September 8, 2025 • 37 mins
Episode Highlights With Hannah
- How fermentation makes nutrients more bioavailable
- Why we are bacteriosapiens and we have a very intimate relationship with bacteria
- Bacteria isn’t always a bad thing and fermentation was used for preservation for a long time
- Fermentation is digestion happening outside the body and how it reduces antinutrients
- Fermented foods are our bacterial heritage
- The gut is actually the first brain and the mood/hormone connection to ferments
- How fermented foods can improve skin when used internally and externally
- What a scoby is and how it can be used in skincare and kombucha as a toner
- Microbes and the nutrients that they create
- Lesser known microbes and ferments that she recommends trying
- How microbes can help us reclaim our inner sovereignty and intuitive health
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Well, go on for My Body's podcast.
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a free sample pack with any order. Hello and welcome
to the Wellness Mama Podcast. I'm Katie from walnessama dot
(04:19):
com and I am here today with my in real
life friend Hannah Ruhama Krum, who is the Queen of Kombucha,
the Kombucha Mama, as she calls herself to chat about
two different really amazing topics, the first being beyond probiotics,
how fermentation can fuel radiant skin and gut health and
so much more. And Hannah is my go to on
(04:42):
this topic. She's effectually called the Kombucha Mama. She has
been brewing kombucha for over twenty years and educating others
about this as well. She's also the author of the
Big Book of Kombucha, which many people call the Kombucha
Bible and which has inspired thousands of people to start
brewing kombucha at home. And she also offers fermentation kits
and the starters at her website, all linked to all
(05:04):
of that in the show notes. In this episode, we
go deep on the many benefits of these ferments beyond
just the probiotics we often hear about to spell some
myths about the sugar content, how we can use them
in our skin, how they promote gut health, and so
much more. There are a lot of fun facts in
this episode that I did not know, so let's learn
from Hannah, Anna, my friend. Welcome, Thank you so much
(05:25):
for being here.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Katie, Well, you are by far the friend I know
who knows the most about kombucha and fermentation, and I
feel like your wisdom extends far beyond what most people
think of and know when it comes to these things.
So today we're actually gonna get to record two episodes.
You guys stay tuned for the second one going deep
on the lesser known benefits of these beautiful ferments and
(05:47):
how they can support our body and even our energy
in so many ways we may not realize. I know
we could talk for literal days about this and still
not cover everything, but in this particular episode, I would
love to dive deep on kind of going beyond just
the probiotics, which I feel like are what get talked
about the most. I'm sure we'll talk about those also,
but how fermentation and the many many things included in
(06:08):
that can really help support our skin and our gut
and so much more. So, to start off, I would
love for you to kind of give us a primer
on what's happening in fermentation and how fermentation can make
nutrients more bioavailable, and how this then impacts health and
beauty and kind of every area of life.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Well, what's really cool about fermentation is how old it is.
It's something that's evolved with mankind. We are what I
call bacterio sapiens. I feel like this term encapsulates our
very intimate relationship with the microbes that live inside and
on our bodies and of course cover every surface on
this planet. I hope I'm not creeping anybody out. But
(06:45):
fermentation and these microbes were originally for preservation, and so
in ancient times we didn't have refrigerators. We had to
find ways to preserve our food so that we could
enjoy them at different times of the year when there
were few or food sources available, such as winter. And
in order to do that, microbes and food work so
(07:07):
well together that they create an acidic environment where molds
and other things that could harm us are not able
to grow. What this then has allowed is that not
only is basically fermentation is digestion that's happening outside of
the body. So when we think of digestion, we're thinking, Okay,
I'm chewing something, I'm putting something in my body. Microbes
(07:28):
and acids and things are breaking those down into components
that then can be utilized by the many microscopic creatures
in my body. Well, that's what's happening in your fermentation jar.
And when that happens, it's not only digesting these foods,
it's enhancing their nutritional profile, it's increasing the vitamin seed,
and it's also doing a protective mechanism. Especially when it
(07:51):
comes to soaking grains or soaking seeds or nuts, they
can sometimes have what are called anti nutrients, such as
phytic acid, that can have a deleterious effect on the body,
removing nutrients from the body, which obviously wouldn't be good
for us. But by going through a soaking or fermentation
process a sprouting process, those nutrients are converted into something
(08:12):
that then our bodies can utilize and don't have that
same negative impact on us. And this is why having
fermented soi can be very good for us, whereas eating
a lot of unfermented soil may not have the same
impact we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it's so fascinating. I feel like bacteria gets a
bad rap, especially in kind of like the post pandemic
world and everybody's so afraid of bacteria. I love that
you use that word bacterio sapiens and how we're meant
to actually interact with these and how they're present everywhere.
I know, I wrote years ago about how statistically gardeners
live longer, and I think there's a lot of reasons
for that, including more natural light exposure, they're hopefully eating
(08:49):
the food that they're growing, they're getting fresh air. But
I think also the bacterial interaction with the soil and
the soil based organisms is also really helpful there, and
it seems like they're kind of not needing to use
fermentation to preserve food anymore. Has also had the byproduct
of us not consuming these as much and removing a
lot of this bacterial exposure from our diet, and it
(09:11):
seems like that, especially coupled with the widespread use of antibiotics,
might be even changing our guts and our bacterial kind
of interactions with the world in a way that we
know might not be the most beneficial. Absolutely correct, I
would say that fermented foods are our bacteriological heritage, and
it's something that we've lost through all of the mechanisms
you've just described, and out on top of that the
(09:32):
medicalization of birth. And you know, if a baby's born
through a cea section, which is sometimes necessary as opposed
to the canal, they're not getting the same infusion. They're
getting an infusion of different microbes that can actually lead
to increased incidents of allergies and other things.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Because we're so beautifully designed that when babies are birth
through the vaginal canal, they receive that initial inoculation that
they need so that they can digest the breast milk,
so that they are building the immune system in the
way that they need to as they're getting those first
nutrients in the world. And that again breastfeeding versus formula,
So when we're breastfeeding, we're also passing on that bacteriological heritage. Now,
(10:11):
of course, what's been broken along the way is the
exposure to toxins in the environment to these different practices
you described, and so even if you do have a
vaginal birth and breastfeed, sometimes you're still not passing on
as much of that bacteriological heritage as you'd like, because
we're starting from a place that isn't as robust and
diverse as our ancestors. And so this is where I
(10:32):
think fermentation offers a tremendous amount of hope because when
we start to include these foods, and there are many
of them, right from Keyford to yogurt, to kabucha to
tempe to the sauerkraut to kimchi, right, you can go
on and on, we start to reintroduce diversity back into
our bodies. And out of all of the human microbiol
research that's taken place over the last quarter of a century,
(10:55):
what they ultimately have determined is it's diversity that creates
the most robust ecosystem for the human body. So there's
not like, you know, two or three specific straine, which
is unfortunately what happens in process fermented foods. Right, So
when you when you're buying a yogurt at the store,
it when you look on the vacumen, see four or
(11:15):
five strains listed. In the wild, they could have twenty
thirty different strains. And again that I think it's beautiful.
