Ferment

Yourself

Happy

Hands on learning for a well cultured gut

Ferment Yourself Happy

Hands on learning for a well cultured gut

Upcoming Workshops

6th Sept '22

solid pink square

'Gathered' - Sauerkraut and all things pickle

Wellington Apothecary, Wellington

20th Sept '22

initial consultation

'Gathered' - Cultured drinks: Water Kefir and Natural Soda

Wellington Apothecary, Wellington

4th Oct '22

follow up session

'Gathered' - Sauerkraut and all things pickle

Wellington Apothecary, Wellington

18th Oct '22

the best kept program

'Gathered' - Cultured drinks: Water Kefir and Natural Soda

Wellington Apothecary, Wellington

Fermentation workshops and inspiration to transform your health from the inside out

We love to write about food...

Sunchokes, cauliflower and hazelnuts

Jerusalem artichokes or Sunchokes are extremely underrated. Not many people know about...

Milk Kefir Labneh

I’m not gonna lie, these last few weeks in lockdown with a...

Nasturtium Summer Rolls

Inma·January 24, 2022

sauerkraut pork dumplings

Sauerkraut and pork dumplings

Inma·September 7, 2021

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And get a copy of our 'Eat Yourself Happy' Ebook absolutely FREE!

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And get a copy of our 'Eat Yourself Happy' Ebook absolutely FREE!

... and health. Information is power

Intuitive Cooking: Get in tune with your inner chef

Inma·November 9, 2019

fermentation workshop

Blog Gut Health

Fermented foods and why I love them so much

Inma·February 17, 2020

fermentation workshop

Blog Gut Health

Psychobiotics: The future of mental health?

We love this topic, so much so that we recently wrote another...

Blog Gut Health

Fermented foods and why I love them so much

Fermented foods are a hot topic right now – everyone is talking...

Give some fermentation love to that special foodie friend.

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gift voucher.

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Give some fermentation love to

that special foodie friend.

Buy them a Best Kept

Health gift voucher.

Buy gift voucher

"Fermented foods are wonderful, I can't live without them now and you shouldn't either"

"Fermented foods are wonderful, I can't live without them now and you shouldn't either"

Fermentation brings communities of people, ingredi

Fermentation brings communities of people, ingredients and microbes together. It’s about gathering, connecting, sharing and caring.

‘GATHERED’ is a celebration of spring, of new life and new beginnings, using ingredients found at the markets, in your pantry and your backyard.

These special classes will be the last ones I do before moving to Australia. They are a way of saying farewell and also, thank you. Thank you to the amazing practice that is fermentation for making me understand the true meaning and importance of communities, of helping one another and coming together. Everything is connected: we are connected to the land we source our food from, we are connected to each other and to the wonderful communities of microbes we create and nurture along the way.

Workshop dates:

SAUERKRAUT AND ALL THINGS PICKLE - 6th Sept & 4th Oct

CULTURED DRINKS: WATER KEFIR AND NATURAL SODA - 20th Sept & 18th Oct

JOIN US!

Bookings are now open. As always, there’s very limited spaces. Head to @wellingtonapothecary ‘s website to save yours :)

- To gather, to ferment, to share, to eat, to create, to come together -

#bestkepthealth #gathered #fermentation #workshop #nzfood #nzfoodie #fermentedfoods #fermentednz #sauerkraut #pickles

I’ve been telling myself lately that, at some po

I’ve been telling myself lately that, at some point soon, I’ll have to stop doing these workshops and prepare for the big move. Temporarily, but still.

The truth is, it’s bloody hard. This afternoon, seeing everyone leaving the class with bags full of ferments and a big smile on their faces reminded again, why I do what I do. These are the moments I live for and I’m actually the one that can’t stop smiling.

Today, was magic. Thank you to the amazing group of people that joined us and ate all my kimchi - I’m so glad you had fun. I can’t wait to see what all those delicious kimchis and condiments will become.

And thank you @foodenvy_nz for everything, you guys have been amazing and you have the best kitchen! I’m so lucky to have been part of that space since day one and to see it grow and transform into the gem that is now ❤️

We are taking a break in August. See you in September :)

#bestkepthealth #kimchi #workshop #nzfood #nzfoodie #fermenting #fermented #fermentation #guthealth #fermentedcondiments

I love brassicas: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, br

I love brassicas: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, turnips, rocket, purple kale, horseradish, watercress... There’s so many different types of brassicas. They are all extremely versatile, cheap and underrated! I always use cruciferous vegetables in my fermentation classes. Their peppery, meaty and slightly bitter taste make them perfect for fermenting and pickling. What’s not to like, really.

These curly, voluptuous and pretty family of vegetables are packed full of vitamin C, A, E, K, as well as folate, calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. They are a good source of dietary fibre and have something that no other fruits or vegetables contain - glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are naturally occurring bioactive sulphur-rich compounds, and are the main components responsible for the health benefits of brassicas and their bitter or mustard flavours.

I found this purple kale at the markets today. Purple kale has a slightly more complex and rich flavour than green kale and it’s really high in antioxidants. A particular type of antioxidant called anthocyanins gives plants (including flowers) their vivid violet colors.

