Welcome to the third instalment of The Cultured Collective's blog series Eat & Greet where we're talking all things food, health and wellness with some of our favourite people and sharing delicious recipes to inspire you to get experimenting with kimchi and sauerkraut. This month we sat down with Jeannette Hyde, nutritional therapist and author of The Gut Makeover, and The Gut Makeover Recipe Book.
Hello Jeannette! Please let our readers know a little about your work...
The Gut Makeover book was at the forefront of the gut health revolution when it was first published in 2015. I took the new science of the microbiome (the powerful bacteria living in our guts) and designed a diet to optimise it, for overall better health. I’m currently writing a new book, due for release on the 21st January - 10 Hour Diet: Lose weight and turn back the clock using time restricted eating
What practical, actionable steps can we take to look after our guts - any top tips?
We need to add in lots of variety of different plant foods for good gut health (eg vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, legumes, extra virgin olive oil nuts and seeds), and lots of live foods. Live foods are ones which contain probiotic bacteria that confer a health benefit on the person they are. Live foods become live through fermentation.
How would you describe your own approach to health and wellness? Has this changed over time?
Before going into nutrition I was a journalist and I didn’t eat very healthily. You should have seen the rubbish I ate! I had a burn out which led to my training as a nutritionist because I was so passionate about how diet and lifestyle is crucial to staying mentally and physically healthy.
We’re hearing a lot about the relationship between our guts and immune systems - can you explain this link to our readers?
The current Coronavirus pandemic is making a lot of people think more carefully about what they could do to support their health. Gut health is a very simple practice that may help support your immune system. The microbes in the gut are involved in cross talk with our immune system and keep it functioning well for us. Eating live foods such as sauerkraut, raw unpasteurised cheese, and sourdough bread all contain bacteria which can be parachuted into the gut and help create a healthy microbiome which in turn can send the right messages to your immune system to work right.
I’m a big fan of Cultured Collective foods because they are a great way to get live food into your diet quickly and easily. They also taste delicious.
Where can our readers find you?
Find me on Instagram @jeannettehydenutrition , Twitter @jeannettehyde and Facebook.
Please share one of your favourite ways to enjoy The Cultured Collective's ferments with our readers.
This recipe is a typical ten-minute high tea dish which is easy to assemble in 10 minutes – using key staples that store well in the fridge so you can have them quick to hand when needed. Great if you want a quick meal for one person. Just scale up the quantities using 2 slices of bread per person if you need to feed more.
Jeannette Hyde's Rarebit w Gruyere & Smoked Chipotle Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of sourdough bread
- 75g Gruyere cheese grated
- 4 TBS of The Cultured Collective Smoked Chipotle Sauerkraut
- 1 TBS of French mustard
- 1 TBS of Worcestershire sauce
Method:
1. Toast the bread in a toaster lightly.
2. Mix the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce together in bowl and mash together with a fork.
3. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the toasted bread and place under the grill inside your oven (most regular ovens have a grill setting). Toast for about five minutes or till the cheese mixture starts to melt and blister.