As I write this blog post, I am happily sucking down a bottle of GT’s Gingerade Kombucha, which I picked up earlier tonight on a quick grocery run to Three Rivers Market (which I still find myself calling, “the food co-op,” no matter how I try to train myself to use their snazzier, newer name. Either way, it’s a great place.). I have had the occasional bottle of commercially produced kombucha since last summer, when I tried it for the first time, and unlike lots of folks who had to acquire a taste for this fizzy, funky, sour stuff, I liked it immediately, and still do.
As I’ve been sharing on my blog in recent months, I am really trying to change the direction that my physical health has been going since my son died. I am now running, biking (and to be honest, I love riding my bike so much that I tend to prioritize biking over running. I did 7 miles today.) and paying very close attention to nutrition for pretty much the first time in my life. On Friday I will have my first visit to my brand new GP, and will have a full physical exam – from stem to stern – for the first time in three years.
Not surprisingly, I think, I am also doing a fair amount of reading online lately about weight loss, nutrition and health in general. And that’s where I first became aware of the claims that many people make regarding the ways they believe kombucha has improved their physical well being. I’ve run across everything from anecdotal reports of kombucha-as-weight-loss-miracle to stories of kombucha alleviating allergies, IBS, acne, insomnia… you name it. However, there doesn’t appear to be any meaningful science to back these claims up, and in fact, there are quite a few doctors warning that downing kombucha is actually dangerous. All I know for sure is that I enjoy swilling the stuff. Any health benefits would be icing on the cake.
But I am interested to hear from others whether you drink kombucha regularly, and if you do, why? Do you make it yourself or buy it at the store? Do you attribute any specific health changes to kombucha? Has it ever made you or someone you know sick?
Tell me what you think of kombucha – as beverage, health tonic or total snake oil – in the comments below.
It’s beer. It’s very light beer, but it’s beer.
If I may gently suggest, it appears as though you are throwing yourself into this getting-healthy “project” as you do so many -gardening, etc. I hope this is a genuine effort, and not something that fizzles and fades after awhile. You’re already shoving yourself with random hormones, a brand-new high fat/low carb diet, and now this, without a doctors consultation. It smacks of yet another high-energy/high-effort “thing” you are doing that will eventually lose your interest. Hell, the fact that you’ve already gone through two bikes in less than two months is a bit telling. Just seems like alot of energy and money that is quickly being spent…I couldn’t imagine being so reckless with biking accessories when I have multiple children to put through college.
Ok, to bed. Just my two (five?) cents.
@sarah
I appreciate your comment. I am definitely working hard in recent months at various elements of trying to improve my overall physical health. I guess one could call it a “project,” as you do, with the project being me continuing to take reponsibility for recovery in all ways from the blow I was dealt less than 3 years ago. Whatever you call it, though, I don’t really see a downside to it.
And you’re right, I certainly have become a very active and enthusiastic gardener over the past year or so. I love working in the garden, and learning about gardening, and I think – no, I know – that my garden has been very good for me in all kinds of ways, as well as a lot of fun. Again, I don’t see much downside there. As for quitting, I can promise you that the only thing that could stop me from continuing to actively garden would be if someone tied me down
If I eventually stop drinking kombucha, or if at some point I bump my carb intake back up to greater or lesser degree, I don’t know that any harm will have been done.. I’m not on an all-laxative diet, or exercising by juggling flaming knives near small children, or anything like that. I’m actually eating an extremely balanced diet with more veggies than ever before; the only major changes I’ve made have been to quit almost all processed sugars and carbs, to try to keep my overall carb intake between 75-150 grams a day, to eat more organic foods, and to avoid most vegetable oils. Nothing too crazy there. I haven’t taken up something negative; I am instead making positive steps toward better health lately, in relatively standard ways (okay, except for the Dessicated bovine gland, I will give you that!), and I am sharing the details of some of my efforts with blog readers, many of whom have stuck with me and encouraged me to keep on swimming from the lowest point of my life ’til where I am now.
As for our investment in my bicycle, as well as the stuff I am adding to make it more my own – I consider it money VERY well spent. I totally respect that you might not choose to spend your money on a bike, but perhaps if you were trying to lose weight, you might choose to invest in an elliptical machine or Jenny Craig or personal training or tai chi classes. As for me, I have a new pink sports bra + running shoes, and a nice, safe & sturdy bicycle that I am truly, truly enjoying riding just about every single day.
