Probiotics, Milk Kefir, and Giveaway

First of all, a little about probiotics and why they're so great.

Have you seen those commercials for the yogurt that "helps regulate your digestive system?" You know, the one with the picture of a stomach that has an arrow pointing down on it? I always thought that picture was kind of funny....

Well, the reason that yogurt is good for your digestive system is that it's full of something called "probiotics", which is another word for "good bacteria."

Good? Bacteria? Those words can go together? Absolutely! In fact, much of the bacteria in the world is beneficial, as it helps in digestion, keeps our ecosystem working through decomposition, and helps to build our immune systems. The problem is, bacteria has gotten a bad rap around here lately, and we think that we have to spray, wipe and scrub away all bacteria from every surface in our home.

*note: I do recognize the importance of sanitizing, as there are also plenty of dangerous germs out there, too! I just think we tend to go a little overboard spraying everything in sight with chemicals that can very well be worse than the germs that were there to begin with!

I've even heard of natural medicine practicers taking large doses probiotics instead of antibiotics as a first resort to fighting illnesses. I'll definitely be testing that one out next time I get sick.


Traditionally, before fridges, freezers, and other modern preserving practices, many foods were preserved by fermenting or pickling. By fermenting fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and even meat, people were not only making their foods last longer, but they were also allowing beneficial bacteria to grow, which aided in digestion and boosted the body's immunities. Modern science is finding even more benefits to having a healthy, probiotic filled gut, such as maintaining a healthy weight and boosting mental well-being.

So, what are some good sources of probiotics?


Out of your normal grocery store foods, just about the only things containing still-living probiotics are in the yogurt section. It's best to check for "live, active cultures" listed somewhere on the label, and watch out for the sugar content - most small cups of yogurt contain around 20 grams of sugar - that's 5 teaspoons! Unfortunately, refined sugars feed the bad bacteria in your gut, so you just may be canceling out the benefits of your probiotics. You'd do better to buy plain yogurt and flavor it yourself with fruit, honey, or even jam. Even if you add straight sugar, you're not likely to add the 20 grams that would be in a flavored yogurt.

The best way to get a good source of probiotics is to grow them yourself, which I have to admit is kind of a hobby of mine. I've mentioned my kombucha in a previous post, and today I want to talk specifically about milk kefir. If you're interested in making other cultured and fermented foods, check out this link from Cultures for Health.

Milk kefir is similar to yogurt in that it is a cultured dairy product, but it is more liquid than yogurt. It also contains more beneficial bacteria and therefore tends to have a stronger flavor. It is becoming more common in grocery stores, but it still isn't well known. To make milk kefir, you simply place your kefir grains in a jar with some milk and let it sit covered for 24-48 hours. After your milk kefir is fermented, you strain out the grains and start the process over again. Dairy kefir can be consumed plain or mixed into a smoothie, with honey, or you can even strain the whey out through a fine cloth like a clean pillowcase or tea towel to make a kind of kefir cream cheese.

A picture of my kefir grains an a jar of finished kefir in the background. Kefir grains are not actually a grain, like wheat or rice. They look a lot like cauliflower, but have a jellyfish like consistency. Yeah, it's kinda weird to the uninitiated.

If you read 10 different sites about making kefir, you'll probably hear about 10 different methods, but they're all basically the same:

1. It takes about 1 Tablespoon of grains to make 1 cup of kefir in 24 hours.

2. You can let your kefir ferment for more or less time, to taste. The longer it sits, the more "sour" it will get.

3. Kefir grains don't like to touch metal. I like to use a plastic spoon to scoop my grains out of my kefir and simply dump them into a new jar for the next batch. Some people use a plastic strainer.

4. Kefir grains like whole milk, they like the fat. You can also use cream, or any other milk, such as 1% or 2%. It's up to you. I use raw whole milk.

5. You can seal your jar lid or not. If you seal it, be sure not to let it sit for too long. The fermentation process produces gases that could potentially explode your jar. Both dangerous and messy, I'm sure.

6. The finished product can be a little lumpy, especially if you use raw milk. It helps to blend up your kefir before you drink it. This is also the best time to flavor it.

7. You can make kefir with non-dairy milk, such as coconut, if you are dairy sensitive.
8. Happy grains will grow and multiply, so you can share with your friends, if they happen to also be into home culturing!
9. Milk kefir grains, if "fed" regularly by using to make milk kefir, will continue to make kefir and multiply indefinitely.

This post actually ties into this month's challenge because milk kefir is great to use to soak your  whole grains to eliminate the anti-nutrients they contain. Soaking your grains also helps with that "heavy" factor whole grains tend to have. In fact, I shared a recipe on monday that uses oats soaked in milk kefir.

