The most common New Year’s resolutions involve living healthier and losing weight. My favorite way to start the New Year is with a cleansing diet. It’s no secret that I love me some Kombucha. I drink Kombucha almost daily but, I especially enjoy it as a treat during a detox. It’s bubbly and refreshing and provides a little afternoon pick me up when my energy is dragging.
Ancient Drink with Modern Health Benefits
Kombucha is a drink that has been around for thousands of years made from fermented tea. The Kombucha mother or SCOBY is added to green or black tea with sugar. The synergistic combination of yeast and bacteria that makes up the Mother then eats the sugar and transforms the tea into a healthful beverage. It’s rich in probiotics, glucaronic acid which aids the liver in detoxification and b vitamins which promote nervous system health.
Careful! Booze! Some of you might remember when Kombucha were pulled from the shelves due to alcohol content a few years ago. I wrote a post about it I was so upset that it was gone! Commercial products now been reformulated to have lower alcohol content or are labeled as an alcoholic beverages. Those with very low alcohol levels or the homemade variety are a perfect special treat for your detox. Because raw, unpasteurized Kombucha is a living drink it will continue to ferment and create alcohol when left at room temperature. I like to take mine out for a few hours before I drink it for this very reason ;) To maximize the health benefits and minimize the alcohol store your Kombucha in the refrigerator until you are ready to drink it.
Making Kombucha yourself is intimidating but easy and cheap. More info and buy supplies here.
Basic recipe click here.
Here is Seattle are lucky to have some delicious pre-made options if you aren’t ready to make your own. Some of my favorites are GT’s Synergy, Grape, and Supergreens. I also like Dr. Brew out of Portland.
Lindsey Lawson MS EAMP is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Clinic Director at Glow Natural Health and Seattle Fertility Acupuncturist. She is passionate about healthy , happy living and a regular blogger. For an appointment call Glow at 206 568 7545.
I want to know more about how the acid level of Kombucha affects the stomach digestion (good or bad) …and, in theory, if we are trying to lower acid levels in body to keep from depleting bone density (blood acid/base balance?) then how does Kombucha affect this?
Hi thanks for reading! You ask a great question. Because of the acidity of kombucha it should be consumed in moderate levels as part of a generally alkaline diet. If you are looking for ways to eliminate more acidic foods then choose water kefir as a less acidic (and also delicious) alternative. Both should be used as a treat and are no substitute for drinking plenty of water!
General water kefir info:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/water-kefir/
Kombucha vs. water kefir:
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/water-kefir-versus_kombucha-tea
http://www.commonsensehome.com/water-kefir-versus-kombucha/
Discussion of acidity of kombucha:
http://www.happyherbalist.com/kombucha.htm
Awesome info, thanks! Side note, no one ever talks about making Kombucha with not just green or black tea, but herbal tea. I always use Traditional Medicines Echinacea Plus (has a slight lemony taste.) The Echinacea makes incredible tasting Kombucha. I don’t get much fizz or bubble but don’t care either. I don’t get sick, have a great immune system I think due to this habit, and I like to think the daily dose of Echinacea offsets any acids but thanks for the warning. I’ll be judicious.
I love that idea! If you want more fizz try bottling and leaving it at room temperature for 1-3 weeks. Happy brewing.