and it wasn't sprayed or frozen for long periods of time.

I love being able to pick fresh herbs from the backyard because how often do you buy a bunch of herbs from the supermarket but you only need a tiny bit and the rest goes to waste?  Or just a couple of tomatoes that you need or a few lettuce leaves. It really does add up in the end. There is so much less vegetable wastage in our house since we had our garden.

Even if you only have a small balcony area, you can plant a few herbs that you use often, maybe some strawberries and a few of your other favourite things.

If you have kids, it is such a great activity to involve them in. It's a wonderful way to teach them about where food comes from. My son loves running out to the garden to pick some cucumbers or tomatoes for dinner! I love having a giggle over the funny shaped vegetables that come out, like the carrot head below we pulled out the other day!

Do you have your own garden? If so,  I would love to hear about it!

Bee xx

Kids Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

It's almost time for the kids to go back to school (can I hear a big sigh of relief? Or was that just in my head? ;) 

As it's the new year, what better time than now to start introducing healthier alternatives in their lunch? You can still make their lunch fun even when its healthy. 

We all need to think about what we're really putting in their lunch box. Will that sugar loaded cereal bar really help them to concentrate through class and work to their best ability or will they be on a sugar rush and burn out quite quickly during class? I know it's hard to find time for much these days but this is our kids future and it's been reported that the eating habits children grow up with are sometimes what they revert back to when they are older.

I'm sure many of you, like me are working mums/dads and find it easier to throw whatever in the lunch box in the morning and then rush out the door? That's why I find it easier to prepare my sons lunch in the evening either while I'm making dinner or just after. It doesn't really feel like extra work if you do it that way and it's much easier than rushing around in the morning. You can even do a heap of the preparation for the week on the weekend (short post on that here) and just pop it in the lunch box the night before. 

Listed below are some easy lunch box ideas for your kids to try and steer them off the junk while also keeping it fun. In my sons lunch box I load it up with healthy items and add in one little treat so he doesn't feel like he is missing out (we all know kids compare what's in their lunch box!), like a little chocolate or biscuit or something like that.

• Carrot & celery sticks
• Any fruit cut up into pieces in a container (kids seem to like their fruit cut up for them)
• Good quality unprocessed cheese, cut into cubes
• Organic crackers with cheese slices and butter
• Little Rollie's - Gluten free or wholemeal bread rolled out until flat with a rolling pin, then add in fillings then roll them up and cut them in to rounds, similar to sushi if you know what I mean:)
• Raw Chocolate Truffles  - these are great as they are full of protein and double up as a treat. Check first if your school allows nuts
• A mix of raw nuts, sultanas & seeds in a little container. Make sure they are preservative free.
• Organic yoghurt's. I give my son the five am organic yoghurt's. I know they have a bit of sugar but he won't eat plain yoghurt. I think they're ok for kids occasionally.
• A plain boiled egg with a little sea salt 
• Plain cherry tomatoes
• Mini zucchini or corn fritters 
• Egg & Bacon Cupcakes
• Make a homemade bread or loaf for the week. I often make this Paleo Banana Bread (grain free) or Spelt Banana, Date and Walnut Loaf and cut it into slices and freeze them, then take them out the night before to put in the lunch box. They still taste delicious even after they've been frozen.

I'd love to hear what healthy items you use to fill up your kids lunch box. I would love some more ideas! :)

Bee xx

Photo credits:

http://www.womenshealththailand.com/food/

My Favouritie Green Smoothie

I posted this recipe when I first started this blog, so you may have seen it before. I think it is such a great, tasty recipe for when you are first starting to drink green smoothies so I thought I would post it again for those that missed it:) 

The combination of all of the fruit with the added coconut water (fresh or bottled it doesn't matter) just makes it so palatable with the greens for the beginner smoothie drinker :) Hubby & I often have this exact smoothie. It is our go to smoothie when we need a good pick me up.

When I first started making green smoothies I used Kimberly Snyders recipe which you can find here. She has lots of other great clean eating vegan recipes which you will find on her blog.

