Kefir Soldiers

Kefir is good any time of the day, but I mostly drink it at night....an hour or so before  bedtime.

I found that it helps me drop off to sleep peacefully instead of wrestling with my self. And, it gives me lots of cool dreams!!

Kefir is one of the stars of fermented food, having 19,000 little soldiers battling the evils of bacteria and virus. My Daddy Mac (see "Daddy Trails") took part in the flotilla of ships that bobbed on the ocean waiting for the command to begin "Operation Forager"-- a battle plan to free Guam from the tyrannical Japanese during WWII. They raced toward the island in "boats" laden with men. These landing craft, often called LSTs, buzzed toward Guam with dedication to liberate the native Chamorro people.

             LSTs

      LST with men disembarking.

The men swarmed Guam much like the bevy of kefir "soldiers" attack and dispense with the bad bacteria in your intestinal system. Kefir has 30 to 50 strains of bacteria that fight for your health. I love Donna Schwenk's website Cultured Food Life. She has multiple articles on the benefits of kefir and other cultured food.

Kefir grains.

 

To start a kefir culture you need kefir grains or a packet of culture starter.  Friends and neighbors often share their grains continuing the "culture" of neighborliness. 

Kefir's flavor and nutrition profile can be increased by re-fermenting the kefir with various kinds of fruit.  Simply add the fruit and leave on the counter a little longer. Depending on the ambient temperature the re-fermented kefir will be done in 1 to 4 hours.  

See Favorite Flu Fighters for more kefir and other culturing ideas.

 

 

 

Tick...Tick...Tick

Mary Jane...my sourdough mother.

 

That's more than the passing of time on a clock....more like a time bomb.  TICKS. Oh, my.  Those nasty little creatures who sneak under your clothing, dig in, and proceed to feast on YOU.

You may or most likely, may not have heard of Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or most commonly called Alpha Gal... one of the more obscure tick-borne diseases.  I've had it since 2012.  Since afflicting me with anaphylactic shock and almost killing me, Alpha Gal has caused a cascade of allergies.  So, in addition to giving up mammalian meat (cow, pig, lamb--any mammal) I gave up dairy (goodbye little goat herd) and gluten.  When you list all the food items that contain dairy, gluten, AND meat...that's a lot of food!!!

It's been an emotional and physical roller coaster ride for sure. It isn't just avoiding all the OBVIOUS choices--a nice juicy steak, a cold glass of milk and cookies, mashed potatoes (milk, butter), and gravy.  It's those hidden ingredients in everything at the grocery store and restaurants.  Such as toothpaste that has animal gelatin.  French fries sprayed with beef.  Milk casein in salad dressing.  The list is shockingly long and dangerous.

I am so fortunate to have a husband who loves to cook and is fully vested in food.  He turned from chef to private eye and spent literally days on the telephone tracking down hidden ingredients that had caused multiple reactions in my eight-year odyssey.   He saved me many a heartache and allergic reactions over the years.

This tick season--2020--has been predicted to be the worst and the not-so-bad so who ya gonna believe!!??  I know one thing for sure.  CHICKENS.  The single, safest best thing you can do to get rid of ticks.  We have experienced the chicken-tick phenom here at Rocky Creek.  They LOVE ticks and are expert in their fields (haha-pun intended) at eradicating them.  It's absolutely amazing and unbelievable how quickly chickens will rid your yard of ticks.  And, don't just take my word for it..check into these studies.

Now, let's get to the good stuff.  The answer to all those cascading allergies/sensitivities that Alpha Gal prompted.  About a year and a half ago I read this:

 "Within three months her food allergies started evaporating, and a year later she could eat anything she desired. She was no longer allergic to the mass of foods she had been allergic to."

Well, THAT got my attention.  And, the most amazing thing...this site wasn't selling a pill, a drug or a meditation technique.  It was selling a food preparation method that anyone can do.

CULTURED FOOD

Oh my word...so like...old-fashioned sauerkraut?  I wrinkled my nose.   YES! exactly like that!

I was remembering grocery-store sauerkraut..  Except the world of cultured food is so far beyond grcery-store kraut...like a "galaxy far far away" beyond that. If you can just get past your thought of kraut a minute...think instead about yummy fruited yogurt.  Now, there's a cultured food most people enjoy.  Except, again, grocery-store yogurt is far more inferior than home cultured yogurt.

I set aside my "eeewwww" reaction to kraut and focused on that part about curing allergies...CURING ALLERGIES!!!  Could this be possible?  Was this true?  Surely not.  Surely it couldn't be that easy.   I read on...almost holding my breath.

By the time I finished the article, I was determined to give it a try.  What in the heck did I have to lose?  ALLERGIES, THAT'S WHAT!

So, where to begin. This site--CULTURED FOOD LIFE had everything I needed:  motivation, explanation and recipes.  When you get to the site click the START HERE button.  You will see:

KEFIR * WATER KEFIR * KOMBUCHA * CULTURED VEGETABLES * SPROUTED & SOURDOUGH* YOGURT

I had played around with kefir at various times in my life, so I started there.  Since I was allergic to dairy I used nut "milk" and rice "milk". I began seriously using my sourdough (I had captured wild Rocky Creek yeast)!! Then I started cultured vegetables.

