Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 This is from someone I know in the celiac group. I thought it might inspire others. -- Heidi Jean -------------------------- When I get an unexpected, consistant & lasting benefit from a product, to me it completely rules out any coincidence or psychological effect. I've had chronic constipation since infancy. I've tried everything, diet, exercise, fiber supplements, even expensive colon therapy. Nothing worked to remove stool other than enemas or harsh laxatives -- neither of which are pleasant to use or promote health. My doctor even referred me to a colon surgeon to see if she could help. She could only offer removal of my entire colon -- yikes! I have also been battling candida albicans off and on for several years. I tried 24 hour goat yogurt for the candida, but couldn't tolerate it due to milk allergies (which cause migraine, abdominal pain, mood swings, heartburn). I also tried fermented vegetable foods (kimchee, sauerkraut, etc.) I didn't enjoy these foods very much and found it a chore to make them. And, besides, they did nothing for my constipation problem. BUT, recently I found a simple, inexpensive solution to both my constipation and candida problems. The cure is KEFIR! Kefir is a cultured milk product well known for it's healing & probiotic properties. To my surprize and delight, I've had normal bowel function and not a sign of candida or milk allergy symptoms since I started drinking a cup a day. This is a miracle for me. I found an explanation for how kefir could relieve both constipation and candida albicans in Sally Fallon's book, NOURISHING TRADITIONS. Sally quotes from a book by Donna Gates: " . . . kefir is mucous-forming, but. .. . the slightly mucous-forming quality is exactly what makes kefir work for us. The mucous has a " clean " quality to it that coats the lining of the digestive tract, creating a sort of nest where beneficial bacteria can settle and colonize. . . . " (THE BODY ECOLOGY DIET) Kefir is as almost as easy to make as pouring a glass of milk. I just add the starter grains to milk, cover it, and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 24 hours. That's it -- no machine required! Real kefir is made with a gelatinous, plant-like starter called kefir grains. There are sources on the internet for free kefir grains, see: http://66.46.11.99/clarkson/Show/son/kefir/default.asp To learn more about kefir and how to make it see the following website: http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#what's-kefir Commercially prepared " kefir beverages " and Yogourmet " kefir starter " are available in health food stores. They are not exactly the same as real kefir, but the results are similar. A fresh packet of the commercially prepared " kefir starter " must be used for each batch, but real kefir grains last indefinately if properly cared for. (Maintainance is not difficult.) ----------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Thanks for this, Heidi. Deanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 thanks heidi! i just received kefir grains this week and made my first batch - it's not that bad, but i'm definitely *not* a kefir lover. so... how much is the " daily dose " to get some real benefit from it? -katja (who tried a kefir-kiwi-apple smoothie today. it's...interesting...) At 04:53 AM 2/25/2004, you wrote: >This is from someone I know in the celiac group. I thought it might >inspire others. > >-- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 >thanks heidi! >i just received kefir grains this week and made my first batch - it's not >that bad, but i'm definitely *not* a kefir lover. so... >how much is the " daily dose " to get some real benefit from it? > >-katja >(who tried a kefir-kiwi-apple smoothie today. it's...interesting...) Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day fixed me, when I took them. If the flavor doesn't start growing on you though, you might try kefiili ... no one in our house liked " real " kefir but they love kefiili. Also you can use the extra grains to make " kefir beer " which seems to have the same probiotic properties, for me anyway. One small glass of kefir-beer is enough to change the flora in me for about 4 days. (I get very obvious changes when I take it! In form, consistency, and smell in the toilet department which I will spare you the details of). Also ... kefir sour cream, made into onion dip, is REALLY GOOD. Addictive even! -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 At 09:46 AM 2/25/04 -0800, you wrote: >Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. >Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much >bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day >fixed me, when I took them. Uh oh. I think you just talked me into a daily dose of kefir. Even *I* can handle THAT much! Hey, if I got used to the CLO so quickly ... thanks! > >If the flavor doesn't start growing on you though, you might >try kefiili ... no one in our house liked " real " kefir but they love >kefiili. Also you can use the extra grains to make " kefir beer " which >seems to have the same probiotic properties, for me anyway. One >small glass of kefir-beer is enough to change the flora in me for >about 4 days. (I get very obvious changes when I take it! In form, >consistency, and smell in the toilet department which I will spare >you the details of). But where would be be if we had no daily poop or pee stories? > >Also ... kefir sour cream, made into onion dip, is REALLY GOOD. >Addictive even! I wimped out and just made some salad dressing with it. Yum. Last onion dip I made was with yogurt - but yours sounds like it'll be much better! MFJ Any moment in which you feel like dancing is a perfect moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 > >Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. >Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much >bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day >fixed me, when I took them. > Ok, so I'm feeling like the 300$ I spent for a 6month supply of primal defense(at 12/day) was noy such a good deal. Well, at least I'mgetting some goats milk soon. Best Wishes _________________________________________________________________ Say “good-bye” to spam, viruses and pop-ups with MSN Premium -- free trial offer! http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200359ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 So for people allergic to pasteurized cow's milk, raw goats milk kefir should be fine right? I've never had it at all. I am almost healed from leaky gut and I don't want to flare it up again from an allergic response to milk, but I'm craving yogurt. What can I tell my mom about the safety of raw milk? She was really freaked out when I told her I would be using raw goat's milk. I told her, " Baby goats drink it and they're fine " . Hee. That didn't go over too well. Thanks ya'll, Michele >From: Heidi Schuppenhauer <heidis@...> >Reply- > >Subject: Re: Kefir healing >Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:46:26 -0800 > > > >thanks heidi! > >i just received kefir grains this week and made my first batch - it's not > >that bad, but i'm definitely *not* a kefir lover. so... > >how much is the " daily dose " to get some real benefit from it? > > > >-katja > >(who tried a kefir-kiwi-apple smoothie today. it's...interesting...) > >Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. >Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much >bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day >fixed me, when I took them. > >If the flavor doesn't start growing on you though, you might >try kefiili ... no one in our house liked " real " kefir but they love >kefiili. Also you can use the extra grains to make " kefir beer " which >seems to have the same probiotic properties, for me anyway. One >small glass of kefir-beer is enough to change the flora in me for >about 4 days. (I get very obvious changes when I take it! In form, >consistency, and smell in the toilet department which I will spare >you the details of). > >Also ... kefir sour cream, made into onion dip, is REALLY GOOD. >Addictive even! > >-- Heidi Jean > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get fast, reliable access with MSN 9 Dial-up. Click here for Special Offer! http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200361ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 >Uh oh. I think you just talked me into a daily dose of kefir. Even >*I* can handle THAT much! Hey, if I got used to the CLO so quickly ... >thanks! Ooops ... I forgot to tell you, it's also rather addicting ... > But where would be be if we had no daily poop or pee stories? Hee hee. And bug eating ... I wimped out and just made some salad dressing with it. Yum. Last onion >dip I made was with yogurt - but yours sounds like it'll be much better! Hmmm ... that's an even better idea, salad dressing! A person could sneak probiotics into anyone that way! One thing I like about using it for dip is that if you bring it to a party, you don't have to worry much about food poisoning. Mayo dips left out for hours (as dips tend to be) are great bacterial breeding grounds ... so I say, make sure you know what bacteria are growing! -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 >Would a high quality yogurt have the same healing