THIS week’s column is supplied by Kendal bakery Lovingly Artisan.

Start 2020 as you mean to carry on and get your gut healthy… In 2019 we created a bread that as far as we are aware no other bakery in the UK is commercially producing… a sourdough bread containing ancient grains and naturally fermented Kombucha.

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from sweetened tea and a specific culture known as a scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts).

You may not know it, but you’ve been eating fermented foods your whole life and probably not even realised… many of them are everyday staples too; including the likes of wine, tea, cheese, bread and chocolate, which are all made using different fermentation processes.

Fermented foods are big news, and it’s with good reason. Enjoyed for centuries by people from many cultures across the globe, not only do fermented foods pack a real taste punch but those who eat them have noticed considerable health benefits too.

As many people are cottoning on to the appeal of naturally fermented food, it’s becoming less scary, and something we increasingly want to do for ourselves at home, rather than relying on industrially produced versions. After all what you eat isn’t just for you, it’s also food for bacteria in your gut…

Especially as 70-80% of our natural immune system exists in our digestive tract, so maintaining the proper ratio of gut flora plays a crucial part of helping your body to digest the food you eat and in supporting a strong immune system in your body.

Like all other fermentation processes, the bacteria present in sourdough starters eat the starch and sugars present in the grain. This lowers the starch and carbohydrate content of the bread, which can help keep blood sugar levels regulated, it increases some of the vitamin and mineral content of the grain and is high in dietary fibre, which all have a positive impact on diet and gut health.

So, if you want to get your gut in shape in 2020 you won’t go far wrong if you introduce more fermented foods into your diet…