How to Kill Carb and Sweet Cravings

We tend to draw a line between foods we’ll try (anything) and what we’ll suggest to clients and readers. It’s affirming, that we’re headed in a healthier direction, when foods we previously felt were offbeat become mainstream. One such category of foods is fermented vegetables. Consumer Reports, Eating Well Magazine and Foodtrainers’ friend Max Goldberg, of the Living Maxwell blog, all list fermented foods as a trend for 2017.

 If sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles come to mind, you’re on the right track. I realize kimchi isn’t for everyone; there are also carrots, beets and other, slightly more user-friendly, fermented veggies available. As you may know, we’re also partial to shots. I mean, why beat around the bush? Our favorite, fermented food folks at Farmhouse Culture have “gut shots” (see photo). And, just yesterday NYC-based Lulitonix sent us their super shots too.

If being trendy is not a draw (and trust me, food trends are the only trends that interest me), there are still convincing reasons you should have fermented or “ferm”, as we affectionately call them, vegetables in your diet. First, ferm veggies have a staggering probiotic count. One tablespoon has as high a count as many supplements. And if you’re not already obsessed with your microbiome (the state of real estate in your gut), you should be. 

Fermented foods help with mood. The majority of our serotonin is produced in your gut. I got a kick of this study which connects fermented foods to lower social anxiety, specifically “neuroticism”. Fermented foods also play a role in reducing food cravings, specifically for carbs and sugar. They have beneficial effects on your weight via glucose metabolism. Bacteria-free mice were found to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And higher cortisol leads to weight gain. If mood, cravings and weight aren’t a draw (not sure why you’re reading this blog) it’s worth a reminder that fermented foods help us combat pathogens. They can knock out h pylori, that leads to ulcers, and even eradicate some forms of e coli…yum yum.

There are kits galore if you want to be a home fermenter. I’m less of a DIY-er. Personally, I’d prefer SEDI (someone else do it). As I said above, check out Farmhouse Culture (I’m already babbling but the kraut explosion that occurred, with a package from them, is a sour story for another day).  I mentioned their gut shots but their fermented orange, ginger carrots are delicious too. We also love Bubbies Pickles, Mother in Law's Kimchi and Hawthorne Farm's red cabbage. Look for these foods in the refrigerated section of your health food stores or Whole Foods.We featured ferm veggies as one of our “secret weapons” in our New Year’s Whipping Weeks but we have other ferm friends. Kombucha, kefir and miso are worth checking out. Your goal should be to have 1 “ferm” food daily but when it comes to good bacteria, the more the merrier…or less neurotic. 

Coffee, Crickets, Kombucha and other trends from Expo West

So sad this is among best photos with both of us from the trip

I’m sitting on the plane. My magazine binge is complete (Food & Wine’s “The New Healthy” issue good but Bon Appetit’s Culture even better), inbox has been cleaned out, the book I’m reading at a lull and it’s not yet time for a snack…so I thought I’d tell you a little about Expo West. Expo West is this massive Natural Foods Show; all the big players have booths and events and rookie players or new food companies come to get a jump-start. People spend days at this show. Carolyn and I were determined to see it all in one day and 23, 000+ steps later we did.

If I were to pick out a few trends or things we saw a lot of I’d say jerky is a big deal. These new offerings are a world away from Slim Jim. If you don’t think you’re the jerky type I’d do some taste testing. Carolyn said she felt many more products geared toward men and I’d agree. “Mancakes” is an example of this  (get it man + pancakes?). We saw some tea but coffee, particularly jazzed up coffee, was everywhere. There was coffee mixed with other ingredients (maca and guarana) and also coffee blended with nut milks. And our favorite of course….lattes on tap.

There was a whole lotta kombucha happening but many of the newer brands had more sugar than the Heathade and Synergy we covet. In terms of other beverages, a few of our favorite companies have come out with unsweetened versions. We’re saving our winner for May and our Pre-Summer Squeeze  program (so good, sorry to tease). In terms of sweeteners, monk fruit is making a name for itself. It’s zero calories and has no aftertaste. To be honest, I haven’t monkfruited a lot and initially dismissed it so I have to do some tasting.

 

And for anyone who said gluten free was a fad, read this study and take our word for it, it’s bigger than ever. And I’m not talking gluten free treats or gluten free crap but gluten free meal items like our beloved Banza. See their new packaging?

Carolyn and I were determined not to over sample. We tried to divide and conquer- Carolyn would taste sweet and I’d cover savory. We ended up both tasting both. I refuse to really ponder what I ingested but there was gluten free pizza (sample size but it was 9:30 am), Banza’s new mac and cheese, every coffee product offered, apple cider vinegar and more.  Did I mention we walked 10 miles? I said to Carolyn we’d need to do it again to make up for our excessive testing.

Oh and the nastiest item of the day was definitely a nutrition bar made from crickets  (not Exo…those are fine) and flavored with matcha. It had the worst aftertaste and we felt ill but as we rounded the corner Hu Kitchen to the rescue, a chocolate chaser makes every better.

Which of these trends or categories would you like to hear more about? Would you eat products made from crickets (you will likely see more…protein)? What’s your favorite magazine or podcast these days?