properties as kefir? > >Jafa According to the people I've talked to, no. The letter I reposted is from a lady who did the SCD for awhile but never got the results she got from kefir. For myself, I didn't notice ANY results for yogurt, but got massive immediate results from kefir. Kefir has 50 or so strains of micro-organisms in it, and they are ones that are really robust. Yogurt has 1 or 2 strains of coddled, delicate bacteria that are used to growing in sterile medium. Also acidophilus creates a kind of lactic acid that is less ideal ... kefir creates both isomers of lactic acid. -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 >So for people allergic to pasteurized cow's milk, raw goats milk kefir >should be fine right? I've never had it at all. I am almost healed from >leaky gut and I don't want to flare it up again from an allergic response to >milk, but I'm craving yogurt. I don't know about yogurt, but a lot of people allergic to milk (like me) can handle kefir ok. I'm allergic to casein, and the casein doesn't go away in kefir, but I suspect it gets " denatured " enough to not cause a reaction. Kefir does help heal leaky gut, in any case. -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 If it's any comfort, my doc just put me on Primal Defense even though I'm drinking much more than a teaspoon of kefir a day. Evidently PD has a broader spectrum of probiotics than kefir does. Perhaps someone else knows more about this than I do and correct me if I'm wrong. ~ Fern From: " the scorpio " <rawbabymama@...> > >Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. > >Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much > >bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day > >fixed me, when I took them. > > > Ok, so I'm feeling like the 300$ I spent for a 6month supply of primal > defense(at 12/day) was noy such a good deal. Well, at least I'mgetting > some goats milk soon. > > Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 I know it is doing something as when I first start taking the stuff, I get terrible mucus, like it chokes me. My dad asked me if I'd started smoking! It went away though, and now I can take it and be fine. Those 6 pills twice a day are like bricks morning and night, ugh! I just want to make sure the little nisms are making nice comfy homes in there and not just passing through. Best Wishes, Michele >From: " Fern " <readnwrite@...> >Reply- >< > >Subject: Re: Kefir healing >Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 23:41:32 -0500 > >If it's any comfort, my doc just put me on Primal Defense even though I'm >drinking much more than a teaspoon of kefir a day. Evidently PD has a >broader spectrum of probiotics than kefir does. Perhaps someone else knows >more about this than I do and correct me if I'm wrong. > >~ Fern > > >From: " the scorpio " <rawbabymama@...> > > > >Hmmm ... I don't know, you probably don't need much of it. > > >Think of those little probiotic pills ... they have about as much > > >bacteria as a teaspoon of kefir, I'd guess, and 3 pills a day > > >fixed me, when I took them. > > > > > Ok, so I'm feeling like the 300$ I spent for a 6month supply of primal > > defense(at 12/day) was noy such a good deal. Well, at least >I'mgetting > > some goats milk soon. > > > > Best Wishes > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Thank you Heidi, for the info. From what I understand, kefir. not yogurt, consumes most of the lactose and breaks down the protein, so kefir is the one for me. I've never had goats milk, so there's a good chance I'm not allergic to it. I've been dairy free for four years now, except for some raw cheese one day when I was pregnant(which made me hurl, but it could have been the combo with raw rye crackers), and some ghee a while back. I think my body having such a break would help. I guess I'll see, but I know Gaby should be fine. He is too little to be lactose intolerant, so I'll just watch for signs as he gets older. He likes yogurt, but dislikes anything " tangy " , so I think plain kefir would be out. I could definitely get him to drink it in a smoothie. He drank almond kefir that way, and it was nasty! I am hoping this is will help heal my leaky gut for good. As it is I am sooo much better. Maybe one day I'll get off the enzymes, but I kind of doubt that. It would take a long time of healing for that to happen. Anyway, thanks again. Michele _________________________________________________________________ Find and compare great deals on Broadband access at the MSN High-Speed Marketplace. