Post: #1

you guys know this?
it has many benefits

Post: #2

I HIGHLY recommend kefir as a great addition to your diet. Kefir is hands-down the best probiotic product available (yogurt is actually considered a prebiotic: it provides food for healthy bacteria in the gut, it does not contain healthy bacteria that will colonize the gut). It originated in Eastern Europe over a thousand years ago and has been used to great effect in that region of the world since.

I suffered from an antibiotic resistant gastrointestinal infection for over a year and this is ultimately what cured me after several unsuccessful rounds of powerful antibiotics. Modern research suggests that well over 50% of your immune system resides in your gut, but poor eating habits, infections, and repeated use of antibiotics can wipe out healthy bacteria populations and allow harmful bacteria and yeast to establish a foothold.

Kefir has a lot of great benefits, including colonizing your gut with healthy bacteria and yeast; providing natural antibiotic protection; protecting against certain forms of cancer; eliminating gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers, infections, and IBS; and is usually tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant.

I truly believe that kefir is a naturally occurring superfood and all members of the forum should consider including it in their diet. It is as beneficial or better than ACV, baking soda, and intermittent fasting to health. The word kefir literally means "good feeling" in Turkish. It is hard to describe the feeling that it elicits, but I get a rush of energy as soon as I down the drink

Store-Bought v Homemade

One word of warning: commercially produced kefir is vastly inferior to homemade kefir. Store-bough kefir is produced using a powder of dried probiotics, usually 8 to 10 strains. The kefir is fermented for less than an hour, does not contain any beneficial yeast strains, and is heat-treated leading to significant reductions in probiotic content and efficacy.

By contrast, homemade kefir is fermented for 12-24 hours using live kefir "grains." These grains consist of 40 to 50 strains of bacteria and yeasts. In addition, the probiotic content is incomparable: store-bought kefir typically has roughly 150 billion probiotic units per cup; homemade kefir has up to 10 trillion units per cup.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the greatest benefit: kefir grains are a living symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast; as long as they are fed with fresh milk regularly, they will last forever!

How To Make


Homemade kefir is ridiculously easy to make. All you need is some live kefir grains, a mason jar w/ lid, non-homogenized whole milk (pasteurized is fine; organic is better), and a plastic strainer.

The steps are simple too: put 1 tablespoon of live kefir grains per 1 cup of whole milk into a glass mason jar. Seal the lid shut, place out on your counter. and wait 12-24 hours. The kefir is ready when the entire jar of fluid approaches a slightly runny, yogurt-like consistency. Strain the kefir into a plastic container and add more milk to the kefir grains for another batch. I like to place the strained kefir in the fridge overnight, which leads to a more carbonated and tangy drink.

When it comes to drinking your kefir, many people really enjoy the taste and drink it straight up. I typically throw 8 ounces of kefir, a handful of berries, and a handful of spinach or kale in the blender. It produces a tasty, nutrient-dense, and low-calorie drink.

If you are interested in learning more about the process or its benefits, just PM me (or ask them here if you think other members might benefit). I also have extra grains that I am happy to share with other members.

One word of warning: homemade kefir is very strong. I experienced a lot of discomfort from bacteria die-off when I started taking kefir twice a day, including headaches, muscle and joint pain, trouble concentrating, and gastrointestinal problems.. You probably won't experience as bad of an adjustment (I was battling a serious infection), but homemade kefir is known to cause discomfort as your body adjusts to the new probiotic intake.

Post: #3

I am not my brother's kefir.

Post: #4

I am from FSU originally and there people drink kefir on daily basis. Altogether milk products are a big part of diet.
Never thought much about its positive impact on health. As a kid i liked to drink it with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

If ever in FSU try kefir based soup Okroshka. Perfect hot summer day meal.

Post: #5

Milk kefir disagrees with some people especially if they take too much. Also it is important to take kefir after a meal, not before or during or with a meal, but after a meal and with nothing else. It is best taken in the morning. Two cups per day, max.

It is better to learn proper food combonations to allow the body and the stomach in particular to create its own enzymes.

You know how here in America we have food buffets with thousands of ingredients? Well watch the ingredients overweight people select. They pile up a plate with twenty different foods. That means their digestive systems are more like toxic and putrified globs of undigested proteins. Think of how if you leave an uncooked steak out it gets maggots and putrefies.

Our digestive systems are basically designed to digest one ingredient at a time, per meal. Example: veggies for breakfast, nuts for lunch, fish for dinner. Try it, you will notice your body feels better. The less ingredients the better.

