Kefir Milk

Your gut microbiota is a crucial ecosystem in your body.  One that encompasses a variety of benefits, and on the flip side can be harmful if it's not balanced.  Probiotic supplements are a straightforward way of ensuring your gut is fed properly, but including gut-nourishing foods in your diet has an even deeper effect.  Probiotic foods contain a wide diversity of microorganisms—many more species than what is found in commercial supplements and include specific therapeutic strains that are sought after in probiotic supplements.  Fermented foods not only have beneficial bacteria but added nutrients as well, and the process of fermentation can enhance the bioavailability of these nutrients.   Take kefir for example, once it goes through the fermentation process, the microbes within kefir produce additional vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, B12, folate, and biotin.  Before I get too in-depth about gut health (I will make a separate blog for this topic because it covers so much!), I've created a simple, yet yummy milk alternative Kefir recipe below. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 Organic Milk Alternative (I used almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 date
• 2 cups water
• Kefir Starter Packet or Kefir Grains
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend the almond milk, honey, date, and date.  
2. Pour the blended almond milk into a jar.
3. Seal the jar with saran wrap and twist the lid tightly.
4. Let the kefir mixture sit on the counter for roughly 24-48 hours.  Typically a way to tell if kefir is done with regular milk is that it thickens, however, with some alternative milks this does not happen, so it's best to go by the taste of the kefir when using milk alternatives.  
5. The alternative milk Kefir is cultured once it is tangy.
6. Once it's done fermenting, you'll want to place it in the fridge and use the portion made within 3 days. 

Simple, yet packed with beneficial bacteria to make you and your gut happy. 

Enjoy!