We don't necessarily know or have a prescription for exactly
what those should be, because that means that our bodies
are choosing and selecting for the microbes that are best
for us. I don't think we need to know every
(11:35):
single tiny nuance about how we work in order for
us to flourish, because clearly we have for millennia agreed.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And I feel like this falls also under the umbrella
of something I talk about a lot, which is nature
deficit disorder. I think actually a large number of the
problems we face in the modern world can go back
to that big term of we're kind of divorced from nature,
from sunlight, from fresh air, from these bacteria, from movement,
from all these things that were designed as humans to do,
and to your point, from literally from birth and the
(12:05):
bacterial exposure that's meant to happen there and in the
way we interact with bacteria in our environment, that's shapes
who we are, that literally forms our humanness as we grow,
and that's why we see statistics about, you know, vaginal
birth versussaian birth. Of course, there's ways to mitigate this,
but in vaginal birth, that bacteria transfer happens, and if
we miss that window, there are things we can do
(12:25):
to help the body acclimate, however, like that's our initial
kind of inoculation into the bacterial world. And we know
even statistically, things like having a pet who are bringing
in bacteria from outdoors and who have a more diverse
bacterial exposure than we do, can actually help reduce even
the incidents of allergies. So I feel like when we
declared bacteria as bad or declared the sun as harmful,
(12:46):
we kind of divorced ourselves from some of the really
important factors that go into being human. And I know
there's also a big relationship here between gut health and
the gut being the second brain, so therefore our mood
and our hormones and so much more. So walk us
through how ferments help create biological harmony, and I would
say even energetic harmony.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Yeah, absolutely, And I would flip that, I would say
the gut is the first brain because when we're sort
of thinking of the order of operations, you know, like
many people, I always assume there's a pharmacy in my
brain dispensing my dopamine and serotonin, and you know, that's
where everything was coming from, only to discover that in fact,
it is the other way around. It's my gut that's
(13:26):
creating the serotonin and the dopamine, not all of it,
but most of it. And so what I think is
really important about that is instead of trying to fix
a broken brain through chemicals or you know, different things
like that, if we go first to healing a gut
that's out of disorder, we know there's so many foods
(13:46):
and so many nutrients that we can intake that are
going to support a healthy microbiome. And to your point exactly,
that then creates the uptake of those happy neurotransmitters that
give us those mood booths. And in fact, when people
drink kombucha, one of the things they talk about is
it just makes me feel good. And part of that
is from the B vitamins in a living form. Part
(14:08):
of that is from the organic acids that are detoxifying
the body, reducing inflammation, reducing toxic load. And I really
think unfortunately we're in a state of massive inflammation. And
I mean that on all levels. Right. There are so
many things that we're taking in and consuming through our eyes,
through our ears, through what's going on in the world.
In addition to of course the food, the skin care
(14:30):
products and whatnot, and all of these things are. While
they might be minute in how they're in each individual thing,
that collective aggregate amount of toxicity is really the epidemic
we need to be addressing. And what's so great is
it's so simple and empowering to just start making a
(14:50):
fermented food or even just buying one at the store.
I mean, we can go as simple as that. There
really are some quality fermented foods that you can get locally,
and especially if you go to your farmer's market and
connect with a local producer. They also are super inexpensive
and easy to make it home. I know on your
side you've got a ton of recipes for those as well.
And it does feel empowering to start to say, you
(15:12):
know what, I'm going to take back control of my health,
reduce inflammation, get the nutrients I need, and in a
fairly short amount of time people really see results from
making these little changes.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yeah, I love it, And I also love that there's
such an easy food source because they are essentially already
prepared food that you can just add to literally any meal,
which has kind of been my default lately. And I
know there's also a skin health application here. We know
that our skin is very much connected to our gut,
to our liver. Of course, everything works in harmony within
the body. But I'd love to dive into the skincare
(15:47):
specific aspects of fermentation because I feel like this site
has not talked about as much and that there's likely
an internal and external use of these ferments in a
way that really supports the skin. So can you walk
us through how fermentation makes nutrients more bioavailable, how in
skincare it can be useful, and why does this give
us such an advantage for health and beauty?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Well, your skin is your sign to the world. You know,
what's going on inside is directly reflected on the outside,
for better or worse. You know, I think it's it's
you know, when you look at different modalities, they can
even tell you, oh, if you have acne showing up
in specific parts of your body, that correlates to specific
organs that may be congested or aren't functioning as well
as they could. So even learning how to read those
(16:30):
different signs on your body can be so informative to
understand what's going on internally, not just externally. And we
often again like the you know, the broken brain or
the headache or whatever we want to go and apply,
you know, take something and put it on topically and assume, oh,
this is all just a topical issue, when in reality
it is coming from within. And so fermentation has been
(16:52):
used again for millennia, Cleopatra would bathe in fermented mare's
milk called kumas. So it does have a rich history
of being applied topically as well as taken internally, because again,
when your systems are functioning properly and you're able to
detox the toxins that are coming in and they don't
need to be expressed on the skin. I think sweating
also has something to do with that, right, So whether
(17:14):
that's through movement or sauna, those things are all really
important to make sure that everything is flowing as it should.
We are seeing a lot of fermented ingredients in skincare
that you can pay lots of money for. Of course,
we also know that the scobe which grows this bacterial cellulose,
it grows it freely, and there can be extra of
those and you can apply those topically, whether that's as
(17:36):
a mask or as a cream. You can use kombucha
in many ways as a skin toner, as a hair toner,
but again go to your fermented dairy products. There's a
lot of great uses for keifer and yogurt, whether that's
making masks, doing a foot bath, putting it in your
bathtub with you, maybe with some rose petals or something
like that. You can create a really elevated and elegant
(17:57):
experience for not very much money, and you get those
other benefits because you're protecting the skin from damage that
could be coming in by putting those healthy microbes back
where they need to be.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I love those ideas and it's worth noting. I feel
like that our skin also has a microbiome, as does
our mouth. I've talked a lot about the oral microbiome
and light of how that can actually help us be
more resilient against the bacteria that cause cavities or gingivitis.
We know the oral microbiomes connected to the gut microbiome
and our skin microbiome as well, and it seems like
a lot of the products we use in place of
(18:33):
some of these natural products we used to use can
actually have a harmful effect on our microbiome. And I
love seeing more and more women turn toward natural products.
Using natural oils or tallow or to your point fermented
ingredients to kind of nurture the skin microbiome. I feel
like the sunlight is also really helpful in supporting our
skin microbiome and increasing nutrient absorption even within the body.
(18:54):
I found that statistic recently that getting the right amount
of light exposure can improve our nutrient absorption by five
hundred percent, which is really substantial. But we know that
the skin microbiome plays a huge role in our skin
health and how it looks and how it feels. And
of course we've talked about the gut microbiome as well,
and you mentioned a couple, but I would love to
hear any ways that you personally support your skin microbiome,
(19:15):
especially through fermins or products that you especially use.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah. Absolutely, And you know, I'm just remembering that not
only is there the micros, but there's the nutrients they create.
So there's hyaluronic acid that's natural to kombucha, there's the
precursors to glucosamine. There's the building blocks of collagen that
also exists. So like, for example, when I'm using that
kombucha'sco be on my face. When I'm done after the
(19:41):
fifteen minutes, my face is really warm, it might look
red and you might be concerned about that, but reality
is what's going on is it's pulling circulation, it's helping
to release the dead skin cells, and it's got those
precursors for collagen, and so it's really plumping up the skin.
