By Katie Medlock
The importance of good gut health has been receiving more attention lately and for good reasons. By colonizing our guts with "good" bacteria, we can help improve our digestion, enhance our immune system, reduce our risk for contracting disease and even lose weight. An especially important way of achieving these health benefits is including probiotic-rich foods into our diet.
Perhaps the number one food associated with probiotics is yogurt, but vegans choose to reject dairy from their diets for health, environmental and ethical reasons. Plant-based eaters do not have to fear, however, because there are many foods which naturally contain health-boosting microorganisms.
Here are just a few delicious sources of vegan probiotics:
Miso
Anyone who has dined at a Japanese restaurant may be familiar with miso soup, a broth containing the fermented soy bean paste that is full of health bacteria for our gut microbiomes. The process of fermentation lends the paste its probiotic qualities and can be enjoyed in many different ways beyond miso soup, including dips and sauces. Those who avoid soy can also reap the benefits through miso made from brown rice, barley or chickpeas.
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Tempeh
Tempeh is a probiotic-rich food that can be enjoyed as a main dish. The Indonesian-based patty is made from fermented, whole soy beans and has a distinct nutty flavor. Some preferred ways of preparing tempeh are in smokey strips (for any bacon lovers out there), as tempeh reuben sandwiches, stir-frys or in a breakfast scramble with tons of veggies. Companies have even started creating a hemp-based tempeh and chickpea-based tempeh can be made at home by adventurous chefs.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Sauerkraut
This classic Eastern European ingredient is packed with probiotics and can be easily made at home through a lactic acid fermentation process. If you prefer store-bought, look for a raw version, as pasteurization can kill off healthy bacteria. Combine sauerkraut with seasoned tempeh and sourdough bread for a probiotic powerhouse meal!
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Kimchi
Similar to sauerkraut, kimchi is a spicy Korean dish featuring fermented cabbage. The addition of onions, garlic and spicy hot pepper create a fiery combo that is good for stuffed-up sinuses, as well as gut health. Be sure to look out for fish ingredients in store-bought kimchi, or give it a whirl whipping it up in your own kitchen.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Kombucha
This fermented tea beverage has become a super-healthy trend lately, leading to it popping up in supermarkets in cities big and small. Kombucha has been brewed for hundreds of years, but now its popularity has sprung a variety of creative flavor combinations to entice both kids and adults. Brewing kombucha at home is a cinch with the right equipment, including a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), tea and sugar. This health-promoting beverage is a great alternative to juice or your morning tea.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Vegan Yogurts and Kefir
Yogurt can be both dairy-free and packed with probiotic properties, and the variety of vegan yogurts at grocery stores has exploded over the years. Many coconut-based, soy-based, hemp-based and almond-based yogurts contain the same healthy bacteria as their cow's milk counterparts, and you can even make your own plant-based yogurt at home! Kefir, typically made from fermented animal milk, has also been veganized and can be whipped up at home.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Olives
You might be surprised to learn that olives, fermented and then cured with brine, have a serious probiotic potential. The curing process allows these healthy cultures to multiply, making these salty bites a gut-healthy garnish for your salads, pizzas and pastas.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Sourdough Bread
An easy swap to boost your meal's probiotic punch is opting for sourdough bread instead of regular old wheat. This hearty bread is made with a fermentation process, using sourdough starter, and takes longer than other varieties to bake. The tart taste adds zing to any sandwich or morning avocado toast.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
Sour Pickles
Another sandwich topper or salty side dish containing health-promoting bacteria is sour pickles. Made using lacto-fermentation, good bacteria are allowed to flourish in these crunchy cucumber morsels. Like olives, keep an eye on salt intake and, like most other foods on this list, you can make your own pickles easily at home.
Photo credit: Thinkstock
This article was reposted with permission from our media associate Care2.
Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!
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