Take good care. Again, thanks for reading and commenting.
Katie
Replies like this are one of my favorite parts of your writing, even if I wish you didn’t have to write them.
But, you’re always just so lovely in them, that it makes me smile and respect you even more. I don’t know quite how to say it, but it’s clear that your straightforward acceptance/acknowledgement and explanations are surely helping you to be a lovely and good person, and I hope that rubs off on the original commenter each time.
Sarah, if I may gently suggest (!), you’re missing the point on a lot of levels. First, go back and read the bicycle posts again. She has a bike, and Jon has a bike. (And may I add, many familes are able to both own bicycles AND send children to college.) Second, and perhaps more important, the fact that Katie has great enthusiasm for her endeavors is one of the reasons that she is a blogger, and some people (me) like to read what she writes. If she half-heartedly took up new interests and they petered out in a week or two, it would not be as compelling a read. Hell, *I* could write *that* blog. Third, using words like “if I may gently suggest” and “just my two cents” does not make you less of a troll. It still comes through just fine.
So -I’m not allowed to offer any comments at all? I’m confused. I only brought up things that the author has stated numerous times–that she is struggling to figure out how to pay for her daughter to go to college, yet spending tons of money on new hobbies. It’s none of my business, and I wouldn’t even have an opinion to offer if the author didn’t already TELL me these details. I was simply offering my thoughts on trying to stick with this getting healthy thing, and not let it be something that fades quickly. It sounds as if it’s needed. I’ll bow out of this community -I was simply contributing, and am not interested in being called a “troll” -whatever that means.
Has her gardening “faded”? You do know it’s winter, right?
Just curious if you have any thoughts about coconut oil – I am experiencing some cognitive neuro problems and to say I am terrified is an understatement. Just wondering … Thanks
Katie I hate seeing you spend time writing such thoughtful replies to ridiculous commenters like that. Just my two cents.
I drink Kombucha, now and then. Probiotics are amazing for the body in whatever form you get them- supplement, fermentation in this or yogurt, etc. Probiotics support your gut health which effects many major functions of the body, the most important being your immune system. Your gut is where your immune system lives. I am so glad to hear that you are investing in your health. Stress like what you have been through just tears up the body, and everything you have been doing- the gardening, even blogging, the exercise- is restorative and balancing. It’s amazing the connection between what we eat and how we feel, not just ‘ gee i have energy ‘ but our entire attitude toward life can alter when our bodies are in wonderful health.
DEE= I highly recommend checking out lef.org They are my ‘health bible’ and when I have used them to great result for my own health problems. If I were you I’d definitely be doing supplemental and nutritional therapies and Life Extension can guide you as to what to take at what doses. All the best to you.
Kombucha: I don’t care if it’s snake oil, I love it.
I am the kind of person who gets constipated easily, and kombucha helps to keep things moving. And I believe it’s helped to clear up my skin. I also get a well-being boost after I drink it, although that might be a placebo effect
Have you tried to make it? I find that the positive effects are intensified with the home-made stuff, although it doesn’t taste as nice as the store-bought stuff. there’s also the satisfaction that comes with nurturing the culture itself and feeding it the right amount of sugar and tea. Right now I’m experimenting with a green tea/cranberry tea mixture. I have high hopes for it
As an aside, I’ve been following your writing and your life since 2002 when I read Attachment Parenting. You’re one of my parenting role models. You have exceptional clarity and grace through everything you’ve been through and I admire you tremendously. I wish you all the best in treating yourself well and getting healthy.
Much love and respect,
Kateri
I tend to be pretty leery of anything that appears to be a bit of a fad. Different friends of mine have tried Herbal life products, blue-green algae and acai berry juice but finally decided they were paying a lot of money without any noticeable improvements in their health. Since I had never heard of kombucha I did a quick internet search and found this: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kombucha-tea/AN01658. If you like this, I would drink it only occasionally until it has been further studied.
I read the mayo warning and it sounds like the concern is with home-brewed kombucha. With the commercially prepared stuff that Katie’s drinking, there probably isn’t the same risk.
Yeah I was one of those weirdos that liked it right away too. I actually only drink it because its fizzy and flavored, for me it’s to help quit drinking soda. There is no way I’d binge drink kombucha so it’s safe to keep on the house, but I do like the way it tastes. Yep that’s pretty much the only reason I drink, I think it tastes good, I am so strange!
