Why should you drink Kombucha?

We have been on a journey to better health for a long time now.  It started in 2007 when a psychologist wanted to diagnose our youngest child with a "disorder" by using medication.  His idea was, give him medication A, and when it doesn't work, we will diagnose him with another "disorder."  John and I weren't convinced by this suggestion.  The idea of using medication to diagnose a condition seemed far fetched to me.  I told the psychologist we were concerned about introducing medications like this to our then 5 year old.  He responded to me with a condemning tone and asked, "if he was diabetic you would give him insulin, right?"  We left that appointment with a new perspective.  John and I decided to research and find natural solutions for our son.  We were determined to find answers that didn't include a lifetime of pharmaceuticals for him.

We stopped drinking milk or eating milk products.  We began eating organic food, which increased our grocery bill substantially, and much to the dismay of my older children, we sold our microwave.  We didn't use a microwave until Christmas of 2015 when our grown kids bought us one so they would have one to use while visiting us.  We still use it very infrequently.  

We ultimately treated the issues the psychologist was concerned about with enzymes.  A great friend introduced me to a book titled, Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Disorders.   You can read more about it here:  http://www.enzymestuff.com/index.htm  I read this book and reread this book.  I focused on parts that applied to our family.  I learned about the gut and how important gut health is.  I learned that our immune system is directly connected to our intestines.  I learned about leaky gut.  I remembered how much pain our little one had been in while he was on formula.  He was miserable.  Not only had his biological mother over fed him during his first few weeks of life, he had also been on an iron fortified formula that caused him terrible discomfort.  I couldn't help but think all of the issues he had early in life might have caused damage to his intestines which was contributing to his mental clarity and behavior issues.  Imagine, the body is working so hard to deal with the toxins leaking into the body, mental focus becomes almost impossible for the child.  That may seem like an over simplified version, but it made sense to me.  

Enzymes are found in food.  When we chew our saliva produces more enzymes and help to break down food while in the intestines.  If a child's intestines have been damaged early in life the intestines can't block the toxins from "leaking" into the gut of the child.  We introduce toxins into the body every day with the foods and drinks we intake.  Our liver and kidneys do the hard work of filtering toxins.  If the toxins are instead leaking into the gut, the body has to work extra hard and it is difficult for the child to focus because of the toxins floating around their body.  Again, probably an over simplified explanation. The book mentioned above was much more in depth in explanation.  Based on what I was learning I decided to start our son on an enzyme regimen.   We ordered enzymes from Houston Neutraceuticals.  The school staff were super about allowing him to take his "medications" at school.  The enzymes work to break down food giving the gut a break and allowing it time to heal.  We did this therapy for a year.  We didn't see a need to continue.  Enzymes didn't cure anything, but we noticed an incredible difference in our son's behavior and attention.  

We have continued on our health and wellness journey over the last ten years.  We don't always eat organic food.  We eat out at fast food restaurants, a lot more than we did back in 2007.  We look for opportunities to avoid medications.  We try to avoid processed food.  I am not saying we never eat poorly.  We enjoy pizza like most American families.  But, we don't eat it regularly.  I make a lot of our food from scratch or with a semi-homemade flair.  We try to be intentional about our diet, because, lets face it, what we eat and drink directly impacts our health.  How many times have you heard about the dangers of eating junk food?  Americans aren't over weight because they drink only water and stick to a strict fruit and vegetable diet.  The conveniences of our life weigh heavily on our health.  Most people would rather take a pill than eat a healthier diet or go to the gym daily.

So what does kombucha have to do with all of this?  It is a small step we can take daily to help our gut health, which also helps our immune system.














There are a lot of benefits listed on the above photo.  

The ones that really catch my attention are,

My favorite store bought brand

"fights cancer" and "strengthens immune system."  I am going to be honest.  Kombucha
is expensive to purchase in stores.  There have been times I have paid almost $4 per bottle and didn't really like the taste.  It can taste a little like vinegar.  I don't like drinking straight vinegar.  It is sour.  I also don't like paying $4 a bottle for a drink.  Even if it is one that is good for me.  There are brands that have more of a soda feel and taste.  They are fizzy like a carbonated beverage and have a sweet taste.  They are flavored with fruit juice to make them fizzy.
The sugar is "eaten" by the yeast which helps the fermentation process.
While some can haver a more vinegar flavor, the good ones are just delicious!
My favorite brand is Bucha.

My home brew station

Making kombucha is relatively easy.  Not to mention, I can control how log it ferments and the flavors of my final product. There are lots of tutorials out there on methods of brewing/fermenting.  Yes, fermenting.  Kombucha is fermented tea.  Most people don't want much to do with anything fermented unless it is alcoholic.  There are plenty of other cultures who have fermented foods as a normal part of their lifestyle; think kimchi and sauerkraut.  Fermented foods and drink are good for gut health.  Good bacteria or probiotics are necessary for gut health.  Did you know that antibiotics actually kill all the bacteria in your gut?  The good and bad bacteria.  That is why some people get a yeast infection following a round of antibiotics.  This is also known as candida overgrowth.  Did you also know that when antibiotics were originally discovered and prescribed a round of probiotics was given after every round of antibiotics?  At some point it was decided the probiotics weren't necessary.  I am guessing with all the commercials about probiotics we see on television these days, perhaps some more thought should be put into that way of thinking.

There are many ways to introduce probiotics into your system.  There's yogurt, kefir, pills and then our new favorite, kombucha.  We have been brewing our own kombucha for about a month now.   All three of us have enjoyed having our fizzy glass of yummy probiotics available every day.  Yep, even our son loves kombucha.  

There are several steps involved in brewing kombucha, so I will save the instructions for a future blog.  I hope you will do your own research into options that are best for your family and your overall health.

Until we meet again