Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog – Part One
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Seeing as Whole New Mom is a blog that mainly talks about health and related topics, you may be wondering why I’ve never done a post about fermented foods.
I’ve got posts about going sugar-free, about the dangers of gluten, and about heavy metal toxicity and the burden of toxins on our health.
But no posts about:
- homemade sauerkraut
- kombucha
- water kefir
and all that cultured stuff.
Read on to find out why–and hang with me. This is one of those longish posts with lots of info.
Remember my series on Candida and Gut Health from a while ago? If you didn’t read it, hop on over there. You’ll get to see up close and personal the way that candida wreaked havoc on my body and my life.
Candida is essentially a term to describe an overgrowth of yeast that causes many problems in the affected person.
And I had it bad.
If you look around the internet, many people say that kombucha and fermented foods are one of the key ways to rid oneself of candida.
But they didn’t work for me.
Here’s what happened instead.
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The Candida Diet and Fermented Foods
About 4 years ago (I think that’s when this all started), I went on a pretty strict dietary regimen that excluded all sugary foods, and limited starches. The program included fermented foods in the “restricted” category, stating that often when folks were dealing with systemic candida, their bodies were sensitized to yeast products and fermented foods. Instead of the body responding positively to the introduction of such “beneficial foods,” their bodies might react negatively instead.
So I followed that prescription.
No–
- kombucha
- kefir
- vinegars
- mustard
- yeast
- nutritional yeast
Etcetera.
The whole thing was pretty complex (more on the story later), but overall I was getting better. Sort of. Actually, there is a reason why the Candida Diet didn’t “do it” for me, but I will touch on that in a future post. So make sure you join my newsletter if you haven’t already. You’ll for sure not want to miss that.
Anyway, I always wondered about the exclusion of fermented foods from the list of allowed foods, because there are many who tout cultured foods as being key to overcoming candidiasis (systemic candida).
Trial #1 – Super Fermented Drink
After a while of “doing the Candida Diet,” I was hitting a wall. So I talked with a man who had a lot of experience in candida, heavy metals, and the like, and he recommended my doing a “flush the bad guys out” protocol.
The Plan? Buy a boatload (about 5 2 liter bottles) of heavy-duty probiotic drink, and drink a bunch of it over the course of a few weeks.
It was expensive, but I was desperate to get better.
So I bought it and started to drink.
What followed was very unpleasant.
My symptoms worsened. A lot.
Itching everywhere. Intense and uncomfortable. And frightening.
I really didn’t think I could go on and see where this might lead. I felt like my body was rebelling against me and I was ready to surrender.
I packed up the unused portion of the boatload and paid to ship it back.
No more fermented foods for me for a long time.
Trial #2 – Kombucha
Fast forward a few years. I’d made a lot of changes–tightened up my diet and worked on adrenal healing, heavy metal toxicity, and more. It was a hard, hard time for me but I was starting to have more energy and wanted to start making kombucha for my family (and maybe for me—I hoped).
So I did. And I drank.
Not good.
More itching. Lots of it. Skin, scalp, ears, and the dreaded feminine itching thing. (Sorry if that’s TMI.)
I talked with my practitioner and she said that maybe I was reacting to the fermentation, or perhaps I should just go with fermented veggies since they have no sugar that can remain in them. She also said that I could try again sometime down the road.
Now, to be clear, I fermented my kombucha ’til it tasted like a strong vinegar, so I think there was little to no sugar in that stuff, but I still wasn’t tolerating it.
I ended up trying to ferment some carrots, but they didn’t work well. Sigh.
So since I couldn’t tolerate it, and I was still pretty low on energy, the SCOBY died and I left the dream of fermented foods alone for awhile.
Trial #3 – Fermented Superfood Probiotic
This next part is a little murky, but here’s basically what happened.
I started taking a new fermented superfood probiotic back in July of 2012.
I went right into a full serving, but I ended up having some ear itching again and thought I needed to back off. The symptoms went away immediately, so I thought I was having a reaction to fermentation. Again.
