The coaching group that I am a part of recently brought up this idea of 10%. What does that mean? It's this idea that in our quest to live healthier lives, there is always a 10% something that we could do better, every day. The beauty of this idea is that 10% is not a whole lot when you look at the span of your entire day, but doing this one thing every day, can truly make a difference in the long run.
So for me, the 10% I decided on doing better was adding in fermented foods. I decided to add sauerkraut to at least 1 meal a day (for me, the easiest to do this has been lunch), consistently, every day. (Good thing I realized that I actually really like sauerkraut). Throughout my course in Integrative Nutrition, I have been learning about the importance of good gut health, and fermented foods are a key player in creating a healthy gut. They are a huge source of probiotics and aid in the balance of beneficial bacteria over the bad, disease-causing bacteria that also reside there.
And why the gut? More and more research is showing that many diseases start with inflammation in your digestive system. Things like cancer, heart disease, autoimmune issues -- they all start with inflammation and much of it is caused by an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract. Did you also know that a HUGE proportion of your immune system resides in your gut? 70-80% of your immune tissue is located in your digestive system. AND, a ridiculously large percentage of the serotonin (your "feel good hormone") your body produces is made in your gut! Even though serotonin is a well known brain neurotransmitter, science is telling us that 90% of it is produced in your gut. Talk about gut-brain connection.
SOOOO, back to my 10%. I know that if I can do things in my everyday to help my digestive system, I'm making huge strides in my overall health. It all boils down to adding a little sauerkraut to my lunch...isn't that pretty cool? I thought so :). What's your 10%? I'd love to know! Share in the comments below!