Kefir your troubles away!

Tags

bacteria, kefir, probiotics, yeast

My most recent obsession on the health front? Kefir!

Ke-what you ask? Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with kefir grains that originated with shepherds of the North Caucasus region. It’s an ancient cultured food rich in amino acids, enzymes, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Kefir means “feel good” in Turkish, and that’s just how you’ll feel after drinking some daily!

Its actually quite similar to yogurt. Yogurt usually contains one or two strains of bacteria like acidophilus and bulgaricus. These strains are common in Eastern Europe and the Caucuses. Kefir contains up to 13 strains of different bacteria (some websites state up to 30 strains but I’m sticking to the worst case scenario here!). According to kefir.net, those strains can include “Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.”

Also according to kefir.net, “Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.”

The benefits are amazing, and I can truly say I have experienced many of these myself:

• The bacteria and yeast mixture can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match
• Kefir cleanses and fortifies the intestinal tract making it more efficient at resisting pathogens
• Kefir is a balanced and nourishing food, it has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer
• It has a tranquilizing effect on the nervous system and is beneficial for people with sleep disorders, depression and ADHD
• Promotes healthy bowel movements when used regularly, and helps reduce flatulence
• Helps reduce food cravings by allowing the body to feel more nourished and balanced
• It is loaded with minerals and essential amino acids
• The protein in kefir is partially digested in the fermentation process making it easily utilised by the body
• It contains significant amounts of tryptophan, the amino acid that promotes relaxation and sleep, making it a great drink before sleep
• It is also rich in vitamin B-12, vitamin K and biotin
• It can even be consumed by the lactose intolerant because the yeast and bacteria provide the enzyme lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process.

You can buy premade kefir from some stores (try Harris Farms or Thomas Dux) or like me, you can make your own at home.

The process itself is really simple, but you’ll need to find some authentic Kefir grains before you can start. I purchased mine online and they arrived within a few days.

What you’ll need:

• 2 Glass jars
• Wooden or plastic spoon (Kefir doesn’t like metal)
• Strainer

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons  Kefir grains
• 300ml milk (I use skim milk but you can use a variety of other dairy and non dairy milks*)

Method:

1. Put 1-2 tablespoons of kefir grains into a clean glass jar. (The more kefir grains you use, the faster it will culture.)
2. Add milk. Leave a half inch to an inch of room at the top.
3. Cover the glass jar with a cloth and place it somewhere warm or in a cupboard (NOT in the fridge!)
4. Leave for anywhere from 12-36 hours. The kefir grains will culture the milk. It cultures faster in a warm kitchen than a cool one. You will know when it’s ready because it will start to look thick and clumpy. The longer you leave it out, the more tangy and cultured it will become. If it separates into a clear liquid and clumps, it’s REALLY ready.
5. When it’s ready, pour the kefir out into a strainer set on top of the other glass jar (or a wide mouthed jug/bowl if easier). It’s important to use glass or plastic.
6. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently stir the kefir until all the liquid passes through the mesh and you are left with kefir grains. This kefir is now ready to drink!!
7. Some people like to rinse their grains. I don’t normally rinse mine. I do it every once in a while — maybe once every two to four weeks. I find that my kefir grains grow more quickly when I do not rinse them.
8. Now put your grains back into a clean mason jar, add some more milk and start all over again.

Source: http://www.cheeseslave.com

*For those who cannot tolerate any form of dairy, kefir can be made from coconut milk, coconut water, and even just sweetened water, which will provide many of the benefits found in dairy kefir. The process is slightly different so please google this J

I drink my kefir plain as I quite enjoy the tangy taste, but you can use it as a flavouring or to make smoothies (particularly yummy).

One thing to note is that your kefir grains will “grow” over time as they multiply. Share excess grains with friends (to spread the kefir love) or simply eat them (they are really really good for you!)

Spring Clean Time!

Tags

body clean, house clean, inbox clean, mind clean, spring clean

Spring has finally arrived, which means its time emerge from winter’s darkness into spring’s light. When we think of spring we often think of spring cleaning. This issue I wanted to share some spring cleaning tips, not only for clearing out your physical space, but also applying the same principles to the less tangible aspects of your life.

Spring clean your body

During winter we tend to be more sedentary and as a result can tend to put on a little weight.  Add to this winter comfort foods along with artificial heating and our bodies are definitely in need of a good clean out.

If you’ve been procrastinating about getting active and making changes to your diet, now is the time to act. You could start the season with a cleanse to help you kick start your body spring clean- try reducing fried, sweet and junk food as well as sugar and dairy for just a week. Include more wholegrains, fruits and vegetables in your diet. Delicious spring fruits and vegetables are becoming available so why not throw together a fresh salad with plenty of leafy greans?

