A Gutsy Move

Speaking of guts may not make you think of probiotics but they are all about a healthy gut and a healthy gut is all about a healthy body. If you have ever been treated with the ubiquitous antibiotics prescribed by your primary care physician you need probiotics. The good news is probiotics are simple to make and will be fresher than anything you can buy and certainly freer of additives, fillers and gelatin. How? You make kefir.

Kefir is a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of protein, sugar and lipids. This matrix forms a characteristic cauliflower like “mushroom” and this “mushroom” is placed in a quart canning jar of milk, hopefully “real” milk, capped with a non-metallic canning jar lid, set in a warm place out of the sunshine and allowed to ferment for 24-48 hours. You will know when it is done because the resultant mixture is thick like yogurt but eminently drinkable. If you let it sit 48 hours it will separate in to curds and whey and will have an altogether different composition and much more sour taste (for instance kefir that is fermented for 48 hours has a much higher folic acid content). When the fermentation is complete to your satisfaction you remove the grains of kefir and start a new jar of kefir.

Often when I make kefir I need to let the grains rest in between batches, so the last jar is placed in the refrigerator with the grains still in place. Cooling the grains, slows the fermentation but the grains are still being fed and will stay healthy and useable for a very long time. As soon as I use up one jar and need the next I just transfer the grains to a new jar of “real” milk. If you use whole “real” milk the grains may need the occasional rinse with non-chlorinated (chlorine will kill the grains) cool water as the fat may coat the grains and stop the fermentation from occurring. Also another secret to success with kefir grains is if you don’t need them for awhile you can rinse them, dry the grains off with a cotton towel, powder them with dry milk powder (organic if possible) and freeze them. When you need them again you dust them off, place them in milk and let them warm up and start causing their signature fermentation again. This may take a change of two of milk, so start with a small jar and wake them up gently.

The magical elixir you will have produced has antimutagenic (capable or reducing mutation which is important in cancer control) and antioxidant properties (something that inhibits oxidation and is vital to a healthy body). Many lactose intolerant people find they can digest kefir with no problems as it aids in lactose digestion as a catalyst. It has been found to lower serum cholesterol and blood pressure in rats according to Wikipedia. If you want more history of kefir Google it and you will find there is a plethora of information on various sites dedicated to kefir and kombucha (a fermentation done with tea, sugar, water and a kombucha mushroom).

Kefir has a decidedly tart taste but a delightful sparkle due to the fermentation and very slight alcoholic content (less than 1%). I love it plain but if the tartness doesn’t please you it is easily added to your morning smoothie or you can simply add agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, xylitol, stevia, fresh fruit, etc before you drink it. Years ago I did read that it is advised that you take one day off a week to allow your system to take care of itself but I don’t think the horseback riders in the Caucasus did that as it was a source of calories and liquid for them as they crossed the mountains that formed their region between Asia and Europe. They would carry a small bladder full of mare’s milk and the magic mushroom and let it shake around inside the bag as they rode and then enjoy the sparkling beverage and all of its healthful properties.

Most mornings I make a smoothie with my kefir by putting in a blender 1/2 cup of my freshly made kefir, 1 cup of filtered water, any supplements I want that day that are in powdered form but lately it has been T-Tapps Premium alfalfa blend, Dr. Ron’s multi-vitamin powder, powdered CoQ10, 1/4 teaspoon Taurine powder, a scoop of Cardio-C, a scoop of Coco Mojo, a dropperful of Viragon, and a dropperful of my own blood cleansing tincture,  three emptied capsules of turmeric, a scoop of chia seed, 3/4 teaspoon of salmon oil , and maybe some xylitol. I mix that all up and as the machine is running I can add fresh spinach leaves, parsley, kale anything green from the garden. Sometimes I then add frozen berries or half a frozen banana, a fresh raw egg, and half an avocado. This mixture can be varied by adding coconut milk powder or simply substituting some coconut milk for water. I like my smoothies thick like a shake but this too can be adjusted for personal taste. My spousal unit is happy that I let him leave most mornings before I make my concoction but I enjoy it and it is a powerful combination. You can make your own creations but it is important to know that the base is kefir.

I have introduced many people to kefir, some have turned their noses up in disgust but many have benefitted from their daily dose of kefir and often share the “mushroom” with friends and family and have found it helped them become healthier (from ending lifelong constipation to healing IBS). The “mushroom” will multiply and is easy to separate out of the kefir to give to friends and family, so you will never lack for kefir grains. Go ahead, make a gutsy move, make some kefir and enjoy a new healthier you.

P.S. When first starting on any probiotics you need to start out carefully. Unhealthy gut environs are strongly affected by probiotics and diarrhea may initially result from drinking kefir. Often this is a result of your body getting rid of something bad it was harboring like Candida overgrowth, so the diarrhea isn’t always a bad occurence but it may be uncomfortable. It is recommended that you start with a tablespoon and try more as you can tolerate it.

Swine Flu;Benign Flu

Yes, the media is taking the Swine Flu by the tail and beating it to death but you can hardly blame them. If your entire livelihood depended on all the news you could generate in a 24 hour period, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year you, too, would ride this little piggy to market with the same gusto.

There is now quite a bit of speculation that this flu bug was born in a laboratory somewhere and that seems about right. The suspicious part of me thinks that someone in the media or government isn’t above unleashing something like this to create news and deflect concern on to things other than the economy and the war in Afghanistan (oh and now Pakistan). Suspicion aside apparently H1N1 is showing many different characteristics that relate it not to just swine, but bird and human so man MAY have created it and now man MAY have spread it.

What to do, what to do? First panic, no just kidding. First wash your hands thoroughly whenever you have been out and about. I use Tropical Traditions liquid soap in a foamer bottle and then grab my scrub brush to clean under nails and in the cuticle. If you are a songbird like me singing the ABC song is sufficient time to completely clean your hands and make yourself smile while you are at it. Washing hands at least 10 times a day is recommended and then keep your fingers and hands away from your face.

Secondly, get your sleep. 7-9 hours a night is the recommended amount and you should wake feeling fully rested and ready to take on whatever your day presents to you. I think if your night is interrupted a power nap during the day never hurt anyone after all Churchill took a 2 hour nap every day and look at the greatness of that man.

I personally ordered Baseline Nutritionals Viragon just now. It is a tincture full of antiviral compounds including garlic, ginger, onion, horseradish, olive leaf extract, liquid ionic zinc, oil of wild mountain oregano, grapefruit seed and habanero. It doesn’t taste “purty” but that compound should wipe out any virus that even tries to enter my immune system. At my house we are drinking raw milk kefir mixed with wild raw honey to keep our gut healthy and spending 15-20 minutes in the late morning sunshine to keep our Vitamin D3 levels optimum.

It goes without saying, that if either of us starts feeling “under the weather”, if we develop a streaming nasal issue, if our muscles ache or we develop some unusual gastro-intestinal problems we will stay home and keep our problems limited to the walls of our domain. Personally if I had just returned from Mexico I might see it as prudent to isolate my family for 24 hours until I know we all just feel great from those sun soaked hours on holiday.

What we will not do is take Tamiflu in any way shape or form. We will not panic and get a flu shot.. There are reports (none substantiated) that many of the people who died in Mexico had been given a flu vaccine in a vain attempt by their government to stem the spread of the virus. The only thing that vaccine did was weaken their already compromised immune systems and those poor slobs were unable to fight anything much less “swine flu”. I think I can also say we will not be travelling outside the USA until this apparent pandemic is squelched. I do not relish the possibility of being held in a quaratine room with other vaccinated or “Tamiflued” victims. I want to fight H1N1 my way and be assured that I will win.