The Gut - Brain Connection

I have read a lot lately about the "gut-brain" connection, that is the level of healthy bacteria within the gut and proper (or lack of) brain development in humans.  Some of today's leading researchers in the field, like Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, are highlighting the importance of a healthy gut and how the state of your gut influences the state of your overall health.

It's not necessarily 'new news' that a healthy gut equals a healthy immune system, since the majority of your immune systems is located within your gut, but what scientists and researchers are now finding out is that there is a microscopic world of its own going on right now in each and every one of us.  And it's the communication and interaction between gut flora and the countless colonies of healthy bacteria throughout the body, or our "inner ecosystem" as its being called, that is the hot topic within the field.  And it's this communication between the two that has researchers like Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride convinced that many if not all of the mental disorders on the rise within our society originate within the gut.

"Your gut quite literally functions as your second brain, as it is created of the same tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen."  
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/29/probiotics-for-good-digestive-health.aspx

As you probably know brain related disorders (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Depression, etc.) are increasingly on the rise in the U.S., with the latest numbers by the CDC showing 1 in every 50 children suffer from some form of Autism!  If that's not shocking and terribly frightening I don't know what is.  And more and more research is pointing to poor unhealthy gut development rather than genetics as the cause.

This means a 'Gut-Healthy' diet, one low in sugar and grains and high in fermented foods, is especially important for expecting mothers.  Brain and gut development starts before a child is born and with the typical American diet high in processed foods, sugar, and grains and nearly absent of bacteria friendly fermented foods, poor diet may just be playing a bigger role in the rapidly increasing number mental disorders and disabilities then previously thought.  Add to that the ever growing level of toxic exposure today's unborn and newly born children are being exposed to with vaccinations and antibiotic use on the rise, and the effects on this compromised immune system (gut) and its connection with the brain that can only spell disaster!

So what can you do?

1. Start by eliminating the majority of processed foods from your diet, and making sure that any processed foods consumed are organic and contain the least amount of ingredients as possible.  
2. Secondly, it is crucial to greatly reduce sugar consumption, while eliminating altogether any high fructose corn syrup as well as artificial sweeteners from your diet.  
3. Next, start incorporating unpasteurized fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha into your diet.  
4. Check out these sites: Caroline Barringer and Dr. Natasha

Food allergies start in the gut.

I read an article in today's health news about a doctor who treated (desensitized) a child of multiple food allergies at once with the use of a "powerful drug" along with small daily doses of the allergen. 

What bothers me most about this is this treatment is that it does not fix the underlying issue at the root of the problem... Poor diet resulting in a damaged and compromised gut (immune system)!

Unfortunately like most children in this country (adults as well) this 10-year old's diet most likely consists of excessive amounts of sugar and grains (glucose), which ultimately leads to insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, an unhealthy environment within the gut, and a damaged lining of the intestinal wall (compromised immune system).  And it's my guess that most people are all too familiar with the resulting diseases and disorders; obesity, diabetes, Chron's disease, heart disease, cancer, and basically every other autoimmune disease on record... the list is endless!

But in sticking with the topic at hand (food allergies) whether the allergic reaction is minor or severe one thing is for sure, the damage within the body should be the focus of attention not simply minimizing the resulting side effects.  When allergic reactions occur it means the intestinal wall has been compromised.  As microscopic food particles penetrate the intestinal lining entering the blood stream, an all-out war within the body begins as the compromised immune system battles these foreign intruders.  The resulting allergic reaction with varying intensities causes acute side effects ranging from minor skin irritations to anaphylactic shock.  But it's the chronic effects that will ultimately lead to disease and disorder. 

It has been over seven years since I found out that I am allergic to both (cow) dairy and soy.  And rather than make it my life's mission to find a drug that simply blocks the pain and discomfort, I have made it my mission to find and fix the root of the problem.  Sure in the beginning I was consumed with finding food alternatives to those I was allergic to, but this has since morphed into a journey in search of the true meaning of a healthy diet.  And what I've learned is that a healthy diet is key.  

