Recent dietary research has uncovered 14 different nutrient-dense foods that time and again promote good overall health. Coined “superfoods,” they tend to have fewer calories, higher levels of vitamins and minerals, and many disease-fighting antioxidants.

Beans (legumes), berries (especially blueberries), broccoli, green tea, nuts (especially walnuts), oranges, pumpkin, salmon. soy, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, whole grains and oats, and yogurt can all help stop and even reverse diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and some forms of cancer. And where one might have an effect on a certain part of the body, it can also affect the health of other body functions and performance, since the whole body is connected. With these 14 foods as the base of a balanced, solid diet, weight loss gimmicks and other fly-by-night programs can become a thing of the past in your life.

Conversely, the ill-effects of an unbalanced diet are several and varied. Low energy levels, mood swings, tired all the time, weight change, uncomfortable with body are just a few signs that your diet is unbalanced. An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of body tissues, growth and development, brain and nervous system function, as well as problems with bone and muscle systems.

Symptoms of malnutrition include lack of energy, irritability, a weakened immune system leading to frequent colds or allergies, and mineral depletion that can trigger a variety of health concerns including anemia.

And since the body is connected, realizing that an unhealthy body will result in an unhealthy spirit only makes sense. When we nourish our body with these superfoods and complement them with other nutrient-dense and healthy fresh foods, our spirit will be vitalized and healthy as a direct result.

Many modern diets based on prepackaged convenience foods are sorely lacking in many vitamins and minerals, which can affect our mental capacities as well, and cause irritability, confusion, and the feeling of ‘being in a fog’ all the time.

Superfoods can be the basis of a sound, healthy, nutritious solution to curing many of these ailments and more.

If you have no idea what kefir is , check out my previous post on Kefir - The Rediscovered Health Food. If you would like to try making kefir at home, here is a fairly easy step-by-step method to start making your own Kefir drink from live Kefir grains.

1.) First, you need to purchase live kefir grains. You can get it at certain health store. I like this Kefir Starter Kit by Body Ecology Diet As soon as you receive your Live Kefir Grains, empty contents into a pint or 1/2 liter GLASS jar. It is believed that plastic or metal containers are not good for making kefir as harmful chemical reaction is possible. Alternatively, you can use stainless steel or wooden containers.

2.) Give your kefir grains a wash with some fresh milk. Strain the milk out and discard the milk. Do not rinse or “clean” your Kefirs with tap water! Tap water contains chlorine and fluoride and can KILL your Kefir critters. Personally, I like to “bathe” my Kefir babies in milk only and just discard the milk bath. If you don’t like the idea of waste, cats, dogs, and plants love Kefir-milk!

3.) Place your kefir back into the glass jar, and pour in 1/2 a cup of fresh milk. Kefir thrives on almost any kind of milk: cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cream, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and even water. Lightly seal the jar. If you have a mason type jar with a screw-top, then don’t tighten the top tight, you want to let any gas build-up escape from the jar. If you don’t have a jar top, then place a saucer or plate over the top of the jar. Then leave it alone for 12-24 hours.

4.) After about 12 hours you will notice a creamy, foamy curd building up and starting to separate from the whey (the watery part).

5.) When the curds are about 1/3 to 1/2 formed (anything between 12-24 hours depending on ambient temperature), it is time to strain the kefirs. First shake the kefirs, curds and whey vigorously, to slightly homogenize the mix. Pour the brew through a “food grade” plastic or stainless steel strainer with approx. 1/8 inch mesh into another glass container. You don’t want too fine a mesh because the curds will clog the strainer and nothing will pour through.

6.) Vigorously shake and/or tap the strainer and most if not all the curds and whey should pour/fall through into the glass container. You will see the grains left remaining in the strainer. Return the Kefir critters back in the first jar, pour back 1/4 of the curds and whey, and refill the jar with 1/2 cup of fresh milk. You are now ready to make tomorrow’s batch of Kefir.

7.) Lightly seal (to allow gas to escape) the second glass container with the strained curds and whey and place in fridge to “mature”. Some people drink their Kefir right away, some people like to wait 24 hours, some people wait one week - two weeks. That is solely a matter of personal taste. The longer you wait allows the Kefir to eat all the lactose in the Kefir drink, but bear in mind the Kefir gets more sour as time passes. You should also bear in mind a by-product of Kefir process is anything between 0.2% and 2% alcohol. The longer you wait the more alcohol is made by the Kefir.

8.) When you’ve finished your Kefir chores for the day, don’t forget to thoroughly wash clean your work area and all your utensils to avoid any cross contamination. Some people even use disinfectant and/or scalding hot water, but that’s up to you.

9.) Repeat this process for 2 days exactly. On the third day increase the amount of milk to two cups. Repeat for 3 days. On day 7 increase to 3 cups milk. Repeat for 3 days. On day 11 increase milk to 4 cups. Repeat for three days. If your kefir grain grows too much, give away some to your family and friends and let them experience the goodness as well.

How to Make Kefir

To make kefir, milk should be inoculated with kefir grains (5% w/w) and incubated until a smooth yoghurt-like consistency develops. This is generally 12 hours at 18 - 22ºC. Carbonated kefir may be produced by sealing the fermented product into beer bottles for ripening (1 to 3 days at 10ºC). Kefir should be kept out of direct sunlight. If you have no means to regulate the temperature of fermentation, then the top of a warm refrigerator or a cupboard above the stove are suitable places. In warm to hot climates, kefir may be produced by placing the fermentation vessel into the refrigerator during the day and on the counter top at night.

