Today on our show we will be talking to the wonderful Meg Chamberlain. Meg is an expert on the subject of fermented foods and is the owner of Fermenti Foods. in Part 1 of 2 episodes we will be talking about Fermented foods. How you can use these wonderful foods to help clean up your gut, how to start taking the baby steps needed to start using these foods in your daily diet and what to expect when you do start using these wonderful foods. We will also discuss the fab story of how Meg started her business, how she went from 345lbs to the incredibly healthy women we see today. All from fermented foods and healing her gut.
Today the Be A Smart Woman podcast welcomes a very special guest her name is Meg Chamberlain and she is the founder of Fermenti Foods.We will be highlighting and discussing all the in's and our's of fermented foods. Why you should consider including such a dynamic health food into your daily diet, how to do this in a balanced way. Especially if you are a new-be at this.
We will be answering questions on this today in away you may have never heard it explained before. By the time we finish our 2 part series you are going to be looking at these little powerhouses of foods in a totally different light.
we are going to learn wow to use these foods to clean up our gut, We will be sharing a beginners guide on baby stepping your way into fermented foods and what to expect when you do. I thin you will be surprised.
We will also discuss how Meg went from 345 pounds to the svelt woman we see in front of us today.
To learn more about Meg and her wonderful company Fermenti foods you can visit her web sit at
www.fermenti.biz and
www.wncfermentingfestival.com
Facebook, instagram, twitter @ fermentifoods
and on their free YouTube Channel Fermenti Mountain
Quotes:
I've also found that the microbiome within our gut is highly effected by lots of things throughout our lives. Like even the way we were born, whether through cesarean or the birth canal (20:25 to
Well, and then on top of that, with every 16 ounces of living probiotic, there's a recent study that was done, probiotic rich fermented food, you are getting more lactic acid bacteria and variety than if you were to consume nine bottles of store-bought probiotics. (27:36 to 28:00)
Well, we're finding out new data every day about the particulars of exactly what's happening, but basically what's happening is the soluble fiber is coming in and lactic bacteria needs the soluble fiber. Like as Americans in particular, we don't have a lot of dietary fiber in our daily intake and this is causing our overall microbiome to get less and less and less diverse. (10:19 to 10:49)
Links mentioned in todays show
www.fermenti.biz
uncfermentingfestival.com
www.beasmartwoman.com
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SHOW TRANSCRIPT:
Claire F: (00:00)
Welcome to the Be A Smart Woman podcast. Everyone has their own story to tell and you never know what impact your story might have on someone else's life. This is the foundation of the Be A Smart Woman movement. Our movement seeks to empower women through the sharing of their journeys with other women. Sometimes we don't even realize the lessons that our stories hold until we share them with others. I am Claire faithful, founder of Be A Smart Woman and it is my hope and dream that this podcast will illuminate personal lessons for you the way listening to other women's stories has inspired me to give. We are so glad you are here. Let's enjoy this journey together.
Claire F: (01:02)
Today we have a special guest on our show and we are highlighting fermented foods. I know, trust me, if you're anything like me or rather how I was before learning this amazing information that we share with you here today, just the sound of that might make you feel a little hesitant. I mean after all, we are basically consciously controlling rot. So why is this considered such a dynamic health food? Why should we be eating it as part of our daily diets? And most importantly, how can we learn to love it? We're going to answer those questions here for you today in a way you may have never heard it explained before. I know, I was shocked, but it makes so much sense and I promise you, you are going to look at these little powerhouses of foods in a totally different light when we are done.
Claire F: (02:05)
In fact, the information shared here today was flowing so incredibly that we divided this up into a two part series. Today, in part one, you're going to learn how to use them to clean up your gut. We're sharing a beginner's guide on baby stepping your way into fermented foods and what to expect when you do. I think you'll be surprised. Our guest today, Meg Chamberlain, co owner of Fermenti Foods. She runs this family business with her husband. Their story of how they came to love fermented foods is hilarious. She actually thought he was going to poison himself, but instead the health and their entire lives were changed for the better. Meg went from 345 pounds to this incredibly healthy woman we see here today. And she is here to help change the way the world see this incredible tool in taking back your health as well. Without further ado, I'd love to introduce you to Meg Chamberlain.
