Making Kombucha

It's sad to say, but I am starting to confuse myself.  I had sent a picture of my Scoby (definition below) to a few people via text, but then for some reason I thought I had posted it here for my readers to see my little creation,  but I guess I didn't!

So if you don't know what Kombucha is, it is a probiotic-filled concoction that is super good for you, and especially good for your tummy.  It is technically a fermented tea, so the original flavor is quite vinegary.  The flavored bottles are yummy - still a bit sour, but you get used to it, and for a while I was actually craving it.  I couldn't get enough of it!  But it's like $4 a bottle.  You may get it for a little less, and in small towns, it sells for even more.  But it is soooo good for you, and you really will feel the difference when you are drinking it regularly.

I saw a "make your own kombucha" pin on Pinterest (did you know that I love, and am totally addicted to, Pinterest? Follow my "Health & Wellness board HERE) - so of course I had to try it!  And save some money too!  AND try different flavor combinations! Here is the link to the original instructions:

How to make Kombucha:

http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/05/19/homemade-kombucha/#comment-12606

And if you read that, you know that you have to start from a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria & yeast), also called a mother Scoby.  Since it is a fermented tea, you need to have something that takes the sugar you put in, and "eats" it, which ferments the drink and makes it sparkly (carbonated).  You can adopt one from a friend (I've been growing mine for a while, so I will probably have a baby to adopt out soon), buy one online (not as cheap as I expected), or grow one yourself.  Now, it does take several weeks, but only adds to the DIY experience.  You buy a $4 bottle of organic ORIGINAL flavored kombucha and ... well, see the links below for instructions.  But first, here is a picture of my home-grown Scoby, whom I have named SCOOBY!  :)

How to grow your own SCOBY:

http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/05/how-to-grow-a-motherscoby-from-store-bought-kombucha/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156289049541635226/ (Video version)

And if you still need convincing about this awesome stuff, read about all of the health benefits!

Health Benefits of Kombucha
http://www.cheeseslave.com/kombucha-health-benefits/

Kombucha Health Benefit #1: Boosts the Immune System

Got allergies? Are you run down frequently with colds? You can build up your immunity naturally by consuming more fermented foods and drinks.

Our immune system is in our gut. Most of us have grown up on antibiotics and other drugs that kill off our beneficial bacteria. The result? Kombucha’s fermentation process encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria. Probiotics are good for your gut, and good for immunity.

Kombucha is also rich in antioxidants, which help to strengthen immunity.

Kombucha Health Benefit #2: Natural Detoxifier

Kombucha has probiotics and enzymes that promote detoxification. One of the main jobs of the good bacteria in your gut is to detoxify. By adding more beneficial bacteria to your gut, you’re getting the job done faster.

Kombucha promotes detoxification. Regular consumption of kombucha tea also supports liver function.

Kombucha Health Benefit #3: Rich in Vitamins and Enzymes

In addition to beneficial bacteria, kombucha contains B vitamins and enzymes.

B vitamins provide support for the body’s metabolic functions including overall energy, utilization of carbohydrates, heart health, and healthy hair, skin, and nails. Adequate intake of B vitamins can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, boost memory, and relieve PMS.

Most of us don’t get enough enzymes these days because we don’t eat enough raw food. The role of digestive enzymes is to break down the foods that we eat into smaller compounds so the nutrients can be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream.

Kombucha Health Benefit #4: Energy Boost

Everyone needs more energy these days, which is why so many of us are reaching for coffee, tea, sugar, caffeinated sodas, and “energy drinks”.

Kombucha is the original energy drink. This is not an artificial jolt of caffeine or sugar — but a natural energy booster. Because kombucha helps the body detoxify, there is less burden on your system, and as a result, you get more energy. As stated above, kombucha is also rich in B vitamins, which gives the body energy.

