If you’re on a mission to improve your diet – and those friendly bacteria – then raw pickles like sauerkraut and kimchi are one of the easiest ways to add the good guys back in. And in this edition, Kate chats to Mendel of Loving Foods in Manchester, whose journey to improve his eczema led to the creation of a whole new family business.

Mendel talks us through the best ways to make probiotic foods, including:

• The importance of burping your pickles;
• The world of ferments from Japan to India;
• Fermented drinks including the ‘champagne’ of Tibet.

We also debate the best use of kimchi and kraut (my money is on a cheese toastie) and learn why cabbage, turmeric and black pepper combine to form the perfect pick-me-up in a jar.

Loving Foods also helped with their tips on fermenting veggies in The Dirty Diet book. You can buy their products from Amazon and direct from their website, as well as in health food stores (mostly in NW England, but now they've got new premises, the distribution is expanding).

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And buy The Dirty Diet book here.

Important Note:

This podcast is for information only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. There are some people who shouldn’t follow fast: children and teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. If you take medication have a pre-existing medical condition, including Type 2 diabetes, you should talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes. In addition, anyone with a history of eating disorders should definitely not undertake this without talking to their doctor or specialist.