If you're interested in finding out more about milk kefir, check out this page. If you'd like to know wher e to order yourself some  milk kefir grains, check out Cultures for Health's website. Not only are they a great source for information and resources for culturing foods at home, but Raising Isabella is a Cultures for Health Affiliate, so if you do decide to make an order, please come back and click through this link, so I can receive a commission on your order! Thanks!

BUT WAIT!


Don't order any kefir grains just yet, because I will be holding a contest starting this Friday, February 13th  for one lucky reader to receive some free milk kefir grains! Tune in Friday to learn more!

This post was shared at Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Simple Lives Thursday,

What is Kombucha tea?

These are a few of my favorite things....lalala

A jar of fermenting tea with several "SCOBY's" in it

A large bottle of kombucha, ready to go

A small bottle of kombucha

Today, I'm going to be talking about one of my favorite things - kombucha. I first discovered it when I was working at a health food store in Hattiesburg, MS, and it was love at first sip! Actually, I do remember my mom making it when I was a kid and I thought it was strange.

Oh no! I'm becoming my mother! :)

What is kombucha tea?
There are two answers I give when asked this question, depending on what type of mood I'm in:

"You know how yogurt has good bacteria in it that make it good for your digestion? Kombucha tea is like that, except it's sweet tea with good bacteria in it instead of milk."

or

"It's fermented tea. I take sweet tea and put this thing called a scoby (kind of like a mushroom) in it and let it sit on the counter for a week until it gets sour and bubbly."

Both answers are true, one just sounds a lot more strange than the other.

Technically, kombucha is a lacto-fermented tea. Even though it's fermented, it's NOT any more alcoholic than yogurt or pickles, which are also fermented. The good bacteria digest the sugars and produce all kinds of healthy things.

Kombucha is good for digestion because of the probiotics growing in it. It is also good for detoxifying and contains many b-vitamins, which a lot of people are deficient in. A ton of health claims have been made about kombucha, from curing cancer to alkalizing the body. I'm not too sure about all of that, but I do know that I love it!

How is it made?
I can do a detailed post later on how to make kombucha tea, but here are the general directions:

You need:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon of water
6 tea bags (green, black, oolong, or any combination)

1. Boil the water with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Steep the tea in the water until the water is cooled.
3. Pour the cool tea into a glass jar, add your scoby (see above photo) cover with a cloth (you want to let air in but keep out any bugs that wander by), and wait approximately one week.

You'll want to taste your kombucha every few days to see how it's coming along. When it tastes just sweet/sour enough for you, pour it into sealed bottles or jars and refrigerate.

To quote Rachel Ray, Yum-O!

I prefer to flavor my tea and do a second ferment. I'll describe that process on Friday. By doing a second ferment, the tea gets nice and bubbly like super healthy soda.

Have you ever heard of kombucha? Are you interested in trying it?

This post was shared at Simple Lives Thursday and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Sickness and Health

I left off yesterday thinking about myself in relationship to the creation around me. My story, up until now, has been about my Mom getting sick. Today, I'll talk briefly about my own journey to health.

Growing up, it seemed like I always had something weird wrong with me. I can remember having to do a glucose test as a child. I had to eat a whole plate of basically just sugar for breakfast before going to the doc. This was an exciting task at the beginning, but by the end I can remember crying for mom not to make  me eat any more. Fortunately, I tested negative for diabetes. Another time, I remember getting my head scanned by some big machine because I was having a lot of headaches. They concluded I was having allergies. I was never terribly sick, but I just didn't have the stamina it seemed like the other kids had. 

When I hit adolescence, I started having all sort of digestive troubles, and it seems this is a fairly common issue today. I didn't want to talk about it much because, well, when you're a teenager everything's embarrassing. It would come and go, sometimes it wasn't debilitating, but I always knew where the bathroom was everywhere I went. My senior year, I had some emotional problems that escalated my stomach issues and I ended up losing about 14 pounds off of my already tiny frame. I was very weak and sick. I can remember it feeling nearly impossible work just to wash my hair in the morning. Things got better for me emotionally, and I went off to college. My stomach got a little better there for the first year, but things escalated the second year and the pain just wouldn't leave me alone. I finally went to my family doctor, who gave me a strong antibiotic and prescribed some strong probiotics. She called it IBS and said we would just try to reset my digestive system. It worked pretty well, and I really started taking all of this "healthy bacteria" stuff seriously. I still had a lot to learn, though.

I'll pick up here tomorrow with the conclusion to my story. Well, I guess conclusion isn't really the right word because I'm still kickin' and my story's still being written. You'll be caught up to today by the end of tomorrow, though. :)

This next post is a bit of a tear-jerker, so consider yourself warned. I'll try to bring a box of e-tissues for ya.

What inspires you to be healthy?