Claire F: (03:31)
Meg, it's so great to have you on our show today. How are you?
Meg Chamberlain: (03:36)
Thank you for having me. It's an honor. I'm very excited to be here and to share my love of fermentation with you and your audience.
Claire F: (03:43)
Yeah, and I'm wondering, you know, if you could share with with our audience today about like what led you into getting involved with fermented foods and creating your company called Fermenti. I mean it's sounds like a very interesting story.
Meg Chamberlain: (03:59)
Well, the story goes back to 2008 2009 my husband and I were professionals in Washington DC and we ended up just quitting our jobs and coming here to the mountains of North Carolina and we discovered a love of homesteading. Somehow we made it out to Bolivar, Missouri and we ended up investing in 20 acres that was completely off the grid. We grew 70% of our own food.
Claire F: (04:34)
Wow.
Meg Chamberlain: (04:35)
And we traded and bartered for the rest with the local Amish community. And about a year into it, my friend Amos helped my husband get introduced. And so one day I was in the kitchen and it was just a 24 foot cabin that my husband had built with hand tools. And I was in the kitchen on the camp stove canning. And I had done like maybe 34 quarts of tomatoes and basil that year or that day. And I'm hot and I'm sweaty and I'm overwhelmed. And he comes in with a couple of cabbages and a bag and an old hand shredder. And he had the biggest grin on his face. And he was like, "Well, Oh I, you know Amos just showed me .. I'm going to make sauerkraut." And I'm like, "You're going to get out of my kitchen because I'm hot and I'm done." Like I'm not doing any more projects today.
Claire F: (05:32)
And I'm not making sauerkraut.
Meg Chamberlain: (05:33)
No, that was not going to happen. So I ended up finishing what I was doing and he took over and I went up to the loft to like cool down and rest for the evening. And for a couple hours I heard him clanking and banging and you know, wrestling this cabbage into a crock that we had gotten in an auction a few weeks before. And it was a straight sided crock and so it wasn't a proper fermentation vessel, which I thought was very ironic. And so he put this stuff in our back pantry and the temperature in the pantry would wildly jump throughout the day and the evening in the summer. And I would walk by and I would kick it.
Claire F: (06:17)
You would kick it?
Meg Chamberlain: (06:18)
I would kick it and I'd be like, "Oh you stinky thing." And you know, I was just-
Claire F: (06:22)
How does it smell?
Meg Chamberlain: (06:23)
I was not very nice to it. Let's just say that. So I ignored it and I ignored it and a couple of months went by and one day my husband is like, "Oh, I'm going to eat it." And I'm like, "My name's on the deed, right? Because you're going to die and I loved you."
Claire F: (06:43)
Oh my God, that's so funny. So you were thinking that this, whatever concoction he was making was probably going to make you really sick.
Meg Chamberlain: (06:51)
It was completely foreign to me. I had never really engaged with anything that had been cultured, or at least I didn't believe that I had. Of course, I'm a huge cheese fan and a sourdough bread fan and a yogurt fan, but I didn't equate those with cultured foods. And so he just was so excited that day. I'll never forget. And I'm like, well, you know, I loved you. I won't marry for a few years, you know, all that good stuff. And so he pulls back the cloth and he had just used a rock, like many people, a rock and a plate to hold it under the brine. And so he takes the rock out and takes the plate out and the top four inches had oxidized and they were gray.
Claire F: (07:41)
Oh my God.
Meg Chamberlain: (07:42)
And they were kind of slimy looking.
Claire F: (07:43)
Oh no, that does not sound appetizing at all.
Meg Chamberlain: (07:49)
Not in any way, shape or form. So he's digging in it, you know, because he's not deterred. And so he's digging in it and he gets down to this beautiful, crisp, bright green, yummy smelling layer. And so he pulls all the oxidized off and he puts it in the compost and he starts eating this stuff that he had made.
