Sex + Food

Well, what you put into your body truly metamorphosizes into how you look on the outside…

This post comes to you from our newest contributor, Kate Mack

In the words of lanky, baby-faced poet Justin Timberlake, “I’m bringing sexy back.” Or at least I can imagine that’s what equally attractive owner James Kuiper considered when he opened his cultured, probiotic, alive eatery called Sexy Food in the heart of Cape Town.

At a time when Kuiper was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer at 17 and undergoing aggressive chemotherapy, he spent his recovery researching the effects of food on the body. What he discovered inspired him to create a menu centered around whole, live, fermented food chock full of good bacteria.

When you step into his warm, wood-paneled restaurant on the edge of one of the trendiest streets in town, you see young, healthy, glowing skinned faces all around. Coolers are stocked with pastel-hued jars of liquid, big oak barrels with spouts dot the kitchen, and plates spill over with vibrantly delicious looking food. Everyone seems to have silky hair and bright shiny eyes. Who knew healthy could be so sexy?

Why Eating Live Foods is So Damn Sexy

Well, because what you put into your body truly metamorphosizes into how we look on the outside. Sexy originally stood for what was natural, real, pure and naked, Kuiper has said, so what better way to symbolize the type of food he’s serving. Here is a quick run-down on live foods and the effect they can have on how you look, feel, and think.

Live-cultures: “Live” and “active” cultures refer to the living organisms Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles. They convert pasteurized milk to yogurt during the fermentation process. These are the good bacteria, or probiotics, that keep your immune system working properly, killing harmful bacteria in your body. They help move food through your gut and keep the good and bad bacteria in balance.

Fermented: Mmmm, sauerkraut. It’s almost as scary as the thought of lima beans but it’s actually pretty tasty. If sauerkraut isn’t for you, there are plenty of other options like kimchi, kefir, yogurt, kombucha and pickles! Fermented foods are great for gut health and keep bacterial like e.coli out of your system. The fermentation process involves submerging vegetables in a salt brine to kill dangerous bacteria. The good bacteria from the process then breaks down lactose, sugars and starches in the food to help you digest.

Eating these types of foods will lead to a healthy gut and positive health benefits for:

Behavior:

The gut is often called your “second brain,” and a producer of serotonin, which is a mood lifter.

Weight gain:

Fermented foods contain lactic acid bacteria, a type of beneficial gut bacteria that helps keep you slim. It also helps to reduce inflammation that contributes to obesity.

Gene Expression:

Probiotic-rich diets have been proven to influence gene activity to help fight disease like cancer or other disorders like IBS and urinary tract infections.

Diabetes:

Studies show that type-2 diabetes are linked to changes in intestinal microbiota. If you eat a diet high in raw and fermented foods the good bacteria in your gut will thrive.

Anti-Aging:

A clean liver and gut means clear skin, bright eyes, less wrinkles, long lustrous hair and strong fingernails.

+Sexy Food is in Cape Town, South Africa. For recipe inspirations, check out their blog.

 

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Probiotic foods have really grown in trend the past few years. It’s great given the benefits behind it!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

6 years ago

WHAT is that heavenly looking dish at the bottom? So delicious looking!

5 years ago

FUUUUU