The Glorious Green Smoothie

1 cup of coconut water (preferably from fresh young coconut, or bottled is fine if you can't find it)

1 cup kale (leaves only, no stalks - makes it bitter)

1 cup baby spinach

1 apple 

1 banana

1 cup strawberries

1 stalk celery

juice of half a lemon

Mix coconut water with greens first until very smooth, I turn my blender slowly up to full speed, then slowly add the cut up pieces of hard fruit until they are all smooth, then last add the banana, strawberries and juice of half a lemon. Blend all until very smooth, I keep it on for a minute or so to make sure. The more blended it is - the easier the nutrients can enter your system! I make a batch big enough to last a few days so I am not having to do it every day.

You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or you can freeze a big batch and defrost it the night before.

Enjoy!

Bee x

RECIPE | Raspberry & Coconut Smoothie Bowl

This is a super simple recipe for a deliciously refreshing bowl of goodness. Perfect for a hot summer day. I've been eating these for breakfast, lunch & dessert! The ingredients can be mixed and matched with whatever you have in the fridge but this combination is one of my favourites!

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 of a mango 

1/2 cup ice

1/2 cup coconut milk or I use coco-quench by pure harvest

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 /2 teaspoon maca powder

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1 teaspoon chia

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth. If you don't have a great blender, it's best to add a little bit of each ingredient a little at a time to help it blend better. 

Easy peasy!

Enjoy! 

Bee xx

bare nourishment Muesli Stockists - Try some Guilt Free Muesli!

bare nourishment muesli is now available at two local stockists in the Hills area of Sydney. If you are local to the area, be sure to stop by to pick up a bag of muesli for yourself or as a gift to someone you know who loves muesli!

Why should you buy bare nourishment muesli?

- All batches of muesli are cooked in 100% virgin cold-pressed organic coconut oil. Unlike most other muesli's on the market which are cooked in cheaper, unhealthy vegetable oils such as canola or sunflower oil. Coconut oil has been linked to many health benefits such as aiding in weight loss and it contains medium chain fatty acids which helps to reduce cholesterol (just to name a couple). You can read more about the benefits of coconut oil here or here if you like.

- It contains NO refined sugars. None. The only sugars that it contains are derived from natural ingredients such as pure maple syrup and dried fruit.

- It contains NO preservatives or artificial flavours. Every single ingredient is sourced by myself with care and consideration for the most natural muesli possible. No ingredients that I use contain preservatives or artificial flavours. Most other muesli's contain these hidden nasties, especially in the dried fruit variations. You can rest assured none of these ingredients are hidden in any batch.

- Each batch is homemade, with love, by myself. I put a lot of care into each batch so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

What are the flavours?

It currently comes in two flavours

-Vanilla & Cinnamon 

- Raw Organic Cacao 

Where to purchase it?

The House of Herbs & Roses Dural
745 Old Northern Road Dural 2158

Visit The House of Herbs on facebook here

il Puntino Cafe
4-32 Lexington Dr, Bella Vista NSW 2153

Visit il Puntino's website here

Please email barenourishment@live.com if you would like to purchase some muesli but don't live local to the area.

How much does it cost?

$10.95 per bag 

Bee xx

A Couple DEEEELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes

How good are smoothies in summer?! You can pack them full of anything you like to give your body exactly what it needs. They are such an easy way to get extra fruit & vegetables into your diet.

There are many different variations to smoothies that you can make and if you are a regular smoothie maker you have probably mixed and matched many different flavours. For the newbies, it's nice to have a couple of recipes to follow.

Below are a couple of my favourite summer smoothie recipes. So refreshing & delicious!

Green Tropical Smoothie
1 cup of coconut milk ( I use coco quench by Pure Harvest instead of canned coconut milk, it is a milk blend of coconut milk and brown rice milk, you can find it in coles and health food stores). If you can't find coco quench, you could use half a can of coconut milk with half a glass of water, or almond or rice milk).
1 frozen banana (the frozen part makes all the difference!)
1 mango, all of the flesh
1 big handful of kale (stems removed)

Blend all until smooth. You may need to add a little extra water to get the right consistency.

I like to have this one for breakfast sometimes instead of the usual green smoothie (Bee's Glorious Green Smoothie - recipe for that one here).