Claire F: (08:10)
And he knew what he was eating, I presume.
Meg Chamberlain: (08:12)
No.
Claire F: (08:13)
Oh he didn't?
Meg Chamberlain: (08:14)
I mean I think he had an idea, but neither of us understood any part of what was actually happening to our lives because when we cultured that first batch, everything for us shifted, our entire future shifted. And so he was happily eating this stuff and I'm just like about vomit in my mouth. I'm so grossed out. So I'm like-
Claire F: (08:36)
I know that just sounds awful. I'm getting the visual in my head of this kind of greens stuff. I'm like, oh no, that is not something I would want to try.
Meg Chamberlain: (08:46)
So I didn't and I let him eat it because I'm okay with letting him take the lead on certain things. And this was definitely one of them. And so for about two or three weeks, he would eat it every day and he started to like fart and have, you know, gas pains. And we later learned that that was the impacted glucose and wheat that was in his abdominal tract in his gastrin, his stomach and all the intestines and all that.
Claire F: (09:18)
So fermented food actually, what, eats up the bad bacteria's in your colon? Something like that?
Meg Chamberlain: (09:26)
Well, what it was doing, we found out what the soluble fiber was taking the lactic acid into the crevices of impaction within his large intestine and small intestine and it was fermenting basically out these impactions because lactic acid eats glucose and so it was then-
Claire F: (09:49)
okay. I think we just ... like stop there because I think ... lactic acid eats glucose. Is that what it is ... or because I just want to make sure our audience like understands this process in within our like gut. Because I mean, I don't know. But for me like the visual, you know, like I want to really understand it. So you eat this fermented food and it goes into your intestines and then what? What happens? It-
Meg Chamberlain: (10:19)
Well, we're finding out new data every day about the particulars of exactly what's happening, but basically what's happening is the soluble fiber is coming in and lactic bacteria needs the soluble fiber. Like as Americans in particular, we don't have a lot of dietary fiber in our daily intake and this is causing our overall microbiome to get less and less and less diverse.
Claire F: (10:49)
That's why there was telling us to, to eat ... like we need wheat.
Meg Chamberlain: (10:53)
We need a lot more fiber.
Claire F: (10:54)
Fiber, okay.
Meg Chamberlain: (10:56)
And with industrialized processes of you know, processing flowers and grains and rices, we're losing all of that soluble fiber and the diversity that it creates within us.
Claire F: (11:08)
I don't know about you, audience, but I never really understood that. I mean I always heard that we were meant to have fiber in your diet and I would look at things like rice or oats or whatever different types of fiber foods that they would tell you to eat and I couldn't understand this concept in my mind that I was going to eat this piece of bread, this whole wheat bread, and it was going to go into my intestines and somehow this was going to be some fibrous thing that was going to help me poop really healthy because it didn't. It used to make me really constipated. So maybe I'm understanding that-
Meg Chamberlain: (11:44)
well that's because with the bread you were eating an industrialized processed flour that was made into a bread. So I'm talking, when I speak about fiber, like un whole grains, raw grains, fruits, vegetables, those sorts of fibers as well. So it's not just, you know, eating a loaf of bread, which is extremely detached to as our ancestors used to eat, and they've even studied certain cultures that have very quote unquote primitive diets. They have much more cultural diversity in their microbiome then people in industrialized countries. So.
Claire F: (12:34)
Well, I think it's also, from my perspective, it's understanding that really the kind of foods, because I honestly had a picture in my mind of what this fiber, you know, where it came from. Like if I had brown rice that that was a good thing because of the fiber in it. But I didn't really understand what really ... and I'm sure lots of people that are listening have that same thought. We think we know what fiber is. But from what I'm hearing you say maybe we're not fully understanding what the real fiber we need and that's good for us is.
Meg Chamberlain: (13:10)
And I myself am still learning. There's lots of data that's coming out about what to consume that has those fibers. But from what I've been able to pull is fresh vegetables, fresh ... well I like fermented paired with those things, but like fresh fruit. So you, you need the soluble fiber.
