Heath nut alert! - Kombucha Tea!

Hi everyone!  MaryLu here. Something you may not know about me is that I'm a bit of a health nut.  Not the kind that eats only grass, seeds, tofu and nuts, but the kind who loves eating and drinking things that keep me healthy and strong. After all, the Bible says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and I want to give Him a good home! 

So here's probably the weirdest health tip you'll ever receive. I discovered this from my sister in law who actually mailed me a Scoby (definition later) from Florida to California.  The cool thing about Kombucha tea is that you can make it easily at home for cheap. Not only that, but it's super delicious. HALT. All you non-tea drinkers out there, don't stop reading!  Honestly, I don't really like tea. I'm more of a coffee person, but this tea is different. 

First let me list just some of the health benefits

• Improves digestion - Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc.
• Detoxification  --One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver. Kombucha is very high in Glucaric acid, and recent studies have shown that glucaric acid helps prevent cancer. 
• Joint care - Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis.
• Immune System boost - Kombucha is also rich in antioxidants, which help to strengthen immunity.
• Rich in Vitamins and Enzymes - In addition to beneficial bacteria, kombucha contains B vitamins and enzymes.
• PMS and Menopause relief  -
  Kombucha helps to relieve PMS. How? B vitamins help to break down and flush out excess estrogen from the body (a condition called estrogen dominance). This can help to reduce PMS symptoms.

 What is Kombucha?

It is a tea made from a mushroom called a Scoby. You simply add brewed black tea, water, and sugar to the Scoby in a jar and let it ferment at room temperature for a week. “SCOBY” stands for symbiotic

culture of bacteria and yeasts. The sugar feeds the yeast and bacteria which form the SCOBY layer — the very identifiable, thick, mushroomy layer that rests on the top of the kombucha. This SCOBY adds the flavor, acidity and promotes the fermentation which creates the health benefits.

The result is a semi-sweet fermented tea that has a touch of carbonation.  Many people prefer this to soda and end up switching.  The cool thing is that when you make  your own, you can regulate the level of sweetness and carbonation to your liking.

After 7 days, what I do is take out the tea, bottle it and add fruit to it. Then I let it sit for another day before I refrigerate it. This allows the fruit to flavor the tea and the carbonation to form. It's delicious

and so so so good for you. I've noticed a dramatic increase in my health since I've been drinking it.  And don't worry about the sugar in it.. that gets used up in the fermentation process so it ends up being a very low calorie, low sugar drink. 

I bought my equipment from The Kombucha Shop.  They send you the Scoby, the jar, cloth cover, tea and sugar to start off with and they give GREAT directions.  If you're interested in trying it yourself, I highly recommend you get their kit. (I am not paid any money by them to say this!)  

If you're not sure you'd  like the tea, it is sold in most grocery stores in the health section. Rather pricey, but you can give it a try!! 

Just writing this has made me crave my daily tea... off to grab a bottle from the fridge!!  Bye bye for now!