I’ve been drinking it for about two years now. Love it so much that I brew my own. Three Rivers is great, but wish they had some of the other unique flavors such as lavendar. Brewing it myself lets my have my own laboratory to experiment with a variety of teas, herbs and florals. Great drink for an upset tummy and would prefer a booch over a soda any day. If I allow mine to ferment just so it will give you a buzz without the sulfite headache that I tend to get from wine.
I have tried Kombucha, and it was OK, interesting funky taste. Nothing that I crave. If it has generally good benefits, like yogurt and other cultured/fermented foods, I would probably have one every so often. Just for the taste, probably not. Keep us posted on what you find …
I would suggest holding off on adding kombucha to your diet until you have all the medical tests. As someone with lifelong health problems (lung and heart), my doctor goes crazy (ok, an exaggeration… she gently scolds me) if I add a new substance or herbal remedy too close to any testing date. She has explained it as needing the clearest, most “pure” test results of what my body is actually doing on its own– not with extra vitamins, herbal energy drinks, etc. (She is great and supportive about mixing traditional and herbal medicines/approaches, but she’s right… if you start a new “program” or substance right before a medical test, the test might not reflect accurately how your body operates on its own AND how well your body reacts to the new substance.) I would probably hold off on the extra, self-prescribed “meds” and tell your doctor about what you’d like to try after the testing is over. Then, together with your doctor, you can work to improve your health with what the doctor prescribes AND what you’d like to try. Rushing into it can cause problems, or at the very least, inconclusive test results. Good luck with it all and best wishes to your (improving) health. Good health really is the most important blessing of all- nothing else means anything if we don’t have our heatlh!
I don’t think kombucha will alter the physiology enough to affect lab test. However, I do agree that for at least the initial, baseline tests, one should be off most supplements.
Katie, that thyroid site I referred you to has a LOT of information about lab tests … the ones to demand, which supplements and drugs you need to be off of and for how long, and some information in interpreting the results. If your doctor will not order the tests you need – one, get a new doctor, and two, you can get the tests on your own. You might have to pay out of pocket for them though, but may be worth it to get the information you need. Again, that site has links to online labs that you can get the tests from. The blood draw can be done locally … remember when I visited you at UT? That’s what I was doing there that day … I bought the tests online and had the blood draw at LabCorp.
I personally believe it is the search for easy perfect foods that if only we eat THIS we will be healthy that keeps us sick as a society. I’m sure as a part of a healthy, varied diet it has some benefits, as do regular yoghurt, red wine and blueberries, to name a few things. But to sound like a broken record from your paleo post, I personally believe it is /mindful/ eating of wholesome foods (meaning few processed things) that really leads to health, not the specific fad item or lens.
One of my fellow NP friends SWEARS by Kombucha. I haven’t looked into it much, but her endorsement is strong and well-researched. I will have to ask her about it the next time I see her.
I get a giggle when people refer to traditional foods and methods of preparation as “fads.” And of course, mainstream medicine will have all sorts of dire warnings about traditional healthcare, or at least pooh-pooh the very idea that food and nutrition has any effect on our health.
Anyway, I’ve been trying to incorporate kombucha into my diet, but holy moly is it pricey! I’m now undertaking the attempt to brew my own, but not having much luck getting the scoby (or mother) to grow. I think my kitchen is too cold.
A large part of health issues are related to digestive health. Apparently, I have not enough stomach acid with which to begin the break down of the foods I eat. And then, my gut bacteria is messed up for a variety of reasons. I have been trying to get things straightened out, and of course, eliminating sugar in all its forms (starches, grains, fruit, sugar and other sweeteners) has been key. Adding things like fermented veggies (which I hate, by the way and have stopped), apple cider vinegar, a probiotic, Betaine and l-glutamine have improved things quite a lot. Kombucha fits in nicely with this too.
My favorite flavor is the lavender. I have found it in only one place that I’ve looked – a natural foods store in Gatlinburg. I grab a bottle when I’m up there for Sit ‘n Knit night at Smoky Mountain Spinnery.
Mainstream medicine will ” at least pooh-pooh the very idea that food and nutrition has any effect on our health.”?????
Ummm, that has decidedly NOT been my experience of mainstream medicine.
