“Sometimes you just have to flip it.” ~ James Brown

Fortunately, my real time exposure to the KKK has been very limited. During my undergrad years at UCSB in the late 1970s, one year for Halloween a young man decided to dress as a klansman. I happened to cross his path, and in a fit of anger, I pointed my finger in his face and shouted: “That’s not funny!!”

Not slighting the terrorism, death and destruction that the KKK has wrought, I realize as I recount my experience that I recall the incident like it was yesterday. All the anger – and fear – came flooding back, like a post-traumatic response to growing up in a racist country/world. In an effort to process these experiences, and as a way of not only fighting back but also bringing about a level of healing, it may be time to let a little air out of the KKK balloon, simply by flipping it – changing the meaning of what it stands for.

That’s why I’m hereby declaring that KKK now stands for something healthy and life-giving:

Kefir, Kimchi and Kombucha!!!

When it comes to creating and maintaining a healthy gut and a strong immune system, these 3 K’s are deliciously unmatched!

Your gut is teeming with all kinds of bacteria, yeasts, other fungi, and many other elements that actually dictate your overall health. The new KKK – probiotics – contain beneficial bacteria that keep a delicate balance in your gut to maintain overall health. This is done through the process of fermenting high quality milk, vegetables and sweetened tea, respectively. Following is a brief explanation of the new KKK:

• Kefir – The souring of milk and certain other liquids with the use of a special starter grain. The souring happens as the kefir grains eat the milk sugar, aka lactose. It is best to use high quality milk (organic & non-homogenized or raw cow’s milk, or goat’s milk). Coconut milk and water, as well as other non-dairy milks can also be made into kefir. Kefir is similar to yogurt, but is of a thinner consistency, while yogurt is made without a starter.

• Kimchi – These are fermented vegetables, including cabbage or napa cabbage, daikon radish, ginger, garlic, onions and other vegetables. The concept is the same as that of sauerkraut, but with more color and spice. Fermented veggies are easy to make, easy to eat and easy to digest. See our upcoming Kimchi Party!

• Kombucha – Sweet tea is fermented using a starter called a scoby. The scoby feeds on the sugar in the sweet tea, resulting in a slightly effervescent, soured and mildly alcoholic beverage.

Gut & Psych?

Interestingly, though it may seem like a stretch, there may be some correlation linked between the health of your gut and that of society.

I had some great conversations about the subject of flipping it with Dr. Matthew Silverstein, a clinical psychologist, specializing in the treatment of psychological trauma, in West Hollywood. Our conversation focused on what happens when a society is besieged with any kind of trauma such as that invoked by the ku klux klan.

Dr. Silverstein says that for many individuals, the present memory of the ku klux klan is a toxic memory, one that brings pain and anger – both physically and mentally:

“For so many folks who have been exposed to unimaginable horrors, how does one ‘digest’ this? These kinds of memories, left in an unprocessed, ‘undigested’ form, can produce a type of chronic stress that can lead to irritability, chronic anger and worry, and even depression. Unprocessed traumatic memories are saturated and highly conditioned meaning they can feel fixed or frozen in a way that informs how the present moment is experienced. This, in turn, causes not only mental strife, but can also cause physical symptoms.”

Dr. Silverstein continues:

“Our mind is constantly attempting to help us digest experiences of the day. This mental digestion empowers us to transform negative experiences – detoxify them and eradicate them so that we can all thrive in health – without fear of any kind. Then our mental energy is freed up, charged up and available for making full use of the life in front of us.”

“This kind of mental digestion, especially in the face of generations’ old traumatic memory takes ongoing mindful inner work.”

Flipping it, then, is a useful strategy to change the context from a sense of brokenness to repair, to relieve stagnation and restore health. In the long run, flipping it ultimately changes society and creates vibrancy.

Accordingly, Probiotic KKK begins to reverse trauma in the gut. In the same way as when our outer society becomes imbalanced, the inner society of the digestive system becomes imbalanced when eating foods that are not in our best interest. Substances like white sugar, white flour, processed vegetable oils and packaged, no-nutrient non-foods cause the imbalances that lead to chronic disease, including Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and cancers.

Probiotic foods like kefir, kimchi and kombucha are delicious foods that are part of a nutrient-dense diet. These foods help heal the gut from previous traumas inflicted on the digestive system via ingestion of non-foods (as well as societal stressors). This KKK supports and encourages the ingestion of highly nutritious foods, and helps balance functioning of the body and brain.

Imagine what harmony in your gut could feel like. If your gut can be in balance and in harmony, imagine the possibilities for our society!  Imagine…

References & Resources

Alex Lewin, Real Food Fermentation: Preserving who Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen. Quarry Books: 2012.

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. New Trends Publishing: 1999.

Natasha Campbell-McBride, Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Medinform Publishing: 2010.

For more information on Dr. Silverstein and his work, visit www.drmatthewsilverstein.com.

You may also be interested to check out Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary’s work on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Visit www.joydegruy.com.