Probiotic Chickpea Salad

Hey babes!

So, I’m on a persistent mission to improve my health through what I eat, while also actually liking the food (wild, huh). These last few weeks, I have been free-falling deeper into the gut health research that is a cornerstone of why I’m constantly singing the praises of eating more fiber. On top of feeding your guts those delicious prebiotics, you can help it along is by seeding the system with probiotics.

So just go down to your local pharmacy, buy a box of probiotic gummies, and pat yourself on the back. Good job, mission accomplished.

Yeah….no.

Probiotic supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, meaning that there is often a huge disparity between what’s on the label and what’s in the bottle. What I’m talking about are delicious, beautiful, sour…

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are excellent additions to your diet, benefiting both your digestion and your immune system through the introduction of more diverse beneficial bacteria, which help increase the lactic acid production in your gut.

Additionally, we’ve really started to come to understand how deeply the gut microbiome affects the brain, including our mood and mental health, and filling that colony with a population of hard-working bacteria is only going to be more positive.

I’ve already spun you the story of the wonders of chickpeas when I talked about hummus, but there is one more critical health benefit sneaking around in this delicious snack: IODINE.

For those in the general population, I’m guessing you’re thinking, oh, well, I can get iodine from salt, or from fish. Hey, how about a nice, salty tuna salad, WFP Babe?

Putting aside the animal cruelty and environmental impact of that idea for a second, I believe I said “IODINE,” not “MERCURY!” While I do use iodized salt exclusively when I use salt, I also don’t eat processed food most of the time, so my sodium levels are generally lower than a more typical American. You certainly shouldn’t be leaning on iodized salt to get all of your iodine day-to-day, at least if you value your heart and kidneys.

But do not worry, babes, there is another option. If you love that briny ocean taste as much as I do, there is no reason avoiding heavy metals and unnecessary violence should keep you from it. That taste, and the iodine, come from the ocean, not the fish, and there is a whole other kingdom of living things down there.

Seaweed

Sea vegetables are health-promoting aside from their robust iodine content. Just a short list of studies have shown benefits for fighting breast cancer, endometriosis, weight, blood sugar, and, oh yeah, they’re also good for your microbiome (and not just because of that beautiful fiber). Combine that briny powerhouse with a good legume like a white bean or a chickpea, and voila!

The new new chicken of the sea!