Another huge mistake people at buffets do is they eat a meal and then eat a dessert. If you really need to eat sweets like that, make a whole meal out of it. Just eat desserts as a meal. The less you confuse your stomach with complex mixtures of ingredients the better.

Your stomach has different enzymes for different food categories but if you mix foods incorrectly the enzymes get confused and they incorrectly digest foods, even healthy wholesome foods. So proteins should not be mixed in one meal with sugars, sugars should not be mixed with starches. Starches should not mix the same time with proteins.

These are just a few basic rules. We are not really supposed to take "pro biotics" or "anti biotics" either.

Post: #6

(11-07-2016 04:25 PM)Kinko Wrote:  Milk kefir disagrees with some people especially if they take too much. Also it is important to take kefir after a meal, not before or during or with a meal, but after a meal and with nothing else. It is best taken in the morning. Two cups per day, max.

It is better to learn proper food combonations to allow the body and the stomach in particular to create its own enzymes.

You know how here in America we have food buffets with thousands of ingredients? Well watch the ingredients overweight people select. They pile up a plate with twenty different foods. That means their digestive systems are more like toxic and putrified globs of undigested proteins. Think of how if you leave an uncooked steak out it gets maggots and putrefies.

Our digestive systems are basically designed to digest one ingredient at a time, per meal. Example: veggies for breakfast, nuts for lunch, fish for dinner. Try it, you will notice your body feels better. The less ingredients the better.

Another huge mistake people at buffets do is they eat a meal and then eat a dessert. If you really need to eat sweets like that, make a whole meal out of it. Just eat desserts as a meal. The less you confuse your stomach with complex mixtures of ingredients the better.

Your stomach has different enzymes for different food categories but if you mix foods incorrectly the enzymes get confused and they incorrectly digest foods, even healthy wholesome foods. So proteins should not be mixed in one meal with sugars, sugars should not be mixed with starches. Starches should not mix the same time with proteins.

These are just a few basic rules. We are not really supposed to take "pro biotics" or "anti biotics" either.

Interesting - sometimes i'll drink a few glasses in the morning instead of breakfast, on an empty stomach, before my coffee. I feel great these days.

I've had trouble finding good kefir here in the US. Everything I see at stores is "fat-free" and has a bunch of sugar.

Whole-foods has some alright kefirs, sprouts also.

Post: #7

The only milk you should ever drink straight is raw milk. It can be from cow or goat. Never consume any pasteurized or homoginized milk products straight, it is not healthy.

You have to make milk kefir on your own at home. You start with buying milk kefir grains online. Ordinary pasturized milk can then be used for producing healthy milk kefir.

Milk kefir is not legit sold at stores like Whole Foods.

Raw milk is a whole food. It should not be combined with anything else.

With raw milk and or milk kefir grains you can produce all kinds of interesting alternatives. Clabbered milk, kefir leban (like cream cheese), and of course culture your own cheese recipes.

Some people react better to these natural milk and dairy products then others. Just because it is fully natural and nutritious does not mean it will agree with your body. One reason it could cause bacteria infections is people just ingest too much dairy then they should or they combine dairy improperly with other food items such as sugars, and starches especially are a bad mix. Thus, do not overload on any dairy products just because they are delicious you must be careful.

One of the best examples of an awfully unhealthy food combo is an American cheese burger. It is a mix of starches, meat, dairy, carbs, and sugar if you ad ketchup. The body is continually confused when you eat something like that and the stomach does not deploy the correct enzymes for digesting the proteins seperately so the meat sort of purifies. Remember the gut has a few different enzymes it deploys for carbs, sugars, starches, and proteins, that is why it is best to isolate those food categories in each meal. Look at Americans who eat junk food and look at their big bellies. A lot of the belly is just gunk that is clogged up in their digestive tracts for years on end because the enzymes were not there to process the meals. They can carry 10-20 or more pounds of gunk just stuck in the digestive system putrifying.

There is a second type of kefir that is not dairy based and vegans use it, it is called water kefir.

Post: #8

I think kefir is Turkish, since yogurt is invented in Turkey. There is also "ayran" which is just like kefir but lighter.

I never knew what it was until I moved to Turkey for work. Now, I am addicted. It's so much better beverage than soda for sure.

Post: #9

My ex drank kefir, she had digestive issues and heartburn. It helped her stomach settle.

I've tried it but it did nothing to me. I more or less have an iron stomach.