Kombucha Health Benefit #5: Increased Metabolism

Enzymes boost metabolism. In addition, all the beneficial bacterial and enzymes in the kombucha help your body work better and take the burden off of it’s functioning.

Kombucha Health Benefit #6: PMS Relief

Kombucha helps to relieve PMS. How? B vitamins help to break down and flush out excess estrogen from the body (a condition called estrogen dominance). This can help to reduce PMS symptoms.

Kombucha Health Benefit #7: Relief from Arthritis and Joint Pain

I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was in my 20s. I cured myself by going on an elimination diet (elimination of all possible allergens) and taking therapeutic grade probiotics. It took about 2 years, but I fully recovered.

Arthritis is an immune disorder. Scroll back up to Kombucha Health Benefit # 1 — kombucha is rich in probiotic bacteria which help to rebuild healthy gut flora, and strengthen immunity.

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Eureka! No more itching!

I will start by saying, I promise to report on the Whole30 progress tomorrow ...

BUT I HAD TO SHARE THIS!

I am allergic to bug bites.  I know - isn't the itching and welts for all of us our Immune systems fighting the insect venom?  Technically, yes, but I am REALLY affected by them.  I don't just get a welt, I get a huge welt.  The itching wakes me up in the middle of the night.  I carry around Afterbite in my purse in the summer because the itching would literally affect my day if I didn't.  It's really bad.  And when I have no remedies, it like being hooked on crack.  I can't help myself.  I HAVE to itch, which takes some skin off, then it looks nasty, then I have to have bacitracin on it, and sometimes it scars (I have white circles on my ankles from a particularly bad summer.)

And bugs love the taste of me.  If there is one mosquito in a room of 100 people, I guarantee he bites me.  (Yes I assume all the jerky biting Mosquitos are male).  Frankly I have no idea how my mom had me outside all the time as a kid.

But I found something!  This week I had a bad bite on the side of my foot (terrible spot) and one on the BOTTOM of my third pinkie toe (even worse spot) - I'm pretty sure they were spider bites, but it's irrelevant - they itched like hell.  So I was googling "spider bite itch relief" and EUREKA!  This is what I found:

"Some of the proponents of heat therapy for itches recommend using very hot water, not so hot as to burn the skin, but just a little cooler than this. Others swear by hair dryers. They recommending pointing a hair dryer at an itchy spot for several seconds or minutes. The skin should become uncomfortably hot, but not anywhere near being burned. After this heating of the skin happens, the itch is supposed to go away.  Many people testified that applying significant heat to an itch for a short amount of time made the itch disappear for several hours, maybe even longer."

(http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/2011/05/28/a-miraculous-cure-for-bug-bite-itching/)

So I got out my hair dryer (to be honest, I never saw the hot water idea until I just copied the text), and turned it on.  No, it didn't feel great, but I tried to get it as hot (close) as possible without actually burning my skin, as suggested.  It actually felt itchy for a second, and I kept at it for about 15 seconds at each spot, but when I turned off the blow dryer and let my skin cool down, IT WORKED!  I stayed itch-free for 6-8 hours!

Just wanted to share with all you other bug-bite haters out there.

Peace.  Love.  Serene.

Whole 30 - Healing Crisis

Im coming up to my halfway mark of this program, and I'll have to admit, it isn't all the smiles and roses that I reported last time.  Yesterday was the first time I was feeling some cravings for my forbidden foods.  I was looking through Pinterest on Halloween boards (yes, I look at Halloween stuff all year long.  This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone by now), and there were a lot of cool cakes, caramel apples, and other various desserts.  It looked good.  It looked really REALLY good.  More so than I've ever wanted sweets before.  And it's not the only time in the last few days that desserts have looked good to me.  Which is strange, because I really don't eat much sugar, so I thought that would be the easiest of the food groups to avoid.  Why do they look so good to me now?  Don't tell me Im going to want sugar just because Im not eating cheese?  Or is it because Im eliminating all of the sugar from my body, and the tiny bit I ate before was just enough of a "comfort padding" for my body, that now it is losing it and craving more?  This is a question for the more health-smart people in my life (Katy? Jason?)