In short your diet should:

1. Promote a natural healthy insulin response
2. Promote a healthy bacterial friendly environment within the body
3. Inhibit (not promote) inflammation

And this can easily be done with a diet low in sugar and processed foods; gluten free and low in grains; high in healthy saturated fats and high quality protein, high in unpasteurized fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut, pickles and kombucha.  Remember, maintaining a healthy gut is the most important thing you can do to improve your health.  

Don't Ignore Chronic Inflammation!

I think for our health's sake this point cannot be stressed enough...

Don't Ignore Chronic Inflammation!

Being someone whose journey into the 'world of natural healing' started because of the relentless struggles with chronic inflammation, I feel even more obligated to share every little bit of knowledge I've picked up along the way... and continue to.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/07/inflammation-triggers-disease-symptoms.aspx

Whether or not you or someone you know suffers from some form of chronic inflammation (Crohn's, Celiac, Arthritis, Tendonitis, Asthma, Lupus, Heart Disease, Alzheimer's, etc.  ), reading the article link above may be the most important health related news you read all year!  I say this because even if you are not currently aware of a chronic inflammatory problem, if your diet is anything close to the typical American diet high in sugar, grains, and processed foods, you are already most likely years into one of the life threatening diseases.  But don't take my word for it, see for yourself.

Unfortunately in today's world it is nearly impossible, even for the super health conscious, to avoid all forms of toxins.  Fortunately though you can not only control but counteract environmental toxin exposure through a healthy diet low in sugar (including grains) and high in Saturated Fat (from an organic pastured animal source as well as from a raw organic coconut source), Omega-3, Fermented foods (of the homemade non-pasteurized variety) , fresh organic vegetables, Vitamin D (sunlight), and a few extra supplemental antioxidants.

I am not a doctor and I do not have a degree in the medical field.  I do however have years of personal experience suffering from the effects of a poor diet, and more importantly the astonishing positive effects of a healthy diet!

Stay Educated when it comes to your health.

Never assume and always question (the "norm").

And remember that a healthy lifestyle must start in the kitchen!

The need for human stool transplants are on the rise

In case you've never heard of a fecal transplant, it's a fairly new procedure that was designed to treat those infected with a bacterium called Clostridium difficile which typically occurs in people within hospital settings who are taking antibiotics.

Unfortunately the problem with antibiotics, and the reason I am so against them, is they indiscriminately wipe out all bacteria (good and bad) within the gut.  For this very reason it is crucial that anyone taking antibiotics take a probiotic as well.  This goes for those who are on antibiotics both short and long term.  As you know the gut (intestines) is by all accounts your immune system, and your immune system cannot function properly without healthy gut flora.

Despite this fact doctors in this country continue to indiscriminately over prescribe antibiotics, so its no wonder this new treatment may soon become standard procedure.  As alarming as this may sound (and is), the fact that this procedure is becoming more popular due to antibiotic usage is not what disturbs me the most.  It's the increasing number of cases in children who are not taking antibiotics, but who suffer none the less from Clostridium difficile.  I truly think this only strengthens the argument that Americans, from a young age, have extremely poor diets.

There is a direct undisputed correlation between diet and a healthy gut.  That is without a healthy diet you cannot have a healthy gut.  And anytime unhealthy bacteria have any kind of edge in the battle over your gut, you lose!

So what can you do to insure you maintain a healthy gut (immune system)?

For starters, eat plenty of fermented foods.  Not the store bought pasteurized version, but rather the homemade organic non-pasteurized kind.  It's fun and easy, and there are many types of fermented foods that you can make.

• My wife and I always have homemade sauerkraut on hand.  For those of you that don't know how sauerkraut is made, it is simply fermented cabbage; cabbage, salt, and patience.  Healthy bacteria do the rest.  
• Another favorite of ours is kefir.  This is a fermented food/drink made from milk (cow, sheep, goat) or as we like to use fresh young coconut milk.  The hardest part of this one is getting into the coconut, but once you've mastered that there's nothing to it.  Just add some kefir culture starter to the coconut milk and let it ferment for a few days.  Once again it's the healthy bacteria that do all the hard work.
• One type of fermented drink that my wife and I have yet to try (but plan to) is kombucha.  Kombucha is basically fermented tea but you can be creative and add your favorite fruit to add flavor.  This one requires a yeast culture called a SCOBY, but just like the other fermented foods nature does all the work.  Typical ingredients are usually black tea, although any caffeinated non-herbal tea will do the trick, sugar, your fruit of choice, and a SCOBY.  Although you can purchase a SCOBY online, I find something a little creepy about that which is why we are waiting for a friend of ours to accumulate some SCOBY babies that she can part with.  Yes these alien looking creatures reproduce, and it's the babies that allow you to have multiple batches of kombucha going at once.  Plus they make a tasty and healthy treat for your backyard free range chickens!  :-)