(11-10-2016 01:44 PM)Kinko Wrote:  The only milk you should ever drink straight is raw milk. It can be from cow or goat. Never consume any pasteurized or homoginized milk products straight, it is not healthy. Wrong

You have to make milk kefir on your own at home. You start with buying milk kefir grains online. Ordinary pasturized milk can then be used for producing healthy milk kefir.

Milk kefir is not legit sold at stores like Whole Foods.

Raw milk is a whole food. It should not be combined with anything else.

With raw milk and or milk kefir grains you can produce all kinds of interesting alternatives. Clabbered milk, kefir leban (like cream cheese), and of course culture your own cheese recipes.

Some people react better to these natural milk and dairy products then others. Just because it is fully natural and nutritious does not mean it will agree with your body. One reason it could cause bacteria infections is people just ingest too much dairy then they should or they combine dairy improperly with other food items such as sugars, and starches especially are a bad mix. Thus, do not overload on any dairy products just because they are delicious you must be careful. Agreed

One of the best examples of an awfully unhealthy food combo is an American cheese burger. It is a mix of starches, meat, dairy, carbs, and sugar if you ad ketchup. The body is continually confused when you eat something like that and the stomach does not deploy the correct enzymes for digesting the proteins seperately so the meat sort of purifies. Remember the gut has a few different enzymes it deploys for carbs, sugars, starches, and proteins, that is why it is best to isolate those food categories in each meal. Look at Americans who eat junk food and look at their big bellies. A lot of the belly is just gunk that is clogged up in their digestive tracts for years on end because the enzymes were not there to process the meals. They can carry 10-20 or more pounds of gunk just stuck in the digestive system putrifying. Unrealistic Exaggeration

There is a second type of kefir that is not dairy based and vegans use it, it is called water kefir.

Post: #10

Can you elaborate more about being "Wrong" and an "Unrealistic exaggeration"?

The milk sold in grocery stores is dead food. That is unhealthy.

Even raw milk sold in stores (labeled not for human consumption) can be skimmed of the natural balance of cream, and the animals can be unhealthy. Thus what we ultimately want are completely natural and happy cows and goats for milk production. Ones that you pet everyday and animals that live on your same property and you are friends with.

Dr. Weston Price (famous dentist, health researcher, and whistleblower against the medical establishment) found the healthiest peoples teeth were in African tribes that had diets that mostly consisted of raw cow milk, raw fresh cow blood, cow meats and cow organs including brain, bull testicles, kidneys and everything. They drank raw blood taken from living cows.

American cheeseburger meals and the "standard American diet" have ruined peoples digestive systems. The digestive system can get clogged with junk foods. A lot of junk foods are made of materials that are not even edible, like plastics. Ask people that have colonoscopies when they flush the entire digestive system. Ask them about all the toxic gunk that is extracted.

Post: #11

Say what you will about the FDA, but I trust them over what I read on internet forums.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/...079516.htm

Yeah cheeseburgers aren't healthy, but they aren't destroying peoples' digestive systems. If I grill some beef, put it on store-bought buns, and add some cheese and barbecue sauce, my entire digestive system isn't destroyed. It probably would be if I ate McDonald's everyday though.

My point is to eat whatever makes you feel good. If raw milk and rocky mountain oysters are your thing, go for it. If you feel adequately nourished after eating cheeseburgers, that works too.

Acting like eating a "standard American diet" is ruining someone's digestive system is fear mongering. Obviously if you exclusively eat junk food your going to have a problem. But the American diet is a lot more than McDonald's and Taco Bell.

Post: #12

I pour some in my protein shake in the morning (ice, spinach, 1/2 banana, protein shake powder, PB flavor, kefir, water).

I haven't noticed a difference, but I'm sure it's healthy. Good bacteria in that stuff. I keep the amount low because the stuff I buy has a decent amount of sugar (good for flavor).

Post: #13

(11-07-2016 03:45 PM)Vinny Wrote:  I am from FSU originally and there people drink kefir on daily basis. Altogether milk products are a big part of diet.
Never thought much about its positive impact on health. As a kid i liked to drink it with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

If ever in FSU try kefir based soup Okroshka. Perfect hot summer day meal.

I cant stand Okroshka...possibly the only thing on the FSU menu that I do not like.

Post: #14

I tried this and it was kind of gross to be honest. However when I mixed it in with chocolate whey powder it was tolerable.

Post: #15

(12-01-2016 03:35 PM)Rocha Wrote:  

(11-07-2016 03:45 PM)Vinny Wrote:  I am from FSU originally and there people drink kefir on daily basis. Altogether milk products are a big part of diet.
Never thought much about its positive impact on health. As a kid i liked to drink it with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

If ever in FSU try kefir based soup Okroshka. Perfect hot summer day meal.

