SIT-UP exercise - Safe or dangerous?

Today, I'm going reveal the truth about sit-ups. For 6 packs lovers, sit-ups addicts, fitness enthusiasts, sports athletes as well as general population, this one is for you. Everywhere I go, outdoor parks, gyms, and even videos on internet and exercise articles in the magazines, sit-ups looks familiar and part of the so called '6 packs abs'  or core workout regime. 

I used to do 100 sit-ups every day when I was young, for months and months, and I wondered, where is my 6 packs? Why do I have back pain? All I knew at that time, was to follow what gym members did and I thought it was safe and effective abs exercise to build a nice defined 6 packs abs. Boy, was I wrong after I learnt about the biomechanics of how core muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings and back muscles are directly related and working together as a 'system'. 

Alot of people aren't aware that low back pain, is associated with tight hip flexors. There are other factors which causes back problems but I will focus on sit-ups today. Now, let's start with why sit-ups is not an ideal abs exercise and how does it harm your body. First of all, let's talk about protecting your lower back. When you do sit-ups, it involves repetitive hip and spinal flexion.Why is it dangerous? It's simple. Performing this movement regularly will lead to tight hip flexors. Sitting alot also enables your hip flexors to be short, weak and tight. People who regularly watch TVs, playing online games or computers and office junkies all commonly have tight hip flexors. Hip flexors are a group of muscles that crosses the hip and one of them call psoas attaches to the lumbar spine. When you have tight hip flexors, you have more of a pull on your lower back, and that is not a good thing. When you are in standing position, your body will have a natural lower back curve aka lordosis. But, when you are in sitting position, you lose that natural low back curve and you are essentially sitting on your tailbone and compress the intervertebral discs. And when you perform repetitive sit-ups, it causes 'wear and tear' to the  intervertebral discs, which acts as a cushioning to the vertebrae and the spine. Also, it may cause herniated disc by constant wedging force of the sit-ups motion.  

As you can see in the photo below(herniated disc), the liquid inside the dics actually has started to sip out and impinges on the nerve that run down the spine. That is why you get the severe shooting pain down the back of the legs. Also, when you perform a simple lifting from the floor, especially when it comes to bad lifting without bending your legs and hinging from the hip, you are basically doing a standing version of a sit-up. You could end up hurting your back easily. Sometimes it doesn't have to be something heavy and could simply be just a pencil on the floor.

Now, sit-up exercise, actually perpetuates the flexion dominance position that we tend to take up during the day. What we really for a stronger core and abs, is to build the solid foundation before any other so called  '6 packs abs' movements or exercises. I'm talking about the deep core muscles which provide movement between your upper and lower body. Once you have established and built a strong foundation of your core muscles, then only think of getting a defined sculpted abs. If you build your core on a very weak foundation, you are predisposing yourself to a lifetime of bad problems. Poor foundation leads to increased risks of injuries and everything else. Imagine building a brick house with woods?

So, the million dollar question. How do you build a strong core muscles? Is there any secret to it? From my point of view, there is no secrets to it, but you need to understand what are your core muscles and the foundation of what builds a strong solid core. You must target all your core muscles and not only your abs muscles.  The CORE is not consists of only abs or so called 6 packs muscles! You must stabilize the muscles around your spine before any movement. Remember, stability before movement. This is a very important concept to understand. The lumbar spine is not meant to twist and move, the main function is stability.

Finally, if sit-up exercises is dangerous and not ideal for building a strong core and abs muscles, what types of exercises to perform? Again, foundation is the main priority and emphasize on stability exercises for at least a few weeks before moving into any dynamic movements. There are tons of much safer and effective exercises to target your core and abdominal muscles. Some of them are front and side plank in static holding position. The whole point here, is to avoid repetitive hip and spinal flexion, as well as recruit all core muscles and not only one muscle group. Most people misunderstood that the CORE, is just the abs muscles and what do they do? They keep hitting the abs muscles performing primarily sit-ups or crunches exercises day in day out. As a result, your body developed muscles imbalances and that is definitely not good for your health, body, performance, or any or your regular strength or movement trainings including sports.

To recap, why performing sit-up exercise is a bad idea and dangerous?