So the next time your doctor prescribes an antibiotic for you, ask for a probiotic as well!  And if he or she won't, go to your local health food store and pick one up.

Heartburn, another result of factory farming!

A recent article in health news states that Heartburn is on the rise and scientists don't know why, but once again I see a clear connection between factory farming and chronic diseases and disorders such as heartburn.

In the natural healing world heartburn is treated in two ways; long term through diet and short term affects with acid.  Yes you heard correctly, contrary to popular western medical beliefs reducing the acid in the gut is often the exact opposite of what should be done.  Many times HCL pills and or an apple cider vinegar regimen will be prescribed by N.D.'s, which is an exact contradiction to the M.D. treatment consisting of pharmaceuticals, either prescription or over the counter antacid of some sort.

Why such polar opposite treatments?

As I've mentioned many times before our countries medical field is greatly influenced by those companies that run our factory farmed food industry, and conveniently enough have a great stake in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Heartburn is a direct result of the unbalanced and compromised (inflamed) gut of the typical unhealthy American consuming a factory farmed based diet of processed foods, soda and candy, grains and grain derived additives.  These foods cause inflammation, disrupt stomach pH, and inhibit instead of promote healthy gut flora. 

Whether you consider yourself a healthy eater or not, if your diet consists of more than 20% processed foods (ideally 10% or less) you are consuming large amounts of sugar (both artificial and refined) as well as grain based.  It's important to remember that to the human body grains are essentially glucose (sugar), and should be consumed in very limited quantities and all gluten free!  Just like the harmful artificial and refined sugars, grains despite their nutrient content will ultimately cause undesirable spikes in blood sugar.  Over time the body becomes insulin resistant resulting in type 2 and *type 3 diabetes (*Alzheimer's).

The mass production of these destructive annual monocrops ultimately affects every human that does not consciously and actively avoid this lifestyle.  And these negative harmful effects come at you from all sides whether obvious or not.

1. These non-organic annual monocrops (corn, soy, wheat, etc.) require heavy doses of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers in order to grow in such nutrient depleted soil.  These deadly chemicals yield a nutrient lacking and toxic food for all those that consume it, and studies show high doses found in the end product and as a result within the body (human or animal).
2. All factory farm based (grocery store bought) meats, eggs, and dairy come from unhealthy animals fed a diet consisting mainly of grains (and soy).  This is an omega-6 rich diet, as opposed to an omega-3 rich diet (grass), and promotes inflammation within the body.
3. The overabundance in stock of these government subsidized crops results in the mass production of unhealthy toxic grain based food additives used to enhance flavor, add color, add synthetic nutrients, as isolated artificial sugars, and whatever else these creative scientists can come up with.
4.  Pharmaceutical companies are tied to these same chemical companies that profit so heavily from factory farming; Monsanto, Dow Chemical, BASF, Bayer, etc.
5. Current and future medical and biochemical research is heavily funded and influenced at the university level by these same chemical companies (Monsanto, Dow Chemical, BASF, Bayer, etc.).
6. All government agencies with the purpose of regulating our food industry (FDA, Dept. of Agriculture, etc.) have had and continue to have an "open door policy" at the upper level with their high level employees.

So what can we do to prevent this?

• Support your local organic sustainable farmers
• Eat only organic pastured meats, eggs, and dairy
• Limit the consumption of processed foods
• Buy only Organic Non-GMO foods 
• Find a reputable N.D. in your area 
• Prevent disease with a healthy diet and lifestyle instead of relying heavily on the pharmaceutical industry
• Stay educated and don't leave your health to someone who's ultimately tied to the very industry that is poisoning you.