I've also had some physical distress - I had a migraine (true migraine - sensitive to light - could be due to dehydration) over the past three days - thank goodness for strong meds!  I had also felt some flu-like symptoms.  Chills, nausea, achy.  But for some reason I knew it wasn't the flu.   I'm hoping this is the point that they call the Healing Crisis

• The healing crisis is the result of every body-system, in concert, working to eliminate waste products through all elimination channels and set the stage for regeneration. The end result: old tissues are replaced with new. When any treatment or cleansing program causes a large scale die-off of bacteria, a significant amount of endotoxins (toxins within the bacteria itself) are released into the body. The more bacteria present, and the stronger their endotoxins, the stronger the cleansing reaction. When any treatment or detox causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to release their stored poisons and toxins, a cleansing reaction may occur. Any program, such as fasting, which causes a rapid breakdown of fat cells (which are a storehouse for toxins), can cause a healing crisis as toxins previously lodged in the fat cells are released into the blood stream. 

If in fact I have hit this point, it means that my body has really worked through all of the stores of sugar, gluten, toxins, and all rest of the things I have eliminated, and are working them out of the body.  It means my body is truly getting healthier, and replacing the poisoned cells with new healthy ones. 

Strangely enough, my willpower is still going strong.  I know some of you are considering this plan and you don't think you could do it.  YOU CAN!  I considered not reporting the bad stuff from above, but it is part of the necessary healing process.  The worst was only 3 days.  Today is day 4 and while I'm not feeling awesome, I am going in the right direction.

To end this blog, I will share a collage of foods I have been eating - YUM! - While I might have to work a little bit harder for my meals and be prepared, nobody can say that Im not eating well!

Peace.  Love.  Serene!

Eggs and veggies, cherries!

Eggs and veggies, farmers market sausage

Panara fuji apple salad (no dairy in the dressing - I checked!  But probably a wee bit of sugar)

Tuna salad (olive oil Vitamix mayo) in lettuce wrap with shredded carrots and cucumber

Chicken stir fry (no rice) - no sauce

Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, cherries

Zucchini noodles with marinara and fresh basil

Shrimp scampi with clarified butter (only dairy allowed)

Marinated grilled pork tenderloin, grilled apples, grilled onions, green beans, fresh pineapple

And my NEW FAVORITE:  Frozen bananas in vitamix w/ coconut milk, salt, & cinnamon

Challenge: 1 Day Juice Fast

Ok, I know there are lots of people who do 3-day fasts, 1-week fasts, and even longer.  Katy's Mom did an 8-day juice fast.  HOLY SMOKES!  But I don't think you understand how much I like food.  The way it lays on a plate, the aroma that fills a house, the feeling of the textures on my tongue, and the way it tastes as it hits my taste buds.  Yeah, I love food.

BUT I haven't felt the greatest lately, and decided to take the challenge.  Katy has said that a juice fast gives the digestive system a break, and allows your body to flush toxins.  See more reasons below.

Instructions:  8oz of juice in glass, fill with 12-24oz of water.  After every juice glass, drink glass of water.  Repeat throughout the day.  Try to drink juice every half hour so as not to get hungry.

8:30am - Wake up and start juicing
9:00am - Start glass of straight green juice (although the rest of the day will be water & juice mixed)
10:00am - Arrive at work - thought I would be hungry by now but Im ok!
10:15am - Realize I've forgotten the jug of juice at home.  Seriously?
11:30am - Getting a little bit hungry, so I down the rest of my jar, which actually curbs my hunger (mostly)
12:15pm - Katy brings my juice from home (thank goodness!)
12:30pm - Another jar of juice curbs my hunger (mostly) again
1:30pm - Feeling pretty good.  I am having cravings for the taste of food, and the chewing sensation, more than I am actually hungry.
3:50pm - Leaving work.  The hunger feeling is back.  Trying to down the juice.
4:20pm - Went to neighbor's house and she had just made popcorn.  The smell made my tummy rumble.
5:00pm - Supposed to leave for gymnastics soon.  Feeling lethargic and hungry.  Drinking more juice but it's not taking away the hunger this time.