Claire F: (13:35)
Okay. So okay, so you've made this first batch of fermented cabbage, right? And how do we work out when we have ... first of all, where do you buy a fermented foods? I mean, is it something that you can get in the grocery store or do you have to go to a special place? I mean, I know that you make it and people can buy that from you, but you know, is it just a general thing that's sold now that people can find easily?
Meg Chamberlain: (14:07)
Well, again, cultured foods go back to many different types of foods, you know, like yogurts and cheeses and breads and even charcuterie, like meats, certain prepared meats. But in the realm of fermented vegetables, which is where my company specializes, there's misinformation out there because when you're consuming a kraut or a kimchi, you want to make sure that it's living. You don't want anything that's been processed or heat canned because when you raise a fermented vegetable or fruit sometimes and you raise that temperature 105 degrees, it loses its probiotic structure. So you're still getting, yes, the soluble fiber. And depending on how hot and for the duration of that heat, you might still be getting some vitamins, some minerals, probably no enzymes, but you are just getting something that is dead.
Meg Chamberlain: (15:14)
And that's why, you know, people ask me all the time, well, why are fermented foods safer than canned foods? And they're safer because if you've ever grown mushrooms in an inoculated environment, that's how they're grown is you take a medium and you sterilize it and then you inoculate it with whatever strain of mushroom you choose to grow. Now this same process is what happens when you can. so all those jars of tomatoes and basil I was canning through high heat and long temperatures, I was destroying all of the nutritional value that was in the food and I was turning it into basically what was an emotionally dead medium.
Claire F: (16:00)
Wow. So that's ... because a lot of people love to can and do that. And that's ... is that what we do? I mean I know that I've done a little bit of canning over the years and I had no idea that I was actually destroying the nutrition in the food.
Meg Chamberlain: (16:16)
Well, and I think that canning, you know, to speak too ill of it, it does have its place in our evolution and it's also a useful preserving method, but to be aware that you're not getting the nutritional value you might have conceived of getting from it. So when I consume a canned item, I usually pair it with something that's living or fresh so that I get the diversity.
Claire F: (16:42)
Well, so that kind of leads me to ask you the question about, okay, so here we have, you know, maybe our little jar of fermented foods, which now I'm understanding is really good for you, but how do you know how much you should consume of this because ... I don't know, should you have a little bit? Should you have a lot? I mean, I've heard people saying, Oh, fermented foods, if you have like leaky gut syndrome, which I think is a very common thing nowadays, it can have a negative effect for you. And I just wondered, seeing as your an expert in this area, how you feel about that. And I also do know that Meg has healed her gut, so I feel your answer is going to be from a place of actually your own physical experience.
Meg Chamberlain: (17:31)
Well and to state clearly I am not a medical doctor. All of my data is experiential. Some things that I've lived in or I've witnessed from others. So always, you know, consult a medical doctor. But that being said, the data and the research that's coming out now, a lot of medical doctors don't have the time or the inclination to keep up with that data. So it never hurts to be open to learning on your own. And you know, I'm quote unquote an expert, but I'm still learning every day. So what I-
Claire F: (18:11)
But I'm figuring that you, okay. So the reason I say that you're an expert from my perspective, who knows nothing about this. So this is why I'm so excited about this podcast because I'm actually learning, everyone. I guess I'm looking to you as a person that has gone through different experiences, like your husband started to make it and then you've gone through different life experiences, which has led you now to have your company Fermenti Foods and often. And so I'm, you know, I'm just the interested into like really what your experience was and how this has helped you.
Meg Chamberlain: (18:49)
Well, when I consumed fermented foods, I find that it is best for the majority of people to consume like an eight to a quarter of a cup with every meal and to do a variety because different bacteria are present on different vegetables and I'm even coming across data now that's saying that different vegetables from different locations have slightly different possibilities of strands being created. So you want as much diversification in your gut as possible. I've also been reading that as we consume fermented foods with the probiotics and the prebiotics and the enzymes and the minerals, all of what you get 400 to 700% more when you ferment foods versus any other preservation technique. What's happening is is that a lot of them are going through like a flash flood through your system and a lot of them are not sticking around and like cultivating the environment. So I find them useful because they help me break down foods that I do consume that aren't fermented. So then I get more nutritional value out of the foods that it's paired with.
