Kefir

I’m baaaaaaaaaaack! After a week of the stomach flu wreaking havoc on my family, me being the last one to get knocked down, I am finally able to sit down and write again. During our bout of flu my cousin told me we should all drink kefir to help clean out our digestive tracks and get rid of the nasty bacteria that was causing our illness. I made a b-line to the grocery store and found Lifeway Kefir in the dairy department next to the yogurt. Unfortunately my closest grocery store didn’t have a huge selection (I understand Whole Foods carries the full line), but there were a few different varieties to chose from. I bought the Low-Fat Strawberry Banana Kefir and headed home. My kids, big yogurt smoothie fans, loved it instantly. Considering I wasn’t able to get either of them to eat more then a bite of banana in the previous days, I was really happy to see them woof down the kefir.

I have learned that kefir is a yogurt-like product made from milk fermented with kefir grains. The recipe began over 2,000 years ago in Eastern Europe. Shepherds would carry milk in leather pouches while out tending their flocks. The heat of the day would sometime start to ferment the milk turning it into a effervescent beverage. They learned how to purposely make kefir by mixing milk with kefir grains and allowing it to ferment. Today it is extremely popular in Russia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and near-by countries.

Like yogurt, kefir contains probiotics, however kefir contains about twice the amount as yogurt. And while yogurt aids in cleaning out the digest tract and maintaining digestive health, kefir can actually colonize the digestive tract. Kefir is also a great source of minerals and essential amino acids, as well as many of the B vitamins and Vitamin K.

Though I am new to the world of kefir, I’m glad to have learned about it (thank you Rhonda!). While I still plan to eat my yogurt and granola every morning, I plan to add a serving of kefir to my daily diet, and my boys’ diet, as well.

-NM