Cultured Food Life

Forget everything you think you know about vegetables and let me tell you what happens when you culture them. Grow your own probiotics in a jar of vegetables, and you'll be shocked and amazed at everything they can do. My life was dramatically changed by a jar of cultured vegetables that was teeming with billions of probiotics. Cultured veggies continue to amaze me and fill me with wonder, but the...

Non-dairy kefir is a wonderful way to have kefir. There are a few things you'll need to know if you want to make this type of kefir. I have lots of FAQs about non-dairy kefir to help you. Tune in and listen to learn how to make the best non-dairy kefir. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-188-faqs-about-non-dairy-kefir/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife...

Making kombucha in the winter can be a little bit of a challenge when temperatures drop, as kombucha likes to brew at about 75-80 degrees. Here are my best and most helpful tips for making Kombucha in the winter when temperatures drop not only outside, but inside your home as well. If your house gets below 75 degrees, these tips can be a lifesaver! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/po...

I love warm chocolate cozy drinks but as the years have gone by I learned that I needed to incorporate healthy treats that not only satisfy my cravings around the holidays but nourish my body. This drink has many health benefits and is so easy to make and have on hand. Check it out you won't regret it. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-186-warm-up-with-prebiotic-marshm...

Your gut is your largest immune organ and is responsible for 80 percent of your immune system. The more good bacteria you have, the better your immune system is. Your emotions believe it or not are controlled by your gut bacteria, and studies now suggest that gut bacteria are controlling anxiety and stress responses. Your cravings for food are determined by the types of microbes you have in your g...

Gingerbread is one of those special recipes that has two of my favorite ingredients: ginger and blackstrap molasses. Loaded with vitamins and minerals it makes a really wonderful healthy treat. I have lots of recipes and listen and learn the history of gingerbread! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-184-gingerbread-the-healthy-holiday-treat/ Check out this link: https:/...

If you're making kefir, and especially kefir cheese, you're going to wind up with a lot of whey. Whey has been called liquid gold, and it has been used throughout history to help with many diseases. Lactoferrin, a special protein in whey, acts as a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory that helps the body heal. Check out all the different ways you can use this powerful food in this podcast....

I have a fun and easy way to make kefir soda that does not involve using water kefir crystals. You only need 3 ingredients and a thick glass bottle made for brewing and you'll be making lots of kefir soda and really fast. Once you get your first bottle made you can make subsequent bottles in less than a day. There are billions of probiotics in kefir soda and it's so much better for you than any st...

When I first heard about how powerful HMOs were, I went looking for them. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are specific carbohydrates, and essentially a super prebiotic occurring naturally in mother's milk. It helps build the all-important Bifidobacterium in the gut that has a myriad of health benefits all the while feeding other species of bacteria in your gut to promote a diverse and strong mi...

Making your own vinegar has many health benefits and the taste is so good you'll always want to make your own. Vinegar is so simple to make - you just add a few ingredients into a pot and let it ferment. Time is the only drawback since it can take some time, but if you start now it will be ready before Christmas. Check out how to make 5 different types of vinegar and before you know it you'll have...

Sourdough bread is worth the effort and the joy you'll get is hard to describe until you pull your first loaf from the oven. The secret to good sourdough bread is in the bubbly sourdough starter, but there are a few other things you need to know to make it easy and fun for you to make delicious sourdough bread. Listen in and learn all the tips tricks and I'll answer many of the questions that are...

I'm really excited for you to meet Joel Greene founder of Veep Nutrition and author of Immunity Code The New Paradigm for Immune Centric Health and Radical Anti-Aging. Joel gives a powerful paradigm shift to an immune-centric approach to changing your gut, energized living, and how to dramatically slow aging in easy practical steps. I was shocked at how much I learned from doing some of his protoc...