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 At 04:02 PM 2/25/04 -0800, you wrote: >>Uh oh. I think you just talked me into a daily dose of kefir. Even >>*I* can handle THAT much! Hey, if I got used to the CLO so quickly ... >>thanks! > >Ooops ... I forgot to tell you, it's also rather addicting ... Well, if in a month or two I start babbling on about kefir and how wonderful it is, I know several people who will never be able to stand or walk again ... from laughing so hard. > > I wimped out and just made some salad dressing with it. Yum. Last onion >>dip I made was with yogurt - but yours sounds like it'll be much better! > >Hmmm ... that's an even better idea, salad dressing! A person could sneak >probiotics into anyone that way! Yep. That's how I've been sneaking them into myself. Rupert MFJ Any moment in which you feel like dancing is a perfect moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Michele- > From what I understand, kefir. not yogurt, >consumes most of the lactose and breaks down the protein, so kefir is the >one for me. Apologies if you've already mentioned this, but have you tried 24-hour yoghurt made in an incubator at controlled temperatures? That's over 99% free of lactose, and the acidity does denature the protein some, though I don't know how the changes in the protein compare to those in kefir. Kefir, by contrast, requires several days to achieve 99% lactose reduction, and it's not a reliable process -- you never really know. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 At 04:02 PM 2/25/04 -0800, you wrote: >>Uh oh. I think you just talked me into a daily dose of kefir. Even >>*I* can handle THAT much! Hey, if I got used to the CLO so quickly ... >>thanks! > >Ooops ... I forgot to tell you, it's also rather addicting ... > Oh, hey, one more question about this ... does it matter if I do the kefir with food or not? I don't generally eat much during the day (usually just a few glasses of milk when I'm taking the morning supplements and CLO - heh - apparently I've been semi-warrior-dieting for years, at least in terms of the timing). Was just wondering if I should wait to do the kefir until I eat, or if I can just add it to the morning pill-popping routine. Hehe - I just love saying that. Pill-popping. I've impressed a few people with the size of my personal pharmacy at the moment - 17 things, including the CLO. Hehe. ( " Size of personal pharmacy " ... doesn't that sound like a good subject line for spam?) *runs* MFJ Any moment in which you feel like dancing is a perfect moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 At 07:06 AM 2/26/2004, you wrote: >> From what I understand, kefir. not yogurt, >>consumes most of the lactose and breaks down the protein, so kefir is the >>one for me. > >Apologies if you've already mentioned this, but have you tried 24-hour >yoghurt made in an incubator at controlled temperatures? That's over 99% >free of lactose, and the acidity does denature the protein some, though I >don't know how the changes in the protein compare to those in >kefir. Kefir, by contrast, requires several days to achieve 99% lactose >reduction, and it's not a reliable process -- you never really know. > >- Here are some words from Dom about lactose and kefir: For those of you on the <http://www.healingcrow.com/dietsmain/scd/scd.html>SC (Specific Carbohydrate) Diet, here are some directions from the wise Dominic about eliminating the lactose in the Kefir: “I find a good way to eliminate lactose even further is to ferment the kefir per usual (24 hours), strain, then keep the strained kefir in a bottle (at room temperature) for a further 2 -3 days before consuming (ongoing fermentation). I don't keep my strained kefir in the fridge any more, but keep it like this in a cupboard. The kefir is still good even after 6-7 days. One must give the bottle which the kefir is continuously fermenting in, a shake at least once daily. This is so that the microbes (mainly the yeasts) are mixed in well. Other wise one may find a film or colonies of yeast or the acetic acid forming bacteria on top of the kefir. This is safe, but some lactose digesting yeasts may be flourishing mainly in this top layer, shaking will help to distribute them into the kefir, where you want them to do their work (breaking down lactose). This continuous fermentation can also be done in the fridge, but I find that a more pleasant tasting kefir, with markedly reduced lactose is achieved this way, (at room temp.). One can also keep fermenting the kefir, like above, in an air tight bottle. After the second day or so, an effervescent kefir will be produced. But i must point out that the bottle must not be filled more that 3/4 full. Of course, one could also ferment the original kefir for 48 hours, and then follow on with the suggestions above. This may