I decided to back off. But tried again around October.
Same thing. Ear itching and sinus stuff.
I figured fermented foods and I just didn’t get along.
Trial #4 – Fermented Superfood Probiotic
In March of 2013, I decided to try one more time to see if I could handle the fermented food probiotic.
I really really wanted to add this stuff to my diet and felt like the probiotic was really great for my gut.
There are sooo many probiotics out there and I have tried A LOT of them. With most of them, you just know that they aren’t working, but with this one, I could tell for sure that it was.
So I tried.
I started with 1/8 of a teaspoon and progressed to 1/4 and was tolerating it pretty well.
March 22 – I upped my dose of the probiotic to 1/2 teaspoon and my eyes started itching again. I backed off again.
Trial #5 – Lots of Fermented Foods
By mid-April, I was trying again. I was determined to get this stuff into my system.
I ramped my dosage up to 1 teaspoon per day and felt great (tons of energy and great digestion), but I ate some other foods with yeast in them on April 15 and woke up with INTENSE itching in my ears. Like “I’m going to go nuts” itching.
Well, I know this is kind of gross, but my ears were peeling inside a little and I smelled some of the discharge / skin.
The discharge from one of my ears smelled like yeast.
Was this my body trying to get rid of it?
Or was this a reaction to the fermented foods?
Regardless, it seemed I was doomed. Big sigh.
Trial #6 – The Big Guns
Just 3 days later, April 15, I was given the chance of a lifetime.
The chance to talk with someone who really knows his stuff about probiotics.
Not just a health food store employee, but an expert in the field of probiotics and superfoods.
I’ll fill you in in the next post about what he said and what happened.
Click here for part two of Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog.
Click here for part three–Why I WILL Have Fermented Foods on My Blog.
Sorry to keep you hanging, but I’ve got a lot to say on this topic :-).
Have you had reactions to fermented foods or been told you are sensitive to them?
By the way, the photo up there was taken by Michaela of Vicariously Vintage. Nice shot, eh?
Your story sounds just like mine. I, too, had the same reaction to kombucha and probiotics. I discovered that it’s not an allergy but a die off effect. You need to start out slowly and work your way up to higher doses. You need to give your body a chance to get rid of the bad stuff. Start out with one ounce of kombucha per day for a week… then two ounces in divided doses…and so on. Use your body and how you feel as a guide. I am now drinking almost eight ounces per day and my food allergies have greatly improved. I have very little reaction to foods that would kill me before. I now believe some food allergies are simply our body reacting to food our intestines can not digest simply because we lack the good bacteria to do the job.
Don’t give up on fermented foods and probiotics….just go slowly and give your body time to heal.
Still working on it. Thanks!
Wow. Wow. Wow. My daught-in-law has had a problem with intense itching for months. She uses lots of fermented foods. She has been to several docs and is really struggling. Wonder if this could be it.
Keep reading b/c things have changed….but it might be histamines in the foods. I can’t diagnose, but…..
I’m so glad I found your site. You are initially describing my story. I have stopped kombucha and all other fermente foods, time and time again for the same reactions, and have been trying to figure out if those things are feeding the candida or creating a healing crisis….either way flare ups are so bad, I actually become disfunctional as a mom, so I end up stopping. I am wanting to here updates on your health…..are you still convinced it’s a die off reaction? All ears. : )
Yes, I am convinced. I am taking the InLiven daily now in addition to raw kefir and sometimes other fermented foods. I have more things I am working on but at least this appears to be sorted out :).
I recently found your site and have been reading many of your past blogs – trying to sort through it all and find what works and what doesn’t…. I feel like my head will explode! I have a ton of questions for you but right now, could not even begin to ask them in a rational way!
I think, but I am not sure, that improperly fermenting your sauerkraut (and many other foods) is the cause of a lot of people’s problems with the histimines…. Leah Harrie of Nourshing Treasures (I believe) has done a lot of research about the process ferments go through and if the product isn’t fermented long enough, the histimines cause problems. The ferment time has to be longer than what a lot of sites are saying. Ferment vessels have to be anaerobic but that includes many that some are saying are not good.