How to stay healthy this flu season without the help of big pharma

With shorter days getting shorter by the minute and colder temperatures riding the coattails of autumn, it's only natural that images of your fevered sniffly achy self pathetically lying in bed or on the couch with a thermometer sticking out of  your mouth become more frequent, but haunting?  It doesn't have to be so.

So how then do you stay healthy when all those around you are willingly overdosing on cold and or flu medicine as if they had stock in the very pharmaceutical companies pushing these drugs?

Well for starters don't panic.  A healthy immune system is an amazing and surprisingly intelligent fighting machine.  It's the kind of thing all of the great Sci Fi  films are made of...  It learns, remembers, and attacks with precision strikes!  It has however one critical flaw, to learn and remember it has to first actually be exposed to... and therein lies the problem.

We have become a society of 'live unhealthy and let big pharma take care of the rest'... Who needs a working immune system when there is a shot, pill, or elixir just waiting to be had?  Well, if avoiding sickness and disease is your intention then the answer is you do!

I will share with you my secrets but first you should know it really is not a secret at all, and I really can't take any credit for it because much of it (that of which is not common sense or trial and error learned) is based on others research that I've simply picked up along the way.  So without further ado...

1. Maintain a healthy diet.  A rule of thumb should be if it promotes a healthy gut (digestive system) and inhibits inflammation (NOT promotes inflammation) while satisfying your inner carnivorous need for pastured animal protein, animal fat, and animal fat soluble vitamins, then it's a healthy diet. I recommend incorporating unpasteurized fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir into your diet, while avoiding gluten and minimizing grains as they are high in omega-6 which promotes inflammation.
2. Get some sun.  I am using sun as a synonym for Vit D, with the understanding that the sun is the healthiest most efficient and most natural source of 'D' available.  Avoid sun screen!
3. Exercise regularly.  My favorite exercise is hiking or running (barefoot) OUTSIDE on NATURAL surfaces.  Not only do you get the basic cardiovascular benefits of exercise as well as fresh air and sunlight, you also get the added benefit of 'grounding' and natural healing from barefoot contact with the earth due to the naturally occurring magnetic fields.  
4. Get sufficient rest.  Sleep is important period; no way around it, and insomnia or any chronic sleeping issues is a sure sign of unhealthier things to come. 
5. Take only good quality supplements.  Your best bet are whole food supplements when possible.  I take a fermented cod liver oil for omega-3 with the added benefit of vitamin D, A and K.  I also take a wild greens powder supplement which is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.
   
6. Eat local sustainably farmed meats, dairy, eggs, and veggies.  Most anything else you buy is a product of factory farming (grain fed, omega-3 deficient, antibiotic/hormone inoculated) animals.
7. Make sure any store bought foods are organic non-GMO.
8. Don't use pharmaceuticals!  Over-the-counter or Rx, and this includes vaccinations.
9. Don't use antibacterial soaps!
10. Avoid hospitals when possible.  For that matter avoid doctors as well...
11. Use only organic or chemical free products for all your hygiene needs.   This means fluoride free, sulfate free toothpaste.  Your dentist may tell you otherwise but if you do the research you will see that fluoridation of all types (drinking water or topical) is toxic not to mention fluoridated water is  byproduct of the phosphate chemical fertilizer industry!
12. Use only plant based chemical free (organic if possible) household cleaning products.
13. Practice some sort of meditation.  A stress free life is a healthy life.

Antibacterial, but at what cost?

My wife and I never buy antibacterial soap for use at home for a number of reasons one of which being that like antibiotics, antibacterial soaps kill all bacteria (good and bad) indiscriminately.  And more and more research shows that healthy bacteria, both inside and outside of our bodies, are absolutely crucial for your health.  Remember without the healthy bacteria sharing our bodies with us, and by sharing I mean physically out numbering us (bacteria to human cells), we would cease to exist!

Aside from that, as if another reason was needed, we choose our soaps as we do all the other hygiene products that we use; organic or at the very least chemical free, sulfate free, fluoride free (toothpaste), paraben free, and anything 'unnatural' free.  Because as you probably know by now non-organic products contain harmful chemicals, some listed and some not required to be, but all harmful none the less.  And this brings me to the driving force behind today's post...  Harmful Chemicals!

