Posts by Donna Schwenk
Kombucha vs Kefir Soda: What Is the Difference?
Kombucha & Kefir Soda Kombucha and kefir soda are both fermented probiotic drinks, and boy, are they delicious and good for you. They are bubbly, living, raw beverages that tend…
Read MoreHistamines and Fermented Foods
How to deal with Histamine flare-ups is a common question I get, and especially since fermented foods can either help or worsen symptoms. It occurs when there is a buildup of histamine in the body. […]
Read MoreKombucha – Healing My Addiction
Many years ago I was addicted to diet cola. I know, I know. It is terrible for you. But still, I couldn’t stop drinking it. I had drunk it for years and when I first started eating cultured foods they made me want to conquer my addiction. But try as I might, I couldn’t stop drinking it. It would call my name, so I knew it was an addictive substance. . .
Read MoreWhen You’re Trying To Get Better…
The Special Superfood Smoothie Scroll down to check out the video 🎥 and 🫙 recipe! If you’ve been sick and not feeling well and trying to recover, or you are…
Read MoreKefir Chia Puddings
Kefir the Immune Booster This is one of my more popular recipes, and I love it because I can make several of them ahead of time to have a fast…
Read MoreYogurt Plus – Made with Raw Milk
Yogurt Plus and its Benefits Yogurt Plus is a wonderful and easy yogurt to make on a regular basis. I can’t wait to share the recipe and video. 🎥 Everybody knows…
Read MoreEinkorn Sourdough Jam Pies
Einkorn Mini Pies I love Valentine’s Day, and I love einkorn flour, so the two always go together. I have been using einkorn flour for everything lately, including these little…
Read More8 Ways To Second Ferment Water Kefir
There are a million reasons why you shouldn’t drink regular sodas that are laden with high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and chemicals that are hard on the body. Water kefir…
Read MoreAsthma and Fermented Foods
One of the first friends I ever told about cultured foods had a little boy with asthma. Making and drinking a kefir smoothie every day allowed him to get off his asthma inhaler and live a normal life. I was quite surprised and thrilled that it worked so rapidly. He had been taking kefir quite regularly and stopped needing his inhaler. […]
Read MoreIs Your L. Reuteri Yogurt Separating?
L. Reuteri the super strong microbe L. Reuteri Yogurt I have always said that L. reuteri has a mind of its own. It’s a very strong strain of bacteria, and…
Read MoreMatcha Tea and Me
Matcha Tea and Me Being and staying healthy is an ever-evolving journey. As I change and grow older, I have found new things that have profoundly impacted my life. In…
Read MoreThe Real Reasons Your Immune System Needs Cultured Foods
Viruses, yuck . . . my family used to get them a lot. Colds, flus, you name it, we got it. But so did everybody else I knew. It’s normal, right? Well, it’s actually not. Every year at Christmas we would go to my mom’s in Virginia and somebody would inevitably get sick, and then it would spread down through the family. […]
Read MoreBest of Cultured Food Life 2023: Our Top Articles!
Happy New Year! Wow, I can’t believe 2023 is coming to an end, and what a year it has been! As I sit down to reflect on the past twelve…
Read MoreDoes Your Bacteria Whisper?
