What's So Fabulous About Fermentation??

Here is a tentative agenda for our first meetup:

Introductions - please share whatever you'd like to, and in particular whether you are already using and/or making fermented foods/beverages as part of your wellness or healing plan.

Topics for discussion:

• Understanding one very fundamental cause of immune dysfunction, disease and aging - namely, an imbalance of the microbes that populate our "inner ecosystem" due to overuse of antibiotics and many other influences. The result is a chronic infection of pathogenic microorganisms, which manifests as a long list of conditions and diseases.
  
• The roles of probiotics and prebiotics in health.
  
• Why fermented foods are superior to probiotic supplements for correcting intestinal microbial imbalances.
  
• The use of fermented foods in traditional cultures.
  
• An introduction to fermentation - cultured vegetables (sauerkraut, kim chee) and kefir.
  
• Optimizing the approach to healing and balancing of intestinal microflora through the principles of Body Ecology.
  
• Other topics as presented by group members.
  
• Discussion about the direction for the FF & BED Meetup, (possibly to include a special focus group for people who are health challenged and would like to learn more and find support in integrating the principles of the Body Ecology Diet into their lifestyle).
  

Note: we will likely want to find a location for some of our future meetups where there is a kitchen if enough people are interested in having "cultured vegetable" parties, as suggested by the Body Ecology people. We can get together for fun and community, sharing the creative endeavor along with our experience, recipes, and perhaps kitchen appliances (food processors are good!).

Hope to see you there!