Kickin' it with Karen : Beyond Sauerkraut

I was addicted to antiperspirants. All I wanted was to make sure I didn't have pit stains and I didn't stink. As a dancer, sweating is a fact of life. If your gonna dance, your gonna sweat. But I wanted to do it in a "Lady-Like" fashion and not pit out all of my clothes. Although, there were rumors abound suggesting that store bought deodorants, and especially antiperspirants, caused breast cancer and Alzheimers,  I was not inclined to care. I knew that the research available did not confirm that antiperspirants were the cause of such deadly diseases(Klotz et.al.).  However,  there was enough research that said that over-exposure to heavy metals such as aluminum is toxic and potentially dangerous (ATSDR - Aluminum). Aside from the heavy metals, there are other irritants such as propylene glycol. Propylene glycol, found in antifreeze, is a synthetic liquid that absorbs water. In most personal care products, it is used as humectant and emulsifier (McCay et.al.) Freq...

Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut In previous posts I have mentioned that I started making and eating probiotic foods such as sauerkraut because I had been diagnosed with something called "Leaky Gut Syndrome".  Leaky gut syndrome occurs when there is an increased intestinal permeability which causes bacteria and toxins to leak through the intestinal wall directly into the bloodstream (McMillan). Though, in the Western medical community, the debate rages on as to whether this is a real thing (GI Society),  I know for me it is definitely REAL! Before the diagnosis and the subsequent treatment with probiotic food and supplements, I felt awful! All the time! So why probiotics? Because they heal the gut! Probiotics are the good bacteria that line the intestines and help break down food and help your body absorb nutrients as well as help regulate and increase energy (Krajmalnik-Brown et.al.). I no longer take probiotic supplements because I get all of this through...

Kickin' it with Karen: Beyond Sauerkraut After a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday with my husband, here I am back at work. I love my job. I teach some beautiful students and have the best colleagues anyone could ask for. But there is something about the onset of winter and nesting in the cold climes of Minnesota. All I want to do is be at home and make things. I have a cabbage waiting for me, ready to be turned into sauerkraut. Not just any sauerkraut, but an Apple Jalapeño Red Sauerkraut. I have Apple Ginger and Orange Ginger Beet Kvass waiting to be bottled. I have a batch of Apple Cider Vinegar that is ready to be placed in a secondary fermentation vessel. And it's Kombucha time! I am ready to make some Pomegranate Kombucha (TO DIE FOR!!!). Oh, and lets not forget the Fermented Green Chili Sauce -SOOOOOOOO GOOD! But, alas. I am back at work. Dreaming of these delights. Ah well. Work I must. And, somehow, I must find joy today in teaching these young minds and bodies. And ...