Autoimmune Disease | Holistic Hearth

Of all the ferments I make, this Garlic Sauerkraut is the star. It’s jam-packed with an intensely rich beneficial bacterial profile, including a special one from the yeast family: Saccharomyces Boulardii.

S. Boulardii is a phenomenal little probiotic, known in particular for keeping Candida yeast overgrowth in check. (You can read more about S. Boulardii in this great post by Joanie Baxter at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.) So many people today face long-term battles with Candida overgrowth: those who eat a Standard American Diet (SAD), which halts the proliferation of healthy bacteria in the gut; those who are facing chronic health conditions such as Autoimmune Disease, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Lyme Disease, and more.

In addition to the vast bacterial profile that sauerkraut contains, the addition of garlic makes it a one-two-punch for fighting candida yeast overgrowth. But, because of the intense die-off it can cause, it’s best for those with candida to start with consuming just one tablespoon daily and slowly increase over time.

Fermented Sauerkraut can help to not only lower candida overgrowth, but prevent it.

In addition to its rich probiotic profile, sauerkraut is loaded with digestive enzymes, lactic acid, Vitamin C, B Vitamins,

One last thing worth mentioning: as a Lyme patient with lots of unhealthy bacteria and yeast wreaking havoc in my body, this is a really beneficial ferment for me to consume.

Essentially, if you face any health issues whatsoever, this is a “supplement” worth having in your arsenal.

Ingredients

1 head of organic green cabbage
approximately 2 tablespoons salt
3 cloves organic garlic, sliced

Tools

large bowl
Cabbage tamper or French rolling pin or use your hands
2 2-liter Fido jars
1 5-liter Fido jar (I think a 3-liter would work even better, but 5 is what I had)

Instructions

Thinly slice the cabbage, wedging out the core.
Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of salt. (Do not use iodized salt for this. You want unrefined sea salt.)
Using a cabbage tamper, the end of a French rolling pin, or, if you’re really cut out for a work out, your hands, pound the cabbage until the liquid starts to release. This step helps the cellulose in the cabbage start to break down.
In the 5-liter Fido jar, layer the cabbage and the sliced garlic. Press the cabbage down.
Lock the jar, label the date on the jar (I use a Sharpie on a strip of masking tape), store the jar in a dark cabinet, and mark the calendar for four weeks. It’s important that you wait four full weeks both for the flavor and the bacterial profile.