So I definitely love to do a key milk bath.
I'll also do a kombucha bath from time to time.
(20:03):
I like to do a kombucha clay mask. So this
is just getting some clay which we know will drop
out those impurities, a little rose water to make it
so lovely and nice, and of course you could do
rose hip oil. There's so many wonderful natural things we
can add in our own to our the products we're
making ourselves where we know there aren't any preservatives, we
don't need to preserve it. We're making it right now,
(20:24):
we're using it right now. And those are some of
the things I love to use. But you can also
commercially find. There's a kombucha mask that's sold in a
little pouch. There's fermented tea that we're seeing in a
lot of different creams. There's even bacterial cellulos that they're
putting into those sheet masks. That you can put on
your face. So I can definitely provide a list of
(20:45):
brands if you're looking for specifics, but those are just
some of the ways that we can do that. And
then your feet are also really powerful for detoxification. So
let's say you can't get in a bathroom you don't
have a bathtub, even doing a foot soak is a
really wonderful way. It also feels so relaxing, and it's
going to help be a pathway to removing any sort
(21:05):
of built up junk in the body.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I love that. I mean, you mentioned there, of course
endless ferments and ways to ferment, and I feel like
I even can get in a rut of just mostly
things like sauerkraut or yogurt and kind of do those
on repeat. So I would love to talk about some
of the lesser known fermented ingredients that people could introduce
and try that you think more people can explore.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Yes, So there, you know. I think one that's super
simple that a lot of people like to play with,
and I do have to be careful because it can
get a little explosive, But that's gingerbud. So you can
do ginger bug, you can do turmeric, bud both of
those things. First of all, humans and ginger just have
a really long, happy relationship. I know some people don't
like it, but the reality is most of us really
enjoy it. Helps in digestion. It's the anti flammatory and
(21:48):
this is literally just chopped up ginger sugar and wild
yeast from the air. And I think what's fun about
that is the realization that these microbes are all around
us and even though they're invisible, there's still present and palpable,
and they exert magic. Right. I like to say microbes
are magic because the work that they do isn't seen
by us, and yet we feel those results and they
(22:09):
feel magical. So that's a really easy one anyone can do.
We also at Kibucha Camp, we have four cultures, so
we do the milk, Keefer, water, Keefer, kombucha, and then
John which is a raw honey for mint. So let's
say you love the idea of kombucha, but you're cutting
down on your sugar. Check out June. It's a raw
honey for mint. So rough honey can be a little
(22:29):
more expensive to source, but it has this really beautiful,
delicate floral flavor that people enjoy and love. The water
Kiffer is also going to be sweeter than a kombucha
because it's a lactic acid for men as opposed to
an acetic acid, so it doesn't have that same vinegar tang.
Super simple once you have the grains, it's really just
sugar and water. That said, water Keefer can be added
(22:50):
to any type of substrate to ferment it. So let's
say you want to fer make coconut milk, you water
from that fruit juice that you want to make your
own root beer, sodas and things like this. Water Keeper
is a real easy one to use that you can
use in so many different ways. Now, milk keefer also
yields a huge variety of products. So not only can
you make the milk keefer, which is like a drinkable yogurt,
(23:11):
you can then strain that strain the way out of
it and create like a labna a keyfer cheese, and
that can be used in place of sour cream or
cream cheese things like that. The way can also then
be fermented into its own sodas or like you're always
hearing about people having whey powder, why not make your
own way. It's still living and has all of the
(23:32):
microbes present and throw that into your smoothies instead. So
all of these fermented foods and drinks, even if you're
doing the saur kraut, now you've got crobjuice shots you
can do be careful. Those are really delicious. I once
drink too much that crowjuice and gave myself an instant
mini cleans. But don't be worried if that happens. That
really is the indicator of what's too much with all
(23:53):
of these ferments is how your body's responding to it.
And it's so easy to fix with fermented foods because
all you do is stop assuming that amount, drain plenty
of water, and then gradually add them back in. And
so by recognizing bowel tolerance and how your body's responding,
you have a very easy feedback loop that I think
is so important. I think that's what's missing, is these
(24:15):
feedback loops. Because we're so divorced from our bodies, we're
not paying attention. And so while we might have for example,
candida overgrowth. Again, candida is something we all need, but
when conditions allow it to overgrow, we might then crave
sugar and we think, oh, trust your gut I'm trusting
my gut. It wants sugar, let me give it sugar.
But that's not what we mean when we say trust
your gut. What we mean is, well, how is your
(24:37):
body responding when you take that sugar in. Now you
feel bloated, Now you've got brain thaw, now you're presenting
with itchy symptoms. Well that's not trust your gut. Your
body is telling you that that actually isn't good for you,
and so now you need to engage in a protocol
to help rebalance that so your body can function as
it should. So really, for us, it's closing feedback loops.
(24:59):
That's so important.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Oh that was such a great summary, and I love
that you brought up June. I had forgotten about that one.
I would love to get back to it because as
a beekeeper, I have so much love for the bees
and honey being so incredible and that it doesn't ever
go bad. It's one of the only things we know
of that never decays. And how there's so much a
math nerd, so much math built into the lives of bees,
(25:21):
and how they built the perfect taxagonal structures in their hives,
and how honey has so many health promoting properties beyond
just the carbohydrates it gives. So I love that you
reminded me of that one.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
There's so much good stuff with honey and for your
skin also, right.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Oh, absolutely, yeah, so many beauty recipes involving honey. This
podcast is brought to you by Hiya for children and
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diets to provide full body nourishment with a taste kid's love.
And it was formulated with the help of pediatricians and
nutritional experts and pressed with a blend of twelve organic
fruits and vegetables, then supercharged with fifteen essential vitamins and minerals,
including vitamin D, B, twelve C, zinc, and folate, among others.
(26:41):
It's also no GMO, vegan, dairy free, allergy free, gelatine free,
not free, and everything else you can imagine. I love
that they test every single batch with third party testing
for heavy metals and microbials in a qualified GMP compliant
lab using scientifically validated testing methods, so you can be
completely knowing it safe and nutritious. And it's designed for
(27:03):
kids and sent straight to your door so you don't
have to worry about ordering. My kids really like these,
and I love that refills show up on schedule with
no stress. Also, again honorable mention to their new Greens
because if you are tired of battling your kids to
eat more greens, their Daily Greens plus Superfoods is a
chocolate flavored greens powder designed specifically for kids, impact with
(27:25):
fifty five plus whole food ingredients to support kids' brains,
their development, their digestion, and kids actually like it. We've
worked out a special deal with Haya for the best
selling children's vitamin received fifty percent off your first order.
To claim this deal, you must go to Hiya Health
dot com slash wellness Mama. This deal is not available
on their regular website, So again that's hi y a
(27:47):
H E A l t h dot com slash Wellness
Mama to get your kids the full body nourishment they need.