Summer Pink Goddess Smoothie
1 cup of coconut milk - Coco Quench (see my notes in the above recipe regarding the milk)
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup chopped cold watermelon

Blend all until smooth. You may need to add a little extra water to get the right consistency.

This is so refreshing in summer. You could even use it as a base to make popsicles, the kids would love it!

Let me know what is your favourite combination in the comments section below.

Enjoy! 

Bee xx

Raw Sauerkraut, Probiotics & Fermented Foods

Fermented foods and probiotics make bellies happy. You've probably heard before about the health benefits of them. The yoghurt ads on TV with the flat bellies and the promise of a happy belly are all referring to the power of probiotics. The reason for these claims are basically because the more probiotics in your belly the less chance of the bad bacteria causing you any problems! 

This is why many people like to eat fermented and cultured foods as they are naturally occurring in probiotics. There are many types of fermented foods such as kimchi, pickles, yoghurt and kefir. One of my favourites is raw sauerkraut. 

I thought it would be fitting to mention the benefits of it as we are in the middle of the silly season and I'm sure I'm not the only one that's gotten slightly off track. 

Christmas parties, a few wines here and there all begin to take a toll on your digestive system after a little while. For people that suffer IBS like myself,  it can take only a few meals to get the balance out of whack which can cause massive stomach upsets. I read a blog post recently where the writer talks about how introducing fermented foods helped her with all sorts of health problems [click here to read]

When people say "gut health" they are usually referring to looking after your gut by feeding it lots of good bacteria so the bad bacteria doesn't wreck havoc on your system. I once read somewhere that the key to happiness is to have a healthy gut! Don't you think this to be true? When everything is running smoothly in your digestive system, you don't seem feel lethargic, worn out or depressed, instead you feel full of energy, light and ready to take on the day!

What I had noticed over the past few weeks of parties and unmindful eating and drinking were things like bloating, cramping, being constantly tired and feeling like it was taking hours (which it probably did) for my food to digest. Do you feel that too? 

To help combat any stomach problems I've upped the anty on probiotic rich, fermented foods such as home-brewed kombucha and home made raw sauerkraut and I'm already noticing a huge difference in how I feel and how my belly feels! If you missed my post on how to make your own raw sauerkraut, you can check it out [here]. It is so easy to make, very inexpensive, takes barely any time and has so many benefits. Sarah Wilson has talked about the the benefits of raw sauerkraut and other fermented foods, you can check out her post [here] (I love what she talks about on her blog, you may find her site useful too!).

After speaking to a naturopath about fermented foods she recommended that they are always introduced slowly so you don't shock your system. Start with a tablespoon of raw sauerkraut or a small glass of kombucha and slowly work up your tolerance to it. I usually now have one or two glasses of kombucha per day and when I have some made I have a little bowl of sauerkraut before or with dinner. These foods/ drinks are quite tangy and can take some getting used to but stick with it and after a couple of tries you will hopefully love it! If you don't really like sauerkraut you can always hide in your salad by mixing a few tablespoons through. With kombucha you can always flavour it during the second fermenation stage (more on that here) and that can make it more palatable for some. 

Fermented foods make a huge difference to many people and from personal experience I think they are definitely worth introducing to your diet.

NOTE - store bought sauerkraut is NOT raw sauerkraut, it has been pasteurised which means all of the beneficial enzymes and probiotics are no longer remaining. If you can find raw sauerkraut in a health food store you could give that a try before you make your own, but don't bother with the regular sauerkraut from the supermarket.



TIP - You can add any flavours to my basic sauerkraut recipe. The most recent batch of sauerkraut which was really delicious was just 1 small purple cabbage, a couple of carrots and an apple & pear grated up and all mixed together with salt. You can follow the easy instructions on my post [here]. I have friends that add caraway seeds to theirs and say it's delicious. I am sure there are many other great variations that I am yet to try. 

If you make your own sauerkraut or kombucha, what are your favourite flavours to add in?

Cheers to a happy gut! :)

Bee xx

Here is a great post on the health benefits of fermented foods, if you are interested in having a read from a blog I love by The Wellness Mama.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas & safe and happy holidays and New Year!

Let it be a time spent with loved ones and surrounded by nourishing food and a little indulgence!

Lots of Love,

Bee xx