Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum, a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps to inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida. With ph levels that hover around 3.6-3.7, sauerkraut is also super alkalinizing.

One of the not so secret benefits of sauerkraut is the boost it gives to immune systems. Packed with vitamins and minerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries.

In her book, Fast Track Detox Diet, Anne Louise Gittlemen recommends a little sauerkraut every morning to stimulate digestion. Nutritionists now know that an important key to weight loss is a healthy digestive track and a happy liver. German women have known for years that sauerkraut is a super diet food.

Sauerkraut contains flavonoids, a phytochemical that the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee reports can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that the process of fermenting cabbage produces isothiocyanates, which have been shown to prevent cancer growth-especially in the breast, colon, lung, and liver.

The nationally recognized heart surgeon and health evangelist recently promoted the probiotic benefits of kraut on his television show and recommended eating it regularly to stay, ahemmm, regular. He also regularly touts its cancer fighting properties.

Devilishly good Pickle Kraut Eggs

Spring is here and the ladies are layin'. Farmhouse Culture's family includes some of the healthiest and happiest chickens alive.  In addition to their diet of sprouted grain, bugs and ample vegetation, they also get plenty of yummy kraut.  Rumor has it that eggs laid by hens given the probiotics found in kraut and kimchi are higher in protein and lower in cholesterol.  These just might be the healthiest deviled eggs to date!

Ingredients:

12 large farm fresh eggs

1 c finely chopped Garlic Dill Pickle kraut

1/2 c homemade mayo *see chef's note

1 T Dijon mustard

Optional garnishes include chives, dill, or coarsely chopped pickle

Directions:

1.  Add eggs to almost boiling water for 10-12 minutes (depending how you hard boiled you want your eggs). Remove eggs with slotted spoon and rinse with cold water.  Let eggs sit in an ice cold water bath for 10-30 minutes.

2.  While the eggs cool down, finely chop garlic dill pickle kraut and mix with mayo and mustard in a medium sized bowl.

3.  Peel and halve eggs. Scoop out yolks and add them to mayo mixture. Mash with a fork until evenly incorporated.

4.  Fill eggs with yoke mixture and beautify with your favorite garnish.

*Chef's note:  If you are like us and are picky about your mayo, consider making your own.

Whisk one large egg with a little salt until foamy, slowly whisk in a total of about 3/4 cup of oil and add a little lemon juice to your taste.  Our mayo-secret is using a combination of grape seed and olive oil and adding it very slowly as you whisk it into egg and salt.