This Intro to GoodFoods Series. Today, we ferment.

This whole Intro to GoodFoods series I am developing in 2017 is based on the idea behind how best food and nutrition can serve our needs when it comes to reducing inflammation. And when I talk of reducing inflammation, I also speak to the importance of digesting like a pro. This is about the power of our food choices and food preparation ways in order to best support our health journey on this planet. It involves people, farmers, producers, cooks and dedicating a bit of every day in to the kitchen. This is #foodismedicine my friend.

If you have a body and are looking to reduce inflammation, then this series is for you.
If you are working on a new health diagnosis and want to know how food can be of support, then this series is for you.
If you're farty and constipated and you dread going to the loo, then this series is for you.
If you are tired, foggy brained, in chronic pain, have an autoimmune disease, then this series is for you.
If you struggle with skin issues, then this class is for you.
If you are feeding yourself or someone with a brain-centered or nervous system-centered diagnosis like ADHD or ALS or MS, then this series is for you.
If your adrenals are tuckered right out, then this series is for you.
If your mood is at an all time low or your anxiety at an all time high, then this series is for you.
If your hormones are out of balance, you are having a hard time conceiving, have to take a few days out for your period every month, then this series is for you.
If you have an intestinal related diagnosis like Crohn's, IBS, diverticulitis or IBD, then this series is for you.
If you are keen to ensure health and vitality as you age, then this series is for you.
If you are curious to know how food can support you, then this series if for you.
If you are a health care provider or health coach and want to understand the power of food, then this series is for you.

The whole series will kick start again this fall. In the meantime, this first go-round brings on Class #4 in the series this afternoon at 1pm at The Light Cellar. We're talking the power of fermented foods. You should come. I have enough ingredients for a few more folks to just show up and register at the door. Come.

You do not have to take the classes in order for it to make sense. Today's class is about you learning to craft your own homemade probiotic rich ferment in order to best serve your intestinal tract and every other organ in your body. All disease begins in the gut, see? And this is a brilliant place to start.

Register for this class by heading to this link. See you there!

New Class Series for 2017

Kittens. I am putting together a new five-part series of classes for the new year, and I'd love for you to take part. Come to one, come to a few, or come to all five. There will be a bonus all-day Food and Gut Lab where we will play in the kitchen too. All in the name of optimal health!

I am running the classes one a month at one of my favourite spots in town, The Light Cellar starting mid-January. Particulars will be broadcast in the new few days, but I wanted to let you know right now of what I have cooking in the name of optimal health here for you.

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For now, the deets:

WHAT IS IT: The Five Fundamentals of the power of food and food preparation, in order to best support your health journey.

WHAT IS IT CALLED: Intro to GoodFoods

WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT ENTAIL: the classes are broken down into 5 topics, and each class will run 2 to 3 hours in length. One weekend block a month from January to May.

IS IT HANDS ON? Some classes will be, some will feature demos. All will feature handouts and resources you can take home in order for you to easily integrate these concepts in to your own kitchens.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THESE CLASSES? This series of classes is for the person who is looking for direction on how to navigate the food world, and making it work for them and their family. This is for the person who needs support with a chronic health condition, anyone with inflammation in their body. Anybody with a sudden diagnosis wanting to know how best to support their bodies through the work ahead would find value in these classes. Anybody having a hard time sleeping, a hard time digesting, super farty or super gassy post-meals. Anybody with brain fog. Anyone looking to conceive soon. Anyone with new littles in their lives and wanting to make sure they are getting good nutrition. Anybody with an elder in their lives they are providing care for, wanting to know how best to support the body. Anybody with a body requiring good fuel for the day. These classes are for you if you are wanting to ensure vitality and health in aging. Really, these classes are for anyone wanting to understand how food choices and food preparation ways are important in supporting everyday good health.

WHAT WILL YOU GET OUT OF THESE CLASSES? Applicable knowledge and practical tools to make goodfood an easy and delicious thing. There is no abstaining here, just celebrating. And it's all delicious.

WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED? This information is steeped in the traditional food practice at the heart of the Weston A Price Foundation, and broken down into digestible morsels to provide you with the knowledge and how-to to be successful.

WHO IS LEADING THESE WORKSHOPS: Luka Symons, a dynamic yyc based Holistic Nutrition Practitioner. She loves food, good flavours and adores connecting with people. She comes by this information honestly, having worked through chronic pain and autoimmune issues for herself. She has witnessed the power of good food with her little one too!

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Intro to GoodFoods Class #1:
The Basic Concepts of Traditional Food Preparation for Best Nutrition (January 14)

Intro to GoodFoods Class #2:
Navigating Fats (the good, the bad and the ugly) (February 26)

Intro to GoodFoods Class #3:
Optimizing Nutrition from Nuts + Seeds + Beans + Grains + Legumes (12 March)

Intro to GoodFoods Class #4: 
Fermented Foods - their power, the science and the how-to (April, TBA)

Intro to GoodFoods Class #5:
Eating for Nutrient Density - what does it mean? (May, TBA)

Intro to GoodFoods Gut + Food Lab:
A day in the kitchen, playing with foods and flavours (spring, TBA)

Mark your calendars. I am so stoked. You have no idea.

COMMUNITY CULTURE SERIES GIVEAWAY

I have been waiting for this week for what seems like months. Remember what it was like in the days leading up to your first day of school, the anticipation, the trepidation, the careful considering of fashion statements, the can't-quite-sleep-the-night-before kind of jitters that would make you tingle from head to toe? Well that's kind of how I feel about this coming weekend.

