- Shireen Smith, Nutritional Medicine
What you should know about Kefir, Kombucha & Moringa.
What are these NEW IT foods everyone's talking about? And should you bother trying them?
I can tell you, one is alcoholic, one has more bacteria than mouldy dish cloth and one tastes like grass. Interested???
Let me introduce; Kefir, Kombucha and Moringa.
Kefir (pronounced Kuh Fear) is the strained liquid left behind during the fermentation process from a type of
living organism known as Kefir Grains. They are not real grains, this refers only to their appearance. They are actually a form of SCOBY - an acronym for (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast).
Kefir is traditionally grown in good quality, organic full cream Milk and feeds off the lactose and sugars in the milk. During fermentation the SCOBY leaves behind a rich variety of probiotics, yeast and enzymes vital for gut health and can help restore gut flora destroyed by antibiotics, alcohol, caffeine, gluten (yes gluten) and sugary foods. Kefir is similar to yoghurt, but with many more friendly bacterial flora types.
I have been fermenting my own milk kefir (not dairy-free) and these super healthy, robust grains are benefiting the gut flora of my whole family with one tablespoon containing the equivalent probiotics to one whole bottle of capsules and at a fraction of the price.
Kefir can taste a little tart and at times has a slight fizz, but is quite palatable. On it's own tastes similar to natural yoghurt. For those adjusting to the taste, or for recipes children can't resit, you can be creative with your kefir and make smoothies or nice cream.
Soon I'll do a water kefir and let you know the main differences between Kombucha, milk Kefir and water Kefir.
As well as post some yummy Kefir recipes soon.
Kombucha (pronounced Kom Bootcha) is also made from a SCOBY, which looks similar to a mushroom although it is not a fungus. Like kefir, kombucha contains many friendly microbes, enzymes and yeast variants, known to aid in digestion and boost gut health.
Fermented in green, black, white, oolong or pu'erh tea; kombucha does contain a small amount of caffeine as all these teas are derived from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis.
Along with the tea, sugar is the main fuel source for the SCOBY. You can however, brew Kombucha with herbal teas (known as tisanes), like Moringa Organics or our Wellness Botanical Collection to boost the nutrient content and flavour of kombucha teas, but the Scoby will always need black, white, oolong or green tea to survive over time.
WARNING!!! There is a low alcohol content present in kombucha and this is due to the yeast consuming the sugar, fermenting it into carbon dioxide and ethanol, then some, not all is converted by bacteria into acetic acid. So Kombucha contains alcohol! Not enough to get you drunk though... Only around 0.45 - 1% alcohol depending on fermentation. Although, my mum would probably feel a buzz from 3 bottles, but that could well be from the fizziness.
The Healthful Hub farms Moringa Oleifera, the world's most nutritious botanical, also known as the Drumstick Tree, the Tree of Life and the Miracle Tree.
Moringa is gaining popularity because of it's many phytonutrients, which are nutrients from plants. It has around 92 various water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, essential amino acids, including 46 known Antioxidants. Antioxidants vital to health, as they help repair oxidative damage to cells within the body caused from chemicals, pollution, stress, carcinogens and bad foods. When the rate of damage is too much for the intake of Antioxidants to handle, cancer can form in the body.
The importance of eating a highly nutritious diet is paramount to optimal living and supporting an active lifestyle. Our Moringa Organics Superfood powder is an easy way to boost your daily nutrient intake, with only a spoonful of green powder. Moringa is quite palatable and tastes a little grassy, but not bitter or harsh.
NOW, let me tell you why is gut health and nutrition rely on each other!
We are now referring to the gut as the epicentre of our ability to reach optimal health. There are countless studies and evidence showing the importance of maintaining a healthy gut flora to achieve overall wellness. The best way I can suggest incorporating these foods into your diet, is by changing your mentality and thinking of them as daily necessities for life.
Kombucha and Kefir support digestion and gut health, and when your gut is functioning well at the core of your being and your digestive system is able to absorb nutrients properly into the blood stream, it acts like an efficient delivery system and allows the blood to take those vital nutrients, like those ingested from powerful superfoods like moringa organics to each one of your 37 trillion cells.
In the words of Hippocrates,
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".