I do not have a lot of widom or insite and have not studied these issues nearly as much as many others have. It has been quite a journey that God is bringing me on with my autoimmune disorder and I am still learning.
I am fascinated with all the information regarding the good bacteria in our guts and the importance they play in our health. I agree, time will catch up with us all!
Have you ever talked with Kathleen at the Pickl-It site. I believe she has practically cured her son of autism?
I noticed that someone else asked if you had read “Autoimmune, The Cause And The Cure”. I am also interested to know if you have as of yet.
After reading some of your post and treatments, I have to ask if you have ever heard of fecal transplants and would you evern consider that option? I read that they are doing them at Mayo Clinic for a certain ailment. I think (providing you could find a good donor) that there is much that could be accomplished through this.
Do you feel that the powerful probiotics are curing you? I have spent entirely too much time and money on snake oil and people trying to get rich off of the misery of others. We are a very unhealthy society and if people are not aware of that, they soon will be…. Like you said, “time”. So there are sites out there selling just about everything.
I take fermented cod liver oil, make my own sauerkraut, raw milk kefir, beet kvass, and try to get raw liver in my diet most days of the week. After 56 years of doing all the wrong things, I wonder if I can give my body enough of the things it needs to heal now? We are fearfully and wonderfully made and I believe God created our bodies to revert to health IF we give them the tools they need to do so. I would love to know what you believe them to be and what other recommendations you think are working for you and your family.
Thank you for the time and attention you put into trying to keep us informed along the way!
Hello there. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
First of all, regarding Lea Harris, I am familiar with her statements about fermenting to some degree. I think it is possible that you have confused her with someone else. Here is what I do know:
1. Ferment time for kraut needs to be longer…for several reasons.. Can you be more specific about what you would like to know?
2. Here is the info on histamines that I think you are referring to. It isn’t on Lea’s site, but on Loving Our Guts. (blog removed b/c it doesn’t exist any longer)
3. I have talked w/ Kathleen but it has been near impossible to get in touch with her in recent days.
4. I have that book – it’s very interesting. I am not sure I completely concur but it has very good points. I personally think that supplementation might have its place and that the data in there about the problems with supplementing might be a little incorrectly interpreted. I have to look at it more.
5. I have heard of the implants but I think it’s a drastic measure – and likely a fortune. I am trying something else starting this coming week so we’ll see what happens next :).
6. I do feel that they have improved my gut but I am still working on things. I think they are a great product. For sure not “snake oil.” Anything but. They are powerful superfoods fermented for easy assimilation. I think it’s possible others might work great for others as well.
Thanks and take care! I am still learning and trying to sort this all out–while accepting where I am now and knowing it might not change…but believing it very well might. Thanks!
Georgina,
I too was interested in fecal implants, as I have c. diff. I spoke with an expert in the field of gut health and she convinced me other wise to do fecal implants. She said that who ever the doner, you would receive their DNA (good or bad), and I am not willing to take on that challenge.
Susie
Did you experience the yeast infection on your face?
I need something to help the yeast infection on my face. So far, the symtoms on my face are not improving.
I tried tea tree oil, Yeast Aid and Psorzema Creme with neem, burdock, bearberry and Vitamins A and E.
U
I didn’t have that problem. I can’t medically advise. What is going on? Maybe someone else can help. Are you certain it’s yeast?
Yes
When you experienced fermented food overload, did you start a yeast free diet?
I started a yeast free diet 10 days ago. The symptoms are improving…slowly.
I haven’t eaten yeast in bread for a long time. I have been on a candida diet that is fairly strict for quite awhile.
Thanks! The yeast free diet is helping. The symtoms are slowly improving.
all things in moderation … no excesses of anything and the body is happy therefore do not deride one thing against another.. 🙂
You are a fascinating case study! 🙂 So sorry that you are not tolerating fermented foods well. I bet it’s more common that people think because our culture is so lacking in good bacteria and the diversity of our gut is not what it should be thanks to anti-biotics, anit-bacterial soaps, poor diet, interference in childbirth, bottle feeding instead of breastfeeding, etc.
