Week 2- Fruits & Keifer

[Anne-Marie McCormack]

Many people and I know, just don't eat enough fruit and veggies.

Try and eat one piece a day two is even better. Heard the old saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

You can always add fruit to a salad... that certainly spices it up...oranges, tangerines, pineapple and strawberries to name but a few..really set off a salad. The trick is to eat as many raw fruits and veggies as possible...if you don't like eating them whole, try juicing them. Beets, celery, tomatoes...can all be juiced and you can add in ginger, garlic, honey, cinnamon, and apples or pears to taste. Let me know if you want any juicing recipes.



Fruit smoothies
To make two smoothies. All you do is add some fruit like a cored apple, a banana and a few strawberries or whatever else that's on sale.
Combine in a blender with 2 cups of ice cubes.... what could be simpler?
Hey presto healthy fruit smoothies....

You could add some protein like spirutein, or add some kefir...

What's kefir?

Well most importantly it is good for you and tastes great!
Kefir is a cultured probiotic beverage similar in taste and texture to drinkable yogurt, and made from milk fermented with kefir cultures. Originating over 2000 years ago in the Caucasus Mountains-where many people live well over 100 years-kefir has been collecting a long list of health benefits. These include potential benefits such as:
Enhancing the immune system
Stimulating digestion
Easing lactose intolerance
Lowering cholesterol
Protecting against cancer
Controlling the growth of harmful yeast overgrowth.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics, which literally mean "beneficial to life," are live cultures that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Most probiotics include the live active cultures often added to foods like yogurt. Researchers have studied bacteria extensively and considerable evidence indicates that there are several strains of essential good-for-you bacteria that have an ability to promote healthy gastrointestinal functions, increase immunity and help prevent the development of cancer-causing toxins throughout the body. Lifeway Foods has seven live and active cultures to produce a wide array of health benefits.

Kefir cultures:
Lactobacillius Lactis
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
Streptococcus Diacetylactis
Lactobacillus Plantarum
Lactobacillius Casei
Saccharomyces Florentinus
Leuconostoc Cremoris
Bifidobacterium Longum
Bifidobacterium Breve
Lactobacillus Acidophilus


Why should I add probiotics to my diet?

The bacteria in the digestive system plays a very important role in our health and can easily be thrown out of balance by everyday lifestyle stressors. Factors that can offset this precious balance include: antibiotics (which sometimes kill both "good" and "bad" bacteria), infections (bacterial, viral and fungal), alcohol consumption, chronic diarrhea, travel, a highly processed low fiber diet and stress. Probiotics are the easiest way to help combat these factors, keeping harmful bacteria in check.

A probiotic must contain live and active cultures. Typically, probiotics can be taken in supplemental form or added to products able to ferment such as yogurt, which is a common source of beneficial bacteria. However, different brands of yogurt can vary greatly in their bacterial composition and potency. Some (particularly frozen) yogurts do not contain any live bacteria. Similarly, through processing and other disruptive factors, supplements can contain probiotics that have long since died and are no longer useable and beneficial to the body. To ensure that you are getting the best form of probiotics, they should be active and traceable to their original bacterial strains, such as kefir - a bundle of seven live active cultures.

What is the difference between kefir and yogurt?

Although kefir and yogurt are similar in taste, Lifeway Kefir has more than double the amount of live and active cultures - 10 strains of bacteria, where as most yogurts generally have only two or three. Some (particularly frozen) yogurts do not contain any live bacteria or could have bacteria that have long since died, due to processing and other disruptive factors. Always check the label, and if that does not provide enough information, check with the company.

Is there any research concerning the benefits of kefir?

Yes. Elie Metchnikoff, a Nobel prize winner, was the first to extensively study kefir and its links to longevity, documenting how kefir is an extremely effective natural ingredient that combats intestinal infections(4). Through his research, he detailed how kefir activates the flow of saliva, contributing to easier digestion, greater gastrointestinal health and a prolonged life. Further research of its protective mechanisms have found that several of the bacteria in kefir produce lactic acid, which alters the Ph of the colon and may help prevent some types of cancer by preventing the growth of harmful bacteria that favor tumor growth(5). Through the years, several other researchers have followed in Metchinokoff's footsteps to study lactic acid fermenting dairy products, and much of their evidence supports his initial theory.

Some of the findings so far have indicated that the bacteria in kefir help:
Traveler's diarrhea6, viral diarrhea in children and irritable bowel syndrome(7)
Prevent vaginal yeast infections(8)
Boost the immune system(9)
Reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing cholesterol(10)
Reduce the symptoms of food allergies such as lactose intolerance(11)
Suppress the development of certain cancers, such as bladder or colon cancer(12)

I buy kefir at my local Publix grocery store.. you can buy it plain or fruit flavored, kids tend to love it..a pint bottle costs around $2.50 and a 1/4 cup per day per person will certainly go a long way to strengthen your health. I've also bought it at health foods stores like Whole Foods and Chamberlins

go to http://www.lifeway.net for more info on my favorite kefir company.

[Jessica]

Ok 1 question answered (where), but aisle would it be found on?

[Anne-Marie McCormack]

Sorry...you usually find in in the dairy cabinet near the yogurt or the silk soy milk.. it's in tall white plastic bottles :)

[Jessica]

cool, thanks!