Don't just go Raw, go super Raw - go Sauerkraut

First, why raw?

I am as of now in a place in my wellness journey where my focus is not to adopt a diet that is extreme and completely different from what I grew up with but to strive for a balance and try to eat food as close to its truest form and without too much processing…as far as possible.

There are many benefits of eating raw food:

• It is nutrient dense since all the nutrients that would have otherwise been destroyed by the heat are now intact
• It lowers inflammation
• It reverses or stops the advance of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer (cooking creates free radicals and which are the major cause of cancer)
• Can protect from acute diseases like cold, flu, measles etc. as raw foods maintain a healthy body with better defenses.

However, plant based foods also have lectins/anti-nutrients that not only inhibit the absorption of nutrients by your body, but in fact cause harm to the body. For details you can refer to this article by the Weston A. Price Foundation. Additionally, some vegetables when cooked are more nutrient dense; for example carrots, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus and pumpkin. Cooking reduces certain antioxidants but enhances others. So if you are now as thoroughly confused as I am, here's what I am going with - Balance and Moderation. Not all cooked and not all raw. I try to go with a combination of cooked and super raw vegetables. By super raw I mean fermented vegetables.

How my journey of fermenting vegetables began..

During my usual Wednesday milk, eggs and grocery pickup from Carlton Farms I would see a number of products from Lupa’s kitchen and Sauerkraut caught my attention. Sauerkraut has its origins in Germany and literally means "sour cabbage". I was tempted to try it and I am so glad I did because it was so delicious. Now, I just had to meet with Lupa Irie of Lupa’s kitchen to know more.

Lupa Irie is a naturopath, author, teacher, natural food chef, entrepreneur, artist and the creator of 'Lupa's Kitchen'.  She is a powerhouse of information having journeyed through various diets of raw foodism, juicing, paleo, veganism… you name it. I was so happy to have the opportunity to meet with her and learn from her.

So here’s why you should not only go raw, you should go super raw, go Sauerkraut.

Cultured raw food is basically raw food with a superhero cape. Through the fermentation process, microorganisms like bacteria or yeast convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids under anaerobic conditions Through the process the bacteria create vitamin C and certain B vitamins as by-products of their metabolism. The vitamin C levels of sauerkraut for instance is 7 times that of raw cabbage. If this was too technical, just remember "huge vitamin c booster".

Thus fermented foods contain natural probiotics that enhance the flora and fauna of your gut that helps better digest food and increase the bio-availability of nutrients in your food. In fact probiotics not only help balance the good bacteria in your gut but also "tune up" the immune system as 70% of the cell receptors of your immune system actually lie in your gut. Fermented foods are also known to have anti-cancer effects and to reduce symptoms of arthritis.

The practice of fermentation has been around since ancient times where people ate fermented foods with every meal. The most popular fermented foods are yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, Kombucha, but really the list is endless and interesting including salsa and ketchup.

There's a story about Captain Cook who carried 60 barrels of sauerkraut with him on his voyage and none of his men died of scurvy, the disease caused by a lack of vitamin c in the diet that was very prevalent at that time; that’s how powerful Sauerkraut can be.

Making Sauerkraut is easy!

I am comfortable with making fermented Indian foods like dosas and idlis out of different grains, millets and legumes but have never until now delved into fermenting or culturing vegetables. Lupa explained and demonstrated the much touted super food – Sauerkraut which is ironically super simple to make.

Making sauerkraut at home is not only beneficial as you can control the ingredients, but also the sauerkraut sometimes available in the market have been fermented for only a week vs. the preferred 4-6 weeks of fermentation.

Here’s how to make make traditional sauerkraut in 6 easy steps

• Wash the cabbage thoroughly and cut into halves
• Grate the cabbage in a mandolin or on any grater you might have. We need to make it medium thickness, not too thick not too think

• Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 pounds of cabbage (preferred himalayan salt or sea salt which has all the minerals), juniper berries(optional) and caraway seeds (optional)

• Let it stand for a couple of hours or so, so that the cabbage breaks down a little. You can also pound the cabbage to help with breaking it down.

• Transfer layer by layer to a mason jar or kraut pot, pounding it down each time to remove the air (remember fermentation takes place in an anaerobic environment)
• Once you have filled the jar, cover it with cabbage leaves to further reduce the air from interacting with the the cabbage, put a little water over it to block off the air
• Close the lid and DO NOT OPEN for 4-6 weeks else you will begin to see mold

My favorite - Sauerkraut made from red cabbage

Tips

• If you master making sauerkraut and are sure you will continue, invest in a kraut pot else a mason jar works  just fine
• The ideal temperature to ferment is around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. At temperatures over this it might ferment faster but not produce the most beneficial bacteria.
• In terms of fermenting cabbage you can also use red cabbage, which gives all the benefits and in addition flavenoids and K2 (which is produced only when fermented up to 6 weeks). K2 keeps the calcium in your bones and there are very few vegetarian sources of K2.

Sauerkraut is versatile

Sauerkraut can be used with appetizers, as an accompaniment to your meal, in salads and pretty much any way. The Kraut juice is great too and can help relieve cramps, so don't throw it away.

