Why eat fermented foods?
Introducing a dose of friendly bacteria into your digestive system is proven to have many benefits to our health. More and more studies have revealed the connections gut flora have with our major organ systems. The benefits these little guys bring is huge!
Here are the top 5 benefits you don’t want to miss:
A Trimmer waistline because too many bad bacteria will trigger inflammation resulting in unhealthy cravings (aka. a blood sugar roller coaster ride). This study also shows unbalanced gut flora is linked to obesity.
Improved energy because gut bacteria assist the body in producing vitamin B12 (a nutrient that provides us with energy and supports our metabolism).
Stronger immune system because your gut bacteria serves as a barrier that crowds out harmful bacteria and kills pathogens before they enter our blood stream. A healthy adult’s gut flora takes up about 2% of their body weight according to the Human Microbiome Project. Our gut flora’s symbiotic relationship with our body cannot be overlooked.
Better mood and reduced anxiety due to the gut-brain connection.
Adding fermented foods is especially important while travelling, because of the immune-boosting benefit mentioned above. Plus jet-lag and dry airplane air is not good for healthy, glow-y skin. Since I didn’t have access to a lot of the probiotic-rich foods as I normally do, I decided to do something creative with what’s on hand. We are surrounded by coconuts and dragon fruit on the tropical island, so I decided to see what I can do with these ingredients-a coconut-dragon fruit yogurt maybe? Or ‘co-gurt’ for short.
Plus, probiotic capsules can be a chore to take and honestly I sometimes forget to take them. This is a creative way to ensure I get my daily dose of probiotics and fuel up on a delicious breakfast!
This recipe is fail-proof because the dragon fruit serves as a thickener (you can use either the pink or the white variety, the consistencies are pretty much the same), even without the fermentation process it’s a delicious smoothie. Chia seeds will also work wonderfully as a thickener to create the creamy consistency. See the alternative recipe below. I prefer to allow my ‘co-gurt’ 1 day for culturing, which gives it a tangy flavour.
Enjoy ‘co-gurt’ making!
Note: sugar is a must in this recipe because the bacteria need to feed on the sugar during fermentation. If you want to opt for more nutrient-dense sweeteners, try maple syrup or coconut syrup instead but not honey because it contains natural antibiotic enzymes that impede the culturing process. It’s not impossible to ferment using honey as Ethiopians have been making mead (a honey wine containing honey, hops and other herbs) for thousands of years but it just takes longer.
Homemade Coconut Dragonfruit 'Cogurt'
Serves 5
Creamy, pink dairy-free goodness
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
8 hr
Total Time
8 hr 20 min
Ingredients
2 1L clean glass air-tight containers
4 probiotic capsules (I used Nature's Way Optima 50 Billion)
juice from 1 coconut*
meat from 1 coconut, cut into small squares*
1/2 medium dragonfruit, cut into small chunks
1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Blend everything in a blender until creamy smooth.
Notes
For food safety considerations, I keep mine in the fridge. You can definitely have it the very next day and it does start to ferment after 1-2 days. Keep refrigerated and consume within 5 days.
To try the recipe without a fresh coconut, you can sub coconut juice using coconut water and you can find fresh coconut meat at Wholefoods.
Easy Coconut Chia 'Cogurt'
Serves 5
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
8 hr
Total Time
8 hr 10 min
Ingredients
2 1L clean glass air-tight containers
4 probiotic capsules (I used Nature's Way Optima 50 Billion)
2 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 cup shredded coconut or fresh coconut chunks (Wholefoods sells them in tubs), unsweetened
3 tbsp ground white chia seeds*
1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Blend everything in a blender until creamy smooth.
Notes
You can use black chia instead but it just won't look as pretty.
For food safety considerations, I keep mine in the fridge. You can definitely have it the very next day and it does start to ferment after 1-2 days. Keep refrigerated and consume within 5 days.