The soap you should never use but 75% of households do

The latest research shows that Triclosan, a bactericide used in many products, has been linked to one of the biggest killers today, heart disease!  Of course given the fact that it was first registered with the EPA in 1969 as a pesticide, harmful side effects due to this chemical shouldn't be too much of a surprise. 

These harmful effects include muscle function...
"After mice were exposed to one dose of triclosan, heart muscle function was reduced by 25 percent, and grip strength was reduced by 18 percent. Fish were also exposed to triclosan – about the equivalent dose as would be accumulated in a week in the wild – and this led to poorer swimming performance. Researchers also exposed individual human muscle cells (from heart and skeletal muscles) to a triclosan dose similar to everyday-life exposure, and this, too, disrupted muscle function and caused both heart and skeletal muscles to fail."   Articles on Mercola.com 8/29/12


... and  hormone function.
"A Toxicological Sciences study found that triclosan affected estrogen-mediated responses, and many chemicals that imitate estrogen are known to increase breast cancer risk.³ Triclosan also suppressed thyroid hormone in rats, and this is only one study in an accumulating body of research showing this chemical to be a potent endocrine disruptor."  Articles on Mercola.com 8/29/12

So for these reasons I never use antibacterial soap (at work, at home, or anywhere), it's simply healthier to use water alone if no other soap options are available.

Homemade Kefir

With fermented foods being so important in maintaining a healthy gut... healthy immune system... healthy you... and so easy to make, it's almost foolish not add these immune boosting disease preventing foods to your diet!

When I say they are easy to make, it's truly an understatement.  With bacteria doing 99% of the work, all you need is a little patience. As I've posted before, my wife and I make our own sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), our own pickles (fermented cucumbers and zucchini), and now we've added homemade coconut kefir to the list. 

All you need is a few young coconuts, some kefir starter, and time (about 36-48hrs). 

If you want to read more about the importance of fermented foods, follow this link and watch the video at the bottom of the page (after reading the article of course). 

This food contains 100 times more probiotic than a supplement.

Stay informed and stay healthy!

A Gut Check

If inflammation is the root of all evil (disease in all its forms) then the gut is the body's first, last, and only line of defense.

The term "gut" typically refers to the digestive track; stomach, intestines, etc. But the gut is far more than a group of organs working together, in fact the gut is a hotbed teaming with life. Home to hundreds of trillions of microorganisms (healthy bacteria), it's symbiosis at its best. But like any symbiotic relationship both sides have to be in perfect harmony with each other at all times. With each side totally dependent on each other, it is a powerful yet delicate balance that must be maintained. The beauty of this sort of relationship though is that each side benefits from the others existence. We provide a home (the gut) for the bacteria to flourish and in return they make digestion (life) possible, and without proper digestion we cannot survive. If we cannot breakdown our food properly we not only deprive our bodies of the key nutrients required for life, we damage our intestines compromising our immune systems. And a compromised immune system (gut) is a perfect environment for inflammation (disease) to thrive.

Back before agriculture reared its ugly head we were healthy hunter gatherers. Our diets were pure, free of all disease causing foods; refined sugars, refined flowers, processed foods, and grains in all their forms. Our digestive tract maintained that perfect pH balance that makes for a hospitable environment for our symbiont (intestinal flora). This of course all changed about 10 thousand years ago with the advent of agriculture, and from then on our loyal symbiont has been getting the short end of the stick. We poison ourselves daily with diets high in processed foods, refined sugars and flowers, and so many grains (whole grains, breads, pastas, cereals, cookies, cakes...) that our guts normal bacteria friendly environment becomes an unbalanced inflamed mess.

But the rise of agriculture and decline of our health wasn't an instantaneous event. In its infancy we still had no processed foods, no refined (white) sugars, no refined (white) flowers, and no high fructose corn syrup. And just as significant, we had no means of preserving foods beyond the most natural and basic of methods... fermentation! This meant that all of these new foods, primarily grains and dairy, were often fermented in order to consume, in the case of grains and legumes, and or to preserve, in the case of dairy. And the amazing thing about this natural method of food preserving and preparation, is that fermentation like digestion requires help from these same microorganisms (bacteria). Without bacteria fermentation, or the breakdown of carbohydrates (sugar), would not be possible.