Claire F: (20:14)
So you like to mix ... so you like to have your fermented foods with regular food.
Meg Chamberlain: (20:20)
More of like a condiment.
Claire F: (20:21)
Like a condiment so it helps in the digestion?
Meg Chamberlain: (20:25)
And I've also found that the microbiome within our gut is highly effected by lots of things throughout our lives. Like even the way we were born, whether through cesarean or the birth canal, that can highly affect whether or not we were ever put on broad spectrum antibiotics which acts like an atomic in your system. And they're finding that once you lose some of these strands, some of them you may never be able to get again. So like if you ate kimchi two years ago, that more than likely isn't helping you today. So consuming them consistently throughout your re cultivation of your biome, you have more success in things working together, things sticking around.
Claire F: (21:20)
So you really suggest ... well, what I think I hear you saying is that we need to use fermented foods as a daily part of our diet.
Meg Chamberlain: (21:30)
And in diversity.
Claire F: (21:32)
So different types of fermented food. Now I know for me that I'm not a big fan of fermented foods and the way they taste. So my husband's a big fermented food person and loves them and eats this stuff all the time and I have lots of this stuff in my fridge and I always look at it and go, "Oh okay. Not for me." But I know I have leaky gut and I know I have allergies because of that and different, you know, ailments and I'd really liked to heal my gut. So now I'm sort of looking at that as a possibility. But I noticed that there's different flavors and there's some things are very salty or they have a very bitter taste. Then there's other flavors I've tried cause my husband has gazillions of different flavors that I really like. Like there's one which is like a salsa type that I've tried, which I really liked. And actually I've tried one of yours that you make which is with beets, which I love because it's a little sweeter. I guess I have a sweet tooth so, so I don't know if I could do all the different flavors. So what about people out there like maybe me that may say, well I can do this one or two flavors because they're going to ... is that still going to help us?
Meg Chamberlain: (22:48)
Yes. Anything is better than nothing. And you know when I say diversity, I also mean fermented grains, fermented fruits, fermented vegetables, fermented dairy, fermented meats. So-
Claire F: (23:01)
so fermented is a lot. It's not just what I'm thinking of like sauerkraut.
Meg Chamberlain: (23:09)
Yes, it's not just kraut. There's a whole world beyond it.
Claire F: (23:11)
Okay, oh I'd love to learn more about that. I mean-
Meg Chamberlain: (23:16)
It's fascinating. I can't learn fast enough and I do this as a living. So I will say that in Fermenti I strive to accommodate your inclination because a lot of people that I come across are not interested. In fact, I have people that come to my booth and they will put their hands on my table and be like, "I do not like kraut." And I'm like, "That's okay." You don't have to.
Claire F: (23:47)
I am one of those people.
Meg Chamberlain: (23:49)
And that is totally fair.
Claire F: (23:50)
I'm like, nope, I don't ... I think I did come to your booth once before I ever really met you and went I'm not going to eat that. No, Nope. No. And I think you suggested if I remember, it was a few years ago, the beat and gingers. Is it beet and ginger?
Meg Chamberlain: (24:06)
Yes and then the salsa.
Claire F: (24:07)
Yeah. And I liked those. And you knew that. It was like you said, "No, I think you're going to like this Claire. And I think you're going to like this." And I did and my husband has all the other ones and I have tried them and they are just not palatable for me. I mean I can't.
Meg Chamberlain: (24:20)
Well if you want to speak about non palatable but very good for you, Natto which is a fermented soybean. It's inoculated with a strand that turns the soybean ... it has like a snot consistency over it. And it smells a little like feet.
Claire F: (24:37)
Oh lovely. Oh no! Well that's the other thing. This stuff does smell sometimes. It does.