Interested to see what comes next!
Thanks for addressing this issue. I too cannot tolerate fermented food and am dealing with a yeast overgrowth. I am on a restricted diet and it is frustrating that what I considered healthy foods with the good bacteria, I cannot seem to tolerate. Please continue this topic and any info you have learned.
Did you see Part 2…make sure you read it and thanks for your kind words.
Hi Adrienne,
I was going back and forth between posts, so sorry if this is out of place here, but I read that for heavy metals you took a product called zeolite? Do you know what brand you took or do you have a link for more info on it? Thanks so much!
You can find it on my Store Page. Feel free to ask away.
Fermented foods are ultra high in histamines….. I am histamine intolerant and have similar reactions to fermented and other foods that are high in histamine. Some people have the enzymes to digest histamine….others do not. You might have the same thing…
Sorry, but this is ridiculous. Try making your own and limiting yourself to products that don’t specifically undergo yeast fermentation. (Pickles, kraut, kimchi, rejuvelac, just as a start) Shocker, some crazy store bought products don’t end up being good for your health? Who could’ve known.
I am never a rude blog commenter, but this is just so absurd and ill-informed, I had to offer a contrasting perspective.
I am pretty confused about your comment.
– First of all, to my knowledge, all ferments will contain yeast. It is just a question of what kind and how much.
– Secondly, the products I am talking about were a mix of homemade and store bought. If you read the next post you will see that the fermented food probiotic is basically top of the line. I basically challenge anyone to find fault with it.
– Thirdly, your comment is rude so please take care how you say things. It is fine to disagree, but to use words such as “absurd” and “ill-informed” and “ridiculous” is over the top language.
You are welcome to come back and try again if you have more to share as I do appreciate others and try to keep an open mind and am for sure willing to admit I am wrong when I find out that I am.
Thanks.
Hmmm.. what about kimchi? Definitely femented, but I’ve heard tons of great stuff about it. Would love to hear your take on kimchi. I personally love the food, eat it all the time ever since my trip to Korea about 3 years ago and I haven’t had any problems so far. Actually, I find it really helpful when I have a cold.
I think there is so much to learn about this stuff. Hang with me. I hope to have the second post out later today….
Read Matt Stone
He has a great book – Diet Recovery 2
I have been where all of you are. I am not cured. But, I am well on my way back
to vibrant health.
I’ve heard some not great things about Stone if this is the guy I’ve been hearing about…….Doesn’t he think sugar is OK?
Yes, he does. Now, I do too.
It would take a book to write my 20 year health history. I have had
every dx thrown my way. Lupus, sjogren’s, auto-immune, hypothyroid,
candida, Lyme’s, CFS, trigeminal neuralgia, chemical sensitivity, toxic
metals, multiple food intolerance’s, IBS etc…..
I have read many diet books on health. I have done the diets,
the cleanses, the supplements, every type of medical/holistic practitioner I
could find. I ended up after 20 years of trying desperately to heal myself
through all of the above, worse. I was house/couch bound. Barely able to
do activities of daily living…..brushing my teeth, combing my hair etc….
I was in such pain and, head pressure with no energy. I wanted to die.
I thought I was dying.
Then, by God’s mercy I found Matt Stone. I didn’t get well over-night. But, each
day brought a small ray of hope. Today, I am so much better. I have energy again!
I can eat many different foods that use to make me very sick. I sleep well again.
I am able to tolerate more chemical smells too. Hairspray, lotions and cologne on
other people etc…
I hope the improvements will continue until I no longer have any issues. But, even
if I stay right here, it is leaps and bounds better than I have been.
Interesting. Well, I hope it continues for you. I am very concerned about folks who are saying sugar is great for us. But I try to keep an open mind. I think it is possible to feel good for awhile but then the problems catch up with you. As with many diets and ideas, etc. But I am so glad to hear you are doing better.