- Creates a lot of stress and load on your spine and intervertebral discs.
- Only strengthens one group of CORE muscles, e.g rectus abdominus.
- Creates dangerous muscle imbalances.

Herniated disc, liquid of the disc sipping out and impinges the nerve

Hip Flexor 

Typical sit-up exercise. "Oh no, my lower back hurts!"

Clinical Biomechanics Journal:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11114441

Fermented foods : Traditional way of eating, foundation of gut flora (Part 3)

Today, I'm going to write the final post about fermented foods. Does anyone at home ever prepared fermented foods? If yes, how often? When I asked this question to most people I know, the answer mostly is NO. Well, most modern people have lost touch with traditional foods, especially fermented nutrient dense foods. 

Alot of people especially in the 21st century, have forgotten the importance of traditional fermented foods which has nourished our ancestors for generations. Western and Amercian diets have replaced the nutrient dense eating tradition, and we have evolved for the past 30-50 years or so, becoming more and more malnutrition, apart from being sicker and fatter.

If you would to randomly as any young adults and easily 5 out of 10 people, may not know what whole foods fermentation is all about. But McDonald's and Pizza? Oh yeah, everyone knows about it. There are even some people who eat yogurt, cheese and butter, don't even know those are fermented form of foods. But if in the form of commercial yogurts, butter and cheese, I would not recommend as these types of foods are loaded with toxins and chemicals derived from sick cows.

As I've mentioned briefly in earlier posts, fermented foods are basically foods which are produced in a way that intentionally encourages the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and/of yeasts. Fermented foods can be made from a starter that acts as an innoculant to introduce specific bacteria into a food, or can be made by encouraging the proliferation of bacteria and yeasts already present in the environment or on the food. Common fermented foods also includes chocolate, anchovies, yogurts and etc.

Fermented foods played many roles if you looked at traditional societies and some primitive tribes. Many of us look at fermented foods as a way to preserve the harvets for a long-term storage, and in extreme latitude, fermentation did fulfill this function. Traditional peoples in northern Europe salted cabbage to make sauerkraut that could last all winter long. In East Asian cultures, especially in cold climates, did the same with cabbage as well as other vegetables.

However, traditional societies from all around the globe fermented foods regardless of a need to extend the harvest. In some areas of South America, where food can be found year round, they will consume Chicha de Yuca. Many equatorial African societies also ferment their foods.

Question, why do we stop consuming fermented foods? Can anyone take a wild guess? Yes, the invention of refrigeration in the early 20th century. Fermentation began to decline in the 19th century and fell largely out of favor at the turn of the 20th century. The process of canning fruits and vegetables, which came into wide spread use during the 19th century, coupled with the invention of refrigeration reduced the need for fermentation as a food preservation strategy. Without this pressing need to preserve our foods for the long term storage, we kind of stop fermenting foods at least in western and industrialized nations, and thus, we see the decline in health status globally as well.

Later on, with wider recognition of bacteria and germs, modern society became obsessed with cleanliness and hygiene. We have anti-mibrobial sprays, anti-bacterial cleaning agents and tons of other substances and products which started the war on bacteria. The eradication of microbes became a goal not only in commercial food operations, but at home as well. Subsequently, national health declined. As we stopped eating traditional foods, we have reduced the consumption of beneficial bacteria which is found mainly in fermented foods and beverages. It plays a critical role in gut health and immunity and most people is not aware if this fact. 

Now, let's talk abit about hygiene hypothesis. Our modern war on bacteria is primarily about absence of fermented foods, excessive cleanliness, avoidance of mud, dirt and farm life, and we no longer allow our children to play in the dirt anymore. What happen is we do not allow our immune system being trained to and when you coupled that with lack of breastfeeding during infant, the babies were not given the important immunity by the mother's beneficial bacteria from breast milk. Raw milk, human's milk, cow's milk all these different types of milks provide critical immunity and defense against infections especially when you talk about lauric acid and colostrum and dense with beneficial bacteria. If you put a dose of anti-biotics to the infant's gut with addition of depleted beneficial bacteria, the gut flora and immune system is severely imbalanced. With that, it leaves us open to health conditions such as asthma, allergies, autoimmune disorders and even cancer. 

