Educate me about kefir, please.

[ack26]

What is kefir, where do you buy it, why is it healthy, will my kids eat it/drink it/notice it in foods?

Thanks!

[aris99]

Here's a link w/some great info on kefir:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

It has probiotic qualities and is great for keeping your gut healthy, immune system support, detoxing, recovering from intestinal viruses, stopping diarrhea (for most people). It does a whole lot more than I've included here.

I give my kids a tablespoon or so in their smoothies, juices etc and they don't taste it at all. I have 3 kids (8,almost 6 and 3), 2 have benefited, the third for some reason cannot tolerate kefir. It actually gives him terrible gas and diarrhea...he's almost 6 and has feeding and sensory issues that might explain his reaction?

We make water kefir w/ either coconut water or molasses and cane sugar. After fermentation not much of the sugar remains so it's not terribly sweet but it doesn't have to taste like vinegar either. Many people add fruit but I just add a little carrot juice or goodbelly to mine and I think it tastes great

[ack26]

Thank you!

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by ack26

What is kefir, where do you buy it, why is it healthy, will my kids eat it/drink it/notice it in foods?

Thanks!

We go through about a quart of water kefir and a quart of milk kefir a day.

Here's a website that's chock full of information about kefir: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

My kids (ages 7 and 3) like milk and water kefir and will drink from 1/2c to 1c of milk kefir a day and however much of water kefir that I will allow. Right now my kefir grains are growing like crazy, so they could easily polish off 1/2 gallon if they wanted to. Water kefir is probably more kid friendly here as we make our own "sodas" by adding lemon and lime to make a "Sprite" like drink. Then we'll make one with dried fruits to make more of a fruity type of soda. We're constantly experimenting.

I really don't have to hide foods from my kids as they have a rather adventurous palate. I have no trouble drinking milk kefir plain but my kids will put some in one of those mixer bottles with some raw honey or maple syrup and some fresh blueberry or other fruit puree and drink it that way. They sometimes also mix water kefir and fruit kefir. I've never made smoothies. I've also used milk kefir as a base for salad dressings and other "creamy" condiments. I've also baked with milk kefir because I like the flavor it imparts (though it loses its probiotic properties when its cooked from what I understand, but the flavor is nice). Ah, and we also use it blended with white beans or other beans as a dip for raw veggies.

Where to buy them? I guess it depends on where you live, but they're rather plentiful around here and can be found for free on craigslist. I've given lots of them away as my grains have grown beyond my ability and desire to grow them any more. There are a couple of Yahoo! Groups where you can request some and get them free for shipping and then there are sites like www.kefirlady.com where you can buy them.

[coffee.caugh]

well, we don't make ours (did not even know that was possible! ) but we buy it from the grocery store, organic, really healthy (and tasty if you get a fruity one! i just do not like plain, myself) and good for belly things like the pps said. :

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by coffee.caugh

well, we don't make ours (did not even know that was possible! ) but we buy it from the grocery store, organic, really healthy (and tasty if you get a fruity one! i just do not like plain, myself) and good for belly things like the pps said. :

Though I've never tried it myself because I have oodles of kefir grains, some people make kefir with store bought kefir (or kefir that someone else made). It's a 50/50 ratio of already made kefir to milk of your choice and you let it sit at room temperature for 24 hrs and it should thicken and turn into kefir. This works about 7 times before you have to start all over again with a new source of kefir. Oh, and you'll want to do this in a covered glass container (I use canning jars, but you can use old juice jars, etc.). If you use a regular lid, don't put it on too tightly as it will fizz. Some people use paper towels or coffee filters secured with rubber bands (I use the canning jar lids but leave them loose).

[funkymamajoy]

Is it different cultures from yogurt?

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by funkymamajoy

Is it different cultures from yogurt?

First I have to admit that I'm not 100% sure what people mean by "yogurt culture." I make my yogurt with raw milk yogurt (either yogurt from a previous batch I've made, or yogurt I've purchased from our farmer) as a starter. BUT, I can definitely say that kefir grains and yogurt culture are different.

If you look at Dom's website that I linked to earlier, milk kefir grains look like cottage cheese curds and don't get "used up" when you make kefir. You actually pour milk over them, let it sit at room temp for 24 hours, then take the grains out and you have kefir! Some people do a second ferment by letting that strained kefir stay out at room temperature for an additional 24hrs (or more) sans grains. During the second fermentation, the kefir usually becomes more thick and it creates more b vitamins and so forth. You can start over again with fresh milk over the same grains to make more kefir. The grains also grow in size and number the more you use them. Water kefir grains look like little clear pebbles or tiny quartz-like crystals. Since they don't have the milk sugar (lactose) to feed on, they're "fed" with a combination of sugars, calcium, and then people sometimes add other things. Again, they don't get used up either, but continue to grow and can be reused.

[funkymamajoy]

Originally Posted by YummyYarnAddict

First I have to admit that I'm not 100% sure what people mean by "yogurt culture." I make my yogurt with raw milk yogurt (either yogurt from a previous batch I've made, or yogurt I've purchased from our farmer) as a starter. BUT, I can definitely say that kefir grains and yogurt culture are different.

I don't know what yogurt cultures really look like either, since I also use yogurt to make yogurt. But now I think I need to try kefir too.

[LilMamiBella]

Is one better than the other? Or are they pretty much the same health wise?

[WuWei]

(homemade) yogurt has about 10 different strains of beneficial microbials. Commercial yogurt has 0-10.

Water kefir has about 30+ different strains of beneficial microbials.

Milk kefir has about 37+ different strains of beneficial microbials. Commercial milk kefir has about 10.

"Homemade yogurt that is fermented for 24 hours, will have an average concentration of 3 billion cfu/mL of yogurt. If you were to eat a small bowl (500 ml) of 24 hour fermented homemade yogurt, you would receive 1.5 trillion beneficial bacteria - 100 times more bacteria than a 15 billion capsule.

Furthermore, freshly made kefir can have an average microbial count as high as 10 billion cfu/ml. This includes a mixture of various bacteria and yeast strains. This means that a 500 ml glass of homemade kefir could contain as many as 5 trillion beneficial microorganisms or even more!"
http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/co...onspiracy.html

"Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products... ...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.

Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, invalids and the elderly, as well as a remedy for digestive disorders. "
http://www.kefir.net/kefiryogurt.htm


Basically, a tablespoon of yogurt with "Active Live Cultures" (or kefir) is much more effective at recolonizing the gut, than any probiotic capsule or powder.



Everything Probiotics


Pat

[LilMamiBella]

Thanks Pat!: I read about some people drinking both water/milk kefir and how you can make lemonade kefir. So you could replace sodas/teas with water kefir and also drink milk kefir.? nak

eta: or replace milk kwith milk kefir? how does someone's food/drink diary look like drinking kefirs, smoothies, green juices, kombuchas, coconut oil, etc?

[WuWei]

You want to start slowing with kefir. The probiotics are strong for those with a lot of gut imbalances. So, they don't really "replace" soda or milk, as a drink. Although, overtime, gradually increasing the amount consumed is beneficial.

I just drink a 1/4 cup milk kefir a couple of times a week. And toss in a splash of water kefir in our green juice/smoothies in the morning/afternoon. My water kefir has a bit of lemon flavor, as I add 1/2 lemon to the brew.

I also drink a sip or two of kombucha every week or so. I don't add coconut oil to any of them. Too much kombucha and coconut oil cause many folks to have significant "die-off", especially with mercury fillings, yeast, candida. Caution, with kombucha while nursing.

Pat