chia delight

This is my go-to breakfast; especially on a Monday morning.

No one likes to end a beautiful weekend to go back to work.

So, when I know that I won't have much time in the morning (on account of the snooze button), this is my go-to healthy breakfast.

The night before I put together the following ingredients so it's ready to go as I dash out the door.

I love the way it sets and becomes almost pudding-like.

Chia seeds can soak up to 10 times the amount of its body weight (which can be great for hydration during exercise).

After eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation.  Use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.

High in fibre, omega 3's and protein, this Aztec super food keeps me going all morning.

My ch-ch-ch-chia breakfasts vary each morning - as to the different fruits, nut butters and kefir water/milk available to me.

This recipe outlines my most basic of recipes and is the foundation of my chia delights.

Ingredients

(makes 1)

1 1/2 tblsp black chia seeds

1 c coconut kefir milk (or any liquid/milk of choosing)

fruit, seeds and nut butters

Combine chia seeds and coconut kefir together, whisk well.

Set aside for at least 10 minutes, or place in refrigerator overnight until set.

Top with desired fruit, nuts/seeds and enjoy.

Good morning sleepy heads! xo

kefir fennel slaw with lemon myrtle

Ever since I have been taking kefir and adding it to meals, I have noticed a huge difference in my vitality.

It’s amazing really. 

While I don’t necessarily have any issues with my skin, it just seems to be brighter as a result of the probiotics in my system.

Everything seems to run better, and even when exercising I notice that I have heaps more endurance.

I’m even sleeping better.

I’m alternating between the milk and water probiotics, and am finding that I’ll drink a ¼ c of the milk/yogurt first thing in the morning and ½ c of the water just before dinner. It stabilizes the blood sugar which leaves me feeling much more satisfied and energised for longer.

Here is a simple recipe I have come up with that incorporates the kefir yogurt into meals. If you don’t have kefir, that’s fine just substitute it for plain natural yogurt.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1 large fennel bulb, shaved or finely sliced

10 romaine lettuce leaves, finely sliced

1/2 c kefir yogurt (or natural yogurt)

1 tblsp organic apple cider vinegar

1 tblsp quality olive oil

1 tsp lemon myrtle

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Soak fennel in a bowl of cool water for 20 minutes then drain.

Add fennel with all the other ingredients in a large bowl.

Toss until well combined.

Serve straight away or sit in the refrigerator for up to an hour to let the flavours infuse.

coconut kefir yogurt and water

Well, I promised that I would post my kefir experiments.

This is a post about my successful coconut and kefir experiment.

I love using coconut in cooking.

From coconut oil, water, cream, milk and flesh - the rich flavour is so satisfying.

Not to mention the healthful benefits that coconuts have to offer.

Flesh

Young coconut meat differs greatly from mature coconut -- it has a softer, almost gelatinous texture that you can use to mix into beverages or baked goods recipes. You can tell the difference between a young and mature coconut because a mature coconut is hairy and brown, while the immature version is smooth and green. Also, the nutritional value of young coconut meat differs, as it contains fewer calories, no fat and many vitamins and minerals.

High in: Manganese - a mineral that is beneficial for production of blood clotting factors and connective tissues. Potassium - this mineral keeps your muscles and digestive system working properly, and adequate intake may correlate to bone health as well. Magnesium - the magnesium available in young coconut influences energy production and also plays a role in the function of your muscles and kidneys. Magnesium is critical for maintaining mineral and vitamin levels in your bloodstream, including calcium, copper, zinc, vitamin D and potassium.

Water

Coconut water aids the kidney, liver and heart functions as well as enhances the process of eliminating toxins from the body. The electrolyte level re-equilibrates the body's fluid balance; therefore it is sometimes referred to as "Fluid of Life".

Coconut water enhances concentration and prevents headaches by providing the body with all the necessary replenishing fluids as it impacts positively on the electrolyte level content in the body.

With a balanced proportion of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium coconut water offers a speedy revitalisation and re-hydration during the course of physical activities - we love it after a big hike.

Coconut water on it’s own can be used as an alternative to milk, as it helps in bone fortification.
Since this drink is lactose free and milk-protein free there is no danger of developing allergies in young children.

From a fresh young coconut, I was able to make this coconut yogurt.

Additionally, as a by-product I was able to make a pro-biotic coconut water drink.

My grandmother was a missionary Nurse out in the islands back in the 50's and she told me that they used to use the fresh water of the young coconuts as a saline solution for injections. This was because the coconut water was more sterile than the drinking water.

