What's the difference between eating fermented foods and taking a probiotic—and how difficult is it really to ferment vegetables at home?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation and one of the most influential modern teachers of fermentation.

I spoke with Sandor from my apartment in Manhattan while he joined me from rural Tennessee. What I especially appreciated was how uncomplicated he made fermentation feel.

Fermentation is an ancient way of transforming and preserving food through the activity of microorganisms. Today, it also sits inside a much larger conversation about the gut microbiome—the enormous community of microorganisms living in and on our bodies.

In this episode:

• What fermentation actually is

• The difference between fermentation and pickling

• Fermentation traditions from cultures around the world

• What fermented foods have to do with microorganisms

• Fermented foods versus probiotic supplements

• Why the word "probiotic" has a more specific meaning than simply "contains bacteria"

• How to make simple fermented vegetables at home

• What kind of vegetables, salt, and water Sandor recommends

• How much salt to use and how long fermentation takes

• What to do if you see mold

• Safety considerations when fermenting food at home

• Why our relationship with bacteria is more complicated than "germs are bad"

One idea from this conversation has stayed with me: microorganisms are not simply something to eliminate from our environment.

Some can make us sick. Others are essential participants in food production, ecosystems, and our own biology.

That makes fermentation an interesting counterpoint to a culture that can sometimes equate cleanliness with sterility.

The science of the microbiome has advanced substantially since this early conversation, and researchers are still learning which microorganisms, foods, and microbial metabolites matter most for which health outcomes. Eating fermented foods is also not equivalent to taking a clinically studied probiotic strain, and not every fermented food necessarily contains live microbes by the time we eat it.

But you don't need to make sweeping health claims to appreciate fermentation.

It can be a delicious, inexpensive way to transform food—and Sandor makes starting remarkably approachable.

Go deeper:

• Explore Sandor Katz's work at Wild Fermentation

• Read Wild Fermentation

• Read The Art of Fermentation

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Explore the D-Tox Academy, Phase Two of the Ultimate Home Detox™, for ongoing guidance applying Practical Nontoxic Living™ across your home and everyday life

Alaknanda Nabar of Family of Light Holistic Center shares her incredible story of treating and healing her son's autism through a radical holistic approach. This episode asks the questions many of us have around essential oils, and can empower you with an overview of, and introduction into, how to responsibly incorporate this powerful medicine into your lives for better health.

Follow Sophia's work by texting "DETOX" to 66866

Mother of three and founder of Organique, a cutting-edge, completely organic mattress company based out of California, Kristen Rannala provides a healthier mattress 101 overview.

Sophia and Kristen talk about how your health might be impacted by conventional mattresses' off-gassing of toxicants like chlorine, formaldehyde, heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, and VOC's. You will learn simple steps to improve your night's sleep.

Also learn what this health-conscious mother of three feeds HER children for breakfast. There are inspirations galore!

Visit organiquesleep.com for more information about Kristen's mattress company, as always, visit NontoxicLiving.tips and RuanLiving.com for more tips & tricks on practical nontoxic living!

Follow Sophia's work by texting "DETOX" to 66866

In this episode, host Sophia Ruan Gushée sits down with Matthew Waletzke (Environmental Consultant) to learn about concerns over excessive EMF exposures, and how we can gain clarity, wellbeing, and restorative sleep through reducing our EMF exposures in a few simple steps.

Sophia sits down with Ashley S. Cooke & Eden Connelly--early members of the Practical Nontoxic Living team. They discuss how learning about toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and man-made EMFs in our environment has enhanced their lives.

In 2015, I published A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures — the reference I went looking for and couldn't find.

This first episode is a recording from the launch party: the speeches I gave that night, and what I thought then about where the work was going. Eleven years on, some of it holds up. Some of it I'd say differently now.

If you're new here, this is where Practical Nontoxic Living™ began.