Here’s a sobering thought taken from the book “Nourishing Traditions “. “In 1821, the average sugar intake in America was 10pounds per person per year; today it is 170 pounds per person.” Not that I’m 100% backing this book, it just happens to be what I’m reading right now and it is very informative. I would certainly recommend it. One other point brought up is that our diets, in general, are very limited as far as the variety of food we eat and it may well be that some of us lack the necessary enzymes in order to digest some foods because we have eaten such exclusive diets for so long and thus we end up with allergies and food sensitivities and a whole host of other degenerative issues.
The sugar part is awful. The limited diet is something I am not sure what to think about. There are some very healthy cultures where they are very selective / limited in the breadth of their diet so it is a puzzle to me.
Sorry about that- I should clarify the exclusive, limited diet part-we (in general in the USA) have made our diet rather exclusive with so much sugar and bleached white flour.
How did you vet well the diet supplements juicing would appreciate you’re comments.as am in the same position.
This is very interesting! I just wondered, what kind of fermented foods did you take, except for kombucha? It seems like you’ve been taking some probiotic supplement (super brobiotic drink?) Or did I misunderstand you? My point is that as far as I know, taking a lot of good bacteria through supplements without having the right pH in your gut can cause the good bacteria to change into bad bacteria that tolerate the ‘wrong’ pH (because they are pleomorph). Good bacteria as you know, must have a slightly acidic environment to thrive. In addition to that, too alcalic pH may cause candida overgrowth. One of the good things about fermented foods (not probiotic supplements) is that it hjelps getting the pH balance in your gut normal (because of the acids) produced. Just a thought…:)
I tried the fermented superfood probiotic powder, kombucha, water kefir, organic apple cider vinegar. That’s mostly it but occasionally I had some high quality fermented foods in my freezer that I tried. Still a lot to learn, eh?
Personally, I would stay away from the stuff they sell in the stores. Real sauerkraut or fermented pickles are easy to make and have many more benefits then pro biotic super whatever stuff they sell you in the stores, I like to have control over what I put into my body. Fermenting is an art and takes TIME. I see people that make sauerkraut and eat it after 2-4 weeks and then wonder why they don’t get any benefits. Real ferments need a lot of time. My sauerkraut ferments a minimum of 12-15 weeks before I consider it ready to be filled into glasses and stored in the fridge at ~50F for future use. One needs to give bacteria time to do their work. Give it a try one doesn’t have to go all out and buy fermenting crocks, simple fido jars with airlocks will do fine for small batches. I even made small batches in simple canning jars, drilled a hole into the center of the lid, cut a disk of cork put it inside the lid, stuck a rubber casket into the hole and inserted a wine or beer making airlock. I works great.
I have heard that you need to be really careful about the DIY airlocks. I am working on getting myself some solid ones to make sure I am doing this the right way.
Kombucha was NOT good for my family. We have worse issues ever since consuming it. I wish more people would know that it is not for everyone. It fed the yeast in my body, it was not die-off. Look forward to hearing more about your take on it!
I don’t personally suffer from this, but I read somewhere about someone needing
to have anaerobic ferments. They were getting hives etc from the wild ferments due to the natural yeasts and molds involved in the natural/wild fermentation process. Something to do with histamines. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
I’ve heard about that and hope to share more. Thanks for the comment and your kind words!
I use only anaerobic ferments period, that’s what I grew up with and I still believe its best for you. I remember going into the root cellar and hearing the many cocks burping happy, I remember my mother and grandmother going into the cellar with a carafe of spring water to fill the airlocks. I use stone cocks with an airlock at the top. They are a bid pricey (cheapest ones I found was on Amazon) but well worth the investment. My family never used open fermentation it was frowned upon people got sick to easy. I grew up in Europe after WW-II in a farm community and I remember my parents getting their first refrigerator in the late 60s. Until then, storing foods in the root cellars or smoking the meat was common place. Turning excess cream into butter and cheese and fermenting / canning vegetables and fruits for the winter season was very common.