Meg Chamberlain: (24:47)
Well you're controlling rot basically through fermentation. You are using the preservation techniques of salinity and temperature to control and break down your food outside of your body. Like I talked to people that eat raw foods and every time I'm like, "You fart a lot, don't you?" And they're like, "Yeah, we do. How'd you know? We were downwind. How'd you know?" And that's because when you eat raw foods without the addition of fermented foods with them, you're forcing your body to ferment with inside of itself.
Claire F: (25:21)
Oh wow.
Meg Chamberlain: (25:22)
So when I ferment, I like to do it in an anaerobic environment, which means that no oxygen can get into the vessel, so it will off gas. So when you're force your system to ferment within itself, it's going to off gas.
Claire F: (25:40)
Okay. Which means that we fart.
Meg Chamberlain: (25:42)
And you're going to have bloating and cramping and even this happens sometimes when people initially start to eat fermented foods is they'll have the bloating and the cramping and they'll associate that with something that's bad. They're not understanding, like I said before, that that fermented food is going through their system and in essence is cleaning them up.
Claire F: (26:02)
So it's a good thing.
Meg Chamberlain: (26:04)
For typically four to six weeks in my experiential data, I find that most consumers of fermented foods that are new to it experience somewhere from, you know, three to six weeks they'll experience some sort of gas or bloating because that fermented food is going through them.
Claire F: (26:20)
So for my audience, so if anyone out there that's listening and you're thinking about like trying to add fermented foods into your diet to help with gut health, you're basically saying that we may experience about three to six weeks of bloating, gas, maybe feeling a little uncomfortable after we've eaten. This is okay.
Meg Chamberlain: (26:43)
And it's normal.
Claire F: (26:43)
Like it's not something for us to be worrying about and thinking, Oh my God, what's wrong with me?
Meg Chamberlain: (26:47)
Nope. It's totally normal. In fact, it's a good sign because it's showing that it's working, it's showing that it's cleaning up however many years you've had of poor dietary choices is cleaning it up. So.
Claire F: (27:02)
So we really can what's the word ... help our gut heal.
Meg Chamberlain: (27:07)
Yes.
Claire F: (27:07)
I'm not going to say heal our gut, but it can help, right? It can-
Meg Chamberlain: (27:10)
It's definitely a powerful tool in your tool box.
Claire F: (27:14)
Right. I mean I think that's something I want to definitely try. I mean, because why not? I mean, I don't know how much, you know, I've tried ... what about probiotics? A lot of people, you know, we go to the grocery store and we think, Oh, take a probiotic and I've heard things about probiotics that if you ... you can use a strain, it may not be the right strain that you need. So it does absolutely nothing for you.
Meg Chamberlain: (27:36)
Well, and then on top of that, with every 16 ounces of living probiotic, there's a recent study that was done, probiotic rich fermented food, you are getting more lactic acid bacteria and variety than if you were to consume nine bottles of store-bought probiotics.
Claire F: (28:00)
Oh my gosh.
Meg Chamberlain: (28:01)
So usually when you buy ... and some brands are better than others, but usually when you buy a store bought prebiotic, there's one or two strands. When you eat a living food, you're getting thousands of different diversity.
Claire F: (28:16)
Well, you know, like when you go into the grocery store and you see them in the fridge and they say like 20 billion or 50 billion, whatever numbers.
Meg Chamberlain: (28:25)
Of one strand.
Claire F: (28:26)
And I always look at that. And I go, what does that mean? I mean I know that in the past I've picked up the bottle that says 50 billion because I think it must be good. But then I don't really know. And I think a lot of us out there don't know if this is, you know ... when we buy something is it really going to help?
Meg Chamberlain: (28:45)
Well again it's 50,000 of what? One strand? Or multiple strands? What does the rest of the labels say? And in addition to that, when you eat or you consume just the probiotic, you're not getting the soluble fiber that is the vehicle to your large and small intestines. You are losing the majority of that within your gut because of the acidity of your gut.
