If you're having digestive problems or feeling sick and rundown-or if you simply want to feel better and have more energy-this is the book for you. In Cultured Food for Health, Donna Schwenk opens your eyes to the amazing healing potential of cultured foods. Focusing on the notion that all disease begins in the gut-a claim made by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, more than 2000 years ago-she brings together cutting-edge research, firsthand accounts from her online community, and her personal healing story to highlight the links between an imbalanced microbiome and a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, allergies, depression, autism, IBS, and so many more. Then she puts the power in your hands, teaching you how to bring three potent probiotic foods-kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables-into your diet. Following the advice in these pages, along with her 21-day program, you can easily (and deliciously!) flood your system with billions of good bacteria, which will balance your body and allow it to heal naturally. In this book, you'll find: * Step-by-step instructions on how to make basic kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables * More than 100 tasty, easy-to-make recipes, from smoothies to desserts, that feature probiotic foods * A three-week program with day-by-day instructions on gathering supplies and ingredients, and making and eating cultured foods * Helpful answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about culturing * Hints and tips about how to easily incorporate cultured foods into your life * Exciting information on the probiotic-enhancing properties of prebiotic foods, such as apples, broccoli, onions, squash, brussels sprouts, and honey Cultured Food for Health takes the fear out of fermentation so you can heal your gut and experience the energy, health, and vitality that are available when your body is working as it's meant to. So join Donna today, and learn to love the food that loves you back!

Donna Schwenk's world changed when she discovered cultured foods. After a difficult pregnancy and various health problems, she became determined to find answers to what ailed her. And in her quest, she came across the ancient art of home fermentation, a food preparation technique that supercharges everyday foods with beneficial bacteria to balance your digestive system, and vitamins and minerals to enhance your overall health. This simple, natural process has been used for thousands of years to create everything from drinks like kefir and kombucha to foods like kimchi and pickles. After incorporating fermented foods into her life, Donna began to experience a vitality that she had never known. And then she was hooked! She started a new life as a teacher and writer, blogging on her website culturedfoodlife.com, in an effort to bring the beautiful world of fermented foods to as many people as possible. She now works with thousands of people to open the door to a world of foods that can help improve an array of health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies, acne, hypertension, asthma, and irritable bowel syndrome. In Cultured Food for Life Donna brings this same information to you and shows you that preparing and eating cultured foods is easy, fun, and delicious! After speaking to the science behind the healing power of probiotic foods and telling the astonishing story of how she healed herself and her family, Schwenk walks you, step by step, through the basic preparation techniques for kefir, kombucha, cultured vegetables, and sprouted flour, plus more than 135 recipes that use these foods to create dishes to please any palate. With recipes like Herbed Omelet with Kefir Hollandaise Sauce,Sprouted Ginger Scones with Peaches and Kefir Cream,Kefir Veggie Sprouted Pizza, Apple Sauerkraut, and Brownie Cupcakes with Kefir Frosting, along with inspirational stories from Donna's family and friends, you'll learn everything you want to know about a diet that's as tasty as it is healthy.