My apologies for a month-long absence! To be honest, I wasn’t sure anyone would notice. It seems, however, that people do read this blog from time to time, and, furthermore, based on an email I received last week, the information I post here has been helpful for at least one person. Thus, I return to posting, though I shall make no empty promises of writing every 48 hours. Henceforth, my goal shall be a measly one or two posts per week. I simply had no idea how demanding school was going to be this quarter.
Now that that’s out of the way, I turn to a topic that I have been researching most fervently of late: probiotics. Vital to immunity, digestion, absorption, and keeping the perfidious Candida at bay, those fabulous little intestinal flora get wiped out by antibiotics, environmental toxins, and stress. So what can you do about it? Well, I used to think that taking probiotic capsules was my only option. But what a world has opened up to me! Yes, high-quality, encapsulated probiotics are, indeed, highly beneficial, but why stop there? Those formulas contain, at best, a dozen or so strains of beneficial bacteria, yet there are hundreds more out there that our bodies need. Besides, the high-quality ones are outrageously expensive. Don’t get me wrong. For short-term use, they’re invaluable, but we should all be taking in probiotics daily for the rest of our lives. And, for most of us, taking Primal Defense every month isn’t financially feasible. So here are three alternative (cheaper) sources:
Source #1: Kombucha
Since I’ve posted on it before, I won’t wax poetic on Kombucha’s marvelous merits here. I do have some new information, though. I found a highly detailed website (complete with many pictures) that gives instructions on how to make Kombucha at home. I plan to try this, because I love this stuff. Making it at home is very, very cheap, so I’ll get to drink much more of it. I plan to order the culture this week or next, and I’ll be sure to update this blog with my success or failure. You can check out the website yourself at www.kombuchatea.co.uk
Source #2: Apple Cider Vinegar
Make that raw (un-pasturized), unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV). Besides its alkalizing, detoxifying effect on the body and its usefulness as a digestive aid, ACV delivers lots of lovely healthy bacteria to your digestive tract. You can incorporate it into your diet in several ways. Choose one or more of the following:
- Try drinking a mix of 8 oz purified water, 1-2 Tbsp ACV, and, if desired, a little stevia, blackstrap molasses, or honey (choose stevia if you have Candida or blood sugar problems). Do this once or twice per day on an empty stomach.
- During meals, sip 2 tsp of ACV mixed with 6 oz water. This tastes pretty stout, so be prepared!
- Eat salad dressing made with ACV every day. I’ve posted some of my personal favorites here before.
Source #3: Cultured Vegetables
I know it sounds creepy, but that’s only because we’re wimpy Americans. Millions of people around the world eat these on a daily basis (think: sauerkraut or kimchi). Just don’t buy these foods in stores! These foods are only beneficial as long as their bacteria are alive and well. Pasteurization destroys them. That means you have to make them at home. I’m making my first batch today, and I’ll let you know how it goes. Here are some recipes:
http://www.bodyecology.com/cveggies.php
http://bodyecology.com/07/02/01/kimchi_wonderfood_recipe.php
Check out the Body Ecology Website while you’re there. Although their rhetoric is a little too sensational for my taste, their emphasis on cultured foods is right on target.
That’s all for now. Next up: more recipes.