I had just started my blog in April of 2010 and was afraid that nobody would be interested in cultured foods. I decided to do it anyway. I believe we are all guided to do things but it comes in whispers, not loud sounding trumpets. One such whisper came from my daughter Maci. She told me I needed a Facebook page to help people find my blog and then quickly made me one before I could protest. […]
Read MoreWhy You Need Christmas Pickles
The Christmas pickle is not really a pickle at all. It is a pickle-shaped ornament that is the last one hung on the tree on Christmas Eve. The story goes something like this. […]
Read MoreWarm Up With Prebiotic Marshmallow Hot Chocolate
New Hot Chocolate Traditions Cozy up with Healthy Hot chocolate I love the holidays and all the festive foods. It makes me so happy to make holiday foods; but as…
Read MoreMy Favorite Vitamin — and Why You Should Have It Every Day
This life is a journey and a fun one but understanding the workings of the body is really important. What if there was a nutrient that your body cries for all day long and you didn’t know it? […]
Read MoreThe Thick and Thin of Kefir
I have had my kefir grains for over twenty-two years and have made kefir every day since. Let me tell you – these kefir grains have a mind of their own.…
Read MoreCranberries Have Many Healing Powers
Cranberries are usually eaten only around the holidays. It’s really a shame we don’t eat them all year long as they are powerful foods that can work like preventative medicine. I got all emotional when I discovered all the things cranberries can do for us. […]
Read MoreA Cold You Can Beat After A Holiday Treat
For many years, and way before I found cultured foods, we would travel to my mom’s house in Virginia for Christmas. It was a twenty-hour car ride from my home…
Read MoreThe Healing Crisis and Cultured Foods
A “healing crisis” is something that happens when the body starts a detoxification process which is really a program of natural healing. This is a common occurrence among some individuals who start consuming cultured foods. When you start consuming cultured foods, your body is flooded with good bacteria. […]
Read MoreProbiotic Foods For Colds and Flus
It astonishes me that everybody doesn’t know about Cultured Veggies – they are such powerful little scrub brushes for the colon and deliver such powerful anti-virus abilities. Over and over again I have seen these veggies knock out colds and flu and even work magic on food poisoning. […]
Read More10 Tips For A Healthy Halloween
Probiotic Halloween 🎃 Halloween is always a fun time for kids and families. Let’s face it, the kids look adorable in their costumes and even I like to dress up;…
Read MoreFermented Dairy Is Better Than Regular Dairy
History of Milk Many of the foods we eat have been deemed either bad or good. Throughout my life, I have witnessed that many foods once deemed to be super…
Read MoreMore Recipes to Use Your Homemade Yogurt
Reasons to Have More Cultured yogurt Yogurt is such a huge part of my life along with kefir and all my favorite fermented foods and drinks. I reach for it…
Read MoreVitamin C-abbage
Captain Cook was one of the first people to make cultured sauerkraut a healing modality. When he took his first vessel and crew on a long voyage in 1768, a violent storm arose. The waves tossed the ship about violently, and many crewmen were injured. […]
Read MoreA Love Affair With Coconut Kefir Soda
Coconut Water Coconut water makes fabulous kefir soda. I love how it tastes, and how easy it is to make. It has 10 times the probiotics and 5 times the…
Read MoreKefir and Cholesterol
One of my good friends told me her cholesterol had gone up since drinking kefir, and then she said, “That’s my good cholesterol! It went through the roof and my doctor is very pleased.” I got a few emails this week from people expressing to me that since they’ve been consuming kefir […]
Read MoreHow Natto May Help Your Heart and Improve Blood Pressure
Bacillus Subtilis Natto is a superfood and one that I have been wanting to make for decades. It was hard to find the culture, and I wasn’t sure that I…
Read MoreProbiotics and the Autoimmune Epidemic
I’m going to introduce you to your microbiome. These trillions of microbial organisms, which normally inhabit a healthy small and large intestine, are your friends. They’ve been co-creating with humans…
Read MoreEinkorn — Before Gluten Was a Problem
Einkorn Einkorn wheat is amazing. It is the most ancient wheat (over 12,0000 years) and arguably the best wheat for many reasons. Einkorn wheat is hardy, drought tolerant, and naturally…
Read MoreWhat Happened After a Year of Eating L. Reuteri Yogurt
The Journey — Finding answers I have been eating L. reuteri (Lactobacillus reuteri) yogurt for over a year now, and wow I’ve noticed some big changes in myself and family…
Read MoreMake Your Condiments – Probiotic!
We all eat condiments. They are easy to make, but most people just buy them. Why don’t you let me help you make them in as little as five minutes? They will have billions of probiotics and are perfectly preserved for months. . .
Read MoreNeed Crunchy Pickles?
