<<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. -------------- 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. -------------- 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 -------------- 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. -------------- 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/ -------------- 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. -------------- 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! ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*