If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed a hashtag that I share often – #probioticseveryday. It’s a mantra I live by especially now that I’m in my late thirties.
You see, eating probiotics (consumed in supplement form or in fermented foods) every day is a great way to maintain hormonal balance; Especially for those who are estrogen dominant. Probiotics nourish our gut and provide healthy, good bacteria to aid our digestive systems.
This is important because estrogen levels are directly related to bowel transit time. A normal transit time allows excess estrogen to pass with the stool; however, those with a longer transit time (constipation) will re-absorb the estrogen. It will be placed back into circulation within the body and in turn, intensify the workload of the liver.
#probioticseveryday will keep you going and keep you balanced! (Share the message with your friends! Use the hashtag #probioticseveryday on Instagram)
For me, I eat probiotics every day in the form of fermented foods.
Not only are fermented foods more economical, but they work significantly better at delivering the bacteria into the small intestine and colon, where they do the work of breaking down and processing our food. When tested, fermented foods also have significantly more live bacteria than supplements.
I personally consume a fermented food with each meal. Usually homemade saurkraut, naturally fermented pickles, milk kefir, homemade yogurt, fermented asparagus, and fermented leafy greens.
Fermented Buckwheat Crunch
I recently completed a gut-reset program by Aviva Romm. For about a month, I cut out all dairy, gluten, and grains from my diet to give my gut a chance to reset itself and inoculate it with good healthy bacteria. I can’t say enough good things about it. It truly leveled out my hormones and even normalized my monthly cycle.
While on this diet for a month, I used one of my favorite pseudo-grains quite often – buckwheat. I’ve shared a couple recipes here. It’s not a grain but a seed so completely gluten-free and grain-free. When roasted it tastes delightfully nutty.
For fermented buckwheat crunch, however, unroasted buckwheat is first soaked in water with a couple tablespoons of a starter culture, such as whey, covered and then left to ferment for 24 hours.
Once fermented, the buckwheat is rinsed, tossed with some spices and sweetener, and then dehydrated until light and crunchy.
It’s delightful for breakfast or as a snack and another great way to get your #probioticseveryday!
Fermented Buckwheat Crunch is a probiotic filled, gluten-free, grain-free, dry cereal that tastes great with cold milk or topped on yogurt.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups, untoasted whole buckwheat groats
- 2 tablespoons starter culture (whey or apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or honey (or more to desired sweetness)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
- Rinse the buckwheat in a bowl until the water runs clear, drain.
- To the bowl, cover the buckwheat with enough filtered water to cover by 2". Mix the starter culture into the bowl, cover, and allow to ferment at room temperature for 24-48 hours.
- Once fermented, drain the buckwheat and rinse it very well as it will feel slimy.
- Once rinsed, mix in the coconut palm sugar or honey and cinnamon.
- Add the buckwheat to your dehydrator and dehydrate for 1 hour at 145F, then reduce the temperature to 115F and dehydrate for an additional 3 hours or until completely dry.
- If you're using an oven, spread the buckwheat in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 200F for 2 hours or until completely dry.
- Cool and store the buckwheat in a covered container and serve as you would any cereal or granola.
Notes
The cereal will keep in a covered container for up to 3 months.
Where do you get your buckwheat?
Bonnie, I buy mine at Natural Grocers. Bob’s Red Mill also makes both the unroasted buckwheat and the roasted (kasha) buckwheat.
What a great idea – I’ve never personally tried buckwheat but I’ve also recently ventured down the path of adding more probiotics into my daily diet. I definitely did not get enough stomach-healthy foods in my life before late, and I cannot stress enough how it has helped my digestion. I enjoy sauerkraut and other fermented veggies to get my probiotics in, but I’ll have to give buckwheat and other fermented grains a try too! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Great pictures too!
Just tried this and it’s delicious! I mixed it up with other cereals and some fresh berries (sort of a rif on Rip’s Big Bowl). I consume something fermented every day, and let me tell ya, the difference is astonishing. I’ve always been the first person to catch any cold or flu going around, and, knock on wood, it’s been almost a year and nothing. Even my allergies are much less aggravating. And that was the only change (I had already started eating better before that). Thank you for this delicious recipe!