Pickles are a huge part of my life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used them to help someone in need. If someone feels a bug coming on, I give them a pickle or a spoonful of pickle juice. […]
Read MoreLow-Carb Cultured Foods
Low carb and keto diets are very popular right now. I think we’re all different and what works for one doesn’t always work for another which is why I love cultured foods. They fit into any diet be it keto, vegan, low carb, vegetarian, paleo, or raw food diet. These foods can be mostly condiments; or some of these foods, such as a kefir smoothie, can be a whole meal. You can always find a way to add cultured foods to your diet and sometimes you only need a spoonful to flood your body with billions of probiotics that change your microbiome in a powerful way.
Read MoreHow to Get Started With Cultured Foods
My Special Superfood Smoothie When people ask me how to get started with cultured foods, I give them this formula. Most of the time they’re really sick and desperate to…
Read MoreUTIs, Yeast Infections, and Cultured Foods
Understanding How Bacteria Work In The Body We know that more than half of all women will experience the burning urgency of a urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime.…
Read MoreHow Your Gut Affects Your Entire Body
Let me tell you about Mary. She sat on the front row of one of my classes and cried throughout my class while I talked. Right after class, she came up to me and explained how much these probiotic foods I teach about had changed her life. Sick with digestion and depression and feeling hopeless, she found encouragement and hope from my books to give these foods a try. . .
Read MoreProbiotic Foods For The 4th of July
✨Keeping your gut healthy 🇺🇸 If you’re new to cultured foods, then let me help you understand how epic these foods are, and especially during parties. Cultured foods are loaded…
Read MoreProbiotic Drinks For Summer
Soda for summer Probiotic drinks are a must in the summertime. As you try to cool off and have something that is fizzy and delicious, there are two drinks I…
Read MoreWhat to Do With Your Cultures While You’re on Vacation
Your cultures (kefir, kombucha, sourdough, and water kefir) are all living organisms and need to be cared for just like a pet. I love them like family, and have found ways to take care of them when I go on vacation. . .
Read MoreBenefits of Each Cultured Food
The many things cultures Can Do Nothing has influenced and changed my body and life more than cultured foods. I’ve done many studies on myself and my family and, hands…
Read MoreIs Kombucha Good For You?
Is kombucha good for you? Is it alcoholic? As of late, kombucha has been getting a lot of press. Kombucha has become a 0.6 billion dollar industry and is expected to reach 1.8 by 2020. It is causing quite a stir in the beverage business. Its popularity has grown strictly by word of mouth and is growing at an incredible rate. . .
Read MoreKefir And Your Blood Pressure
In 2001, I was battling hypertension and diabetes. It was then that I started drinking kefir and I noticed an interesting occurrence. It seemed that when I drank a glass of kefir every day my blood pressure would go down; and not just a little, but quite a bit. It would put me in the normal range. . .
Read MoreHow to Care For Your Einkorn Sourdough Starter
I usually make sourdough bread once or twice a week. I make sourdough more than sprouted bread as my family likes it better and I enjoy making it so much. There is nothing as special as having a sourdough starter that has your own unique yeasts from your kitchen and hometown – that makes it uniquely your own. […]
Read MoreProbiotic Tomatoes
I have a diverse group of people who subscribe and are members of my site. They have very different diets but all are adding cultured foods to enhance what they’re doing. I’ve discovered that consuming cultured foods is one of the keys to living an incredibly healthy life. Not only have I experienced this, but others are recognizing this as well. […]
Read MoreCultured Foods For Your Bones
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. This results in the bones becoming weak and may…
Read MoreDairy-Free Yogurts: L. Reuteri and More
Making a dairy-free yogurt, be it L. reuteri or Yogurt Plus, can be a little different from regular yogurts. Since these types of milk are made with mostly water it…
Read MoreThe Many Ways Cultured Foods Detoxify Your Body
I love my microbes and all they do for me. Not a week goes by that I don’t discover something new that my 100 trillion microbes are doing just for me. […]
Read MoreBuilding Up The All-Important Bifido Bacteria
Missing Microbes One of the most important bacteria you have is called Bifidobacteria. It is the one your mother gave you at birth. Bifidobacteria become the predominant (95%) microorganism in…
Read MoreCarrot Cake in a Jar – Culture Your Carrots! 🥕
I have glass jars everywhere in my house, and I have lots of cultured foods in many of them. I’m always looking for new recipes and jars to make my cultured foods in. This is an unusual recipe as it combines fruit and veggies in my favorite jar that looks like a pot. […]
Read MoreCultured Kefir Butter
Reasons To Have More Vitamin K2 A few weeks ago I went to 123 Farm to speak, and honestly, one of the big reasons I go is to get their…
Read MoreDoes Your Gut Help Control Food Cravings?