Interesting, huh!

Ingredients

(makes 1-2 cups)

1 fresh young coconut

1/2 c water

2 tsp milk kefir grains

Crack open the coconut and carefully drain out the water, set aside*.

Scoop out all the rubbery flesh and combine with water in a food processor/bender and whizz until well thick and creamy - add more or less water for desired consistency.

Pour into a glass jar.

Then, wrap the kefir grains in a small muslin cloth and tie.

Next, place the kefir grains in the middle of the coconut mixture.

Cover the glass with a muslin cloth and fasten with a rubber band.

Cover jar with a tea towel to keep warm.

Set aside for 24-48 hours.

Then, remove the grains and stir up your yogurt, it's ready!

The yogurt should taste slightly sour with the deep rich flavours of coconut.

*You can either drink this straight up or, if you have some water kefir grains you can add 2 tblsp to the coconut water - cover and let the pro-biotics grow for 24-48 hours.

Strain and drink.

milk and water kefir grains: how to

Please bare with me, this might be a bit of a marathon post.

It was brought to my attention, via Joel from his bosses wife, to check out Kefir.

I've seen recipes using Kefir, but never really looked into it.

I am so glad that I have been prompted - thank you dear reader!

Since looking into it, I have heard so many variations on pronouncing 'Kefir'. I have heard 'kee-fur', 'ka-fear', 'kee-fa'. But my supplier of the grains sent me her wealth of knowledge on the how-tos, along with a pronouciation of 'keh-fear'. 

So that's how I will say it.

When I searched on how I could get my hands on some Kefir grains, it came quickly to my attention that it needs to be passed on from person to person, as live culture cannot be mass produced and sold commercially as the shelf life is so variable.

On my favourite Raw Food website there was a contact for a woman who sells the live cultures, and provides a booklet of information on keeping and using the grains.

I got in contact with her and within the week, I had some of my own Kefir grains. 

I was so excited by the time they arrived!

I ordered 2 types of Kefir Grains:

Organic Live Caucasion Kefir Grains (Milk Kefir)

Organic Japanese Water Kefir Crystals/Tibicos (Water Kefir)

Now, the nitty gritty.

Kefir

“KEFIR” comes from a Turkish word which means “FEEL GOOD” due to over-all sense of health and well-being when consumed.

"Kefir is a living relationship, a symbiosis of a number of bacteria and yeast which form grains or cauliflower-like structures. These living organisms ferment milk/water into the living food Kefir. The Kefir drink is lactic acid – alcoholic fermented milk. 

Kefir grains are a biological production centre. Living foods like Kefir help detoxify, support and balance digestion, and help in building up the immune system to counteract negative influences.

During the fermentation process the Kefir grains change normal milk/water in to the Kefir beverage. Lactic acid, ethanol, acetic acid, carbon dioxide and other compounds are produced as well as vitamins. 

The delicious microbiological living food Kefir can be very helpful in regenerating the bowel flora and works wondrously in this way."

Proof is in the numbers, right? Here are some basic figures that you can compare other pro-biotic sources with.

A man-made probiotic supplement in pill form has around 15 billion bacteria. Bacteria in pill form are in a dormant cycle. The bacteria in both kefir and yogurt are alive and thriving, so they are much more fit to adapt to sudden changes in environment as they enter the body.

Around 500 mL of fresh yogurt has around 1.5 trillion beneficial organisms.

At around 500 mL of refreshing Kefir, you get up to 5 trillion beneficial, friendly bacteria.

How can a pro-biotic pill win against that, while being more expensive?

For us cheapskates you get Kefir naturally for just a few dollars, and they will last you a life time.

Milk

Milk Kefir is suitable for people who have allergies to milk products as the fermentation process feeds on the sugars (lactose) that the body cannot easily digest.

You combine the grains with milk (or milk substitute of your choosing) to create a drinking yogurt within 24 hours, or cheeses/creams with longer fermentation.

If you are using a milk substitute, you will need to ensure that you feed the grains every 3-4 cycles with cows or goats milk, as the culture grows best in this environment.

Any tools/utensils that you use, ensure that they are not metal as the metals react with the live cultures.

Basic Recipe

2 tsp Organic Live Caucasion Kefir Grains

1 c organic cows milk or alternative, warmed (not in a microwave)

Pour milk into a sterilized jar, add kefir grains and stir.

Cover with a muslin cloth/chux cloth and fasten with a rubber band.