Claire F: (29:10)
Right. And that's something I've always thought about when my doctors have said, "Oh you need a probiotic, you know, take a probiotic." And I go, "Well, which one?" And they go, "Well, I don't know. They're in the store, you know, go and pick one." And you look and you think, well, and then I have heard with some naturopathic doctors that I've worked with where they say, "Well, you know, one doesn't fit all and you have to see what your body needs and what strains your body needs." And I find that very confusing. And it sounds like fermented foods is a much easier way to actually-
Meg Chamberlain: (29:41)
It's a short cut.
Claire F: (29:42)
Yeah. And it sounds like it's more simple.
Meg Chamberlain: (29:46)
It's as simple as eating the sauerkraut grandma used to make, you know, we actually, there's data that proves that we co-evolved with lactic acid bacteria as a vertebrate species and in fact all vertebrate species benefit from lactic acid bacteria. So it's within our highest and best interest to consume it in a diversity and consistently throughout our consumption of calories throughout the day. You're also, when you eat a living food, you're getting the prebiotics, you're getting the probiotics, you're getting the soluble fiber, you're getting the vitamins, the minerals, the enzymes. So that you don't get from a store bought-
Claire F: (30:29)
Something in a bottle with a little white powder.
Meg Chamberlain: (30:32)
Yes.
Claire F: (30:32)
Okay. Yeah, because then they have the yogurts, too, that I've ... I've tried the yogurts and then I'm like, "I don't think these do anything." I mean I don't know what your experiences, obviously you might know a little bit more about that.
Meg Chamberlain: (30:44)
Well it's very interesting because again, it is just certain types of strands. And on top of that, it's kind of like how sauerkraut is to some people. Not everybody wants to consume it every day. Not everybody wants to drink a yogurt every day. Not everybody wants to choose sauerkraut every day. And that's really where as Fermenti I tried to create that diversity of flavor structure and application for you. That's why I am an advocate of teaching how to ferment, because you're going to come up with flavor structures and then in fact, if you ferment here in your home, you will have different strands than I have present in mine-
Claire F: (31:29)
Oh really? Because-
Meg Chamberlain: (31:31)
Because of the vegetables and where you sourced them, because of your own biome where it's fermented, all of those things have factors and there's data to kind of show that. So I recommend when people are like, "Oh, I should just eat your kraut." And I'm like, "No, I'm not here trying to ..." Yes, I would like you to buy my product so I can continue to do what I do. But you also need to go home and make it, you need to have your neighbors make it. You need to have your family and your friends make it and you all need to share because the more that we share these different cultures with each other, the more likely we are to have a healthier biome.
Claire F: (32:08)
Wow. That sounds so fascinating. I mean, yeah, I mean a lot of people are not going out and making fermented foods. I mean, I'm sure most people, especially people that live in big cities and they don't even have a concept of that because their lives are so fast paced. So then obviously they're going to need to go to someone like you and buy your product. And that can still be a benefit though.
Meg Chamberlain: (32:34)
Extreme benefit.
Claire F: (32:35)
I think that's what I want to understand is how can we help our gut be healthier in a simple way when we have very busy lives. Because I know that my husband would definitely ... like when he listens to this podcast, I pretty much can guarantee he's going to be calling you up and he's going to want to do a class and he's going to want to start making his fermented foods. And I'm going to have the barrels or whatever they are of the stinky stuff in my house. But I know that I wouldn't do that. And I think that there's a lot of people I know that probably would not do that, but they might consider going out and buying some already fermented foods just to try it, just to try something-
Meg Chamberlain: (33:17)
They should. Yes, they totally should. There's Natto, as I said, is the highest plant source of vitamin K2 and K3 and that has proven to lower heart disease, which is a major killer in our country and it also has the probiotics, prebiotics and all that good stuff. There's Kefir. There's Kvss which is a little harder to find, but it can be found. I would recommend to people to go to their local communities as opposed to going to large chain stores.
Claire F: (33:59)
Okay and maybe like farmer's markets if you live in an area where you have a farmer's market.
Meg Chamberlain: (34:03)
Farmer's markets, small co-ops, these are the places where you're more than likely going to find a local fermentor to wherever your location is and you can support your community locally, which is also a wonderful thing to do, but you are going to be getting ... you have to make sure that it's living and it's not been canned.