Food cravings — why do you have them? We tend to think food cravings are normal and there is not much we can do about them, but there is much more to it than this. This is a time of change. A time to look at the way we function in this world and do it differently than ever before. . .
Read MoreFermented Vegetables Are Safer Than Raw Vegetables
Cultured foods have become an exciting frontier in health and wellness. We take so much for granted and just as this earth spins on its axis and hurls us through space, so does our body contain billions upon trillions of microbes that compose our bodies and were put there to help us live a fulfilling and healthy life. […]
Read MoreHow Many Cultured Foods Do I Eat In a Day?
People have the mistaken idea that I only eat cultured foods all day long. Although there are a lot of days that I do eat only cultured foods, this is not the norm. I mostly eat them because they’re easy for me to prepare and are what I call healthy fast food. […]
Read More10 Ways To Heal Your Gut
Your gut is your largest immune organ The Microbes That Control You Your gut is your largest immune organ, with a surface area of 100-130 square feet! Inside of you…
Read MoreYogurt Plus FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Yogurt Plus What kind of milk can I use to make yogurt at home? Any type of pasteurized dairy milk can be used with this starter…
Read MoreEinkorn Sourdough Bread
A few years ago, I started hearing about the ancient species of wheat called einkorn. People who were gluten intolerant were writing me letters about it and saying it was allowing them to eat bread again without the problems regular wheat had caused them, and I wanted to know more. . .
Read MoreHow to Make Kefir Soda
Kefir Soda Starter Fizzy Fermented and Fun! Kefir soda . . . oh, how I love this probiotic bubbly drink. I’ve been making it in different ways using culture packages…
Read MoreKefir Soda FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Kefir Soda Which Liquid Should I Use? Use 100% Fruit juice (homemade, or store-bought with the least additives possible) or coconut water. Make sure that the…
Read MoreWinter Kefir
I love winter kefir! It’s often creamier and thicker than summer kefir. Kefir acts differently in the winter than in the warmer months of the year, due to cooler temperatures that make it ferment more slowly. […]
Read MoreA Cultured Food to Help Heal SIBO
Fermented Foods for SIBO Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is popping up everywhere and seems as if it’s becoming more and more prevalent. SIBO colonizes the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract…
Read MoreThe Mineral That Saved My Life
My family has a history of high blood pressure. I struggled with high blood pressure on and off for years and was told to just expect to take medication for it. This made me fighting mad, and I didn’t want to accept it as predetermined destiny that I had no choice over. I wanted to know why I had a tendency for this and what was happening inside of me that was causing all of this. […]
Read MoreHow to Make Cultured Vegetables
Having a jar of cultured vegetables in your fridge is a must. They can last for over nine months in the fridge and can be very helpful if you have…
Read MoreHow Microbes and Your Brain Work Together
A healthy body isn’t the only result of consuming good bacteria – having a healthy gut also leads to a healthier emotional state. Before I found cultured foods, I was a different person – physically and emotionally. As a young woman, and all the way into my late thirties, I would get upset easily. . .
Read MoreBest of Cultured Food Life 2022: Our Top Articles!
Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy! Our Most Popular Articles of 2022 This has been a very special year for me. I’ve been eating cultured foods for over twenty-two years…
Read MoreI Fed My Microbes on Christmas Day
We love traditions in our family. Every Christmas my mom always made a Christmas braid which was a giant concoction of cinnamon, nuts, and bread topped with a creamy frosting. I kind of changed the recipe with my family and made it from sprouted grains, and this year I decided to break with tradition and make something new. […]
Read MoreThe Power of Peppermint That Changed a Holiday
It was gloomy outside, and I was gloomy inside. I was having my own personal pity party, feeling overwhelmed, and discouraged. I decided I was going to take my daughter Christmas shopping and break the gloom that was following me around. […]
Read MoreYogurt For Christmas
Cultured Cream and yogurt I am very thankful this year for the many new cultured yogurts that have entered my life. I’ve been eating kefir for over twenty-one years and…
Read MoreHomemade Cultured Christmas Gifts
It’s the holidays and we’re all needing all the help we can get. One of the wonderful things about cultured probiotic foods is how fun it is to make them a part of your everyday life […]
Read MoreEasy Kefir Eggnog
Making New Traditions Staying Healthy During the Holidays I love eggnog. It was an exciting day when we discovered how to make Easy Kefir with a little eggnog to give…
Read MoreThe X Factor Vitamin In Cheese
Raw Milk Cheese The rewards of making your own cheese are by far worth the effort, and it’s easier than you may think. It is thought that cheese was first…
Read MoreSourdough Stuffing Bread —With Fermented Cranberry Sauce
Bread that Tastes Like Stuffing Jump to the recipe “Nurture a sourdough starter and rise your bread to heights of grandeur and fall in love with sourdough bread.”Donna When I…
Read MoreJicama if You’re Sicka-ma! 📹 Video
If you are looking for an easy cultured veggie that your family will love, then you have to try Jicama if You’re Sicka-ma. […]
Read MoreHow to Make Yogurt with Lactobacillus Gasseri
The Microbe L. Gasseri Lactobacillus gasseri (L. gasseri) is a very important microbe that lives in the genital, urinary, and digestive systems of the body. It also has the special…
Read MoreL. Gasseri Superfood Starter FAQs
FAQs and Recipes with L. Gasseri Yogurt We get a lot of questions about this super-powerful superfood yogurt. We have answered most of your questions in this FAQ along with…
Read MoreEczema and Probiotic Foods
Skin Problems What’s Going on Inside Eczema is a skin condition that causes itchy, red patches on different locations of the body and affects over 30 million people, especially children…
Read More7 Reasons I Drink Coconut Water Kefir
Coconut water is one of my favorite drinks! It is fast and super easy to make and wow is it good for you. Water Kefir Crystals make fantastic coconut water kefir. It’s bubbly, tangy, and delicious! All you need are water kefir crystals (which are different from milk kefir grains) and some coconut water and 24 hours. . .
Read MoreHealing From Food Allergies
“We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.” ~Galileo Galilei It was early 2002, and my sixteen-year-old daughter climbed out of bed and stumbled…
Read MoreSleep Problems and Your Gut
Sleeping is fundamental to our wellbeing and health, and I have my own experiences with sleep and health. In 2001 when my daughter Holli was born eight weeks early and weighed in at four pounds, I was a woman on a mission to help her. Babies born this early don’t get the mom’s immunities and Holli was no exception. . .
Read MoreHow To Make Water Kefir
Water kefir grains, or we call them kefir crystals, are unlike milk kefir grains as they thrive on sugars and not lactose. The special probiotic yeasts and beneficial bacteria in…
Read MoreThe Secrets To Probiotic Sugar-Free Ice Cream
4 Ice Cream Secrets Making good homemade ice cream is really fun – making probiotic ice cream made with kefir and yogurt is even more fun. You can really use…
Read MoreMake Probiotic Cottage Cheese With Yogurt or Kefir
Cottage Cheese with probiotics I love cottage cheese but I didn’t always love this soft cheese. I used to think it was awful as a kid and wouldn’t touch it.…
Read MoreFermented Probiotic Salsa Recipes
Fermented Salsa Salsa is one of the easiest ways to get in your fermented vegetables. It is super easy to make, everybody will enjoy it, and most will never know…
Read MoreCultured Veggies ~ Saving Lives
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…
Read MoreDon’t Rinse Your Kefir Grains and More!
