Pre & Pro biotics – By Karina Paskin, our Clinical Nutritionist
Our microbiome, the collection of naturally occurring organisms that live on and in our body, functions as part of our immune system helping to protect our body from infection. Probiotics are a useful way to support your microbiome which also supports your gut health.
Foods rich in probiotics are often called ‘functional foods’ as the benefits go beyond the vitamins and minerals found in the food. These foods include, but are not limited to; sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha, yogurt, kefir, tempeh and miso.
Another great way to support your microbiome is to eat plenty of fibre. Fibre is not only great for keeping your bowels regular, fibre also provides food to your microbiome. Fibre rich foods are also referred to as prebiotic foods for this reason. These foods include, but are not limited to; dark leafy green vegetables, avocado, seeds such as chia or sunflower, seaweed, oats, buckwheat, lentils and beans.
One of my favourite recipes for a probiotic and prebiotic dish is Wakame Avocado Salad, this recipe has been getting a lot of use at my house as the dressing is always a crowd favourite with its blend of sweet and salty and works as a side salad for almost any meal.
Base of the salad;
½ avocado, sliced
3 cups roughly chopped lettuce of your choice
2 teaspoons wakame rehydrated in cold water
For the dressing, stir till smooth;
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp white miso paste
½ tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
To serve;
½ teaspoon ground roasted sesame
Arrange all base salad ingredients on a large plate, dress with miso dressing and top with ground sesame!
Serves 1