Ah, so you’ve found doctors that know that fat is NOT bad for you – does not cause heart disease or raise cholesterol, and they know that by eliminating grains, especially wheat, one can get relief if not outright cure from many maladies? They know that coconut oil can improve disease as far ranging as MS to thyroid issues? And that many, if not most, maladies are in fact auto-immune response to common foods in the American diet, again, primarily wheat?
Fabulous. Can you share the names of these doctors? I’m really tired of being told that it doesn’t matter what I eat as long as it follows the USDA recommended food pyramid or plate or whatever they’re selling this year.
That wasn’t what you said. In case you’ve forgotten, what you said was that mainstream medicine will “at least pooh-pooh the very idea that food and nutrition has any effect on our health.”
Who are these doctors you know who claim that food and nutrition have no effect on health? Please share their names so we all know not to go to them.
“I get a giggle when people refer to traditional foods and methods of preparation as “fads.” And of course, mainstream medicine will have all sorts of dire warnings about traditional healthcare, or at least pooh-pooh the very idea that food and nutrition has any effect on our health.”
Yes, that’s what the people who make piles of money off ‘natural’ supplements and beverages want you to think – that it is some kind of contest between them and regular science, and that the noble savages have the miraculous foods just waiting in their tribal lore.
I don’t think it hurts much, but I also still don’t personally think it establishes a healthy relationship to food or our bodies or health. I think it is just a variation on the marketing effort that brings us “calcium-filled, whole-grain” Chocolate Cheerios. A breaking down of an entire lifestyle, with all the elements that food is – social, tribal, wholesome, growing varied wonderful sustenance – into components so that people can make money from them. Personally, I will have a nice big salad with some seeds and legumes in it and call it a day.
It’s lovely that your digestive troubles have cleared up.
Vitamins and supplements sold to be the latest and greatest cure for every ill are NOT traditional foods and methods of preparation. I’m talking about the way our grandparents and great-grandparents ate, as well as the many generations before … back when heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity were rare … and our food was not a grand science experiment.
But thanks for the snark. It made my day.
Don’t forget our grandparents also died of smallpox, polio, the flu and rickets. I think it’s a great idea to follow wholesome, nutritious un-processed food, but I’m not ready to discount all that medical science has done for us. Science is not perfect, but at least the evidence supporting medical practices open to scrutiny.
One thing I have realized since our son died is that so much changed, about me and how I do and look at things. I wonder sometimes if some of my friends might think I am also “all over the place” in my interests, hobbies, etc. I guess I look at it this way. My life was turned upside down, inside out. I am trying to find a balance again, reclaim the joy I had so easily before he died, and counteract the intense sadness that comes from such a loss. Of course I want to learn to cope with this loss in ways that are as healthy as possible. And sometimes what I do works for awhile, and then I feel the big sadness enveloping me again. What I was doing to counteract it wasn’t working anymore. So then I go looking for something else that will peak my interest in life, bring me joy, etc. I don’t look at this as being a flibbertigibet or unfocused, I see this as me continuing to be responsible for not letting my sadness and grief suck me down, and hold me under. For the past three years I have planted peas, which for some reason brought me great joy. I am not sure I want to do that this year. I think I want to plant zinnias, or maybe not plant anything at all. Whatever. I’ll probably give growing zinnias a try, and if they bring me joy and peace, I’ll keep doing that until they don’t anymore. Then I will find something else. And I guess if people want to say I throw myself into things, and then fizzle out, well so be it. I know what works for me, and I’ll keep doing it.
That’s so well put, Geri. That’s exactly right. Love to you, katie
PS: I loved growing zinnias last year and can’t wait to plant seeds again in a month or so. They’re such happy flowers, and they are equally happy when I bring them inside in a vase
Thanks Katie. It was the pictures of zinnias you posted last year that made me ask “what the heck are these beauties?!” so i asked my gardener friend if they can grow around here, she looked at me with her “oh Geri, aren’t you just the cutest thing” look and said, yes. easily. ran to the farmers market, bought two bunches, and I’m hooked. the square foot veggie garden experiment last year wasn’t my thing, I discovered. So I’m going back to flowers, and I think a big patch of zinnias and those big snapdragons will be my joy givers this year. (Probably will plant the peas too, they were such a healing balm, so have a special place in my heart).
We’ve had our differences, for sure, but know that I am SO behind you as you continue to find your way back from losing Henry. And if people don’t get it, yeah well…..I’ll be polite and end now
Take good care.
lovely post.
