February Finds Part 2 Fruit & Herbal Gummies

There are may reasons why you would go to the effort of making these sweet treats, first among them is because....Yum! Seriously, they really are! Here is the RECIPE if you'd like to go straight to the process.

Gummies are a great way to feed your family a gut healing treat. Let's have a look at why.

Berries

Berries are packed with anti-oxidants and vitamins that aid in boosting your immune system while helping to lower your inflammation and assist in anti-aging, taking care of your heart and provide fibre. All types of berries, whether fresh or frozen, contain polyphenols. These are an excellent source of fibre, and also contain good amounts of resistant starch and inulin, which are known to have a prebiotic effect.

Gelatin vs Agar

Gelatin is a protein product derived from collagen. It has important health benefits due to its unique combination of amino acids. Gelatin has been shown to play a role in joint health and brain function, and aids in improving the appearance of skin, nails and hair. Gelatin is a collagen rich food made almost entirely of protein, and its unique amino acid profile gives it many health benefits. Collagen is most abundant in the skin, bones, tendons and ligaments and provides strength and structure for tissues. Gelatin extracted during the bone broth making process is flavorless and colorless. It dissolves in warm water, and takes on a jelly-like texture when it cools. This has made it useful as a gelling agent in food production, in products such as Jell-O and gummy candy. It can also be consumed as bone broth or as a supplement (6). Sometimes, gelatin is processed further to produce a substance called collagen hydrolysate, which contains the same amino acids as gelatin and has the same health benefits. However, it is not suitable for vegans because it is made from animal parts.

Agar is an unbranched polysaccharide obtained from the cell walls of red algae. In chemical terms it is a polymer made up of subunits of the sugar galactose. Made up from two components, the linear polysaccharideagarose, and a heterogeneous mixture of smaller molecules called agaropectin which forms the supporting structure in the cell walls of certain species of algae, and is released on boiling. This product is perfect for vegetarians and vegans and can be used in the place of Gelatin. It is much more powerful than gelatin and is eight times more powerful: 1 teaspoon agar powder is equivalent to 8 teaspoon gelatin powder. Agar contains a gel-like substance that bulks up in the gut. This stimulates the intestines and creates a bowel movement. This bulking effect is thought to make it useful as a laxative and for weight loss. Agar tends to make people feel full, so they might stop eating earlier than they otherwise would. For our purposes, it is the vegan alternative to gelatin, though not as nourishing. To me this would indicate that a further herbal ingredient should be included in the gummy if required. This is a great LINK if you'd l ike to see more information.

Coconut water

Coconut water is found in young coconuts and a good source of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and calcium. Coconut water is the juice found in the center of a young, green coconut. It helps nourish the fruit. As the coconut matures, some of the juice remains in liquid form while the rest ripens into the solid white flesh known as coconut meat. for our needs, we are only using the coconut water from the young coconuts.

Ingredient swapping

You can interchange your own ingredients with the same ratios, for example, you can change coconut water for milk kefir. However, if you do this you must be aware of whether any of your products will spoil. I often include rosewater and lemon in my gummies as I find it soothing on my stomach and it makes me feel content. Experiment and find yours too!

Lastly and most importantly

Remember that these gummies (from this recipe) are living things that need to be treated with care so that you can gleen all of the nutritional and gut healing benefits. Store them in a cool, dry environment (sometimes they stick to each other in the fridge, but it's still better than the humidity of Auckland).

Eat well and thrive.

Blessings

Julie