Cover the jar with a tea towel and set aside in a warm dry place for 24 hours, shaking the jar regularly.

After the 24 hours you will notice that the curds have separated. You can either drain out the whey, or stir up the contents to combine.

Strain through a plastic or porcelain strainer into a glass jar for storage.

Set aside the grains for your next batch (which you will need to start immediately).

You can store the drinking yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 5 weeks - however for maximum benefits it is recommended that you consume within a week.

Tip: if you find that the drinking yogurt is a little lumpy, you can blend it up in a blender until smooth.

Health Benefits

-Improves digestion and cuts the risk of stomach upsets

-Cleans the gastrointestinal tract and helps detoxifies the body helps prevent bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis helps protect children against allergies may even reduce the risk of colon cancer useful for older people, bolstering levels of 'friendly bacteria' which dwindle with age

-Benefit those on antibiotics, replacing 'good bacteria' killed off indiscriminately by the drugs

-Clears the body of salts, heavy metals, radio nuclide's and alcoholic products

-Good bacteria in kefir are able to fight off pathogenic microorganisms

-Natural remedy against allergies 

-Treats Ringworm and fungal infections 

-Treats gallbladder, dissolves gall bladder stones 

-Cleans the body of chemical antibiotics and replenishes body of good bacteria

after antibiotic 

-Normalizes metabolism thereby can be used as for weight loss 

-Cures acne 

-Has anti-oxidants and anti-aging properties 

-Nourishes hair 

-Regulates blood pressure and lowers blood sugar 

-Helps with constipation and diarrhea 

-Treats yeast infection 

-Eliminates vaginal odours 

-Helps with stomach cramps 

-Treats kidney stones 

-Lowers level of LDL cholesterol 

-Helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treats gastritis 

-Improves the human immune system and body functions 

-Cures Candida and Thrush 

-Cures hypertension 

-Stops growth of cancer cells 

-Treats eczema 

-Helps with inflammatory diseases

-Boosts the bodies energy and it’s a natural feel good food

Water

You can combine the Water Kefir grains in a ‘sugar’ water solution to create a far more superior and complex pro-biotic drink.

The sugar is vital in this as the Kefir grains need the sugars to feed on and ferment.

The process can take from 24-72 hours depending on the level of fermentation that you desire. The longer you leave it, the more ‘fizzy’ it becomes.

Kefir Water has a mild refreshing sour kind of flavour. Sort of like Lemonade without all the added sugars and preservatives.

There are so many different varieties of ‘fizzy’ drinks that you make with the Kefir Water. I will be experimenting and sharing my finds with you.

Basic Recipe

2 tblsp Organic Japanese Water Kefir Crystals/Tibicos (Water Kefir)

  ½  tblsp naturally dried fruit (I used some dehydrated banana I had from a recent batch)

thin slice of organic non waxed  lemon (fresh from the garden if possible)

1 ½  tblsp coconut sugar (any raw sugar will work)

2 cups spring water (we have rain water)

½ clean egg shell (sterilize egg shell by boiling in water for 10 minutes)

pinch of bi-carb soda

few fresh mint leaves (optional)

·        very small piece of washed limestone rock (if you have access to some)  

Combine all ingredients into a sterilized jar (4L), add kefir grains and stir.

Cover with a muslin cloth/chux cloth and fasten with a rubber band.

Cover the jar with a tea towel and set aside in a warm dry place for 24 hours.

After the 24 hours you will notice that the water is bubbly and aerated. 

Strain through a plastic or porcelain strainer into a glass jar for storage. Ensure that you seal the jar so the water remains light and bubbly.

Set aside the grains for your next batch (which you will need to start immediately).

You can store the water in the refrigerator for up to 2 months - however for maximum benefits it is recommended that you consume as soon as possible.

Health Benefits

-Live pro-biotic

-Gives energy and improves metabolism

-Has youthful effects on the body cells - it is the only pro-biotic culture known to contain co-enzyme Q10

-Strengthens heart - Q10

-Inhibit cancer cell growth

-Replace antibiotics in asthma and respiratory inflammations

-Clear nose and gives relief from symptoms of cold and flu, also headaches

-Effective arthritis relief - glycoronic acid

-Lowers blood sugar

-The strongest natural detoxifier known - it works stronger than Milk Kefir Grains or Kombucha

Milk and Water Kefir before fermenting

Jars covered from light to ferment

Grains left after straining

I have so much information gathered on Kefir, and am happy to share this with you. Just get in touch with me and I’ll email you all the info.