In a normal and healthy body, bacteria actually outnumber our body's own cells. We are more bacteria then human. These microbes, as well as the microbes in our environment and in fermented foods actually train the immune system to function properly as well as fulfilling other important roles. It modulates immune system response and it keeps us alive and healthy. That is why, studies have shown that chidren raised in farms and consumed organic grass fed raw milk have fewer incidence of asthma and allergies.

People asked me, how fermented foods impact our health? Well, first of all, fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria that populate the gut, helping to recover from gut dysbiosis and conditions related to gut dysbiosis. Fermented foods are rich in food enzymes which help us to better break down the foods we consume, thus, reducing the stress or load on the body's organs/glands. Example, if you consume honey, it contains amylase, which is an enzyme to break down the sugar in your body during ingestion process. Also, lipase and lactase are also enzymes found in raw milk, which are important to digest fats and lactose. So what happens is it doesn't force your body into producing more enzymes to break down these macronutrients, thus less stress on the body's organs and glands.

Fermentation also increases the levels of vitamins which are already in the foods. Imagine you are getting a double dose of vitamins content in any consumed foods, in this case, fermented foods. Example, sourdough breads have much higher folate levels then commercially quick rise breads. Fermented foods are also strongly anti-carcinogenic. One of them is kefir which is one of the best foods which is strongly anti-carcinogenic.

Kefir studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21390946
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3345116/                           

Now, some of you might be wondering, what do i need to ferment? Which types of foods? Well, it's easy. Number 1, you need something to ferment, it could be beet (beet kvass), cabbage and salt (sauerkraut), cucumbers, pickles, etc. Number 2, you need something to fermented in, you need certain bags or bottles,  crocks, mason jar, something which you can preserve and you don't need any special equipments. Just allow the bacteria some period of time to consume the carbohydrates in the foods and you are set to go. Example, if you like preparing yogurts pr cultured dairy products, give at least 8 hours, up to maybe 40 hours or so. Fermented vegetables typically take longer time period, maybe a week or more. Finally, finishing and storing your ferments. The time it takes to ferment the vegetables varies wildly depending on the time of the year, quantity fermented and also your preference of flavor. Smaller amounts require less time then large amounts.  If you are fermenting gallons of foods, it may take up to months for the bacteria to eat up the carbohydrates. The longer it sits at room temperature, the more complex the flavor becomes. 

Once the fermented food achieves the flavor you like, then you can halt the fermentation by transferring it to cold storage such as fridge, root cellar, basement, etc. Taste it and ask yourself if you like the flavor. It's quite subjective and it depends on each individual how they prefer specific flavor. Before I sign off, there is one more thing which I would need to share with you guys. If you would to find mold on your ferment, especially for those fermenting large amounts in large barrels, bear in mind, it is not abnormal. Don't freak out or anything. If a 'film' develops on the brine or surface of your ferment, simply lift it off with a spoon. Using airlocks devices such as specifically designed crocks will reduce the likelihood of the top of your ferment being contaminated by molds and stray microbes. As long as solid materials are your fermented foods are not actively exposed to air, your ferment will be safe. 

As for beginners, try one thing at a time, master it and move on. Don't let yourself become overwhelmed! You don't need to make three kinds of yogurts, kefir and five fermented vegetables at once. Easy things to try out including yogurts, sour pickles, sauerkraut and maybe anchovies. So, enjoy fermenting your own foods! Try it out! 

Fermented foods : Traditional way of eating, foundation of gut flora (Part 2)

When was the last time you dine in Japanese or local Indonesian cuisine? Remember miso soup, natto as well as tempe? Yes, those are some of the local fermented foods which is part of the staple foods for traditional Japanese and Indonesians. Talking about these foods, I love it, especially tempe. 

Today, let's continue with the topic of fermentation of foods, and the types of different fermented foods which are available globally. Now, Numerous fermented foods are consumed around the world. Each nation has its own types of fermented food, representing the staple diet and the raw ingredients available in that particular place. Although the products are well know to the individual, they may not be associated with fermentation. Indeed, it is likely that the methods of producing many of the worlds fermented foods are unknown and came about by chance. Some of the more obvious fermented fruit and vegetable products are the alcoholic beverages such as beers and wines. However, several more fermented fruit and vegetable products arise from lactic acid fermentation and are extremely important in meeting the nutritional requirements of a large proportion of the worlds population. 