Claire F: (34:25)
Okay, so when you say difference, meaning literally in a can? Or meaning in a jar? I mean, how do you know?
Meg Chamberlain: (34:33)
Well in a jar. Usually it's some of the larger brands. I won't name them, but they, for distribution reasons ... you know when you ship to Ohio or California ... and you'll find this, sometimes additives are put in like sodium benzoate, things like that to help shelf stability. But those are maybe less desirable. And so-
Claire F: (34:59)
Are they the ones that aren't in the fridge?
Meg Chamberlain: (35:05)
Well that's a great question because there's the kraut that's on the shelf that is not refrigerated, that you know has been canned and heat canned. And then there's the elusive bagged kraut that you think is good because it's cold, but check the label.
Claire F: (35:25)
So in other words, not every kraut is equal. So we have to do a little bit of label-
Meg Chamberlain: (35:32)
You have to be an educated consumer. Yes. And to be educated, look for pasteurized.
Claire F: (35:37)
So if it's pasteurized?
Meg Chamberlain: (35:39)
It's a no go.
Claire F: (35:40)
It's just not going to do anything for your gut.
Meg Chamberlain: (35:43)
Well, you'll get the soluble fiber and you'll get, you know, some vitamins and minerals, but you're not going to get the probiotics, prebiotics or enzymes-
Claire F: (35:51)
That we need, okay. Wow. This is a lot of really ... now do you have a website that people can go to to find out more?
Meg Chamberlain: (36:01)
I do. You can find out more about my particular business at www.Fermenti.biz. And that's F-E-R-M-E-N-T-I.biz. I also have been working very hard to ... I created a festival of fermentation because I'm trying to cultivate my community and bring together and make fermentors and the fermenting community more visible for people that are like, well, where do I go? What do I do? Well there's a festival and we're all in one room and you can pick our brain in one day.
Claire F: (36:38)
And you can learn a lot about this.
Meg Chamberlain: (36:40)
Yes, you can.
Claire F: (36:41)
That's awesome. I mean because I think this is such a ... I mean I feel like this is an ongoing topic because there's so much to learn and I feel like we've just touched the surface. So anyway, I'm really, really grateful that you came on our show today and just to give us a little insight into fermented foods and your brand Fermenti. And I highly recommend that everyone goes out and checks Meg's site out and we all learn a little bit more. But I'd know for sure I am definitely going to start eating my fermented foods and being a good girl about it because I kind of have not been. So anyway, but thanks. Thank you, Meg, for sharing. This is really awesome.
Meg Chamberlain: (37:25)
Well it's my pleasure and I will say that, you know, I don't even like to eat sauerkraut every day.
Claire F: (37:31)
Right.
Meg Chamberlain: (37:31)
So again, that diversity is very important.
Claire F: (37:34)
Yeah. So I can have my beets. Now the beet one, I'm going to have that.
Meg Chamberlain: (37:39)
You can have your beets and eat them, too.
Claire F: (37:40)
I can have my beets. Yay. Thank you ever so much.
Meg Chamberlain: (37:44)
Thank you.
Claire F: (37:44)
Bye.
Claire F: (37:52)
Wow. Such incredible life changing information. Now we know you are probably eager to get started. See there, I told you this would reset your thoughts around fermented food. It is very important to tell you that you can overdo it. So before you run out and grab yourself a few jars of Meg's delightful product, we'd like you to first tune in and listen to part two of this series. We don't want too much of a good thing to leave you with some undesirable feelings. Part two teaches us how to begin introducing them. It isn't like everything else where you start slow and build up and we'll discuss reasons why that is. Diversity is also super important. Tune in to part two as we learn more together.
Claire F: (38:46)
That wraps up our Be A Smart Woman podcast for today. I hope that you discovered something about yourself during today's podcast as I truly believe we can learn something from everyone we meet. If you like what you heard today, I invite you to subscribe and leave a review. We'd love to have you in our Be A Smart Woman family. You can also follow and like us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you've got questions or think you have a story to share, you can find our contact information at beasmartwoman.com. Thank you for listening and see you next time.