Kefir Grains Never Rinse Them in Water I get so many emails from people who, in an attempt to help their kefir grains, will rinse them in cool water. You…
Read MoreMore Reasons I Drink Kombucha
Kombucha is an amazing drink. Sales have grown to be over 600 million dollars, and this was all done strictly by word of mouth. […]
Read MoreMy Kefir ~ L. Reuteri Super Smoothie
Superfood Smoothie Nine times out of ten, I have a kefir smoothie every morning. A cup of coffee and a smoothie has been the norm for me for over twenty-one…
Read MoreDon’t Be Afraid of Your Ferments — They Know How to Do This
Every day I receive many emails from people who are new to fermenting and want to do a good job. They are afraid they are going to do it wrong, mess it up, or make themselves sick. I know from their letters how hard they are trying. […]
Read More10 Tips for Summer Kefir ☀
Kefir is a living food that tends to have a mind of its own. It ferments differently in the winter than the summer, so understanding the process can make a huge difference. I’m sharing seven tips to help you make great summer kefir. . .
Read MoreProbiotic Foods and Cancer
In 2010, I had just started my blog and Facebook page, and the second person to post on my page was a man named Chris asking me How to Make Kombucha. He was a friend of my older kids and what I didn’t know at the time was Chris had just been diagnosed with […]
Read MoreSummer Cultured Vegetables
There is no better time to make cultured veggies than in the summertime! The fruits and veggies are abundant and when you ferment them they’ll last nine months in your fridge! Culturing, or what can also be called fermenting, is a no-sweat endeavor. . .
Read MoreFeeding Your Microbes — Wellness is Made in the Gut
The microbes that have made your body their home are quite impressive, and most people are unaware of the magnitude of microbes that reside within them. One hundred trillion microbes is a tremendous amount, and let me better explain just how much this is. . .
Read MoreOxalates and Why You Need Fermented Foods
Oxalates and Gut Health Oxalic acid is an organic compound found in many plants. In fact, all plants produce oxalic acid at various levels. It is their natural defense against…
Read MoreProbiotic Foods for Food Poisoning and Stomach Virus
Of all the health ailments cultured foods can help with, the one I hear the most about is either food poisoning or stomach virus (Gastroenteritis). I’ve seen it work personally on my family many times […]
Read MoreGluten Pain: The Best Teacher
I have met hundreds of people who are now on gluten-free diets. My daughter used to be one of them. Gluten pain can make life difficult and become a heavy load to bear. How can this grain that has been around since time began suddenly wreak such havoc on […]
Read MoreFeeling Younger is an Inside Job
I was 41 when I first found cultured foods. I felt old, discouraged, and sick. I remember resting on the couch and watching documentaries about people who had changed their lives and done extraordinary things. […]
Read MoreBeet Kvass: Original, Orange, & Golden Lemon
Beet kvass is a fermented probiotic drink with many health benefits. I first made this drink back in 2012 to help my daughter heal her IBS and food allergies. One…
Read MoreKefir Benefits For Your Heart
Keep Your Heart Healthy Just recently, my dear friend’s husband died at a young age of a heart attack and nobody saw this coming. It can be so devastating to…
Read MoreCan You Make Happiness in Your Gut?
Emotions are my best friends. They help me not only understand my present state but also how my body is doing. Researchers are discovering that an imbalance in your gut can cause mental symptoms. They call the gut the second brain, and boy are they right. […]
Read MoreFermented Sauerkraut and Breast Cancer
Sauerkraut is an incredible food. I teach people to make it at all my classes. It can be life changing along with kefir and kombucha and I’m pretty intense about it. It changed my life and I have watched it change thousands of other people too. . .