1. Strain the prior day’s kefir batch with a sanitized sieve.
2. Return the grains to a sanitized glass jar. Add fresh pasteurized or raw milk, and cover loosely.
3. Enjoy the liquid kefir portion that went through the strainer.
4. Leave the new batch to sit and ferment.

Available commercial starter cultures do not make traditional kefir. These starters contain selected bacteria and yeasts isolated from kefir grains and will not produce kefir grains. These starter cultures result in a more consistent product as opposed to traditional kefir which varies from batch to batch.

Drinking Kefir

While some drink kefir straight, many find it too sour on its own and prefer to add fruits, honey, maple syrup or other flavors or sweeteners. Frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries or other fruits can be mixed with kefir in a blender to make a smoothie. Vanilla, agave nectar and other flavorings may also be added. Still others enjoy kefir, to replace milk, on cereal or granola.

Different Types of Kefir

In addition, kefir grains will ferment non-mammal “milks” such as soy milk, rice milk, and coconut milk, as well as other sugary liquids including fruit juice, coconut water, beer worts and ginger beer. However, the kefir grains may cease growing if the medium used does not contain all the growth factors required by the bacteria (which are all present in mammalian milk), so it is best to only use excess kefir grains for trying alternative fermentation media.

Health Benefits of Kefir

One can change the nutrient content by simply fermenting for shorter or longer periods. Both stages have different healthful benefits. For instance, kefir over-ripened (increases sour taste) significantly increases folic acid content. Kefir also aids in lactose digestion, making it more suitable than other dairy products for those who are lactose intolerant. The kefiran in kefir has been shown to suppress an increase in blood pressure and reduce serum cholesterol levels. Besides that, kefir has anti aging properties. Many claim that their skin and hair become healthier after drinking kefir for a period of time. If you want to know more on the health benefits of kefir, Kefir Rediscovered!: The Nutritional Benefits of an Ancient Healing Food (Kaufmann Food Series) is one of the best book written on kefir.

My mother in law has recently asked me to try tasting a cup of sour milk. It was so sour that I have problem drinking it. According to my mother in law, some of her friends who tried it have found improved health. She can’t really tell the name of this sour milk. I did some research and found out that it is actually called kefir. If you have been to the health forum, you will find many people have made kefir part of their daily diet and experience a lot of health benefits.

What is kefir actually?

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep’s milk with kefir grains. Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms grains that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms.

Production of traditional kefir requires kefir grains which are a gelatinous community of bacteria and yeasts. Kefir grains contain a water soluble polysaccharide known as kefiran that imparts a rope-like texture and feeling in one’s mouth. Kefir grains cannot be produced from scratch, but the grains grow during fermentation, and additional grains are produced. Kefir grains can be purchased or acquired from other hobbyists, see below. Kefir grains appear white to yellow and are usually the size of a walnut, but may be as small as a grain of rice.

Care of kefir grains

When kefir grains are not in use they may be stored wet or dry. They can be stored wet up to 8 to 10 days in water at 4ºC. Alternatively they may be wrapped in cheese cloth and allowed to dry for 36 to 48 hours at room temperature, and these dried grains may be stored at room temperature in an envelope for 12 to 18 months. Dried kefir grains may be reactivated by several successive growth cycles in milk. The grains are ready for kefir production when the kefir they produce looks and smells like the original (wet) form. This re-growth stage is required to re-establish the correct bacterial balance within the culture.

Kefir grains may become contaminated with undesirable bacteria such as coliforms and other spoilage bacteria that shorten the kefir shelf-life. To guard against this, kefir-making containers should be washed and sanitized prior to making kefir. Suitable containers include glass jars such as jam jars or pickle jars, but any suitably sized glass container will work. When necessary to wash kefir grains they should be also washed in pre-boiled and chilled water or fresh milk. Use of chloraminated tap water should be avoided, but if necessary it should be de-chloraminated.

Where to buy kefir grains?

The Kefir Starter offered by Body Ecology Diet is one of the best and easiest to make starter in the market. The package comes with 6 packets which can be used up to 7 times each. 1/4 cup of previous batch of kefir can ferment 1 quart of liquid. The package can make up to 42 gallons of Quality Kefir!For prolonged shelf life, keep refrigerated before using.

More to be continued in the next post.

Many recommend goat’s milk for those who are allergic to cow’s milk. I have also read about testimonials from those who notice significant difference in their eczema after starting consuming goat’s milk. However, please bear in mind that goat’s milk is not necessary suitable for everyone who are allergic to cow’s milk. So what is so special about goat’s milk?

Here are some of the differences for Goat milk vs cow’s milk …

1) Faster absorption

While cow’s milk requires up to three hours to be absorbed, goat’s milk requires only twenty minutes. At half the size of those in cows milk, the protein molecules in goat’s milk have thinner, more fragile membranes. For that reason, they are easier to absorb through the wall of the small intestine.

2) Less allergenic

Goat’s milk is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than cow’s milk because it doesn’t contain the protein complexes that are in cow’s milk which stimulate allergic reactions. Children who have allergic reactions to cow’s milk have seen their allergies improve after switching to goat’s milk.
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