In regards the kombucha, a good friend loves it and swears by it, that is has helped in her overall feeling of well being. I tried a few different brands, and couldn’t get it down (thought the taste was horrible). Different strokes for different folks, as they say. Now taking a One A Day probiotic pill has worked wonders for my digestive system. We’re all different. No one size fits all for this stuff, I think.
I sort of agree with the commenters on this and other recent posts that it might be a good idea to be careful with supplements until your doctor’s appointment. The dietary changes and increased exercise sound like positive things that any physician would be in support of, but the internet will provide evidence that just about any supplement will work. At best, you might be wasting money, and at worse, you could do damage to yourself or cause faulty blood test results; some of them are actually harmful or can be harmful in conjunction with other medications.
If you’re really interested in alternative medicine, I would suggest a) talking to your doctor about what supplements actually have been shown to be effective (like fish oil for cardiovascular health) and that might help you or b) finding a doctor who specializes in a mix of western and eastern medicine.
I think it is very important to be careful with supplements. Some can be harmful and a prescription from a doctor is the way to go. Best free classified website on the planet http://www.planetadvert.com
I use a chia kombucha drink as part of the smoothies I make for breakfast. I have a really yummy raspberry chia one that mixes up well.
I’m glad you’ve noticed that there’s no meaningful science behind it. I’ve worked in the biomedical field before and you’d be surprised at some of the really popular, accepted-as-fact nutritional fads that have no real evidence behind them. What’s important is finding something that works for you. If drinking kombucha has a positive effect on you in some way and your doctor greenlights it, then go on. But if you don’t notice anything different, don’t keep drinking it. Experiment. Bodies are different and to be honest, what remains the best researched and proven facts about health are that more veggies and fruits = good, smoking = bad. Stick with that and you’ll do alright.
Doctors used to prescribe cigarettes and smoking. They are also still pushing the low fat – whole grains is good nutrition nonsense, as well as clinging to the cholesterol myth.
They don’t know everything.
Dangerous? What an alarmist stretch. Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years, and drinking “too much” kombucha is no different than eating “too much” sauerkraut or kifer. The danger MAY come into play for people trying to make their own at home, and as it’s a balance of bacteria and yeast, and if done wrong and sealed, could possibly allow the bacteria to grow out of hand, making a person sick. You are buying commercially produced, and that’s just not gonna happen. Everything in moderation. The alcohol content is 0.5%, so you would have to chug 7 of these in a row to get the effect of 1 light beer. Again…alarmist.
And you probably won’t get anywhere asking for the OK from a medical doctor. They are pretty much bound not to endorse any treatment that isn’t Western medicine, prescription drugs. They will flat out refuse to endorse natural treatments and could even get fired for doing so. I have watched family members struggle through cancer and chemo and when I offered them herbal ginger tea for their nausea, they said their doctors forbade them from using tea because they hadn’t been specifically tested and medically proven to ease nausea. Really? Herbal tea is the devil, apparently.
Exactly what I was saying.
Doctors don’t know everything. They don’t even know much of anything at all. Problem is, very few people question them – they just get the prescriptions filled and believe everything is going to be hunky-dory because doctor said so.
Pills are not health care. They are sick care. FOOD is health care.
Oh, and I know what you mean by doctors blowing things off because it hasn’t been tested or written up in enough journals … there is a drug that has given relief to thousands of people for everything from ADHD, to drug addiction, cancer, multiple sclerosis, antibiotic resistant Lyme disease, auto-immune disorders of all sorts including Hashimoto’s hypothyroiditis … but finding a doctor to prescribe it is like finding a needle in a haystack. I asked for it from the nurse practitioner that was all about all kinds of alternative treatments, but even she refused to consider it.
I gotta wonder what exactly these doctors are in the profession for …
Well, doctors are wedded to science. There are things that may work, but really, we don’t want to be prescribing them all over until we know it’s true.
So, while I agree that there are things that doctors don’t know and that our knowledge about *everything* changes as we learn more, I’m also totally wary of anything like
“a drug that has given relief to thousands of people for everything from ADHD, to drug addiction, cancer, multiple sclerosis, antibiotic resistant Lyme disease, auto-immune disorders of all sorts including Hashimoto’s hypothyroiditis”
Sure, say, aspirin (an anti-inflammatory) gives “relief” from all sorts of pain symptoms — but unless what you’re talking about has some sort of effect on a common factor in all the things you talk about, it seems far more likely to be a placebo effect. Not that there’s anything wrong with the placebo effect! But, if the medication itself isn’t actually safe or may have harmful side effects, then it’s not a placebo, it’s just a harmful drug.