Which organisms are responsible for the fermentation of foods? Primarily, they consist of bacterias, mould and yeasts. Several bacterial families are present in foods, the majority of which are concerned with food spoilage. As a result, the important role of bacteria in the fermentation of foods is often overlooked. The most important bacteria in desirable food fermentations are the lactobacillaceae which have the ability to produce lactic acid from carbohydrates. 

Next, yeasts and yeast-like fungi are widely distributed in nature. They are present in orchards and vineyards, in the air, the soil and in the intestinal tract of animals. Like bacteria and moulds, yeasts can have beneficial and non-beneficial effects in foods. Yeasts are unicellular organisms that reproduce asexually by budding. In general, yeasts are larger than most bacteria. Yeasts play an important role in the food industry as they produce enzymes that favour desirable chemical reactions such as the leavening of bread and the production of alcohol and invert sugar.

How about moulds? Moulds are also important organisms in the food industry, both as spoilers and preservers of foods. Certain moulds produce undesirable toxins and contribute to the spoilage of foods. The Aspergillus species are often responsible for undesirable changes in foods. These moulds are frequently found in foods and can tolerate high concentrations of salt and sugar. However, others impart characteristic flavours to foods and others produce enzymes, such as amylase for bread making. Moulds from the genus Penicillium are associated with the ripening and flavour of cheeses. Moulds are aerobic and therefore require oxygen for growth. They also have the greatest array of enzymes, and can colonise and grow on most types of food. Moulds do not play a significant role in the desirable fermentation of fruit and vegetable products.

When microorganisms metabolise and grow they release by-products. In food fermentations the by-products play a beneficial role in preserving and changing the texture and flavour of the food substrate. For example, acetic acid is the by-product of the fermentations of some fruits. This acid not only affects the flavour of the final product, but more importantly has a preservative effect on the food. For food fermentations, micro-organisms are often classified according to these by-products. The fermentation of milk to yoghurt involves a specific group of bacteria called the lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus species). This is a general name attributed to those bacteria which produce lactic acid as they grow. Acidic foods are less susceptible to spoilage than neutral or alkaline foods and hence the acid helps to preserve the product. Fermentations also result in a change in texture. In the case of milk, the acid causes the precipitation of milk protein to a solid curd.

Now, let's talk abit about enzymes. What is the role of enzymes in fermentation? The changes that occur during fermentation of foods are the result of enzymic activity. Enzymes are complex proteins produced by living cells to carry out specific biochemical reactions. They are known as catalysts since their role is to initiate and control reactions, rather than being used in a reaction. Each enzyme has requirements at which it will operate most efficiently. Extremes of temperature and pH will denature the protein and destroy enzyme activity. Because they are so sensitive, enzymic reactions can easily be controlled by slight adjustments to temperature, pH or other reaction conditions. Microbial enzymes play a role in the fermentation of fruits and vegetables.

Nearly all food fermentations are the result of more than one micro-organism, either working together or in a sequence. For example, vinegar production is a joint effort between yeast and acetic acid forming bacteria. The yeast convert sugars to alcohol, which is the substrate required by the acetobacter to produce acetic acid. In general, growth will be initiated by bacteria, followed by yeasts and then moulds. There are definite reasons for this type of sequence. The smaller micro-organisms are the ones that multiply and take up nutrients from the surrounding area most rapidly. Bacteria are the smallest of micro-organisms, followed by yeasts and moulds. 

