Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your “inner ecosystem.” More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins.
- Kefir is simple and inexpensive to make at home.
- Kefir is used to restore the inner eco-system after antibiotic therapy.
- Kefir can be made into a delicious smoothie that kids love.
- Kefir is excellent nourishment for pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, and those with compromised immunity.
What if I’m lactose intolerant, and don’t do dairy? Or don’t digest milk products well? Is kefir right for me?
The beneficial yeast and friendly bacteria in the kefir culture consume most of the lactose (or milk sugar). Eat kefir on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before (or for) breakfast and you’ll be delighted to find it can be easily digested — as numerous people who have been lactose intolerant for years have discovered.
The beneficial yeast and friendly bacteria in the kefir culture consume most of the lactose (or milk sugar). Eat kefir on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before (or for) breakfast and you’ll be delighted to find it can be easily digested — as numerous people who have been lactose intolerant for years have discovered.
NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF KEFIR:
In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help the body with healing and maintenance functions. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also offers an abundance of calcium and magnesium, which are also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly profound calming effect on the nerves.
Kefir’s ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.
Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. It is an excellent source of biotin, a B Vitamin which aids the body’s assimilation of other B Vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The numerous benefits of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity.
What’s in a name anyhow. Kefir Grains or Tibetan Milk Mushrooms?
I seem to have have acquired a relationship with my Kefir Grains over the past months because of the help they are giving me and relate to them more by what I believe to be their true name; “Tibetan Milk Mushrooms“. I mentioned this a few times in previous blog postings. Whether the Tibetans discovered how to put together this amazing group of bacteria together or not, I feel the word “Kefir”, meaning “fizzy”, does not do this complex of bacteria and yeast justice. To refresh myself of this complex; the bacterial strains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacilllus bulgaricus, work together and transform milk into the fizzy drink we call Kefir Milk. The thirty or so strains of bacteria and yeast found in the Tibetan Milk Mushroom Grain, (AKA the Kefir Grain), band together to form a complex ecology capable of digesting almost any food source and fending off harmful pathogens. The microbes of the Tibetan Mushroom even provide themselves with little homes in the form of grains that are composed of a polysaccharide matrix. So in my books anyhow, the Tibetan “Milk” Mushroom creates the fizzy milk drink we call Kefir Milk which I continue to consume every day.
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TIBICOS: JAPANESE WATER CRYSTALS: WATER KEFIR GRAINS
The health benefits are endless and just like Milk Kefir grains, the Water Kefir Grains will supply you with all the probiotics in an awesome Flat or Fizzy clear drink. Tibicos, (aka Water Kefir Grains or Japanese Water Crystals), are also good for those that cannot tolerate Milk Kefir.
To make a Kefir Water drink you basically do it the same way as with Kefir milk except you will be using mineral water or Well water and sugar. A 1/4 cup organic, (can be white), sugar dissolved into 2 cups of Mineral water. (Do not use right from the tap, boil first then let cool to get rid of chlorine). Now add your Tibicos into your jar of sweetened water. (I have about 3 tablespoons at the moment going into 2 cups of water). Cover with a coffee filter to keep out the bugs and let sit for 48 hours. After this strain out your Tibicos and start your next batch. Either enjoy the drink right away or let sit, (double fermentation), for another 48 hours with some added fruit or fruit juices. If you want Fizzy then keep sealed. If you want it flat then keep the lid loose. There is much to blog about this and I will as the days go by.
As with Kefir Milk Grains, it is very important that you NEVER use any metal utensils or tools when handling living cultures such as the Water or Milk Kefir Grains. They don’t like metal and may be adversely affected if exposed to it. The exception to the rule is stainless steel. Aluminum is the destroyer of the good bacteria in the Kefir grain.
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