One of my favorite things about kefir is the many stories, legends, and history behind it. It has been around for thousands of years and the stories are many, as are the mystics behind this food. It would make a great documentary! Kefir seems to have been around since time began and has written its own story on my heart and the lives of my family and friends. Tune it to hear the history of kefir a...

Berries and I have a love affair. I eat them every morning for breakfast with kefir and for snacks too. I eat a lot of berries and they are a mainstay in my life in so many ways. I know my gut bacteria loves berries and they keep me energized. Those red pigments keep my skin and heart healthy. Your body and microbes love berries. Check out the many benefits, the different types of berries, and all...

Gut health is more important than you can imagine. Having a healthy gut means your gut contains large amounts of healthy bacteria and immune cells that ward off infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. But that's not all! A healthy gut also communicates with the brain through nerves and hormones, which helps maintain general health and well-being and less anxiety. If you've been experi...

Resistant starches are a type of fiber that plays a major role in digestive health, but it is also essential for achieving incredible overall health. These special fibers aren't completely broken down and absorbed in the stomach or small intestine. Instead, they pass through to the colon and are converted into short-chain fatty acids which act as prebiotics to help feed the beneficial bacteria in...

Life gets crazy at times, but most of the articles I write are meant to give you little things you can do that can make a big difference. Life is too short to feel bad and struggle with health problems, so each time I find something that helps and makes a difference, I try and pass it on to you. Let me tell you about something you can add to your kefir smoothies that not only makes them yummy and...

This recipe has only two cultured ingredients (cultured veggies and kefir cheese) and has more probiotics than any other dip recipe and it's crazy delicious. It's one of my family's most made recipes. Check out how to make it and also the many benefits of probiotic cheese dip. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-172-the-most-probiotic-kefir-dip/ Check out these links: ht...

Kefir grains themselves are made up of many different species of bacteria and yeasts. Within the cell walls of the grains are cellulose microfibrils which are embedded in a polysaccharide matrix consisting of proteins. That's a lot of complicated words, but kefir grains are multi-complex microorganisms. They are mostly fiber and proteins made from milk caseins and I do love them for all they've do...

For many years, I'd read thousands of books on what foods are best for you and tried gazillions of diets and still couldn't figure it all out. What worked for another person didn't always work for me and I wanted to know why! It drove me insane and it made me a crazy person. And then there was the media. I became really knowledgeable about the body and how it worked but still, something was missin...

Kefir can be made with many different kinds of milk, be it non-dairy or dairy milk. It differs in calories and nutritional differences depending on which type of milk you use and how long you ferment it. There is much confusion about the carbohydrate content on the packages of fermented food products and I can help you figure this out. Check out the podcast to learn more. Episode link: https://www...

Lactobacillus Plantarum is a very powerful good bacteria. It can remove pesticides from fermented food, lower cholesterol, help with candida, help with IBS, and is a welcome guest that works mightily for you by fiercely attacking pathogenic (bad) bacteria in our bodies. It will strengthen your good bacteria by killing the bad guys and then helps your own good bacteria grow stronger. Listen in to h...

I live in a desert climate - hot during the day and cool at night. When it gets hot, it's really hot. Today it's 100°F and I'm looking for foods that cool me down. Fresh fruits and veggies are eaten a lot more in the summertime and prebiotic foods combined with probiotic foods can have such a huge impact on the body. Check out a few recipes to help you stay cool, hydrated, and healthy this summer!...

Fermented Tomatoes have billions if not trillions of probiotics. They are so good for you and one of the easiest cultured vegetables you can make. Check out my recipes and stories of how powerful these foods can be. You won't regret it! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-166-probiotic-tomatoes-tomatoes-are-super-foods/ Check out this link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.c...

I love kefir grains, but I didn't start my journey making kefir using kefir grains. I started with powder kefir packages and was very glad I did. I was pretty much a wreck at that time in my life and I needed something easy and foolproof or it wasn't going to happen. Making kefir this way was so easy and helpful for many people getting started with kefir. Listen to my journey and hopefully, it wil...