Anthocyanins protect purple vegetables from sunlight damage, cold temperatures, and other stressors. They can also help protect and heal your cells from damage and protect you from many lifestyle diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

How boring would our lives and plates be without all those visually stimulating, delicious and nutritious colourful ingredients.

Brassicas for life.

#bestkepthealth #brassica #cruciferousvegetables #kale #purplekale #nutritiousfood #nutrition #foodcoach #guthealth #foodphotography #foodgram #science #healthscience

Experimenting with some natives and other foraged

Experimenting with some natives and other foraged treasures today 🌱🌿🍃

• Nasturtium + dandelion kkakdugi
• Kawakawa kimchi
• Chickweed kimchi

#bestkepthealth #kimchi #foraging #nznative #nznativeplants #kawakawa #nasturtium #dandelion #chickweed #fermentation

When you slow down, you have more time. This does

When you slow down, you have more time.

This doesn’t mean your clock moves any differently, time is actually subjective. Rushing reinforces the sense of time pressure. You feel squeezed, busy, harassed by time. Slowing down conduces to ease, gentleness, and relaxation. But learning to slow down is an art - it takes time and practice.

There may be a good reason to move quickly, but there is never a good reason to rush.

- Martin Aylward -

#bestkepthealth #slowdown #mindfulness #bemindful #healthcoach #wabisabi

I feel so lucky to be able to witness this every d

I feel so lucky to be able to witness this every day. Food for the soul ❤️

#bestkepthealth #fillyourcup #nofilter #sunrise #sunrisephotography

Do you want to know how to make traditional napa k

Do you want to know how to make traditional napa kimchi and other not-so-traditional varieties of this wonder ferment? Are you looking for ways to introduce more fermented foods into your diet but you don’t know where to start? Does kimchi sound like an amazing thing to eat but too difficult to make?

Join us!

There’s still a few tickets left for our kimchi and condiments class happening in a couple of weeks at @foodenvy_nz .

For full details and bookings, head to our website www.bestkepthealth.co

#bestkepthealth #fermentation #kimchi #fermentedcondiments #fermentedconnections #guthealth #nzfood #nzfoodie

This is some leftover fermented ginger that I got

This is some leftover fermented ginger that I got from making ginger bug last week. I really wish you could smell it - it’s so gingery and yeasty and fresh and savoury… all at the same time.

Please, never throw away the leftover ginger and ginger juice when you are done with your bug. You can totally freeze the ginger. I have a container in the freezer full of it from my classes. It’s already grated, so it’s super convenient! You can use use it to make stir fries, stews, marinades, sauces or even tea! And you can do exactly the same with the juice - it packs a real punch both in flavour and nutrition.

Ginger, just like turmeric, has been used extensively in traditional medicine to fight off cold and flu symptoms, to help with digestion and nausea and fight inflammation in the body. A lot of this benefits are thanks to its primary bioactive compound, gingerol, which has significant anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antioxidant properties. Ginger also benefits gastrointestinal motility.

When you add a bunch of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) to the mix, you are not only adding a healthy amount of friendly microorganisms to your gut, you are also unlocking a whole lot of extra nutrients, micro nutrients and macro nutrients along the way. All this, thanks to the magic of fermentation.

In the fermentation process, the LAB also munch on the ginger fibres, pre-digesting them for you. This means that nutrients are released more easily when they reach the gut, making them more bioavailable for your body to absorb.

Fermentation just a simple symbiotic process: if we look after our precious bacteria, they will look after us too... for as long as we keep that reciprocity going. We are all connected.

#bestkepthealth #ginger #gingerbug #lacticacidbacteria #fermentation #fermented #foodphotography #fermentedginger

Doing what you love is such a powerful way of heal

Doing what you love is such a powerful way of healing - your senses are enhanced, you are extra receptive. It’s a great way of releasing the bad and soaking in the good.

The last few weeks have been pretty tough. My dad is fighting cancer and I’m 20.000km away. It sucks. It’s bloody hard. Then there is parenting stuff, life stuff… oh, and we are moving to Melbourne! (just dropping that one there). Needless to say the last few weeks have been full of stress, excitement, fear, happiness and tears.

Despite feeling so flat, last Tuesday something in me couldn’t wait to get all my things together and head to @wellingtonapothecary to set up my class. Having that time to myself, to reset, to share what I love with others. I needed it.

In the past few weeks I’ve been disconnected from what I love, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than that overwhelming feeling of numbness. No one can stay strong forever, no one is invincible. Sometimes you just have to surrender and be carried by the flow. The universe has interesting ways of working things out.

Feeling the spark again at the workshop the other day when we started fermenting, was an incredible feeling. The connection with the practice, with the people, with the meaning of it all. I was smiling… and believe me, I had a terrible week.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, always stay true to who you are and believe that, what makes you happy, makes you happy for a reason. What’s truly inside will always be, even if it’s covered by mud.

#bestkepthealth #fermentation #staytruetoyourself #fermentworks #mentalhealth

Babies looking good and nearly ready for tomorrow.

Babies looking good and nearly ready for tomorrow. I’m a proud mum. All they need is the last fermentation, to marry with all those delicious flavours.

The class at @wellingtonapothecary is now sold out, thank you! ❤️

Send me a message if you want to be added to the waiting list ✨

#bestkepthealth #fermentation #waterkefir #kefir #waterkefirgrains #lacticacidfermentation #guthealth