This podcast is brought to you by Element and this
is a company you might have heard me talk about before,
and I really love their products because proper hydration leads
to better sleep, it sharpens focus, it improves energy, and
so much more. But hydration is not about just drinking water,
(28:11):
because being optimally hydrated, a state called U hydration, is
about optimizing your body's fluid ratios. And this fluid balance
depends on many factors, including the intake and excretion of electrolytes,
which many people don't get the right amounts of electrolytes
are charged minerals that conduct electricity to power your nervous system.
I talk a lot about nervous system on this podcast.
(28:32):
They also regulate hydration status by balancing fluids inside and
outside of ourselves. Element was created with the science backed
electrolyte ratio of one hundred milligrams of sodium, two hundred
milligrams of potassium, and sixty milligrams of magnesium with no sugar.
Since electrolytes are a key component of hydration, here's what happens.
When we get our electrolytes dialed in. We have more
(28:52):
steady energy, improved cognitive function, suffer fewer headaches and muscle crams.
We can perform better for longer, and especially the support
fasting or a low carb diet because when we stop
eating carbs, like during fast the absence of insulin allows
the kidneys to release sodium. So replacing that loss sodium
with electrolytes can help you feel good on the fast.
Since element is zero sugar, it also doesn't break up fast.
(29:15):
Electrolytes are also important for maintaining blood pressure, regulating digestion,
and proper fluid balance, keeping skin hydrated, which is a
big one that I feel like often gets missed, and.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
So much more.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I feel like proper electrolytes is a missing piece for
a lot of people, and I love elements new canned
drinks which are sparkling water with all the same ratios
of minerals I just talked about and they are delicious.
You can check it out and learn more at drink
element dot com slash Wellness Mama. That's dri nk l
mnt dot com slash wellness Mama, and at that link
(29:48):
you will receive a free sample pack with any order
to get a little bit more into the etheric. I
know that you've also described yourself as both the Kombucha
Mama but also the Kombucha High Priestess, and I know
that beyond just the physiological you have a lot of
insight into the way these ferments impact us even energetically.
(30:08):
So I'd love to delve into how these ferments and
these microbes can help us reclaim our inner sovereignty and
our intuitive health as well.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Oh my gosh, I love this question. Yes, so I
will say I don't claim this title of high priestess lightly.
I would say my actions over the last two decades
since I first met Kombuja have aligned with the notion
of protecting the traditional ways in which she's produced. Including
as president of the Trade Association, we had shrined traditionally
(30:38):
for many kombuja in our code of practice, along with
all the other ways in which you know kombucha can
be produced commercially. Also, I then teach these practices to
other people, and I have a real reverence for the
culture herself. In fact, we capitalize the k in kombucha,
which not everybody does, and I do that because I pay,
(30:59):
oh my to the consciousness that kombucha is, to the
example of a culture that has learned how to be
in harmony. And yes, it's diverse, and it also has
keystone pillar species that really maintain that beautiful balance. And
so if other microbes or whatnot are able to cohabitate,
(31:20):
they do, and if they're not, they're not allowed in
or they're in very small amounts. And I think that
can be a powerful example for our own culture how
we need to have diversity as well as you know,
pillars or foundations that we all share, because that's what
allows us to then thrive together. Beyond that, from that
(31:41):
intuitive level, you're absolutely right. So trust your gut also
has an intuitive component to it. And bacteria communicate through
something called quorum sensing, and again we don't totally know
what that means. I also think our DNA communicates with us.
I think we communicate with plants and nature and animals.
I think I think telepathy is probably one of our natural
(32:03):
states of communication, and yet because it's not something that's
been cultivated or we've been made aware of, we haven't
fully been able to use our gifts as much as
we'd like. But what I mean about this quorum sensing
is we literally have a bacteria force field. Like they
can do a DNA swipe of my force field and
your force field, like say we were sitting in our chairs,
(32:24):
and they would be as unique as a fingerprint. And
so I think it's so important that we cultivate this
bacterial force field because it then allows us, I think,
to be more in tune with those intuitions. Because are
those intuitions just psychic events that are happening? Are they
connected to our microbiome? There's more questions than answers when
(32:45):
we go down a place like this, and I think,
you know, every human has the ability to tap into
this because we are part of this ancient culture from
which we have evolved emerged. However you want to think
of that.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
I love that, and I hope we've made a pretty
strong case for the benefits of fermented products and how
to incorporate them in our lives. More I would love
to talk in the practical realm about if someone's new
two fermends, maybe they've never fermented anything, maybe they've preferred
to just source these from a farmer's market or whatever
it may be. How would you recommend starting and then
really integrating these as a habit in our lives, building
(33:23):
them into our routines. What are some kind of gentle
baby step starting points people can try.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Oh my gosh, I love this question because this is
the book I'm writing next. It's literally fermentation applied. It
includes meal plans and levels so that you can start
with those baby steps and then grow from there. Absolutely.
The first thing I would do is go to your
local farmers market and see if there's a fermented foods vendor.
They are going to have a wealth of knowledge. They're
going to have wonderful products that you can probably sample
(33:50):
and start to get a real taste for them. I
would say, just include one ferment on a daily basis,
and you can rotate what that is. In fact, you
know many grocery stores sell fermented foods. Now, when you're
looking at those labels, you're going to want to look
for words like raw, unpasteurized. You're going to want to
make sure it doesn't have you know, chemical preservatives like
benzoates or sorbates or things like that in it. That said,
(34:12):
I think because of this revival that's going on in fermentation,
there's actually quite a few products you can purchase commercially.
And so even if it's just putting a little keyfer
in your smoothie, even if it's yogurt, and again you
want to get the type that aren't sweetened that you
can then add your own berries and granola or what
not to because that's going to help reduce the amount
(34:34):
of excess sugars coming from potentially non sugar sources, if
that makes sense, right, chemical sugars and whatnot. And so
that that's I would say one fermended day, just make
sure you get one to day. From there, I would
build up to one with every meal. The reality is
fermented foods were oftentimes are condiments. You know, you're not
intended to eat a bowl of sour krout. It is
(34:55):
a little bit of sour kraut on your rubin. Why
is it on the ruben wat? It's hard to digest
all that meet and so that sauer kraut is there
to support our gut health and to help us to
digest it. Mustard was fermented, Ketchup was a fermented fish sauce,
and now it's made with ketchup, so we can when
we start to incorporate them in these small food sized doses,
(35:17):
what we see is that our bodies then are able
to take more fermented foods. And again it's going to
tell you when you've had too many, but you're also
going to start to feel more energized, You're going to
sleep easier, you're going to actually be able to absorb
nutrients from the food you're eating, You're going to find
more regularity in your body, and just basically once the
engine starts working and you're able to absorb more nutrients. Also,
(35:41):
all of the B vitamins are present in fermentation. They're
not necessarily there in massive doses, but again they're in
that living form that we have evolved to instantly uptake
and utilize, and that creates a lot of the energy
that we're getting from our fermented foods.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
I love it, and I know you have nearly endless
resources on this and that you were my go to
source for all of this. So where can people find you?
What products do you have available and where can we
keep learning from you?
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Absolutely, so we are bacteria farmers. We sell kids in
cultures at Kombucha Camp camp with K's because we keeping
pleva Ovah and so that's the best place to find us.
