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Fabulous Ferment!
Tim Spector has a new book out on September 11, Ferment.
I’m here for it — not just because Tim is brilliant at translating microbiome science into everyday language, but because the word ferment sits right at the heart of what we do at Chuckling Goat.
Fermentation is one of those ancient, mysterious, alchemical processes that humans have been relying on for thousands of years. Cabbage turns into sauerkraut, milk turns into kefir, grape juice into wine. Simple things become complex, nourishing, alive. Tim calls it “the life-changing power of microbes,” and I couldn’t agree more.
Here’s the thing: Louis Pasteur’s amazing discoveries back in the mid-19th century left us standing at a crossroads. On one side lay harnessing good microbes — using fermentation to preserve food, enrich flavour, and boost health. On the other side lay controlling harmful microbes — sterilisation, pasteurisation, and, a century later, antibiotics.
Both paths were important, but culturally we sprinted down the second. For a hundred years the dominant story was: kill the germs. And yes, that story saved millions of lives. Pasteurisation made milk safe, antibiotics turned once-fatal infections into minor inconveniences.
But every choice has a shadow. The kill/sterilise paradigm also taught us to fear microbes, to see them as enemies rather than allies. Antibiotics were overprescribed, used in farming, and woven into the fabric of modern medicine. Now the bill has come due: antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest health crises of our time. The very tools that saved us are beginning to fail.
Meanwhile, the other path — the fermentation path — was sidelined, dismissed as quaint, cranky or old-fashioned. But that’s the path that works with microbes instead of against them. And it’s the one Tim Spector is helping to reclaim and mainstream.
The language Tim uses in his new book chimes exactly with what we do at CG:
- Homemade — Tim writes about kitchen ferments; our kefir is still made with live kefir grains and stirred by hand, exactly the same way I first made it in the farmhouse.
- Double fermentation — Ferments are “pre-digested” in the jar, then fermented again in your gut. That’s exactly why we pair kefir with our Complete Prebiotic — the Gut-Brain Smoothie is literally a two-stage ferment for your microbiome.
- Bubbles — The natural fizz in real kefir is a sign the microbes are alive and working; it’s not a flaw, it’s vitality. (It’s worth watching our video on how to open your kefir, to save your kitchen ceiling!)
- Probiotics — Chuckling Goat kefir is full of live cultures, straight from the living kefir grains, not made from powdered sachets. These beneficial microbes are the “living” part of fermentation, helping to repopulate and balance your gut flora.
- Prebiotics — Our Complete Prebiotic provides the diverse fibres that feed your good microbes. Think of them as the fertiliser that helps the probiotics thrive.
- Postbiotics — Beyond live cultures, kefir also delivers postbiotic compounds created during fermentation — like lactic acid, acetic acid, and bioactive peptides. These soothe inflammation, support gut lining health, and set the stage for deeper healing.
- Synbiotics — The real sweet spot is when probiotics and prebiotics are combined. Our kefir and prebiotic together act as a synbiotic — enhancing each other’s effects and leading your own microbes to produce butyrate in the colon, one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds nature provides.
None of this is new — it’s old wisdom brought up to date. Pasteur showed us microbes transform food; modern science is showing that, used wisely, they transform us too. If Ferment helps more people choose the fermentation road, I’m all for it. We’ve seen it in our community for years: calmer guts, better energy, clearer heads — from a bottle of live kefir on the counter. And yes, I’ll be first in line for the book.
How about you?
Hugs,
Shann.x
Shann Jones
Founder/Director Chuckling Goat
Innovative Health Solutions Brand of the Year 2025, CorporateLiveWire
PS and don’t forget, if you have questions about anything to do with ferments or fermenting, you can have a quick free chat with one of our lovely Nutritional Therapists. They’re standing by 8 am to 8 pm weekdays, and they love to talk gut health!