The average age of death was 47 in 1900. Guessing maybe science, doctors and medicine had something to do with it now being around 30 years more. Just saying….
Touché.
People didn’t die of cancer and heart disease because they were felled by vaccine-preventable and antibiotic-treatable diseases before that could happen.
It wasn’t cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity that shortened life spans. It was mostly communicable disease with trauma from accidents as a close second … two areas where modern medicine has improved our lot.
“Just sayin’” – the new “Bless your heart”
Well, it’s hard to tease that out from not living long enough to contract those illnesses!
“develop” those illnesses works better than “contract.”
Does bless your heart have some hidden meaning I’m unaware of? (Remember I’m a northern, so maybe in the south it means something different than bless your heart, which to me means simply bless your heart). If it does, someone please enlighten me, because I wouldn’t want to say it if there is some other meaning I am unaware of. Just saying means that, just saying (again, to me it does and that is how it was used, but maybe there is some other meaning I’m unaware of too).
Now that we have that cleared up, we actually don’t have good statistics on what people died from in the good old days. There weren’t the diagnostic tests and tools available then, another marvel of modern medicine, so it is very likely there was plenty of heart disease, diabetes and cancer killing people, but they didn’t know that is what is was.
” Bless your heart”is the polite, if passive-agressive, version of “f—- off, mate!”. Kombucha has about 14 carbs a bottle, is lightly fermented, and drinking water is probably better, esp. if the k-tea is sweetened. Eating low-carb or paleo means re-educating your palate.
I agree about all the recent enthusiasms, which seem like a sort of addiction, but whatever.
While “Bless your heart” is passive-aggressive, but not f off worthy. It’s more like “you poor stupid thing”.
Yeah, it’s more like pretending to be sweet while pointing out what an idiot the other person is.
I grew up in the South and still live here – I wouldn’t say “bless your heart” or “bless her heart” is really the equivalent of “fuck you.”
That is, it CAN mean just “bless your heart” – although if someone said it to me, my first thought would be to wonder which way the person meant it. (Hint: if they’re saying it about a newborn baby/kitten/puppy, they just mean it straight-up).
I think if it as a way to mask a condescending comment, not really “fuck you.” As in:
Bless her heart, she tries so hard to fit in.”
Or, as Mitt Romney commented during the 2012 campaign, “”President Obama, bless his heart, has tried to substitute government for free people, and it has not worked.” (Google “Mitt Romney and bless his heart” to see comments on this one.)
The doctors I go to and work with are quite open minded. My neurologist sent me for accupuncture and recommended a supplement for my migraines. She did not push medication on me but helped me to figure out why would work best for my body.
Wow, Katie, you sure found a subject that pushed some hot buttons! Not sure why they’re being snippy over whether you should like a drink, but I love the passion around eating healthy. Honestly, who cares how someone does it, but if they are willing to stick to a good eating plan that works for them, we should encourage it. It absolutely horrifies me to go to the grocery and see what people buy for themselves and their families. The day I saw frozen PB&J sandwiches years ago I knew this country was in trouble. The easiest thing to prepare and we have to turn it into a processed, chemical filled frozen food to make it more simple and appealing to give to your kid? Not to mention, much more expensive. Don’t even get me started on Lunchables or Gogurts. Only Americans could make yogurt bad for you.
Good for you Katie for hopping on those bikes and zipping around town with your little ones, which not only is great exercise, it also helps the planet. Wonderful lessons you’re teaching your kids right now. Ignore the ones that pick on your decisions and rock on.
Hey, thanks for the beginning of this about getting snippy over a drink. I shouldn’t have entered this discussion at all, as I don’t drink kombucha, and know nothing about it. One of the things I have been trying to do lately is stay on topic, and not digress and respond to people because they have annoyed me or present themselves as an expert on a topic, either online or in person. I am glad, Katie, that even though my thoughts on trying different things to counteract the loss in life was a response to someone else and had nothing to do with kombucha, it did resonate with you
@Raquel-thanks for enlightening me what the hidden meaning of ‘bless your heart’ is. To be perfectly clear, that is not what I am meaning when I use the phrase ‘just saying’. But if that is the hidden meaning of it, I’ll stop using it. I would hate to think people are assuming I am telling them to f off when I’m not.