But of course we're on all the socials says at
Kombucha Camp. And then our book, the Big Book of Kombucha,
four hundred pages. Our readers call it the Bible. We
are so humbled and grateful for that it continues to
(36:27):
be a best selling book. So you can grab that
anywhere books are sold, maybe even your library, and then
just reach out to us online. My phone numbers all
over the website, so we're we're easy to get a
hold of if you have questions. We sell, as I said, Kombucha, Raw, Honey, Cousin,
John Milk, Keifer, and water Keeper. Those are the four
cultures we work with, and we can also help you
(36:49):
figure out how to work with many.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Many more amazing Well those links will be in the
show notes at Wonneswama dot com for anybody listening on
the go and stay tuned for another episode getting to
go even deeper on these topics. Hannah for this episode,
Thank you so much for your time and for everything
that you've shared. Thank you and thank you as always
for listening and sharing your time with us today, and
(37:12):
I hope you will join me again on the next
episode of the Wellness Fama podcast. If you're enjoying these interviews,
would you please take two minutes to leave a rating
or review on iTunes for me. Doing this helps more
people to find the podcast, which means even more moms
and families could benefit from the information. I really appreciate
your time and thanks as always for listening.
Well, go on for My Body's podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
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the full body nourishment they need. This podcast is brought
to you by Element and this is a company you
might have heard me talk about before, and I really
love their products because proper hydration leads to better sleep,
it sharpens focus, it improves energy, and so much more.
But hydration is not about just drinking water, because being
(02:34):
optimately hydrated a state called u hydration, is about optimizing
your body's fluid ratios. And this fluid balance depends on
many factors, including the intake and excretion of electrolytes, which
many people don't get the right amounts of electrolytes are
charged minerals that conduct electricity to power your nervous system.
I talk a lot about nervous system on this podcast.
(02:54):
They also regulate hydration status by balancing fluids inside and
outside of ourselves. Element was created with the science backed
electrolyte ratio of one hundred milligrams of sodium, two hundred
milligrams of potassium, and sixty milligrams of magnesium with no sugar.
Since electrolytes are a key component of hydration. Here's what happens.
When we get our electrolytes dialed in. We have more
(03:15):
steady energy, improved cognitive function, suffer fewer headaches and muscle cramps.
We can perform better for longer and especially the support
fasting or low carb diet because when we stop eating carbs,
like during a fast, the absence of insulin allows the
kidneys to release sodium, So replacing that loss sodium with
electrolytes can help you feel good on the fast. Since
Element is zero sugar, it also doesn't break up fast.
(03:37):
Electrolytes are also important for maintaining blood pressure, regulating digestion,
and proper fluid balance, keeping skin hydrated, which is a
big one that I feel like often gets missed, and
so much more. I feel like proper electrolytes is a
missing piece for a lot of people. And I love
Elements new canned drinks which are sparkling water with all
the same ratios of minerals I just talked about, and
(03:58):
they are delicious. You can check it out and learn
more at drink Element dot com, Slash Wellness Mama, that's
d R I M K L m n T dot com.
Slash Wellness Mama and at that link you will receive
a free sample pack with any order. Hello and welcome
to the Wellness Mama Podcast. I'm Katie from walnessama dot
(04:19):
com and I am here today with my in real
life friend Hannah Ruhama Krum, who is the Queen of Kombucha,
the Kombucha Mama, as she calls herself to chat about
two different really amazing topics, the first being beyond probiotics,
how fermentation can fuel radiant skin and gut health and
so much more. And Hannah is my go to on
(04:42):
this topic. She's effectually called the Kombucha Mama. She has
been brewing kombucha for over twenty years and educating others
about this as well. She's also the author of the
Big Book of Kombucha, which many people call the Kombucha
Bible and which has inspired thousands of people to start
brewing kombucha at home. And she also offers fermentation kits
and the starters at her website, all linked to all
(05:04):
of that in the show notes. In this episode, we
go deep on the many benefits of these ferments beyond
just the probiotics we often hear about to spell some
myths about the sugar content, how we can use them
in our skin, how they promote gut health, and so
much more. There are a lot of fun facts in
this episode that I did not know, so let's learn
from Hannah, Anna, my friend. Welcome, Thank you so much
(05:25):
for being here.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Katie, Well, you are by far the friend I know
who knows the most about kombucha and fermentation, and I
feel like your wisdom extends far beyond what most people
think of and know when it comes to these things.
So today we're actually gonna get to record two episodes.
You guys stay tuned for the second one going deep
on the lesser known benefits of these beautiful ferments and
(05:47):
how they can support our body and even our energy
in so many ways we may not realize. I know
we could talk for literal days about this and still
not cover everything, but in this particular episode, I would
love to dive deep on kind of going beyond just
the probiotics, which I feel like are what get talked
about the most. I'm sure we'll talk about those also,
but how fermentation and the many many things included in
(06:08):
that can really help support our skin and our gut
and so much more. So, to start off, I would
love for you to kind of give us a primer
on what's happening in fermentation and how fermentation can make
nutrients more bioavailable, and how this then impacts health and
beauty and kind of every area of life.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Well, what's really cool about fermentation is how old it is.
It's something that's evolved with mankind. We are what I
call bacterio sapiens. I feel like this term encapsulates our
very intimate relationship with the microbes that live inside and
on our bodies and of course cover every surface on
this planet. I hope I'm not creeping anybody out. But
(06:45):
fermentation and these microbes were originally for preservation, and so
in ancient times we didn't have refrigerators. We had to
find ways to preserve our food so that we could
enjoy them at different times of the year when there
were few or food sources available, such as winter. And
in order to do that, microbes and food work so
(07:07):
well together that they create an acidic environment where molds
and other things that could harm us are not able
to grow. What this then has allowed is that not
only is basically fermentation is digestion that's happening outside of
the body. So when we think of digestion, we're thinking, Okay,
I'm chewing something, I'm putting something in my body. Microbes
(07:28):
and acids and things are breaking those down into components
that then can be utilized by the many microscopic creatures
in my body. Well, that's what's happening in your fermentation jar.
And when that happens, it's not only digesting these foods,
it's enhancing their nutritional profile, it's increasing the vitamin seed,
and it's also doing a protective mechanism. Especially when it
(07:51):
comes to soaking grains or soaking seeds or nuts, they
can sometimes have what are called anti nutrients, such as
phytic acid, that can have a deleterious effect on the body,
removing nutrients from the body, which obviously wouldn't be good
for us. But by going through a soaking or fermentation
process a sprouting process, those nutrients are converted into something
(08:12):
that then our bodies can utilize and don't have that
same negative impact on us. And this is why having
fermented soi can be very good for us, whereas eating
a lot of unfermented soil may not have the same
impact we're looking for.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it's so fascinating. I feel like bacteria gets a
bad rap, especially in kind of like the post pandemic
world and everybody's so afraid of bacteria. I love that
you use that word bacterio sapiens and how we're meant
to actually interact with these and how they're present everywhere.