It is essential with any fermentation to ensure that only the desired bacteria, yeasts or moulds start to multiply and grow on the substrate. This has the effect of suppressing other micro-organisms which may be either pathogenic and cause food poisoning or will generally spoil the fermentation process, resulting in an end-product which is neither expected or desired. An everyday example used to illustrate this point is the differences in spoilage between pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. Unpasteurised milk will spoil naturally to produce a sour tasting product which can be used in baking to improve the texture of certain breads. Pasteurised milk, however, spoils (non-desirable fermentation) to produce an unpleasant product which has to be disposed of. The reason for this difference is that pasteurisation (despite being a very important process to destroy pathogenic micro-organisms) changes the micro-organism environment and if pasteurised milk is kept unrefrigerated for some time, undesirable micro-organisms start to grow and multiply before the desirable ones. In the case of unpasteurised milk, the non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria start to grow and multiply at a greater rate that any pathogenic bacteria. Not only do the larger numbers of lactic acid bacteria compete more successfully for the available nutrients, but as they grow they produce lactic acid which increases the acidity of the substrate and further suppresses the bacteria which cannot tolerate an acid environment. So, for milk lovers, do take note. 

Let's now discuss abit about few factors which regards to microbial activity and growth for fermentation. First of all, water is essential for the growth and metabolism of all cells. If it is reduced or removed, cellular activity is decreased. For example, the removal of water from cells by drying or the change in state of water (from liquid to solid) affected by freezing, reduces the availability of water to cells (including microbial cells) for metabolic activity. The form in which water exists within the food is important as far as microbial activity is concerned. There are two types of water - free and bound. Bound water is present within the tissue and is vital to all the physiological processes within the cell. Free water exists in and around the tissues and can be removed from cells without seriously interfering with the vital processes. Free water is essential for the survival and activity of micro-organisms. Therefore, by removing free water, the level of microbial activity can be controlled.

Next, oxygen. Oxygen is essential to carry out metabolic activities that support all forms of life. Free atmospheric oxygen is utilised by some groups of micro-organisms, while others are able to metabolise the oxygen which is bound to other compounds such as carbohydrates. This bound oxygen is in a reduced form. Micro-organisms can be broadly classified into two groups - aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobes grow in the presence of atmospheric oxygen while anaerobes grow in the absence of atmospheric oxygen. In the middle of these two extremes are the facultative anaerobes which can adapt to the prevailing conditions and grow in either the absence or presence of atmospheric oxygen. Moulds do not grow well in anaerobic conditions, therefore they are not important in terms of food spoilage or beneficial fermentation, in conditions of low oxygen availability.

Also, temperature is another factor which is important when it comes to foods fermentation. Temperature affects the growth and activity of all living cells. At high temperatures, organisms are destroyed, while at low temperatures, their rate of activity is decreased or suspended. How about the pH level? Yes, hydrogen ions do plays a role as the pH of a substrate is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration. A food with a pH of 4.6 or less is termed a high acid or acid food and will not permit the growth of bacterial spores. Foods with a pH above 4.6. are termed low acid and will not inhibit the growth of bacterial spores. By acidifying foods and achieving a final pH of less than 4.6, most foods are resistant to bacterial spoilage. The optimum pH for most micro-organisms is near the neutral point (pH 7.0). Certain bacteria are acid tolerant and will survive at reduced pH levels. Notable acid-tolerant bacteria include the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species, which play a role in the fermentation of dairy and vegetable products. Moulds and yeasts are usually acid tolerant and are therefore associated with spoilage of acidic foods.

Apart from these factors, there is also something called controlled fermentation. Controlled fermentations are used to produce a range of fermented foods, including sauerkraut, pickles, olives, vinegar, dairy and other products. Controlled fermentation is a form of food preservation since it generally results in a reduction of acidity of the food, thus preventing the growth of spoilage micro-organisms. The two most common acids produced are lactic acid and acetic acid, although small amounts of other acids such as propionic, fumaric and malic acid are also formed during fermentation. Today, there are numerous examples of controlled fermentation for the preservation and processing of foods. However, only a few of these have been studied in any detail, these include sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, beer, wine and vinegar production.

Finally, I hereby present to you a list of fermented foods from around the world. Stay tuned.

Fermented Foods: 

Acar, lemon pickle, pickle, gundruk (Indian continent)
Tempoyak, Paw Tsay, Sunki, Santol, Tempe, Kiam Chai - (South East Asia)
Szechwan cabbage, kimchi, Nozawana, Miso, Natto, Takuan - (East Asia)
Fruits vinegar, Ogili, hibiscus seeds - (Africa)
Olives, Sauerkraut, Dill pickles, Wines - (Americas)
Kushuk, Wines, Olives, Tursu - (Middle East)
Olives, Sauerkraut, Kefir, Grape Vinegar, Wines, Cheese, Yogurt- (Europe & World)

Elevation Mask Training: A brief morning workout!