 

 

 

 Donna Schwenk and her website changed my life.  I had tried a few cultured foods before without any results.  It was very disappointing.  Then I read all Donn's stuff and she recommended eating 1/4 cup of cultured food AT EVERY MEAL.  Ahhh-ha!  I had never done that.


After 30 days, I felt so much better so I gathered up my courage and ate some contraband.  A very small piece of bread.  Not gluten free stuff.  Real bread.  The effect was...interesting.  Not completely without symptoms...but so much better than reactions I'd had before.


I waited another 30 days before I cautiously tried bread.  This time I ate a whole piece!! (I know, right?!)  What happened still fills my eyes with tears.  NOTHING. NADA.  NOTHING.  I waited a day or two and tried again. Almost nothing.  I had a little tummy rumble so I waited another 30 days.  This made 90 days since I began the cultured experiment.

Cultured veggies

After 3 months of cultured food at every meal...I tried some bread.  No effect.  Could this be right?  The next day I ate a sandwich--to the horror of my husband.  When I felt no symptoms, I was ecstatic to say the least.  During the course of the next several weeks I added in small amounts of no-no food into my diet little by little... execpt mammal meat.  I wasn't THAT brave.

Kefir

I felt so good and healthy, I just knew the meat allergy was gone as well, but given roast beef had nearly killed me I decided to take the blood test before indulging in a burger.    I couldn't wait to hear results.  When the doctor's office called, my heart was pounding and my emotions ran high.   When she started with an "I'm sorry...." disappointment surged through me and tears actually formed in my eyes.  No meat for me.

A lot of people have the effects of Alpha-Gal wear off--the meat allergy disappears on its own. I thought after eight years, my faithful cultured food diet and the fact the other food allergies were gone, the meat allergy would surely be gone as well. I had great expectations; the fall was also great. I still had Alpha-Gal. I blamed it on re-infection--other tick bites. After all, I live in the country and my chickens can't be expected to eat them all!

 

 

My fermented friends keep me healthy. Mary Jane isn't pictured here as she is a star by herself

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My Alpha Gal self-pity was short-lived. All of my other food allergies were gone. I was very healthy in every other aspect. I take zero medications which is no small feat for my age (77). So, I started counting my blessings--of which cultured food was a star.  Cultured food truly is a blessing.

 

 

Below is an assortment of resources:

Go here for my ALPHA GAL BEGINS STORY

AlphaGal.org

The Doctor who discovered Alpha Gal

This is the very first Alpha Gal source I read...TICKED OFF CARNIVORES!!

Alpha Gal reaction to MEDICATIONS

FAQS

How-To-Tuesday CHIA!!

 CHIA! CHIA!    When my kids were small we heard that little phrase a lot.  TV was replete with ads for growing chia seeds on terra cotta figures.  Wow, were we missing the boat.  Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods in the world.  The name chia is a Mayan word for strength.  I'm all about nutrition, especially if it TASTES good.  Here's a couple of recipes I think you'll love as much as I do.  JAM AND CHOCOLATE PUDDING.  YUM,

Chia Jam

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups

2 cups chopped fruit

1 - 2 Tbl lemon juice, to taste

1 - 2 Tbl honey, agave, maple syrup, or raw sugar, to taste

2 Tbl chia seeds (more if needed)

Remove stems, pits, seeds, and skin, as needed. Chop large fruits into small pieces--berries can be left whole.

 Cook fruit until it starts to break down: Transfer to a saucepan--cook until the fruit breaks down and becomes syrupy, 5-10 minutes. Mash fruit with spatula or a potato masher, make it as smooth or as lumpy as you like.

 Stir in honey and lemon juice: take off heat, stir in honey and lemon juice. Taste and add more honey or lemon juice to taste.

 Add chia seeds.

 Let stand 5 minutes until thickened: It will not be the firm consistency of regular jam, but it will thicken nicely.  If you want a thicker consistency, add more chia seeds 1 tsp at a time.

Transfer to a jar when the jam cooled to room temperature. Store in the fridge; keeps 2 weeks or so. Jam will thicken further when completely chilled. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in fridge before use.

Notes

No-cook jam: Mash fruit with until pulpy and juicy, stir in other ingredients. Or combine all ingredients in a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blend until the jam completely smooth. Uncooked chia jam is a bit looser than stovetop version; if you want thicker add extra chia seeds.

 If you don’t want visible chia seeds in the jam ,divide the jam,  add chia seeds to one portion, puree jam  until you have the chuckiness your prefer, then add both portions together.  

Chocolate Kefir Chia Pudding

  8 ounces kefir  (you can use plain or coconut milk kefir)

 1 Avocado peeled / chopped

 1/2 cup raw sugar

  2 Tbsps rounded cocoa powder

 2 Tbsps rounded chia seeds

 1 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds or until well blended and thick like pudding.

Extra stuff:  Add: 2 Tbl peanut butter or any nut butter, blend for 30 seconds, or 1/2 of banana OR ¼  tsp cayenne!  Wooo Hoooo!

Can also top with: Chopped nuts, shredded coconut, cacao nibs or a sprinkle of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt.

 


A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.