¼ cup Sauerkraut a day keeps your gut happy and keeps inflammation at bay

Consume at least 1/4 cup per day of sauerkraut and experience the benefits! My family loves sauerkraut and all the other products of my culturing experiments like salsa, cultured beets, cultured carrots etc.

Stay Healthy!
This blogpost was created by Ayesha@Choose WellThee and Lupa Irie.




Choose WellThee is about making choices that enhance your Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual wellness.

Laughter Yoga - Cheers to a hilarious 2018!

Happy 2018! Hope you had a chance to spend time with your loved ones to cherish the best of 2017 and dream big for 2018.

We've all heard the adage "Laughter is the best medicine". When I looked up this phrase, some claim it has roots in the bible where Proverbs 17:22 says ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ The actual origin has been lost in the mist of time. However, it is as real and relevant today as it has always been.

On this journey of wellness, I decided to explore, explore and explore some more. And this led me to want to try out laughter yoga. Being Indian, I had heard about laughter yoga since it originated in India around 1995. However, I didn't think I could stand in a circle and laugh on demand…it looked corny and contrived. They say everything has its time and here I am in a different continent, decades later, trying out laughter yoga at Laughter Yoga Atlanta.

The same thoughts came rushing back. "This looks so contrived" to force oneself to laugh without something being funny. Also, should we be taught to laugh? Isn't that natural? I did a mental override on those thoughts. If I was re-learning the basics of how to maintain a correct posture, how to drink enough water, how to sleep well, then why not practice the art of laughing and laughter yoga?

No you don't need yoga mats for laughter yoga. It is called yoga because of the diaphragmatic involvement when you engage in laughter, as well as the intentional deep breathing exercises interspersed throughout the session.  The concept of laughter yoga is to make joy intentional, the key word being intentional. It is based on scientific knowledge that the body cannot differentiate between genuine laughter and just going through the motions of a fake laugh. When we get together in a group and go through the motions of laughing we make eye contact and this helps the laughter transition into genuine and contagious laughter. 

So what did I do in the meetup session? The class started with some warm up exercises like pretending to throw a make-believe ball to each other and laughing every time when doing it. I have to say I surprised myself by diving right in. There’s something to be said about anonymity that makes you not care about looking silly and hence helps you shed your inhibitions.

The one exercise that really stuck with me though, was the "credit card laughter". We had to pretend that we were looking at our credit card statements with disbelief and then laughing as we showed it to each other.  I could totally relate to that and I think I might actually laugh off my next credit card bill (and hope that my husband finds it contagious and does the same). These exercises are not just for fun though, they are called value based exercises and are purposefully crafted to condition our minds to react from a place of calm and laughter rather than stress, when these situations arise in real life.

Think about it, every time you have a great laugh with your friends or family, it makes you feel light and happy and almost always helps you see your problems in a different perspective. I always feel that if I lived next door to my girlfriends, with the riot of laughter and giggle based conversations we indulge in, I would possibly never have a "we need to talk" conversation with my husband. Sometimes it's just easier to step around life's problems rather than stress about finding solutions.In fact, research by one of my favorite nutritionists Luke Coutinho proves that one of the 4 things people with cancer have in common is chronic stress. So stress is real and there are real and practical ways to address it. And laughter therapy including laughter yoga may be a good way to combat stress. Laughter Yoga for instance,

• Provides a cardiovascular workout, and shares a number of health benefits in common with aerobic exercise
• Increases blood circulation and relaxes the muscles
• Helps combat depression, blood pressure, reduces symptoms of allergies, asthma, arthritis and helps in chronic illnesses like cancer
• Reduces physical, mental and emotional stress 
• Can change your mood within minutes by releasing certain chemicals from your brain called endorphins

So what's your take on laughter therapy? Laughter Yoga Atlanta has free monthly meetups, if you want to try out. Honestly, with tens of thousands of laughter clubs in 65 countries, you most likely will find one close to you. It could be a great team building activity, a fun thing to do with your friends and a great option if you are trying to help someone feel better physically, mentally or emotionally. So give it a shot!



Cheers to a hilarious 2018!
Ayesha@Choose WellThee

Choose WellThee is about making choices that enhance your Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual wellness.

10 easiest ways to step into 2018 with less exposure to chemicals and toxins

Over the last few years, I have graduated to reducing and finally eliminating the purchase and use of deodorants, toothpaste, moisturizing lotion, dishwashing liquid, soaps among other things, since I make my own. I am sure most readers and early DIY practitioners get overwhelmed and end up becoming pessimists after the overload of information about the chemicals and toxins in everyday products.

Five years ago when I had my first child and started reading and researching every ingredient of every product, I got to a point where it was downright depressing. There was either no alternative, or it was really expensive, or you had a DIY option that was time consuming. And this is the downside of being aware, your rose tinted glasses are off.....forever. However, the idea is to make peace with reality we live in and do what you can to build your body, mind and soul to continue to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Here’s my Christmas gift to readers to switch to some healthy options. I looked at parameters like ease of adapting, amount of exposure, impact to self and family and have ranked the 10 on the ease to switch.

