<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Q: Has your use of Kefir improved or changed your situation with
glutens? If you have a gluten relapse do you seem to heal more quickly?
Are there other symptoms that are usually attributed to glutens that have
improved since you began use of the Kefir, i.e. sinusitis, dermatitis,
fatigue etc? Bob Van Horn
A: To soon to answer most of what you've ask me. My major improvement
is seen in better bowel function, less allergic reactions to foods (itchy
rashes after meals), and less fatigue.
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Q: Loved reading this. We share the same issues, I have had candida all
my life really and was going to do Kefir, never did. I have done
nystatin, yeast connection diet, diflucan in hords, you name it...
A: I've also done prescriptions and the candida diet for this problem,
too.. They always work for a while, but the problem soon returns, worse
than before. I'm sure pinning my hopes that this plus a good diet will
be a permanent solution.
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Q: Can kefir be started using a portion of the previous batch of kefir
like yogurt can?
A: Yes, it can. But, repeated batches eventually lose their potency
with each successive batch. Some sources say up to seven batches can be
made before losing potency. So if you want a consistently potent
product, you must start with a fresh kefir starter or real kefir grains
with each batch. Kefir grains never lose their potency if properly cared
for. Care & storage is not complicated. See DOM's website for details:
http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#what's-kefir
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Q: Very interesting. I discovered Kefir years ago...I loved the flavored
ones available in the health food
stores. I have never tried the plain kefir however. How does it differ
from yogurt.
A: Lactose and milk proteins are more completely broken down in kefir
than yogurt. I am allergic to milk protein and get headaches & abdominal
pain from yogurt. But I don't get any bad reactions from kefir. Kefir
promotes normal bowel function for me; yogurt doesn't.
Q: Is it a different culture?
A: Yes. Yogurt contains only a couple of Lactobacillus acidophilis
strains that will only grow at certain temperatures. Kefir contains
dozens of strains of both beneficial bacteria and beneficial yeasts that
grow at ambient temperatures. The organisms in kefir suppress the growth
of candida albicans, e. coli, and many other pathological organisms.
Kefir has been used medicinally for thousands of years all over eastern
Europe.
Q: Do the commercial ones in the health food stores (with strawberry,
etc.) provide the same benefit?
A: I've never tried the flavored ones. But one list member [Steve] told
me that LifeWay goat yogurt has been "ok'd" by Donna Gates, the author of
The Body Ecology Diet. She also recommends baby coconut kefir, something
the author discovered.
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Q: Please tell me more about kefir making.
A: I'll refer you to a kefir making Yahoo group: To visit your group on
the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kefir_making/
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Q: Are you making Kefir or utilizing a commercial brand? Do you know if
Lifeway Low Fat Kefir will work? B. J. Dargo
A: I once tried a commercially prepared cow milk kefir containing FOS,
but it wasn't LifeWay brand (I've forgotten the brand). I got a headache
from it. So I began making kefir with commercial Yogourment kefir
starter and goat milk. I got great results from it. I now have my own
self propagating kefir grains. I like them, too.
If I were you, I'd try the Lifeway stuff to see if you like it. Then
try the starter grains and eventually try to find some free live kefir
grains from the websites I posted. It may take a little persistence to
locate some grains, but it's worth it.
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Q: I'm a little chicken about making the kefir myself. The info on the
web is great--very detailed--but I feel kind of intimidated. Carolyn
A: I was intimidated at first too. But really, it's SO EASY!
Q: I contacted a fellow in Canada who can send me some granules . . . so
it'll take a while I'm sure. I thought, perhaps, if I get the courage,
I'd try the health food store granules and try making it with goat milk
as you did. These granules don't go on forever like the others but I
thought it would be a good start.
A: I agree. That's how I started. Believe me, it is SO EASY. Just
stir the granules into a tiny amount of the milk and let it sit on your
counter for 24 hours. It's $4.19 for the kefir starter with six packets.
Q: Your mucous theory is interesting. Our histories are the same and I
agree that constipation takes over your life. It simply must be dealt
with. I've found things that have worked over the years but, eventually
each method stops working. I agree, also, with the 'dry' factor. One
naturopath told me I had a 'greedy bowel' meaning it required lots of
water.
A: I'm also the gal who posted about drinking salt water & how it
moisturizes my skin like nothing else can. I can only assume that it
moisturizes my whole body including my colon. I did notice a slight
improvement in bowel function after starting to drink salted water [as
recommended in Dr. Wilson's book, Adrenal Fatigue. . . ]. I really use a
four way attack to keep my bowels moving now: (1) good diet & exercise
(no processed foods), (2) drinking about 70 ounces of salted water a day
(3) two or three magnesium tablets a day and (4) kefir. When any one of
the elements is missing, I get in trouble. I'm keeping my fingers
crossed that this regime lasts. Of course, I'm not naive enough to think
I'll never be constipated again for the rest of my life, but at least I'm
enjoying a good long respite with other healthful benefits!
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