I know, I wrote years ago about how statistically gardeners
live longer, and I think there's a lot of reasons
for that, including more natural light exposure, they're hopefully eating
(08:49):
the food that they're growing, they're getting fresh air. But
I think also the bacterial interaction with the soil and
the soil based organisms is also really helpful there, and
it seems like they're kind of not needing to use
fermentation to preserve food anymore. Has also had the byproduct
of us not consuming these as much and removing a
lot of this bacterial exposure from our diet, and it
(09:11):
seems like that, especially coupled with the widespread use of antibiotics,
might be even changing our guts and our bacterial kind
of interactions with the world in a way that we
know might not be the most beneficial. Absolutely correct, I
would say that fermented foods are our bacteriological heritage, and
it's something that we've lost through all of the mechanisms
you've just described, and out on top of that the
(09:32):
medicalization of birth. And you know, if a baby's born
through a cea section, which is sometimes necessary as opposed
to the canal, they're not getting the same infusion. They're
getting an infusion of different microbes that can actually lead
to increased incidents of allergies and other things.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Because we're so beautifully designed that when babies are birth
through the vaginal canal, they receive that initial inoculation that
they need so that they can digest the breast milk,
so that they are building the immune system in the
way that they need to as they're getting those first
nutrients in the world. And that again breastfeeding versus formula,
So when we're breastfeeding, we're also passing on that bacteriological heritage. Now,
(10:11):
of course, what's been broken along the way is the
exposure to toxins in the environment to these different practices
you described, and so even if you do have a
vaginal birth and breastfeed, sometimes you're still not passing on
as much of that bacteriological heritage as you'd like, because
we're starting from a place that isn't as robust and
diverse as our ancestors. And so this is where I
(10:32):
think fermentation offers a tremendous amount of hope because when
we start to include these foods, and there are many
of them, right from Keyford to yogurt, to kabucha to
tempe to the sauerkraut to kimchi, right, you can go
on and on, we start to reintroduce diversity back into
our bodies. And out of all of the human microbiol
research that's taken place over the last quarter of a century,
(10:55):
what they ultimately have determined is it's diversity that creates
the most robust ecosystem for the human body. So there's
not like, you know, two or three specific straine, which
is unfortunately what happens in process fermented foods. Right, So
when you when you're buying a yogurt at the store,
it when you look on the vacumen, see four or
(11:15):
five strains listed. In the wild, they could have twenty
thirty different strains. And again that I think it's beautiful.
We don't necessarily know or have a prescription for exactly
what those should be, because that means that our bodies
are choosing and selecting for the microbes that are best
for us. I don't think we need to know every
(11:35):
single tiny nuance about how we work in order for
us to flourish, because clearly we have for millennia agreed.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And I feel like this falls also under the umbrella
of something I talk about a lot, which is nature
deficit disorder. I think actually a large number of the
problems we face in the modern world can go back
to that big term of we're kind of divorced from nature,
from sunlight, from fresh air, from these bacteria, from movement,
from all these things that were designed as humans to do,
and to your point, from literally from birth and the
(12:05):
bacterial exposure that's meant to happen there and in the
way we interact with bacteria in our environment, that's shapes
who we are, that literally forms our humanness as we grow,
and that's why we see statistics about, you know, vaginal
birth versussaian birth. Of course, there's ways to mitigate this,
but in vaginal birth, that bacteria transfer happens, and if
we miss that window, there are things we can do
(12:25):
to help the body acclimate, however, like that's our initial
kind of inoculation into the bacterial world. And we know
even statistically, things like having a pet who are bringing
in bacteria from outdoors and who have a more diverse
bacterial exposure than we do, can actually help reduce even
the incidents of allergies. So I feel like when we
declared bacteria as bad or declared the sun as harmful,
(12:46):
we kind of divorced ourselves from some of the really
important factors that go into being human. And I know
there's also a big relationship here between gut health and
the gut being the second brain, so therefore our mood
and our hormones and so much more. So walk us
through how ferments help create biological harmony, and I would
say even energetic harmony.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Yeah, absolutely, And I would flip that, I would say
the gut is the first brain because when we're sort
of thinking of the order of operations, you know, like
many people, I always assume there's a pharmacy in my
brain dispensing my dopamine and serotonin, and you know, that's
where everything was coming from, only to discover that in fact,
it is the other way around. It's my gut that's
(13:26):
creating the serotonin and the dopamine, not all of it,
but most of it. And so what I think is
really important about that is instead of trying to fix
a broken brain through chemicals or you know, different things
like that, if we go first to healing a gut
that's out of disorder, we know there's so many foods
(13:46):
and so many nutrients that we can intake that are
going to support a healthy microbiome. And to your point exactly,
that then creates the uptake of those happy neurotransmitters that
give us those mood booths. And in fact, when people
drink kombucha, one of the things they talk about is
it just makes me feel good. And part of that
is from the B vitamins in a living form. Part
(14:08):
of that is from the organic acids that are detoxifying
the body, reducing inflammation, reducing toxic load. And I really
think unfortunately we're in a state of massive inflammation. And
I mean that on all levels. Right. There are so
many things that we're taking in and consuming through our eyes,
through our ears, through what's going on in the world.
In addition to of course the food, the skin care
(14:30):
products and whatnot, and all of these things are. While
they might be minute in how they're in each individual thing,
that collective aggregate amount of toxicity is really the epidemic
we need to be addressing. And what's so great is
it's so simple and empowering to just start making a
(14:50):
fermented food or even just buying one at the store.
I mean, we can go as simple as that. There
really are some quality fermented foods that you can get locally,
and especially if you go to your farmer's market and
connect with a local producer. They also are super inexpensive
and easy to make it home. I know on your
side you've got a ton of recipes for those as well.
And it does feel empowering to start to say, you
(15:12):
know what, I'm going to take back control of my health,
reduce inflammation, get the nutrients I need, and in a
fairly short amount of time people really see results from
making these little changes.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yeah, I love it, And I also love that there's
such an easy food source because they are essentially already
prepared food that you can just add to literally any meal,
which has kind of been my default lately. And I
know there's also a skin health application here. We know
that our skin is very much connected to our gut,
to our liver. Of course, everything works in harmony within
the body. But I'd love to dive into the skincare
(15:47):
specific aspects of fermentation because I feel like this site
has not talked about as much and that there's likely
an internal and external use of these ferments in a
way that really supports the skin. So can you walk
us through how fermentation makes nutrients more bioavailable, how in
skincare it can be useful, and why does this give
us such an advantage for health and beauty?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Well, your skin is your sign to the world. You know,
what's going on inside is directly reflected on the outside,
for better or worse. You know, I think it's it's
you know, when you look at different modalities, they can
even tell you, oh, if you have acne showing up
in specific parts of your body, that correlates to specific
organs that may be congested or aren't functioning as well
as they could. So even learning how to read those
(16:30):
different signs on your body can be so informative to
understand what's going on internally, not just externally. And we
often again like the you know, the broken brain or
the headache or whatever we want to go and apply,
you know, take something and put it on topically and assume, oh,
this is all just a topical issue, when in reality
it is coming from within. And so fermentation has been
(16:52):
used again for millennia, Cleopatra would bathe in fermented mare's
milk called kumas. So it does have a rich history
of being applied topically as well as taken internally, because again,
when your systems are functioning properly and you're able to
detox the toxins that are coming in and they don't
need to be expressed on the skin. I think sweating
also has something to do with that, right, So whether
(17:14):
that's through movement or sauna, those things are all really
important to make sure that everything is flowing as it should.