1. You don't need lip balm; you need to hydrate yourself
• I try to drink at least 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day and when I don't, my lips let me know. 
2. Say NO to plastic storage containers, Say YES to glass or stainless steel containers
• Plastic leaches chemicals into the food and liquids it comes in contact with. Period! Even more so under extreme heat or cold conditions, but also in normal temperature environments. And don't buy into the B.S. of BPA free. There are other toxins that manufacturers have come up with which are more toxic than BPA. Glass storage containers are suitable for freezing, baking, storage etc. There’s Costco, Bed, Bath and Beyond but so far, the most reasonably priced set I have found is at Amazon. As for water bottles, stainless steel bottles work best for me, especially since I broke 2 of the glass ones I had despite the silicon protection they had. I now have the wide mouth Hydroflask  because I got a great deal at Costco .There are countless options.
3. Switch from Nonstick pans to Stainless Steel
• There are so many brands of nonstick pans and it's amazing why more and more people are taking to them when actually better options exist. Food doesn't stick to your nonstick pan but harmful chemicals from the pan surely stick to the food. For most cooking, stainless steel can be used. When you do need a more non-stick kind of surface, use cast iron. It also increases the iron content of your food. It's a healthy option. This is my favorite for crepes(dosas).
4. For goodness sake stop spraying the air-fresheners. Switch to diffusing essential oils
• When you smell the next Febreze for instance, know it's not odors out, freshness in. It's odors out because Ethanolamine, Quarternary ammonium compound, Benzisothiazolinone, Cyclodextrin, Silicon Compounds etc.are in. It has a grade of "F" on EWG  as most of the air fresheners. Try and consult EWG  when purchasing household and personal care products. It covers an extensive range of products in the United States. Switch to diffusing Essential Oils instead of an air freshener. I use Essential Oils  and the diffuser by Young Living. 
5. Ditch Aluminium utensils and foil for cooking and baking
• Aluminium leaches into food when exposed to high temperatures. Even more so when the food is acidic. I use stainless steel for most of my baking. For things that have a tendency to stick, I use unbleached, chlorine free parchment paper like this one.
6. Fancy household cleaners can be very wisely replaced by the very versatile vinegar
• Household cleaners are loaded with chemicals. And when you think about the fact that your skin is the largest organ you can fathom the exposure it has to all sorts of chemicals and toxins. Vinegar does a good job of cleaning dirt and grime. We use a diluted vinegar solution for cleaning countertops, mopping floors etc. I have to admit for a toilet bowl cleaner I still use Lysol but I am still on the hunt for a safe yet effective replacement. Here's a website that talks about the proportions of vinegar for different types of cleaning.
7. Swap your expensive makeup-remover for Coconut oil
• Extra virgin unrefined coconut oil is one of the most versatile additions to your pantry. Apply it to your face and keep for about 15 minutes. Wipe off with a warm microfiber cloth.I use e-cloth available on Amazon. Follow by astringent and moisturizer. You need a microfiber cloth because of its unique ability to clean. We use microfiber for cleaning kitchen counter-tops, dining table, window panes etc. as well
8. Women, choose your cosmetics responsibly
• Nailpolish gets in contact with the food we eat and lands in the stomach, lipstick gets chewed. It takes 26 seconds for something that gets in contact with your skin, to be released into your bloodstream. So choose wisely. Beautycounter  is my favorite. It's a spend that's worth the money.
9. Make your own toothpaste instead of buying it at the store
• Sometimes I feel we make a big deal about toothpastes. They serve just 2 basic purposes. First, they provide some abrasiveness so as to be able to clean and second, provide an alkaline environment to keep bacteria from thriving. I make mine with coconut oil, baking soda and salt and I sometimes add sage, cinnamon or cloves. But just coconut oil, baking soda and salt works just fine. Here's a link  with recipes. I never add xylitol, stevia or essential oils because I believe if it's not necessary, well it's just not necessary. And I love essential oils but am still undecided whether it's good to use inside the mouth because there are certain good bacteria in the mouth that we should not destroy. This won't be a pretty toothpaste that smells great and comes of a tube but will have ingredients you won't fret about, when your kids swallow the toothpaste by mistake (or on purpose, like mine do).
10. Swap your deodorant with a concoction of coconut oil and baking soda
• An antiperspirant or deodorant can contain parabens - a form of preservative that can be shown to mimic the activity of oestrogen in the body's cells. Also, there have been theories and studies that have linked exposure to either parabens or aluminium chloride to an increased cancer risk.The baking soda coconut oil mix will not make head tuns when you walk into a room (like what perfumes make people do), but I personally think that's a good thing. This mix does a great job of neutralizing bad body odor. And yes even in the hot summer months. You probably don't believe me so try it for yourself. Dr. Axe's website explains the recipe quite simply. Again, essential oils are optional.
• If you want to spray j'adore and feel like Charlize Theron or want to be douse yourself in Chanel because Brad Pitt does it, spray it on your clothes and not directly on your skin

Cheers to a Happy and Healthy 2018! Post your comments! I'd love to hear about which tips were most helpful and were able to adopt into your busy life.