As the weather becomes warmer it’s also easier and more appealing to get ourdoors and be active. Get out and organise a fun game of tennis or beach volleyball if it’s warm. If the weather isn’t on your side, why not try bowling, rock climbing, squash or indoor soccer? If your friends aren’t sporty, why not join a team? That way you will be committing to a whole season of exercise and physical activity. Want something you can do on your own? Why not hop on your bike or put on those new hiking boots to explore a part of town? You can check on your local council website for bike or walking tracks.

Spring clean your mind

We often think about looking after ourselves physical, but it’s just as important to spring clean your mind. What old thoughts and beliefs about yourself and your life do you need to let go? Sometimes you don’t realise when you’ve become your own worst enemy by allowing the voice in your head to make negative comments.

Use this spring clean to clear your mind of outdated negative thoughts and refill it with new healthy and positive thoughts. Why not try some meditation? It’s one of the best ways to manage stress and restore your inner calm. It can seem like a bit of a foreign concept if you haven’t done it before, but in its simplest form is anything that leads to relaxation.

Spring clean your home

Now is the time when the traditional “spring clean” for the home occurs. Getting the house squeaky-clean each spring feels great, but the idea of it can be daunting especially if you

try and do everything in one go. Try going room by room over the next couple of weeks, and getting rid of the items that you no longer need, are broken, and/or haven’t been used in years.

Be honest with yourself. Is the busted printer that’s been sitting in  the garage for 3 years going to spontaneously fix itself? Will you ever wear those I’ll fitting shirts you used to wear in years ago? Why not clear out the junk and donate what you can to charity? Not only will you get your house de-cluttered, you’ll also get the feel good factor.

Spring clean your inbox

This is one that probably many of us can relate to. When your inbox is cluttered and full it’s easier to lose/forget things, creates inefficiencies and can make you feel overwhelmed. Go through your inbox email by email and delete and/or categorise anything that doesn’t need to be in there. Unsubscribe from daily/weekly newsletters/communications you no longer wish to receive. Use the “Tasks” option in your Outlook to create a to do list from your emails.

This list of spring cleaning ideas isn’t complete, so add to it anything that you know you need to do to improve your life. There’s a lot here to work on, so set goals for yourself and work on them one day at a time. Good luck!

 

Green Smoothies!

Tags

energy, green, kimberley snyder, skin, smoothie, spinach, weight loss

New girl crush! Kimberley Snyder (http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/) is the go-to nutritionist for many of the entertainment industries top celebrities. Not only is she georgeous, her food philosophy is rooted in a holistic approach that works to heal the body from the cellular level up, increase energy, and achieve overall balance and beauty naturally. Sold!

Her book The Beauty Detox Solution promotes a high raw, vegan diet (although she does include diary and fish options in some of the plans) very high in fruits, veggies (green veggies in particular) and a small amount of particular alkaline grains (quinoa, oat groats and millet), fats, proteins and starches. All must be eaten in a properly combined way to facilitate the best possible digestion which Kimberly argues will improve the skin, hair and nails and help you to achieve your perfect weight.

Foods should be eaten ‘light to heavy’ both throughout the day and within each meal. She suggests that breakfast should be the smallest meal of the day with each meal getting progressively heavier. Faster digesting foods such as fruit and vegetables should be eaten first followed by carbs or protein (which shouldn’t be eaten together in the same meal).

I loved the beautiful green smoothies/juices I got to have during my Schinny Maninny Cleanse and I wanted to try and keep them up, so I was really excited to see Kimberley also has a Glowing Green Smoothie recipe, which she suggests we have every morning.

Here is the recipe (from her website):

Ingredients (makes approx. 2 litres / 2-4 servings)

• 1 ½- 2 cups very cold, filtered water
• 6 cups spinach, chopped
• 5 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 stalks of organic celery
• 1 organic apple, cored and chopped
• 1 organic pear, cored and chopped
• 1 organic banana
• 1–2 Tbs. fresh organic lemon juice

Optional Ingredients

• Ice cubes (the extra coldness can help newbies with the taste)
• 1/2 cup of organic cilantro
• 1/2 cup of organic parsley

Directions

• Add water, spinach and chopped romaine to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed; mix until smooth.
• Gradually move to higher speeds and add the herbs, celery, pear, and apple. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

*For 1 serving, cut out one of the fruits and the celery.

I didn’t add lettuce or pear and had about 6 stalks of celery (instead of 2). I’m used to having less sweet smoothies so I LOVED the flavour, but if you are starting out with green smoothies then follow the recipes as is.

I’m trying to get everyone at home involved- it’s just soo good for you! Try eating that much spinach.. it’s almost impossible.

Benefits

Leafy greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are also chock full of fibre, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals.

Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens include:

• Blood purification
• Cancer prevention
• Improved circulation
• Strengthened immune system
• Promotion of healthy intestinal flora
• Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy
• Lifted spirit and elimination of depression
• Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
• Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

Glowing skin and boundless energy … here I come!

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Final Verdict

After a week of cleansing, here are my final thoughts on the Schkinny Maninny cleanse:

Good:

-  No food shopping/preparation/washing up

-  Tastes great

-  High in nutrients

-  You don’t feel deprived

Bad:

-  I missed chewing food

-  It made me feel really cold! Juice detoxes are better when its warmer!

-  Expensive! At over $300 for 5 days it’s not really something I could afford to do regularly.

-          Socially inhibiting: you really can’t do this cleanse and go out/be social, its suitable for when you don’t have much planned

I really liked this cleanse in that it made me feel healthier and cleaner. I think it’s not the easiest cleanse to do, especially the low fruit one that I did, so if you are new to cleansing consider doing the “juice and dinner” cleanse. The best thing about it is that you don’t need to think- the juices are freshly pressed and delivered to you each morning ready to consume. When I’ve done cleanses in the past I’ve had to spend a lot of time shopping and preparing detox friendly foods, which you don’t need to think about on this cleanse.

Would I do it again: Yes I would like to, but I think the biggest hurdle I would have is the cost. I think I am going to start including juices as a part of my normal diet and juicing at home. Whilst my juicer is not as high tech as the Schkinny juicer, I’ll be able to keep it up. I’m thinking of doing 1 juice fast day per month

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Day 5

Today is a really busy day for me, and I feel like the cleanse has done its job (no more cleanse side effects, no headaches or hunger etc). So I have decided to freeze the juices that come through today and save them for another one day cleanse when I feel like I need it.

Schkinny also sent me a card for the post detox day (day 6) with encouragement and a suggested menu to get me back to normal food. I follow the suggestions somewhat- start with my regular hot water with lemon in the morning.

Breakfast is an apple, a pear, about 10 almonds and a green tea.

Morning snack is a banana and a few more almonds.

Lunch is a sweet potato and pumpkin soup with the little tub of seeds supplied by Schkinny.

Afternoon snack is a salad made of tomato, cucumber and carrot (no dressing).

Dinner is tricky as we’re out to dinner at a friend’s place (another reason I decided to finish the cleanse a day earlier). I try and stick to mainly vegies but I do have some non cleanse items like naan and kheer (a milky dessert made with vermicelli noodles). I pay the price with instant gassiness as my stomach isn’t used to this! Lesson learnt! Next time I’m detoxing I should indulge in such heavy food so quickly!

I’m really missing the juices!

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Day 4

I am feeling full of energy despite the little popcorn hiccup last night. I’m finding I look forward to the juices more and more and love the fact that I have no washing/preparation/food shopping etc etc- the cleanse definitely suits a busy lifestyle.

I weigh myself today and …..

I weigh exactly the same! This is disappointing.. I thought I’d lose a kilo or so .. even if it was just water weight!

I’m finding that even though my energy levels are pretty good during the day, by the time I get home I’m pretty tired. Tonight I reward myself with a bath and use the bath salts supplied by Schinny. The bath is lovely and relaxing- it’s definitely nice to treat yourself while cleanse yourself!

Bath makes me nice and sleepy so I have my dinner soup and after dinner smoothie and crawl into bed.

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Day 3

Another restful night’s sleep.. I could totally get used to this! The headaches have completely cleared and I have very little tiredness. Im not really “hungry” anymore but still miss the chewing action.

I have a busy day at work so it goes pretty quickly. The evening is the challenge- my partner’s work has organised a movie outing with drinks, popcorn and icecream.

I dutifully take along my dinner soup and drink it cold from the bottle during the movie (its delicious!! My partner also tries it and loves it). BUT I cave and have about 3 handfuls of movie popcorn…. It just smells so good! I couldn’t help it!!

Get home, have some Schkinny Sleep Well and slink guiltily into bed!

 

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Day 2

Last night I had the most soundest of sleeps! This morning I wake up with the mildest of headaches but am otherwise feeling good.

Yesterdays esky and empty bottles have been taken away and waiting on my doorstep is todays loot.

I’m off to work and have my breakfast juice along with my little tub of seeds. As the day preogesses I feel a lot more lethargic, but Schkinny’s inspiration card for day two reassures me that this is absolutely normal.

I absolutely love the flavours so I’m finding I’m always really excited for the next juice each day. After morning tea I cheat with a few cashew nuts, not because I’m hungry, but because I like chewing!

Lunch is the same spicy legume and tomato based soup as yesterday. One thing I’ve realised is that I’m going to be on essentially the same menu for 5 days- something that doesn’t bother me but people who like variety could get bored.

I’ve noticed I’ve really got the chills- another normal detox sign. Next time I think this would be a better option for summer!