So here's the big question:  Do I tell you that I made it the whole day as proof that anyone can do it?  Or do I tell you the truth in saying that I felt good for more of the day than I expected to, but towards the end my body was telling me that I needed some substance.  So I broke down and ate a healthy dinner of protein and veggies.    Judge me or don't judge me ... but try the fast for yourself!  I will do it again soon, and maybe make it a whole day, maybe not.  I know my digestive system thanks me for the time off that it had.

Peace.  Love.  Serene.


Why Juice Fast?

1. One of the most common and essential reasons to juice fast is to enhance the immune system. There are various toxins, excess body fat, fatty acids and chemicals inside the body. Fresh juice packed with phytochemicals, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and enzymes help in ridding the body of toxic waste buildup, and help to propel physical and mental wellness.
   
2. Juice fasting provides essential nutrients to increase vitality and minimize digestive efforts in the body.
   
3. Moreover, juice fasting cleanses the body from external toxins ingested from outsides source such as air, which are toxic to the building of the body's enzymes.
   
4. Along with the cleaning of various organs, juice fasting also provides various other benefits, as it helps in overcoming several illnesses such as stress, depression, cancer and more.
   
5. Juice fasting allows the body to get essential nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E,Vitamin A and minerals like zinc, calcium, iron, potassium and so on.
   
6. Another reason for juice fasting is to maintain energy levels and weight regulation. Since juice allows the body to naturally clean the digestive system and flush the unwanted substances that cause exhaustion and lethargy, it increases energy levels and regulates body weight.
   
7. Fasting through juice is essential for mouth and gums and provides proper dental health and hygiene.
   
8. Juice fasting can be great for the skin as well, as cleansing clears out pores and helps to give your complexion a youthful shine.
   
9. It provides essential nutrients that help in easy digestion.
   
10. Juice provides fibroblasts that help to build collagen.

Banana: The helpful fruit

7 Ways to Use an Over-Ripe Banana

1. Help Your Garden Grow: Bananas are naturally high in potassium and encourages plant growth. Use banana peel or puree entire banana and bury with soil.

2. Shoe Polish: Use the peel to make your kicks nice and shiny.

3. Stop the Itch: Rub the inside of a banana peel on a bug bite helps itch relief.

4. Pain Reliever: The oil in a banana peel will help relieve the pain from burns and scratches.

5. Wart Removal: Tape a piece of banana peel on a wart, continue until it’s gone.

6. Make Houseplants Gleam: Just like peels can shine shoes, they can also be used to make the leaves of plants shine.

7. Removing Splinters: Similar to wart removal, tape a piece of the peel over the splinter. The enzymes will help dislodge the splinter and heal the wound.

If you get bitten by a mosquito or stumble into a bit of poison ivy/oak/sumac/whatever, rubbing a banana peel on the affected area can moisturize and neutralize some of the itching. Note that it will just alleviate some of the itching—it won't solve the root problem, like the oils that poison plants leave on your skin. It'll do great as a first step, but if you really want to knock out that rash, you should head to the store and grab some poison ivy soap (and save your banana peels for shoe shining and splinter removal instead).

Remove Splinters Using a Banana Peel

Bananas are a good source of potassium, but turns out the peels can do more than just store the fruit. Apartment Therapy outlines seven ways to put used peels to work, including removal of those inconvenient splinters.

According to the post, taping a piece of the peel over the splinter will help to remove it. How? Apparently "the enzymes will help dislodge the splinter and heal the wound."