Decided to take a minute to kickstart my metabolism and get some 'serious' breathing going on with my Elevation Mask Training toy. I just need to boost my metabolism and play with it a little this morning, to take a quick break from blogging my next post, before I hit my shower and breakfast. 

I have to say it is a rare piece of unconventional training tool, and I have to say it is one awesome piece of tool if you want a whole new level of fitness and performance training. It stimulate high altitude training and it also increases lung capacity and mental and physical stamina becomes better. An efficient yet great way to challenge your anaerobic threshold and cardiovascular fitness to a whole new level. You will also learn how to control breathing against resistances as well. How about a greater capacity of anaerobic and VO2MAX? How about a brief 30-60 secs or so or run up the stairs? But for those with weak heart, poor fitness, taking prescription drugs or suffering from pulmonary disorders, I would NOT recommend to try this at all. Besides, don't get freak out if you go jogging wearing this mask outdoor and everyone is staring at you like an alien invading the earth! Anyway, I just love this new training tool of mine, it's just unusually awesome and challenging in a different way. Enjoy the video! 

Fermented foods : Traditional way of eating, foundation of gut flora (Part 1)

For the last few months or so, I've been having a lot of conversations to some people I know, educating them the importance of eating fermented foods, and incorporating these vital foods into our diet, in regular basis. Some looked clueless, some seemed to know a little bit about it, but most people I spoken to, does not know the importance of integrating these 'ancient' foods into their daily diet and nutrition. Would I blame them? Of course not. Today, I will share with you why having fermented foods as part of out diet is so important to all of us.

First of all, what is fermented foods? Fermentation is one of the oldest forms of food preservation technologies in the world. Indigenous fermented foods such as bread, cheese and wine, have been prepared and consumed for thousands of years and are strongly linked to culture and tradition, especially in rural households and village communities. 

The development of fermentation technologies is lost in the mists of history. Anthropologists have suggested that it was the production of alcohol that motivated primitive people to settle down and become agriculturists. Some even think the consumption of fermented food is pre-human. The first fermented foods consumed probably were fermented fruits. Hunter gatherers would have consumed fresh fruits but at times of scarcity would have eaten rotten and fermented fruits. Repeated consumption would have led to the development of the taste for fermented fruits. 

Bread-making probably originated in Egypt over 3,500 years ago. Several triangular loaves of bread have been found in ancient tombs. Fermentation of milk started in many places with evidence of fermented products in use in Babylon over 5,000 years ago. China is thought to be the birth-place of fermented vegetables. I can't 100% confirm it, but based on what I could remember from what I studied before, these are the information I gathered, but you could always research and find out the origins of where certain fermented foods actually originated. 

Knowledge about traditional fermentation technologies has been handed down from parent to child, for centuries. These fermented products have been adapted over generations; some products and practices no doubt fell by the wayside. Those that remain today have not only survived the test of time but also more importantly are appropriate to the technical, social and economic conditions of the region. 

Fermentation is a relatively efficient, low energy preservation process which increases the shelf life and decreases the need for refrigeration or other form of food preservation technology. It is therefore a highly appropriate technique for use in developing countries and remote areas where access to sophisticated equipment is limited. Fermented foods are popular throughout the world and in some regions make a significant contribution to the diet of millions of individuals. 

In Asia the preparation of fermented foods is a widespread tradition. The fermented products supply protein, minerals and other nutrients that add variety and nutritional fortification to otherwise starchy, bland diets. For instance Soy sauce is consumed throughout the world and is a fundamental ingredient in diets from Indonesia to Japan. In Africa fermented cassava products are a major component of the diet of more than 800 million people and in some areas these products constitute over 50% of the diet. 