Im starving by the time I get home and have my soup- wolf it down again followed by half the bottle of my favourite juice the Schkinny Sleep Well.

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse – Day 1

Tags

cleanse, detox, juice, juice fast, juicing

I am super excited about starting the cleanse today!

At 7.30am there on my doorstep is a little esky and a giftbag from Schkinny Maninny (you can nominate a time after 6am).

The Esky has my 6 juices as well as a little container of seeds to chew on (this is to get my jaws moving so I don’t miss chewing too much!). My six juices are:

-  Schkinny Leap Frog – a refreshing green smoothie of spinach, parsley, kiwi, apple and cucumber

-  Schkinny Green Salad – a fresh salad combination of cucumber, celery, lemon, parsley and carrot

-  Schkinny Lentil Luncheon – a spicy legume and tomato based soup

-  Schkinny Vego Mego – a zesty combination of beetroot, spinach, lemon, celery and ginger

-  Schkinny Coll, Meg and Lee Soup – a creamy soup of cauliflower, leek, sunflower seeds, celery and nutmeg

-  Schkinny Sleep Well – a relaxing nut smoothie of almonds, brazil nuts and almond milk

The starter gift bag includes some detox tea bags, a detox bath soak, a tub of psyllium husk for added fibre and a loofah mit to dry brush my skin.

I also have a card from Schinny with tips, encouragement, what to expect and some handy do’s and don’ts. Along with this you also get a daily email which guides you through the day.

I wake up and have my usual hot water with lemon (which Schkinny also advise you take) and then go about my business.

Normally when I get to work I LOVE my morning black tea with milk.. but this is not allowed on the cleanse so instead I pop open my first juice.

It’s quite think, more of a smoothie almost and is actually quite tasty! We’re advised to “chew” our juices as this gets digestive enzymes going. I polish the juice off and am feeling pretty satisfied, but still incomplete without having really chewed anything. A few of the pumpkin and sunflower seeds help with this.

We are allowed to have as much herbal teas as we like as well as diluted green tea (1 tea bag to make about 4 serves). I make myself a fruity herbal tea and drop in a few green tea leaves.

Within 2 hours I’m really craving the next drink. This one is a really lovely beetroot, ginger and various other things juice. Nice and tangy- polish it off along with the remainder of my seeds!

About 11.30am I start to feel quite lethargic and tired and a mild headache starts to set in. My little card tells me this is all normal..

I heat up my third “juice” for lunch and enjoy the spicy legume and tomato based soup before heading into a meeting. During the meeting I am exhausted!! I resist temptation to have one of my beloved cups of black tea with milk and instead have a mild green tea.

The fourth juice is another lovely zingy one and makes my lethargy a little better.

By the time I get home I am pretty hungry (the first time I feel hungry really) and heat up my fifth juice- a creamy soup of cauliflower, leek, sunflower seeds, celery and nutmeg. Even though we are advised to consume our juices mindfully I wolf this one down!

The sixth and final “juice” is actually a really creamy nut smoothie of almonds, brazil nuts and almond milk. This one is absolutely delicious. It’s so filling that I can only finish half before putting the rest back in the fridge to enjoy later J

I’m still feeling quite tired so I tuck myself into bed about an hour or so earlier than usual.

Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse

Tags

cleanse, detox, fruit, juice, maninny, schkinny, vegetable

Keeping up with the detoxing theme, I’ve decided to do the Schkinny Maninny Juice Cleanse.

This wasn’t an easy step.. the thought of subsisting on liquids for a full week isn’t pleasant!!

But after really reading though the Schkinny Maninny website I’ve decided to give it a go.

Schkinny Maninny provides a wealth of information on their website as well as links to reviews etc. This is what they say about the cleanse:

“The Schkinny Nutritional Cleanse complements your own bodies detoxifying process and allows your body to do its business very efficient and effectively.  We use juices as way of maximising the naturally occuring vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and raw enzymes and using them in large doses to help cleanse and renew.”

The cleanse consists of drinking 6 tailor made juices per day. Each day, a whopping 6kgs of fruit/vegetables are used to produce the 6 juices!! So I feel that I definitely won’t be undernourished or hungry.

The process is simple:

-  Choose the cleanse you want to do (there are a few available such as the “Active” cleanse for those who need more energy or an option to have 4 juices during the day followed by your own healthy dinner etc)

-  Choose your length (1, 3 or 5 day options available)

-  Let them know any allergies etc

-  Choose to have it delivered to your home/office

I’ve opted for the 5 day Low Fruit cleanse as I don’t want to consume too much fruit sugar. The nutritional breakdown for this option is:

It’s perfect timing for me as the weekend has just been so crazy busy and full of bat nutritional choices!

Plus I’m looking forward to no dishes, no cooking, no food shopping etc etc for the week!