further make sure that the lactose content would be eliminated to a greater extent, and possibly in a smaller amount of time.” -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 >Oh, hey, one more question about this ... does it matter if I do the kefir >with food or not? I don't generally eat much during the day (usually >just a few glasses of milk when I'm taking the morning supplements and CLO >- heh - apparently I've been semi-warrior-dieting for years, at least in >terms of the timing). Was just wondering if I should wait to do the >kefir until I eat, or if I can just add it to the morning pill-popping >routine. Well, from what I understand, the inventors of kefir pretty much lived on it ... just lots and lots of swigs of kefir as needed. Well, they must have eaten something else too. I think it's pretty much a complete food though. I like it in smoothies myself, but that's for taste. > >( " Size of personal pharmacy " ... doesn't that sound like a good subject >line for spam?) > >*runs* hee hee ... well, the kefir should help in the *runs* department <g> -- Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 At 09:22 AM 2/26/04 -0800, you wrote: >>Oh, hey, one more question about this ... does it matter if I do the kefir >>with food or not? I don't generally eat much during the day (usually >>just a few glasses of milk when I'm taking the morning supplements and CLO >>- heh - apparently I've been semi-warrior-dieting for years, at least in >>terms of the timing). Was just wondering if I should wait to do the >>kefir until I eat, or if I can just add it to the morning pill-popping >>routine. > >Well, from what I understand, the inventors of kefir pretty much >lived on it ... just lots and lots of swigs of kefir as needed. Well, >they must have eaten something else too. I think it's pretty much >a complete food though. I like it in smoothies myself, but that's >for taste. Great, thanks. Guess I'll just start swigging from the bottle then (the advantage of living alone). >>*runs* > >hee hee ... well, the kefir should help in the *runs* department <g> BWAAAwahahahaha! MFJ Any moment in which you feel like dancing is a perfect moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hey .... I haven't tried anything yet, as I won't be getting my goats milk for a couple weeks. I will try that one, though. Thank you for the information about kefir/yogurt. I'm enthusiastic about ading some dairy, but I want to be very careful about not flaring up the holeyness, as I am nearly unholey now. I'll be taking enzymes w/my yogurt/kefir regardless, including lactase, just to be on the safe side. Take care, Michele >From: Idol <Idol@...> >Reply- > >Subject: Re: Kefir healing >Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:06:10 -0500 > >Michele- > > > From what I understand, kefir. not yogurt, > >consumes most of the lactose and breaks down the protein, so kefir is the > >one for me. > >Apologies if you've already mentioned this, but have you tried 24-hour >yoghurt made in an incubator at controlled temperatures? That's over 99% >free of lactose, and the acidity does denature the protein some, though I >don't know how the changes in the protein compare to those in >kefir. Kefir, by contrast, requires several days to achieve 99% lactose >reduction, and it's not a reliable process -- you never really know. > > > > >- > _________________________________________________________________ Watch high-quality video with fast playback at MSN Video. Free! http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200365ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 > > >thanks heidi! > >i just received kefir grains this week and made my first batch - it's not > >that bad, but i'm definitely *not* a kefir lover. so... > >how much is the " daily dose " to get some real benefit from it? > > > >-katja > >(who tried a kefir-kiwi-apple smoothie today. it's...interesting...) Katja, There are some kefir smoothie variations on my web site that you might find more appealing. http://home.woh.rr.com/billkrisjohnson/Recipes/Snacks.htm My husband likes them, and he doesn't like sour things. The kefir can vary a lot from batch to batch. If my pasteurized milk is getting old, the kefir gets much stronger. I just got my first " real milk " last week (Yea!!) and am trying my first batch of kefir made with it, but it won't be ready until tomorrow. Peace, Kris , gardening in harmony with nature in northwest Ohio http://home.woh.rr.com/billkrisjohnson/ On the Fallacy of our Cheap Food policies: http://home.woh.rr.com/billkrisjohnson/Kris/Justice.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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