We are seeing a lot of fermented ingredients in skincare
that you can pay lots of money for. Of course,
we also know that the scobe which grows this bacterial cellulose,
it grows it freely, and there can be extra of
those and you can apply those topically, whether that's as
(17:36):
a mask or as a cream. You can use kombucha
in many ways as a skin toner, as a hair toner,
but again go to your fermented dairy products. There's a
lot of great uses for keifer and yogurt, whether that's
making masks, doing a foot bath, putting it in your
bathtub with you, maybe with some rose petals or something
like that. You can create a really elevated and elegant
(17:57):
experience for not very much money, and you get those
other benefits because you're protecting the skin from damage that
could be coming in by putting those healthy microbes back
where they need to be.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I love those ideas and it's worth noting. I feel
like that our skin also has a microbiome, as does
our mouth. I've talked a lot about the oral microbiome
and light of how that can actually help us be
more resilient against the bacteria that cause cavities or gingivitis.
We know the oral microbiomes connected to the gut microbiome
and our skin microbiome as well, and it seems like
a lot of the products we use in place of
(18:33):
some of these natural products we used to use can
actually have a harmful effect on our microbiome. And I
love seeing more and more women turn toward natural products.
Using natural oils or tallow or to your point fermented
ingredients to kind of nurture the skin microbiome. I feel
like the sunlight is also really helpful in supporting our
skin microbiome and increasing nutrient absorption even within the body.
(18:54):
I found that statistic recently that getting the right amount
of light exposure can improve our nutrient absorption by five
hundred percent, which is really substantial. But we know that
the skin microbiome plays a huge role in our skin
health and how it looks and how it feels. And
of course we've talked about the gut microbiome as well,
and you mentioned a couple, but I would love to
hear any ways that you personally support your skin microbiome,
(19:15):
especially through fermins or products that you especially use.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah. Absolutely, And you know, I'm just remembering that not
only is there the micros, but there's the nutrients they create.
So there's hyaluronic acid that's natural to kombucha, there's the
precursors to glucosamine. There's the building blocks of collagen that
also exists. So like, for example, when I'm using that
kombucha'sco be on my face. When I'm done after the
(19:41):
fifteen minutes, my face is really warm, it might look
red and you might be concerned about that, but reality
is what's going on is it's pulling circulation, it's helping
to release the dead skin cells, and it's got those
precursors for collagen, and so it's really plumping up the skin.
So I definitely love to do a key milk bath.
I'll also do a kombucha bath from time to time.
(20:03):
I like to do a kombucha clay mask. So this
is just getting some clay which we know will drop
out those impurities, a little rose water to make it
so lovely and nice, and of course you could do
rose hip oil. There's so many wonderful natural things we
can add in our own to our the products we're
making ourselves where we know there aren't any preservatives, we
don't need to preserve it. We're making it right now,
(20:24):
we're using it right now. And those are some of
the things I love to use. But you can also
commercially find. There's a kombucha mask that's sold in a
little pouch. There's fermented tea that we're seeing in a
lot of different creams. There's even bacterial cellulos that they're
putting into those sheet masks. That you can put on
your face. So I can definitely provide a list of
(20:45):
brands if you're looking for specifics, but those are just
some of the ways that we can do that. And
then your feet are also really powerful for detoxification. So
let's say you can't get in a bathroom you don't
have a bathtub, even doing a foot soak is a
really wonderful way. It also feels so relaxing, and it's
going to help be a pathway to removing any sort
(21:05):
of built up junk in the body.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I love that. I mean, you mentioned there, of course
endless ferments and ways to ferment, and I feel like
I even can get in a rut of just mostly
things like sauerkraut or yogurt and kind of do those
on repeat. So I would love to talk about some
of the lesser known fermented ingredients that people could introduce
and try that you think more people can explore.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Yes, So there, you know. I think one that's super
simple that a lot of people like to play with,
and I do have to be careful because it can
get a little explosive, But that's gingerbud. So you can
do ginger bug, you can do turmeric, bud both of
those things. First of all, humans and ginger just have
a really long, happy relationship. I know some people don't
like it, but the reality is most of us really
enjoy it. Helps in digestion. It's the anti flammatory and
(21:48):
this is literally just chopped up ginger sugar and wild
yeast from the air. And I think what's fun about
that is the realization that these microbes are all around
us and even though they're invisible, there's still present and palpable,
and they exert magic. Right. I like to say microbes
are magic because the work that they do isn't seen
by us, and yet we feel those results and they
(22:09):
feel magical. So that's a really easy one anyone can do.
We also at Kibucha Camp, we have four cultures, so
we do the milk, Keefer, water, Keefer, kombucha, and then
John which is a raw honey for mint. So let's
say you love the idea of kombucha, but you're cutting
down on your sugar. Check out June. It's a raw
honey for mint. So rough honey can be a little
(22:29):
more expensive to source, but it has this really beautiful,
delicate floral flavor that people enjoy and love. The water
Kiffer is also going to be sweeter than a kombucha
because it's a lactic acid for men as opposed to
an acetic acid, so it doesn't have that same vinegar tang.
Super simple once you have the grains, it's really just
sugar and water. That said, water Keefer can be added
(22:50):
to any type of substrate to ferment it. So let's
say you want to fer make coconut milk, you water
from that fruit juice that you want to make your
own root beer, sodas and things like this. Water Keeper
is a real easy one to use that you can
use in so many different ways. Now, milk keefer also
yields a huge variety of products. So not only can
you make the milk keefer, which is like a drinkable yogurt,
(23:11):
you can then strain that strain the way out of
it and create like a labna a keyfer cheese, and
that can be used in place of sour cream or
cream cheese things like that. The way can also then
be fermented into its own sodas or like you're always
hearing about people having whey powder, why not make your
own way. It's still living and has all of the
(23:32):
microbes present and throw that into your smoothies instead. So
all of these fermented foods and drinks, even if you're
doing the saur kraut, now you've got crobjuice shots you
can do be careful. Those are really delicious. I once
drink too much that crowjuice and gave myself an instant
mini cleans. But don't be worried if that happens. That
really is the indicator of what's too much with all
(23:53):
of these ferments is how your body's responding to it.
And it's so easy to fix with fermented foods because
all you do is stop assuming that amount, drain plenty
of water, and then gradually add them back in. And
so by recognizing bowel tolerance and how your body's responding,
you have a very easy feedback loop that I think
is so important. I think that's what's missing, is these
(24:15):
feedback loops. Because we're so divorced from our bodies, we're
not paying attention. And so while we might have for example,
candida overgrowth. Again, candida is something we all need, but
when conditions allow it to overgrow, we might then crave
sugar and we think, oh, trust your gut I'm trusting
my gut. It wants sugar, let me give it sugar.
But that's not what we mean when we say trust
your gut. What we mean is, well, how is your
(24:37):
body responding when you take that sugar in. Now you
feel bloated, Now you've got brain thaw, now you're presenting
with itchy symptoms. Well that's not trust your gut. Your
body is telling you that that actually isn't good for you,
and so now you need to engage in a protocol
to help rebalance that so your body can function as
it should. So really, for us, it's closing feedback loops.
(24:59):
That's so important.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Oh that was such a great summary, and I love
that you brought up June. I had forgotten about that one.
