kombucha...

gut. pooh.crap. gas. feces. number 2. shit.

There…I got them all out in the open…get over the brown stuff that is a part of all human beings functioning…and not just a part of our day (hopefully)…but integral to our health! This complex network of tubes, tunnels and digestive juices not only breaks down and processes the food you eat, but also has a big role to play in supporting your body’s natural defences or immune health. In fact, a healthy digestive system is essential for a healthy body as around 60% of your body’s immune system is in your gut. Enter PROBIOTICS.  And as Jordan Rubin from Beyond Organic says: “probiotics are the beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and beneficial yeast) that the body needs to promote healthy digestion, nutrient assimilation, and many other vital processes. The main job of these beneficial microorganisms is to preserve the natural balance of microflora in the intestines necessary for the proper digestion and assimilation of food.”

After researching and taking probiotic pills – which I always forget to take coz they are hidden behind something in my fridge – I started to look for FOOD sources for probiotics….and read about Kombucha… a lacto-fermeted beverage with probiotics and enzymes that delivers a cidery flavor with a kick of fizziness.  An avid hot-tea drinker….my search began to brew some tea.  The Whole Foods clerk exclaimed: “oh no, we do not sell the ‘mother’ to make kombucha – but you can buy the pre-made drinks”.  Nah…I am going hippie style…I want me some home-brew….on the back-burner for a sign.

On Sunday the family and I went to Sundew Gardens – a little vegetable, fruit and chicken farm – in Oviedo.  And at a table…the SIGN  “kombucha” in bold black and white letters appeared. Behind the paper  some jars were filled with a tea-like mixture with a strange whitish-disc like thing floating in it.  Huh? “What is this” I asked…kombucha!  REALLY? this is what it looks like…no wonder Whole Foods does not sell it…laughing.  I want one!  So I happily skipped away with my specimen jar of a scoby culture and explicit directions ready to brew some tea:) ( I would suggest googling HOW TO MAKE KOMBUCHA tea on youtube if you want to learn about it – there are tons of articles and videos and I am no expert, yet :))

Day 2….the experiment has begun.  After boiling some green tea + sugar (in a very exact way) you place the culture in the tea and let it ferment for 10 days.  A ‘baby’ SCOBY is produced on the surface during each fermentation – which can them be passed onto a friend….so hippie and secretaive right?…ha I love it.

Will keep y’all posted when the experiment is complete (and hopefully drinkable) and I drink the tea….excited to see how the ancient elixir treats my body.