Monday Wellness: Kefir

For today's Monday wellness post, I want to tell you about Kefir. This drink is SO healthy and my kids LOVE it. Now I will say that this product technically breaks the no processed food rule. However I feel the benefits of it far outweigh the processed, more than 5 ingredients and it has sugar in it. 

Kefir Benefits: 

* Improves your immune system

* Has antibiotic and anti-fungal properties

* helps stop unhealthy food cravings for sweet and sugary foods

*aids in digestion

*regulates metabolism

*Improves clarity of mind

*helps regulate blood glucose 

*anti inflammatory 

*fights off viruses, bacterial infections and diseases

* rich in vitamins minerals and protein

And SO much more!! Here is a link to a very good site with lots of kefir information  

You will want to check out that site!! (and even google around and do some reading on it yourself) 

Kefir is 99% lactose free and tastes like yogurt. My kids drink 4 oz every night after dinner for their dessert. They are always begging for more and licking the glass clean. I find kefir at Kroger in the organic refrigerated section (by the almond milks, organic milks and butters etc...) and it costs me a little more than $3 for a quart. It goes quick in our house so that is why we only give them 4 oz. A full serving is 8 oz and that has 20g of sugar, yet another reason to only give them 4 oz. We have diluted it with milk but I  have read that by diluting it, leaves less sugar and the kefir grains need the sugar. It seems like a big chemistry lesson to me so I don't question it, I just limit it. :)  

By giving it to them at night it allows the kefir to actually eat the bad things in their stomachs that could potentially cause viruses and so on. Also the sugar that is in it... if it does suppress their immune system at all (although I have read in countless places that it doesn't), then at least they are in my house for the next 12 hours or so and not at a school or germ filled public place. 

I promise I am not a germaphobic mom.... or maybe I am,  I am very cautious of where my kids are going and what they may be exposed too. I am sick of having sick kids so if that makes me a germaphobic or crazy mom then so be it. :-)