Fermented foods are not only easier to digest then their unfermented counterparts due to the elimination anti-nutrients, but they also become a healthier food containing increased levels of nutrients (vitamins, proteins, amino acids...) as well as an excellent source of healthy bacteria.

So this tells me that agriculture (grains and dairy) at its most primitive early state was not the cancer to our health that it has evolved into (factory farming). So what can we as people currently living in agriculture's most deadly years do to protect ourselves? We can eat primarily locally grown organic produce and grass fed meats. We can greatly reduce our intake of processed foods. We can significantly cut back on our grain consumption. And we can do our guts a favor and start living up to our end of the bargain... Eat more fermented foods!

Inflammation Will Kill You!

I spent nearly all of my twenty's into my early thirty's suffering from many inflammation problems. My demons were food allergies (soy and dairy) and tendonitis in nearly all of my joints. It was a horrible time in my life but now that I feel I have turned the corner to a tendonitis free life I believe I owe all that I've learned and what I continue to learn to the very inflammation that haunted me; my food allergies!

I can tell you from my own allergy experiences, as well as my own personal research that I've done, as a result of my allergies, in this personal quest to achieve optimal health, that food/seasonal allergies, migraines, arthritis, tendonitis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and all of the many chronic inflammatory diseases have one major factor in common... Inflammation. In some form or another inflammation is at the root cause of nearly all the ailments that the western diet causes. I can also say that the more research I do the more the finger gets pointed at grains and legumes such as soy. They are very high in Omega-6 which by nature promotes inflammation, as apposed to Omega-3 which is a natural anti-inflammatory. The ratio in a humans diet, of Omega-6 to 3, should be any where from 2:1 to 1:1, but instead the average American diet promotes omega-6 to 3 ratios as high as 20:1 which is an inflammatory disaster! Americans get it from the meats eggs and dairy they consume because of factory farming, animals fed a diet consisting solely of grain instead of free-ranging (i.e. grass), as well as all from grains consumed either directly (whole grains, breads, pastas, and crackers) or indirectly in the form of vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup and whatever else science can manipulate the corn or soy molecule into... Sad but true. We are by nature not designed to eat this way (diets so high in grains).

We are Omnivorous with the emphasis on Carnivorous not herbivorous.

I believe that those that suffer from food allergies are blessed with a warning that others never get until it's too late. So I urge you to do the research and let it take you beyond your soy or gluten or dairy allergies. Find out for yourself why eating locally raised grass fed meats eggs and dairy are so important. Find out why locally grown organic everything is so important. Find out why diets based so heavily around annual monocrops such as soy (legumes) and corn (grains) are so unhealthy. Find out why perennial polyculture is so important not only to our health but to sustainability. And most of all Live happy and healthy!

Homemade Sauerkraut

Why buy sauerkraut when you can make arguably the best tasting sauerkraut you have ever had... and far more nutritious then whatever has been sitting on the grocery store shelf. The ingredients are few and the health benefits many!

Cabbage- 1 or 2 heads (I have since graduated to 4 heads at a time)
Sea Salt- 1tsp per head (or to taste)
patients

Slice the cabbage into the thin strips you are accustom to seeing in sauerkraut. In a large bowl mix together the cabbage and sea salt, really working it with your hands.

What you're trying to do here is use the sea salt as a natural desiccant, drawing the water out of the cabbage, so really squeeze and mash the cabbage with your hands.

Do this once every hour for about 4 hours (the more the merrier), letting it sit out on the counter between each "mashing". Once you have drawn enough water out where the cabbage can be fully submerged in its own juices, it's time to let nature do its thing. Find a container to store the cabbage in like a crock, using something pressing down on top of it to keep it submerged; I use a medium size pyrex bowl with a mason jar filled with water inside the bowl for added weight. Do not cover the outer container that the cabbage is in, since the fermentation process will release gasses that need to escape. Let it sit for about 4 weeks in a cool dry area, and that's all there is to it.

This is a re-post of a previous "Recipe of the Week" that I put on my blog this past fall. I bring this up because even though I am posting this now I recommend making you sauerkraut in the fall/winter when cabbage is in season!

Enjoy!