My wife drinks one almost every day (the Synergy brand). She says it helps her with reflux and GERD. It also helps her with keeping regular (did I say that on the internet?) I can’t get over the big chunks of scoby floating around, but I do take and occasional swig. Synergy was better before they pulled it from the shelves a couple years ago to reformulate. Apparently it had widely varying alcohol contents before the reformulation, but it’s too flat for me now. The Buchi brand, made in Asheville, is pretty good-and not chunky.
Okay the description of its chunkiness has guaranteed that I’m not running out to try it!
I’ll stick with kim chi!
Me, too. I LOVE kimchi. That was my biggest craving during both my pregnancies.
Wow, And by wow, I truly mean nothing more than amazement. I have not read any of Katie’s posts for quite some time and thought I’d just mosey over here to see what’s going on in her life. I guess I should be addressing this to Katie, but somehow her posts take on a life of their own.
The only reason I am even aware of Katie is because my son died of a drug overdose shortly after Henry’s tragic death. Even though our lives are vastly different, there is no doubt a connection and acknowledgement that we all grieve and process differently. For me, that daily battle for my son’s recovery was instantly over. On the very day we lost him my husband was offered a promotion that required a move across the country and I received a contract to write a book. No joke. And all I wanted to do was curl up in a fetal position…or worse. While I was forced to put one foot in front of the other, it took quite awhile before I wanted to start really living. I spent many years fighting for my son’s life or his recovery and doing the day to day things. I didn’t even realize I wasn’t living my best life. Now that the fog is lifting I also am trying new and different things. I am giving myself permission to say no to things without feeling guilty;(no to the book deal; yes to the move). I started taking an oil painting class and found I’m pretty darn good at something I might have never tried before. Oh, and I did plant zinnias for the first time ever this last summer and absolutely cannot wait to plant them again. They are happy flowers that give so much and don’t expect much in return. I am starting to care about my health enough to get a bike, but not enough to try that drink with the floaters in it. Even the thought that someone would dissect and analyze my activities would send me back to that fetal position. Not Katie. Look out, she might take up painting next and be pretty darn good.
And since I’m on a roll, I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and from there moved to Nashville, TN. I was puzzled by “bless your heart” as those are words never spoken in the East. This is only my interpretation (but supported by many conversations over the years with Easterners and Southerners alike) “bless your heart” means “you’re so cute, but you’re so dumb”. Easterners might say “F U” and it can mean anything from “You’re ugly AND stupid” all the way to what it sounds like. Just sayin.
I drink a bottle of naturally fermented vegetable, um, mess from the health food store called Kvass twice/week. Kvass comes from the part of the world from which my family originates, and my mother has vague recollections of her grandfather making it, so I figure it’s “genetically” appropriate (like rye bread, pickled herring and buckwheat groats!). But I also eat a good amount of vinegar-free (locally made) naturally fermented sauerkraut, kimchee and pickles, which are a wonderful source of natural probiotics. (Commercial pickled products are pushed along to maturity with vinegar, which my aging stomach can no longer tolerate). I tried Kombucha once and didn’t care for it the taste or consistency. Go figure — but I like Kvass? My general recommendation, Katie, is to go easy on what my microbiologist cousin calls nutraceuticals. It’s one thing to chug down a drink you and your family have imbibed forever with no side effects. It’s another thing to switch from hitting the Diet Pepsi to hitting Kombucha. Go back to mostly water – it’s free, anyway.
I’m not a Kombucha fan myself, even tried having my own for a while, but I don’t doubt the benefits. I prefer repopulating my friendly flora through the GAPS diet. I have auto-immune issues, allergies and digestive quandries, all of which have been greatly improved upon by loosely following GAPS and going gluten and dairy free. Mainly plant-based, not using a lot of gluten free replacement products b/c I find them leaving me wanting the real thing!
I’m not a Kombucha fan myself, even tried having my own for a while, but I don’t doubt the benefits. I prefer repopulating my friendly flora through the GAPS diet. I have auto-immune issues, allergies and digestive quandries, all of which have been greatly improved upon by loosely following GAPS and going gluten and dairy free. Mainly plant-based, not using a lot of gluten free replacement products b/c I find them leaving me wanting the real thing!