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Kombucha Krazy


For years the whole Kombucha thing seemed to me like a recipe from Mars. I had heard words like "mother" and "scoby" and "fermentation" and since it didnt seem like the typical ingredients for goodness, I avoided it altogether and left it to the hardcore hippies to pass on the tradition.

It was when I saw my grandma doing it that made me realize there must be something to this.

Then I started doing some research. The internet seems to be as confused as I was. It claimed both the incredible, life changing benefits of the drink to it being a hoax and placebo thing. So it was time to figure it out for myself.

THE HISTORY

The life of Kombucha started thousands of years ago in China. Over the years the powerful drink expanded through Japan, Korea and then Russia and onward into Europe.

THE BENEFITS

  • Boosts energy

  • Improves digestion

  • Source of probiotics

  • Prevents acid reflux

  • Assists with weight loss

  • Improves sleep

  • Relieves constipation

  • Benefits the skin

  • Detoxifies the body

  • Eases pain of arthritis

THE HOW TO MAKE

The thing with Kombucha is that you cant get it going without a "starter". Think sourdough bread, or yogurt - you need a piece of the "mother" to get the new "culture" going. (This is when the words started to make sense). Another word for "mother" by the way, is Scoby which means Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts. Ill quiz you on that later.

So you'll have to head to the underground world of health food stores, yoga studios and vegan restaurants. You wont have to search long for someone who has a culture or two brewing in their basement. They will be more than happy to pass on one of their 'babies"

It took a while to wrap my head around the process until I finally tried it. It is a surprisingly low maintenance activity. Kindof like a plant - you still have to water it at least weekly for it to survive. So I would say the commitment time is about 30-45 min total per week.

I have started to love this little alien living and growing in the closet. Its great because its happiest in the dark, likes to be left alone and asks for attention every 10 days or so. Having spent some time with friends and their babies, I figured this was a low maintenance parenting thing I could easily handle.

I could go through the process but Ill direct you to the site that I followed. It was very clear and step by step so here it is. CLICK HERE

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Warning - if you are sensitive to caffeine, like you don't have coffee after 3 pm because you wont fall asleep until 1 am do not drink this at 6 pm. Just a word of advice. I learned that the culture eats the sugar but not the caffeine.....

Yes - the Scoby eats the sugar, that's its food (Still kinda weird isn't it?!). So don't worry about the cup of white sugar you pour into it is gets all eaten up.

Maybe its a placebo thing, but I am loving this new drink and its benefits. Its a bit carbonated and quite tasty. I have noticed that my digestion seems to be quite a bit smoother all around. As for historical claims that Kombucha is the "recipe for immortality" Ill have to get back to you on that one!

Happy Kombucha-ing!

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