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way to our surroundings, that once you start to “see” it, any notion that you have of being separate will become laughable.Step back with me just a minute to take this in… I, you, we, have a very long tube that starts with our month, and ends with our anus. This tube contacts in some way everything that you eat, drink and breathe. Microscopic nutrients, phytochemicals, and elements are then absorbed across delicate membranes into your blood stream. This happens in your lungs, stomach, and intestines. What is not excreted is then ultimately incorporated, for better of worse, into your being.
We like to think of ourselves as “individuals” who are “doing it on our own,” but we would actually cease to live if we lost our relationship with the billions of microorganisms that populate “our” body.
The more I learn about these microorganisms that we live in synergy with, the more I am in awe. They help in many life processes from immune modulation to absorption of nutrients. Much of the delicate internal balance, life itself, hinges on microorganisms; a community that is not visible to our naked eyes. This is profound metaphor for the Truth of our connectedness.
In the spirit of taking on this reality in a most profound way, I decided to host a "Cultured Foods Workshop." The goals were to cultivate community, and create culture...
literally from the inside out. Cultivation of culture can be defined as integrating patterns of human knowledge, belief, and behavior based upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. And ironically, the word "culture" also describes the process of growing living material, like microbes, in a nutrient source. How beautiful that we were able to participate in and create both at the same time... and literally culture our selves from the inside out, and outside in. We were learning techniques that have been used for thousands of generations to preserve food and make it more nutrient dense and beneficial.The goal was to "culture" or ferment the veggies in such a way as to create billions of friendly microorganisms to make home in our bodies and help us to live and thrive. A healthy adult should have up to 3 pounds of friendly microbes in their gastrointestinal track. Most folks are sorely lacking in this department as these "probiotics" get killed off through natural life cycles, antibiotics, chlorinated water, chemical exposure and stress. This would not be a problem if we were to replenish them. And this is where regular eating of cultured foods comes in to save the day! Every other country that I am aware of has some type of cultured food that is customarily consumed as a staple (unless they have adopted a western diet). I think its high time we add some culture to our lives!
This is exactly what the 10 of us did on Saturday. We had fun chopping and shredding cabbage, carrots, burdock root, onions, collards, and all kinds of herbs and then packing our quart sized jars to create cultured delicacies. One group made kimche, another made red cabbage and juniper berries, another made carrot and ginger, and there is one that I can't wait to try.. cabbage, burdock root and collards (I think that was it). We also made kefir out of fresh, raw milk and my favorite... cultured coconut water.
In my clinical experience I have come to believe that the process of making and consuming life giving cultured foods is one of the best gifts that one could give themselves. And it could not be easier! I have put my basic, cultured veggie recipe on my website (just click on the "recipes tab." I am in the process of uploading many new recipes!). I hope that you'll give culturing a try. Have some friends over and start the process of creating culture from the inside out! If you wish to read more about cultured foods I suggest looking in The Body Ecology website and book. It is an excellent resource.
Here's to foods that heal!
Love,
Tif
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