I don’t know if that kind of airlock is sufficient and from what I have read it likely isn’t. But that sounds like a neat memory. I have a lot of reading to do on this subject.
https://www.amazon.com/Harsch-Gairtopf-Fermenting-Crock-Pot/dp/B001QFJ2UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368573013&sr=8-1&keywords=harsch+fermentation+crock&tag=donations09-20
That is what I am using, and that is essential what I grew up with. They come in all different sizes. Pricey, yes but worth every penny
You do need an airlock vessel to do a fermentation. If you look at the site on probiotic jars you will read some important stuff
I don’t know much about gut issues and I know it can be complex, but I know I have used homeopathic Candida albicans for yeast infections in the past with amazing results. The first time I used it was on my daughter after a round of antibiotics had left her a nasty rash on her little bottom. I gave it to her after she had fallen asleep (cuz I arrived home late) and the next morning, it had reduced by at least half. I was blown away!
Wow – thanks.
Hi! Looking forward to the next post…. this sounds to me like a normal cleansing crisis… much of your reactions sound yeasty/candida like…. the rest (especially the itching) sound like what happens when the liver is detoxing really quickly…. not allergies, my opinion…. usually these symptoms are quickly alleviated by slowing down (and then SLOWLY building back up) whatever things you are doing to detox your body – in this situation the fermented foods and drinks…. AND it is super important to be doing enemas on a regular (read daily) basis when beginning these types of regimens) to assist the body in moving all of it’s newly released toxins from the body…. you have absolutely GOT to keep the passage ways moving… the “stuff” is gonna have to move out some kind of way, and if it’s not through the bowels, it will pick the skin, the ears, the nose, or any other orifice that it can… if not moved out quickly then the reactions can build up… lastly, ask the body what it wants, listen to your own intuition, and tap in to the emotional/spiritual aspect of what may be taking place…. of course, these are all just my thoughts… I’m sure you have it under control! lol… I wish you much luck, your determination is inspiring…
Have you ever looked at oxalates? I was reading a blog last year and there was a paragraph that described symptoms like yours and like mine. Look at https://www.lowoxalate.info/ and see if this may be one of your problems. I am a kombucha lover and now I can’t drink it. It is very high in oxalates, as is carrots and many other plants that we eat and make into juice. From the yahoo group I was also able to read about “dumping” the oxalates and the reactions it has to your body as it rids itself of an over abundance of these oxalates that you are not able to process properly because of digestive issues. I hope this helps you.
Hi,
You don’t want to hit a body that was not ever used to fermented foods with high doses of that stuff, that is irresponsible to your body. Fermented foods are wonderful and very healthy but give your body time to adjust to them. too much to soon will sent a body into shock and overdrive… its like you trying to run a marathon without any prior running experiences.
Start slow, your body is not used to that kind of foods on a regular basis give it time to adjust and then you can hit higher doses. I grew up eating fermented foods every day,I was skinny and very healthy. After I grew up I fell into the “easy mode” trap and rather bought my sauerkraut or pickles at the store and “cooked” processed foods over time my health deteriorated.I never knew what it was, why I was constantly graving food until at the age of 57 started to make my own sauerkraut and ferment my own veggies again. I have lost weight, my health has improved, my cholesterol is normal my appetite went from being constantly hungry to being satisfied after a simple meal… I did my research into the manufacturing of pickled vegetables one buys at stores, its nothing but vegetables with a salt/water/vinegar brine together with some chemicals… nothing to do with fermentation at all the pickles “cook” (cure)cold in the mix. I make my own cheese now and cook every meal from scratch using vegetables from the garden, from my stack I have fermented in the cellar or buy them from our farmers market that by rule is purely organic.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, do NOT give up on fermented foods, they have too many benefits to be swept aside. Start slow, give your body time to get used to them, your body will respond with vigor and health.
Interesting….hmmmm……