I would love to get back to it because as
a beekeeper, I have so much love for the bees
and honey being so incredible and that it doesn't ever
go bad. It's one of the only things we know
of that never decays. And how there's so much a
math nerd, so much math built into the lives of bees,
(25:21):
and how they built the perfect taxagonal structures in their hives,
and how honey has so many health promoting properties beyond
just the carbohydrates it gives. So I love that you
reminded me of that one.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
There's so much good stuff with honey and for your
skin also, right.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Oh, absolutely, yeah, so many beauty recipes involving honey. This
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know that you've also described yourself as both the Kombucha
Mama but also the Kombucha High Priestess, and I know
that beyond just the physiological you have a lot of
insight into the way these ferments impact us even energetically.
(30:08):
So I'd love to delve into how these ferments and
these microbes can help us reclaim our inner sovereignty and
our intuitive health as well.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Oh my gosh, I love this question. Yes, so I
will say I don't claim this title of high priestess lightly.
I would say my actions over the last two decades
since I first met Kombuja have aligned with the notion
of protecting the traditional ways in which she's produced. Including
as president of the Trade Association, we had shrined traditionally
(30:38):
for many kombuja in our code of practice, along with
all the other ways in which you know kombucha can
be produced commercially. Also, I then teach these practices to
other people, and I have a real reverence for the
culture herself. In fact, we capitalize the k in kombucha,
which not everybody does, and I do that because I pay,
(30:59):
oh my to the consciousness that kombucha is, to the
example of a culture that has learned how to be
in harmony. And yes, it's diverse, and it also has
keystone pillar species that really maintain that beautiful balance. And
so if other microbes or whatnot are able to cohabitate,
(31:20):
they do, and if they're not, they're not allowed in
or they're in very small amounts. And I think that
can be a powerful example for our own culture how
we need to have diversity as well as you know,
pillars or foundations that we all share, because that's what
allows us to then thrive together. Beyond that, from that
(31:41):
intuitive level, you're absolutely right. So trust your gut also
has an intuitive component to it. And bacteria communicate through
something called quorum sensing, and again we don't totally know
what that means. I also think our DNA communicates with us.
I think we communicate with plants and nature and animals.
I think I think telepathy is probably one of our natural
(32:03):
states of communication, and yet because it's not something that's
been cultivated or we've been made aware of, we haven't
fully been able to use our gifts as much as
we'd like. But what I mean about this quorum sensing
is we literally have a bacteria force field. Like they
can do a DNA swipe of my force field and
your force field, like say we were sitting in our chairs,
(32:24):
and they would be as unique as a fingerprint. And
so I think it's so important that we cultivate this
bacterial force field because it then allows us, I think,
to be more in tune with those intuitions. Because are
those intuitions just psychic events that are happening? Are they
connected to our microbiome? There's more questions than answers when
(32:45):
we go down a place like this, and I think,
you know, every human has the ability to tap into
this because we are part of this ancient culture from
which we have evolved emerged. However you want to think
of that.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
I love that, and I hope we've made a pretty
strong case for the benefits of fermented products and how
to incorporate them in our lives. More I would love
to talk in the practical realm about if someone's new
two fermends, maybe they've never fermented anything, maybe they've preferred
to just source these from a farmer's market or whatever
it may be. How would you recommend starting and then
really integrating these as a habit in our lives, building
(33:23):
them into our routines. What are some kind of gentle
baby step starting points people can try.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Oh my gosh, I love this question because this is
the book I'm writing next. It's literally fermentation applied. It
includes meal plans and levels so that you can start
with those baby steps and then grow from there. Absolutely.
The first thing I would do is go to your
local farmers market and see if there's a fermented foods vendor.
They are going to have a wealth of knowledge. They're
going to have wonderful products that you can probably sample
(33:50):
and start to get a real taste for them. I
would say, just include one ferment on a daily basis,
and you can rotate what that is. In fact, you
know many grocery stores sell fermented foods. Now, when you're
looking at those labels, you're going to want to look
for words like raw, unpasteurized. You're going to want to
make sure it doesn't have you know, chemical preservatives like
benzoates or sorbates or things like that in it. That said,
(34:12):
I think because of this revival that's going on in fermentation,
there's actually quite a few products you can purchase commercially.
And so even if it's just putting a little keyfer
in your smoothie, even if it's yogurt, and again you
want to get the type that aren't sweetened that you
can then add your own berries and granola or what
not to because that's going to help reduce the amount
(34:34):
of excess sugars coming from potentially non sugar sources, if
that makes sense, right, chemical sugars and whatnot. And so
that that's I would say one fermended day, just make
sure you get one to day. From there, I would
build up to one with every meal. The reality is
fermented foods were oftentimes are condiments. You know, you're not
intended to eat a bowl of sour krout. It is
(34:55):
a little bit of sour kraut on your rubin. Why
is it on the ruben wat? It's hard to digest
all that meet and so that sauer kraut is there
to support our gut health and to help us to
digest it. Mustard was fermented, Ketchup was a fermented fish sauce,
and now it's made with ketchup, so we can when
we start to incorporate them in these small food sized doses,
(35:17):
what we see is that our bodies then are able
to take more fermented foods. And again it's going to
tell you when you've had too many, but you're also
going to start to feel more energized, You're going to
sleep easier, you're going to actually be able to absorb
nutrients from the food you're eating, You're going to find
more regularity in your body, and just basically once the
engine starts working and you're able to absorb more nutrients. Also,
(35:41):
all of the B vitamins are present in fermentation. They're
not necessarily there in massive doses, but again they're in
that living form that we have evolved to instantly uptake
and utilize, and that creates a lot of the energy
that we're getting from our fermented foods.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
I love it, and I know you have nearly endless
resources on this and that you were my go to
source for all of this. So where can people find you?
What products do you have available and where can we
keep learning from you?
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Absolutely, so we are bacteria farmers. We sell kids in
cultures at Kombucha Camp camp with K's because we keeping
pleva Ovah and so that's the best place to find us.
But of course we're on all the socials says at
Kombucha Camp. And then our book, the Big Book of Kombucha,
four hundred pages. Our readers call it the Bible. We
are so humbled and grateful for that it continues to
(36:27):
be a best selling book. So you can grab that
anywhere books are sold, maybe even your library, and then
just reach out to us online. My phone numbers all
over the website, so we're we're easy to get a
hold of if you have questions. We sell, as I said, Kombucha, Raw, Honey, Cousin,
John Milk, Keifer, and water Keeper. Those are the four
cultures we work with, and we can also help you
(36:49):
figure out how to work with many.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Many more amazing Well those links will be in the
show notes at Wonneswama dot com for anybody listening on
the go and stay tuned for another episode getting to
go even deeper on these topics. Hannah for this episode,
Thank you so much for your time and for everything
that you've shared. Thank you and thank you as always
for listening and sharing your time with us today, and
(37:12):
I hope you will join me again on the next
episode of the Wellness Fama podcast. If you're enjoying these interviews,
would you please take two minutes to leave a rating
or review on iTunes for me. Doing this helps more
people to find the podcast, which means even more moms
and families could benefit from the information. I really appreciate
your time and thanks as always for listening.
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