I cant stand Okroshka...possibly the only thing on the FSU menu that I do not like.

Have you tried holodets? It's pretty nasty too

Post: #16

I make Kefir from time to time. Always a favorite with people I share it with.
And is really a staple of FSU countries.

I let it ferment entirely in the fridge. Takes about a week.
And the more you let it sit the more tangy and "carbonated" it gets.

What I like to do sometimes after, is to strain off the liquid through a cheese cloth. You get a cream cheese, tworog, quark like thing. Works as a spread on bread or soup topping. Or just as a side dish. (Straining it off removes some of the acid and concentrates the protein content.)
Plus you get to control the milk quality and the fat content.

Post: #17

If you are constipated, just try kefir. You'll rush to bathroom in half hour.

Post: #18

Where do you get kefir grains? And where do you get raw milk?

Post: #19

Raw milk sources: start at realmilk.com

Kefir grains: online search

Post: #20

(12-09-2016 02:36 AM)CleanSlate Wrote:  Where do you get kefir grains? And where do you get raw milk?

Hey CleanSlate,

I got my Kefir grains from a local guy who I found via an online forum (I'm located in CO). I have heard some good things about the following online companies:

- http://www.culturesforhealth.com/milk-kefir-grains.html
- http://store.kombuchakamp.com/Kefir-Grains/
- http://www.yourkefirsource.com/buy-kefir-grains/

One thing of note: make sure to get kefir grains, not a kefir starter culture. Kefir grains contain the complete set of naturally-occurring bacteria and yeasts, and these will last forever.

Also keep in mind that, if you use dried kefir grains, you shouldn't drink the kefir produced from these grains until they are fully "awakened," which can take up to a week or two. It takes a while for all of the strains of bacteria and yeast to awaken and achieve a balance. The first batch with your dried kefir grains likely won't thicken at all.

Also, do not use a metal sieve or metal utensils. These can damage the bacteria in your kefir. A glass mason jar with a metal lid is okay though, since the inside of the lid is coated with rubber.

If you are interested in getting some grains and live in the U.S., also feel free to PM me. I should have enough extra grains to part with by late next week (mine double in size roughly every week) and am happy to send some your way.

As for raw milk, it is desirable, but not necessary. Regular milk is fine (organic is always better), but as long as the milk is not homogenized, it will make great kefir. Raw milk may be illegal where you live. Where I live in Colorado, it is illegal to purchase. You can only get raw milk directly from a dairy farmer if part of a documented cow or goat share. Check your local regulations for more info. You can also PM me if you are confused by this aspect and want help looking into your local laws.

-Donkey George

Post: #21

(11-07-2016 04:25 PM)Kinko Wrote:  Milk kefir disagrees with some people especially if they take too much. Also it is important to take kefir after a meal, not before or during or with a meal, but after a meal and with nothing else. It is best taken in the morning. Two cups per day, max.

It is better to learn proper food combonations to allow the body and the stomach in particular to create its own enzymes.

You know how here in America we have food buffets with thousands of ingredients? Well watch the ingredients overweight people select. They pile up a plate with twenty different foods. That means their digestive systems are more like toxic and putrified globs of undigested proteins. Think of how if you leave an uncooked steak out it gets maggots and putrefies.

Our digestive systems are basically designed to digest one ingredient at a time, per meal. Example: veggies for breakfast, nuts for lunch, fish for dinner. Try it, you will notice your body feels better. The less ingredients the better.

Another huge mistake people at buffets do is they eat a meal and then eat a dessert. If you really need to eat sweets like that, make a whole meal out of it. Just eat desserts as a meal. The less you confuse your stomach with complex mixtures of ingredients the better.

Your stomach has different enzymes for different food categories but if you mix foods incorrectly the enzymes get confused and they incorrectly digest foods, even healthy wholesome foods. So proteins should not be mixed in one meal with sugars, sugars should not be mixed with starches. Starches should not mix the same time with proteins.

These are just a few basic rules. We are not really supposed to take "pro biotics" or "anti biotics" either.

Do you have any hard evidence/links for any of this? Overall, there's good evidence that a balanced diet is healthy. Seems impractical to have one meat meal, one fruit meal, another for nuts, then pasta, and then a meal of all vegetables. I'll confess to being a bit skeptical that any of what you just wrote came from hard evidence in the form of a randomized controlled trial, and you included a lot of strong assertions in there.

Post: #22

I kill for kefir

I also make it with different spices and herb. It's awesome. Use it instead of Coke