The good folks at The Light Cellar here in Calgary have organized what is shaping up to be a fantastic weekend, celebrating the world of friendly ferments with a festival, aptly titled Friendly Ferments Festival. Opening the festival is the premiere event named Bubbles 'n Brine on Friday night, with tasting and sampling of a variety of ferments with a presentation from the weekend's keynote speaker. There will also be a full day of activities, presentations and booths festival-style on the Saturday from 10 till 6, with exhibits, practical spots where you can get in on the action hands-on, allowing you to deepen your own connections to the magic that is fermenting. The organizers have managed to reign in one of North America's eminent authorities on the subject, Sandor Katz, a self-proclaimed Fermentation Revivalist who will be the keynote speaker at this coming weekend's festivities. (I heard a rumour it took about a year and a half of requesting and asking to get him to cement a date to come to town here to share his knowledge with the community.) Sandor Katz is the author behind the fermenting 'bibles' Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation. He will be offering a talk on Friday night on the cultural importance of fermenting, the flavour profiles that can be discovered, not to mention the health benefits of these superfoods. He will also be leading a workshop on culturing vegetables on the Saturday morning of the full day event, and ending the festival with a presentation on culturing dairy and its place in history.  I had the pleasure of spending some time this past weekend with Malcolm Saunders of The Light Cellar. A video of our conversation is below, check it out!

I will be in attendance at the full weekend's festivities with my own booth for Good Food + You, so be sure to stop on by. My table will be the one-stop-ferment-spot where you will be invited to flavour your own homemade fermented soda sample to take home, in order to start you on your own fermenting journey.  

Things are getting all offish.

Following this fabulous weekend of fermenty fun is a 10-part series of classes offered at The Light Cellar, meant to further deepen the knowledge gathered at the Friendly Ferments Festival and connect with local fermentors. These 10 classes are spread over five Thursday evenings, so 2 classes per night, with the first one offered on October 22nd. Yours truly will be leading the first class (eek!), a tasting and exploration of Beet Kvass and its many health benefits and easy ways to use in every day cooking.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FRIENDLY FERMENTS FESTIVAL: There aren't many tickets left. As the venue had to change due to a structural issue, tickets are now limited. Don't wait to get yours at the door, contact The Light Cellar directly or head to their shop on Bowness Road to get your tickets today. You can also purchase them online here. (The same link will give you the full details on the Friendly Ferments Festival, including ticket prices and venue information.) If you are planning to attend, know that there will be a food truck at the venue, but you may want to bring some of your own snacks or a small lunch with you on the Saturday.

AS FOR THE COMMUNITY CULTURE SERIES: I am very excited for this 5-night series, where two instructors per night will be offering classes on specific topics. I am so pleased to say that I will be at the first night of the series, talking about the earthy and delicious Beet Kvass. You can purchase tickets for individual evenings for $50 a night for two classes, or purchase a full 5-week/10-class pass for $149.  My math skills tell me the best deal here is to free up your next five Thursdays in order to come learn about the magic of ferments and connect with those local folks who are at the forefront of this fermentation revival. For full details on the Series, head to this spot online.

I had the pleasure of spending my Sunday morning this past weekend with the lovely Malcolm Saunders of The Light Cellar. We chatted on my back deck (whilst the wind whipped up, and the crows came by!) about all good things fermenting and the upcoming festival. 

For those interested in delving more into our conversation, there is a longer version of it where we touch on the industrialization of our food systems, and the effects it has had on the quality of our nutrients; we also go into more detail about the upcoming festival. Find the full interview here.  

THE BEST PART ABOUT ALL OF THIS: Malcolm and I are teaming up to give ALL SUBSCRIBERS to the Good Food + You newsletter a chance to get in on the fermenting action. We are offering one lucky subscriber a pass to attend all 10 classes in the Community Culture Series! All you need to do to get your name in the ballot box is to sign up for my newsletter here on the homepage, if you haven't done it already. The giveaway is open only to those who live within the Calgary area, for obvious reasons. The Giveaway Opportunity will be open until 12 midnight this coming Wednesday, October 14th. I will announce the winner on my blog this Thursday. Spread the word about this fantastic opportunity! Hit the 'share' button below, and send along to someone you think would dig this kind of opportunity, or someone who could benefit from delving deeper into the world of fermenty fun. 

As I type this up, our Canadian Thanksgiving Monday is coming to a close. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you my dear follower/reader/friend for encouraging me in this new business venture over this past year, and for connecting with me be it through classes, presentations, or one-on-one consults. I am grateful for your support as I jump into this big world of nutrition. #gratefulheart

GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED SOON!

Hello my lovelies. I am working on posting something new today, just putting the finishing touches on it.  Suffice it to say, this will be a super fun giveaway, my very first! In order to get in on the action (before I even announce what it is), if you haven't already, head to lukasymons.com and sign up for my newsletter by filling in the box that says 'subscribe'. It's as easy as that. Deadline to get in on the action will be this Wednesday October 14th, 12 midnight MST.  Smooches.

COMING SOON!

There is a little co-production in the works. Keep your eyes peeled for news of a collaboration with a local company I am seriously loving these days! We will have an announcement later on this week. This may or may not take shape in a cooking class format. Rest assured, it will most definitely include good food and ways these good foods will nourish your sweet self. Stay tuned!