kombucha,kraut and kefir

[pollo65]

I have taken a long time posting this lest I be thought a nut but I have started to regularly eat fermented foods and it has made a wonderful change in my gut issues. I had been suffering with ibs pure diagnosis and having and symptoms since surgery, Chemo etc.
I started drinking small amounts of kombucha (a fermented tea) eating sauerkraut and drinking kefir (liquid) yogurt.
I am am no longer running to the toilet all day and the bloating and pain have gone. I am not saying this will help every one but I feel so much better better that I wanted to share this little discovery of mine.
Pollo 65

[KWT]

That's cool you found something to help yourself.

[Cj51]

Pollo65, I've experimented with kefir and I concur--it's an incredibly powerful probiotic and makes a huge difference. One thing I also discovered was that the home-made version is way more powerful than the store bought product or the type you make with a powder. If you decide to try making your own, start very slowly with it to let your system adjust. i started out with half a cup and it caused gas and bloating, so I cut back to a few tablespoons and upped it every few days and that worked just fine. Making kefir from kefir grains is much easier than making yogurt with a starter. You just plop them into a jar of milk and let it go. It's great stuff.

Also, if I may, Kefir is not simply liquid yogurt. it's got a different mix of probiotic bacteria than yogurt does and it's much more potent.

I'm so glad that these cultured products have worked for you! I let my kefir grains (starter) go after an extended break, and switched to a probiotic capsule that was more convenient but way, way expensive. You've inspired me to start it up again!

Thanks for sharing!

Cj

[janderson]

I have been eating a lot of yogurt which has really helped with my recent gut issues.

[mstults]

I concur on the kefir. I have some frozen. Haven't used any in a few months but about ready to start up again. If you're looking for some, you can search ebay. I've ordered from individuals but I got my last from eBay. I'm not selling so this isn't a sales pitch. If you don't know about it consult google.

[SugarBubbie]

I've also been eating yogurt every day and it has helped some too. BUTT, I have also found that eating white rice that has sat in the refrigerator overnight has helped too. It's something to do with the resistant starch that it produces. I read about it from the website www.marksdailyapple.com. (got that from our own dear Gwen several months ago).

[peanut_8]

I'm a big advocate for naturally fermented foods. Prior to my diagnosis I made my own yogurt, apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut. The whole family enjoyed them, especially the yogurt. You can control the amount of sugar you add, and the tanginess depending on how long you ferment it. I would use the yogurt to make smoothies every morning, adding kale, beets, frozen bananas and berries. You need a pretty powerful blender, but the results are delicious. Something in the concoction, possibly the kale, also lowered my cholesterol level quite a bit. Of course, it didn't prevent RC, butt does improve digestion.
cheers, peanut