Because of the tremendously important role indigenous fermented fruits and vegetables play in food preservation and their potential to contribute to the growing food needs of the world, it is essential that the knowledge of their production is not lost. There is a danger that the introduction of 'western foods' with their glamorous image will displace these traditional foods. Think of it, it's scary, sad and unbearable and accelerate human extinction. Eating too much of SAD (Standard American Diet) and suffering from ED and infertility/reproductive problems? It's not a coincidence folks. 

Fermentation is the slow decomposition process of organic substances induced by micro-organisms, or by complex nitrogenous substances (enzymes) of plant or animal origin. It can be described as a biochemical change, which is brought about by the anaerobic or partially anaerobic oxidation of carbohydrates by either micro-organisms or enzymes. The changes caused by fermentation can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. Fermentation, initiated by the action of micro-organisms occurs naturally and is often part of the process of decay, especially in fruits and vegetables. However, fermentation can be controlled to give beneficial results. Fermentation is a relatively efficient, low energy preservation process, which increases the shelf life and decreases the need for refrigeration or other form of food preservation technology. It is therefore a highly appropriate technique for use in developing countries and remote areas where access to sophisticated equipment is limited.

Now, let's talk about the benefits of fermented foods. Fermenting fruits and vegetables can bring many benefits to people in developing countries. Fermented foods play an important role in providing food security, enhancing livelihoods and improving the nutrition and social well being of millions of people around the world, particularly the marginalised and vulnerable. Fermentation is a cheap and energy efficient means of preserving perishable raw materials. When harvested, fruit and vegetables, undergo rapid deterioration, especially in the humid tropics where the prevailing environmental conditions accelerate the process of decomposition. There are several options for preserving fresh fruit and vegetables including drying, freezing, canning and pickling. However many of these are inappropriate for use on the small-scale in developing countries. For instance the canning of vegetables at the small-scale has serious food safety implications and contamination with botulism is a possibility. Freezing of fruits and vegetables is not economically viable at the small-scale. Fermentation requires very little sophisticated equipment, either to carry out the fermentation or for subsequent storage of the fermented product. It is a technique that has been employed for generations to preserve food for consumption at a later date and to improve food security.

Fermentation processes can result in increased levels of vitamins in the final product. Some of the fermented beverage such as Sorghum beer in Southern Africa, Palm wine in West Africa, Idli in India, etc. I know I do not encourage consuming alcohol, but I'm just providing some of the examples of fermented beverages available around the globe. 

Microorganisms contain certain enzymes, such as cellulases, which are incapable of being synthesised by humans. Microbial cellulases hydrolyse cellulose into sugars which are then readily digestible by humans. Similarly pectinases soften the texture of foods and liberates sugars for digestion. Fermented foods are often more easily digestible than unfermented foods. Lactic acid fermented weaning foods are traditionally produced in developing countries, both to improve the safety of the food and to improve its digestibility. Starchy porridges are commonly fed to weaning infants in developing countries. By acidifying the porridge through lactic acid fermentation, starch is hydrolysed into shorter chains of glucose and dextrose, which reduce the viscosity of the porridge and increase its energy density. Thus the child is more able to meet its energy requirements.

How about medical benefits? There are many traditional beliefs about the medicinal properties of fermented food products. Anyone heard of Koumiss? It is a fermented milk product in Russia has been used to treat tuberculosis. Imagine, fermented milk able to treat PTB? That's just awesome! Fermentation can improve the flavour and appearance of food. One important area is the creation of meat-like flavour. Over the years, Sudanese women have developed products to replace meat in their diets. This include 'kawal', fermented wild legume leaves. Fermented vegetables such as pickles, and sauerkraut are used as condiments to enhance the overall flavour of the meal. 

In the next post, I will write more about principles of fermentation of foods, and also different types of these ancient foods. Stay tuned. 

A stroll in the fresh market - QV, Melbourne

What a beautiful place, and it's a fresh market! Clean, nice and full of heavenly nutritious food products including dairy products, teas, coffees, seafoods, breads, whole foods and even clothings and souvenirs! I've never been to such a nice market place in my life before. My first impression when I walked in the Queen's Victoria's market in Melbourne, was WOW! I could not believe the stuff and foods sold in that nicely organized and well kept market place. 

