Fermented Foods Archives • The Healthy Eating Site

Chia Fresca Upgraded (Apple Cider Vinegar Drink)

I've created this new variation of my Chia Fresca that's even more nutritious, and has a wider range of flavor possibilities. I ran out of oranges one day and had to come up with something. So I used what I had available. I used frozen organic pineapple, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and a scoop of the Madre Labs Immune Punch SuperFood blend. It was delicious! It was so good, this is what I've been drinking ever since. Let me tell you about Madre Labs Immune Punch. This stuff is amazing. It's a best-selling products, with hundreds of excellent reviews for good reason. I've been having this every day in my chia drink, and even though I've been staying up late, getting up early, not getting enough sleep, I've stayed healthy, and I think it's because of this drink and all the amazing superfood and medicinal mushroom ingredients in the Immune Punch. You can buy it here. Read more »

This is my new morning drink ritual. I love it! When I wake up in the morning I can feel that I'm dehydrated. I think it happens to all of us naturally when we sleep. Chia seeds are great for stamina and, when soaked in water like this, they become very hydrating. This is an easy way for me to incorporate benefits of apple cider vinegar into my daily diet too. This drink is so delicious and hydrating it's addictive. You can easily play around with the flavorings, especially with the wonderful variety of flavored liquid stevia available now. So let me tell you a little bit about chia seeds and how wonderful they are. If you've never seen them before, chia seeds are tiny and look similar to poppy seeds except they are shiny. They come in white, but are most commonly found in a mottled gray-black color. The little black specks you can see in the photo are […] Read more »

I've found a great new source of fresh kefir grains! I'm thrilled to announce that Kombucha Kamp, my recommended source for all things Kombucha is now also selling fresh, live organic kefir grains! You can find both milk kefir grains and water kefir grains here. Previously I had only found reliable sources of dried kefir grains. But the problem with dried grains is that it takes a lot more time and work to get the grains back to health and up and producing like normal. Unfortunately, it's very common with dried grains that even when they get back to producing kefir, they don't multiply like the should. Meaning that something is not quite right, they are lacking in vitality. Now there are times when you may need to use dried kefir grains. But unless you absolutely have to I'd highly recommend going for the live grains instead. In case you're new to kefir and want to find out more about […] Read more »

This fruity and filling smoothie also contains all the micro-organisms and beneficial properties of kombucha, plus the digestive enzymes of papaya. Papaya is high in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium and potassium. It also contains the digestive enzyme papain which helps to digest protein and is an anti-cancer agent, as well as an anti-tumor compound called carpaine. Eating papaya regularly will improve your skin, hair, nails and eyes. Strawberries are high in vitamins B, C, and E, flavonoids, and iron and contain a powerful anti-cancer agent called ellagic acid. It's worth seeking out organic strawberries because commercially grown, non-organic strawberries are dowsed with pesticides and herbicides. Strawberries have blood-purifying, and wound-healing properties and are a liver tonic. Kombucha is a fermented drink, a living food, that's made from tea and aids and improves digestion. Since it's a fermented food it contains beneficial bacteria (probiotics). It helps alkalize the body, detoxify the liver, relieves constipation, improves eyesight and memory, […] Read more »

Kombucha is a tart and refreshing fermented beverage with a taste reminiscent of apple cider. It is loaded with beneficial yeast and bacteria that will help re-establish your healthy gut bacteria. In fact the weird, gel-like kombucha culture that resembles a jellyfish, is called a SCOBY. That's an acronym for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. Kombucha is an ancient, home-made folk remedy. It was very popular in Russia and Eastern Asia. It was reportedly used by the Chinese 2,000 years ago. In the early 1950s Russian scientists did quite a bit of research into the beneficial properties of kombucha with respect to treating cancer after finding that there was an extremely low incidence of cancer among the people of certain regions, even though pollution and environmental toxins in those regions were so bad the trees and fish were dying. The scientists were doing a really thorough study of the food that was consumed and other reasonable habits these people […] Read more »

Did you know that the blue-green algae spirulina is 65% protein? So instead of using whey powder or soy-based protein powders for your protein shakes why not use spirulina instead? It's is easier to digest, has far greater nutritional benefits and doesn't have the negative side effects of soy. This smoothie combines blueberries and acai berry powder for their antioxidants, parsley and green grass powder for their phytonutrients and chlorophyll, superfoods maca for it's adaptogenic and nutrient-dense properties and blue-green algae for it's protein and chlorophyll, and kefir for it's beneficial micro-organisms. This recipe calls for milk kefir, but you could easily substitute kombucha or water kefir instead, which would also make a vegan version of this smoothie. Read more »

Apple cider vinegar is so good for you, and has so many health benefits (read more about the benefits of apple cider vinegar) that I recommend everyone incorporate it into their daily routine. It's one of the quickest, simplest things you can do, but the results can be tremendous. There are entire books written on the benefits of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), it seems to help with nearly everything that ails us human beings. But if, like me, you don't particularly like the smell and/or taste of vinegar, or you want something that even kids will like, try this ACV tonic. The cider vinegar makes the apple juice just slightly more tart, it's barely noticeable. I've got a very acute sense of smell, I hate the smell of vinegar and I didn't even detect it. Freshly squeezed organic apple juice is the best, of course. But if you don't have access to a juicer, or fresh juice, be sure to […] Read more »