If you’re battling to curb your cravings for unhealthy food, you might be going about it all wrong, according to one expert.
Resisting the urge for sugary snacks and ultra-processed foods is notoriously challenging, but one specialist has suggested that it’s not as simple as a ‘mind over matter’ battle as many perceive it to be.
In fact, it’s less about the mind and more about something else entirely – fermented foods – which have been described as a ‘superfood’ in transforming a person’s gut health, and also reducing issues such as inflammation.
Speaking on The Drs Kitchen podcast, fermentation guru Kirsten Shockey delved into the science behind our food preferences and shared her personal experience of altering her cravings – which saw her own body ‘switch off’ from wanting sweet food.
After sharing her journey from fermenting her own food to building businesses around it, Kirsten revealed some of the benefits she noticed when her family made the switch.
She said: “My husband likes to tell this story that he had a perfectly well-developed sweet tooth until we started eating a lot of fermented foods and then his gut started changing. That jelly doughnut, he wasn’t going to reach for it, it didn’t sound good.”
Digging deeper into the science, Kirsten explained: “One of the fascinating things is that the gut microbes determine our cravings. If you feel guilty about your cravings, blame your gut, it’s not your fault!
“It’s the gut saying; ‘Send down the chocolate croissant,’ it’s not your brain. That’s part of that gut-mind connection,” Kirsten remarked, highlighting the significant shift in sugar cravings when individuals adopt a fermented food diet.
She elaborated on the phenomenon, stating that by not indulging the microbes that thrive on sugar, their numbers dwindle, allowing other beneficial microbes to flourish: “As you’re not feeding the sugar lovers that might be down there as much, those populations are going to lessen. Some populations of other microbes are going to come in their place.”
Kirsten also provided a practical solution for those who lack the know-how or time to ferment foods at home, offering advice on selecting fermented products from stores.
She advised: “If you’re going to the grocery store, it’s really important you head to the refrigerator section if you want live fermented foods because these will be unpasteurised.
“You’re not going to find a live, probiotic, fermented food on regular shelves. Look for unpasteurised, raw might also be on the label…You can eat and enjoy the benefits of so many fermented foods without ever having to make them yourself.”