First of all, this is not a travel post. Secondly, I'm not advertising for QV market nor Melbourne. My point of this post, is to highlight the quality of fresh markets between Malaysia and Australia. How much difference? HUGE! Cleanliness, quality and choices of foods sold, prices and even the courtesy of the people there are way better then rude Malaysians. Tons of organically grown local fruits and vegetables, free range organic meats are plenty, fresh local seafoods are sold by many vendors and all the prices are somehow cheap and affordable. If you are a hardcore organic consumer, this is the place to shop and get your whole foods. If you want clean nutritious foods, you know where to go if you are in Melbourne, or might be visiting Melbourne in future. 

Area which sells whole lot of organic whole foods and packaged products.

Radicchio - Rare vegetable, and not available in Malaysia. 

Cherries, widely available in Australia, much cheaper then what is being sold in Malaysia. Check it out, A$5 per kilo!

Energy bars - Which ones are safer and nutritious?

For those who love to snack on energy or so called protein bars, this post is for you. I've shortlisted 2 of the ideal brands for these bars which I think is safer yet nutritious then commercial bars which is sold in supermarkets, convenient stores, supplement shops and even organic outlets. 

Most bars are loaded with sugar as well as toxic ingredients such as aspartame, sucralose, MSG and its similiar substances, artificial sweeteners and flavorings, pesticides, preservatives and etc. Although I wouldn't recommend to snack on these bars regularly, as opting for organic whole foods is the way to go. For most fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders, energy or protein bars are considered to be part of their diet, in a way. Anyway, below are 2 different types of bars which you could either call it energy bars or whatever it is. Avoid commercial energy or protein bars at all cost! Consume energy bars as 'emergency'  option, if you know you are unable to grab a proper meal at certain time. Also, ensure that any bar which you purchased, has less then 8 ingredients. Typical commercial bars easily have more then 10 to 12 total ingredients. I love the LUVJU bars! Taste delicious!

Loving Earth LUVJU bars (raw & organic)

LARA bars (organic, free of soy, gluten and dairy)

What to eat while on vacation? Here we go again!

I've posted this before, and I'm blogging it again this time for whoever intend to eat a little healthier while away on holiday or vacation. Simple real foods, very little or no preparation involved, clean and nutritious, it will support your immune system and decrease the load of toxins been ingested with all the junk and garbage you consume during your trip.

It's not perfect, but it is definitely better then going all out for so called 'delicious' garbage foods. Anyway, I hereby present to you, foods which I consumed when I travel or away on holiday.

Sugar free chocolate - Stevia sweetened! 

almost zero gram of sugar!

Unhomogenized organic full cream milk -  No low fat please! 

One of my favorite foods - Organic avocados!

Fresh raw oysters! So cheap yet so delicious!

One of nature's aphrodisiac - Oysters! 

Not a healthy choice, but guess what I found. Organic beef burger!  

Artesian water - Best natural source of water

Organic yogurt - natural and lower in sugar

Guacamole, it's so cheap compared to selling price in Malaysia! 

Olives

It's insanely cheap - 10 organic kiwis for A$2! 

Organic yogurt!

That's one of my breakfast meal - avocados, raw organic spinach and oysters.

Organic yogurt - Taste delicious

Caviar 

Eggs - Organic free range

I'm back! Just returned from holiday, had a really nice break and ate tons of foods, visited lots of places, and bought tons of awesome stuff, including organic foods. I was browsing through the grocery section in the supermarkets in Australia, guess what, majority of the eggs available and sold are free range and organic. No nasty synthetic hormones, pesticides nor antibiotics been given to the chickens. Real chickens, real eggs, that's what all of us should be eating and include it in our regular diet. 

Bought tons of eggs back to my hotel, enjoyed it almost daily for breakfast. How about the price? Well, it is reasonable and definitely not expensive. Want cheap eggs? Then you should expect to pay for what you get. Sick and toxic chickens, toxic eggs, toxic food, toxic YOU. How about eggs in Malaysia? Widely available? Answer is NO. There are selected brands of free organic eggs sold in Malaysia, but I would say not a much as Australia. Well, most people would think that an egg is an egg. What's the difference? Of course there is a huge different. There is no way you can be healthy by eating an unhealthy animal. Make sense?