Read MoreMicrobes That Change Your Home in 24 Hours
When you and I find the courage and strength to be better in any regard we help everyone around us. This goes for every area of our lives and even what we eat – and it includes our bacteria. You have trillions of hitchhikers that live in and on you, and they play a huge role in keeping you healthy. […]
Read MoreLiving Longer on Yogurt and Kefir
Yogurt And Kefir Yogurt and Bifidobacterium I love to eat and make kefir as well as yogurt. Lately, I’ve had yogurt turn my world upside down. I love kefir with…
Read More43 Ways to Use Kefir Cheese
I make a lot of kefir cheese. I use kefir cheese in place of any recipe that calls for cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt. It’s very versatile, and the length of time you strain it will determine how thick it becomes. . .
Read MoreL. Reuteri Superfood Starter FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About L. Reuteri Yogurt This yogurt has shocked me in so many ways, but it wasn’t without its problems. I always shoot straight with you -…
Read MoreAre Probiotic Foods Stronger — Than Probiotic Supplements?
Many people wonder if probiotic pills provide the same benefit as probiotic foods since they seem to be marketed in the same way—healthy bacteria for our guts. However, probiotic foods work significantly better because of their construction […]
Read MoreEight Probiotic Foods to Always Keep in Your Fridge
When it comes to cultured/probiotic and fermented foods, I am officially obsessed. Not everyone is going to make as many of these foods as I do; but once you get started, it’s an exciting journey! Here are the top seven probiotic foods I ALWAYS have on hand, and why. . .
Read MoreL. Reuteri — The Bacteria You’re Missing and the Superfood Yogurt I Love!
The Journey — Finding answers Before refrigeration in 1927, everybody fermented their food. It was what people did to keep their foods safe and preserved. They would ferment their milk…
Read MoreHow Gut Microbes Tell Your Hormones What to Do
Female hormones are complex and beautifully made. But take those hormones and ignore them, and they will get your attention through symptoms of discomfort that can lead to disease and believe you me, they can wreak havoc on your life. There is no giant step that accomplishes this, just a lot of little steps that can make all the difference.
Read MoreKefir and Diabetes
I remember that day quite vividly. It was over fifteen years ago. It was February and bitter cold outside. I made myself a breakfast that I thought was healthy – high-fiber cereal and skim milk. Thirty minutes later a terrible feeling came over me […]
Read MoreEarl Grey Probiotic Pickles 📹
Fermented pickles are the best pickles. Cultured pickles are super powerful, but so is the brine they are made in. The powerful bacteria in cultured veggies is called Lactobacillus plantarum. It is a powerful weapon against pathogens that try to invade the body. It will steal nutrients from pathogens and they will die unable to survive while Lactobacillus plantarum is around. . .
Read MoreFermented Foods vs Fiber — Guess Who Wins?
Fermented Foods Stun Researchers Nothing has changed me more than cultured foods. I’ve consumed them for over twenty years and nothing is more convincing than your own life experience. I’ve…
Read More7 Reasons I Eat Cultured Vegetables
Cultured vegetables have special powers that go far beyond regular vegetables. I love them and reach for them day after day and in times of special need. They can be powerful food – like medicine – and so I always have several jars in my refrigerator. […]
Read MoreHesperidin: The Amazing Flavonoid in Orange Juice
Hesperidin’s Amazing Benefits I am very fortunate to have many fruit trees on my property. I have several varieties of orange trees and I am constantly trying to find ways…
Read MoreWhat are Cultured Vegetables?
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 all they can do. […]
Read MoreSourdough FAQs
Helpful Tips for sourdough bread The secret to good sourdough bread is in the bubbly sourdough starter. (You can buy my live starter here.) To make a really bubbly sourdough…
Read MoreMaking Winter Kombucha
Kombucha is a wonderful probiotic drink and something you should really consider drinking daily during cold and flu season. The special probiotic yeast in kombucha (Saccharomyces boulardii, which cannot be killed by antibiotics) can help you stay healthy when viruses are all around you. […]
Read MoreBest of Cultured Food Life 2021: Our Top Articles!
Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy! Our Most Popular Articles of 2021 I’m chasing a feeling when I cook, write blogs, come up with recipes, and even when I eat…
Read MoreReasons to Have Fermented Foods During the Holidays
As the holiday season hits, we spend more time with friends and family. One thing I have noticed is that there is more and more talk about the health issues that so many are struggling with. Extended family whom I don’t talk with often mostly talk about how sick they are and all the medications they’re on. . .
Read MoreAn Apple Peel a Day Keeps The Doctor Away
The Bacteria that keeps your gut lining intact Do you know the old English-language proverb that appeared in the 19th century that said, “An apple a day keeps the doctor…
Read MoreGingerbread: The Healthy Holiday Treat
Food as medicine is the way that I live my life. Cultured foods are front and center, but there are many other things I turn to when we need extra help and one of the most important is ginger. […]
Read More20 Ways To Use Fermented Garlic!
There are certainly many ways to enjoy garlic, but having a jar of fermented garlic in your fridge is easy and convenient to use. You can use this in so many ways, and it is even great to hand on hand for heated recipes. […]
Read MoreHMOs and Bifidobacterium — Why They’re So Important For Your Gut
One of the most important Bacteria In Your Gut For years I’ve been looking for a way to increase Bifidobacterium. I’ve been wanting to discuss this all-important gut bacteria, but…
Read MoreCandida and Cultured Foods
I get hundreds of emails about the subject of Candida, and a lot of them are asking me why so many health care practitioners don’t recommend the consumption of fermented foods if you have Candida. […]
Read MoreHow To Make Your Own Vinegar — 5 Different Recipes!
Homemade Vinegar In the fall, I like to make homemade vinegar for Christmas gifts. It’s the perfect time of year since temperatures cool down and vinegar likes cooler temperatures (68…
Read MoreHow to Make Kefir Cheese and Whey
Kefir Cheese and Whey Making kefir whey and cheese is something I do many times a week. It doesn’t take long, and the whey will culture a multitude of foods.…
Read MorePumpkin Seed Sourdough Bread
Fall Sourdough Bread “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables It’s cool, misty, and foggy this morning as…
Read MoreWater Kefir or Kefir Soda? Two Different Ways to Make Probiotic Soda
Which Is Better? Kefir Soda Versus Water Kefir I love kefir soda, but this is a slightly different process from making water kefir that is made with water kefir crystals.…
Read MoreWhy You Should Eat Berries Every Day — 50+ Recipes
Berries and I have a love affair. I eat them every morning for breakfast with kefir and for snacks too. I recently began adding a red berry phenol powder to…
Read More7 Ways To Change Your Gut
Gut Health 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…
Read MoreResistant Starch — The Key To Extraordinary Health Benefits
Feed those Microbes and watch what Happens I’m constantly learning new things about the benefits of bacteria but especially what feeds these tiny microbes that keep us healthy and thriving.…
Read MoreWhy People Fight Over Kefir
The Many Legends of Kefir 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…
Read MoreYour Microbes Love Coffee Just As Much As You Do
I love coffee, and I drink a cup every day. Some believe it’s not good for you, but I’ve gotten so many benefits from it that I just knew this couldn’t possibly be true. I have a philosophy about the foods I eat. If I eat or drink something that I know is bad for me, I can never get a positive result from it. […]
Read MoreKefir Mousse
Staying healthy can be a daunting challenge for most people. 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. […]
Read MoreFood For Thought — Fix Your Gut Fix Your Life
For many years, I’d read thousands of books that I had stacked by my bed – and thank goodness for Kindle! I read books on what foods are best for you and tried gazillions of diets and still couldn’t figure it all out. […]
Read MoreHow Many Calories in Kefir?
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. Kefir is far superior to regular milk. Fermentation is the alchemy of milk. […]
Read More7 Ways to Use Your Extra Kefir Grains
I love my kefir grains and they love me. It’s true! We’ve been in a long relationship for over twenty years and they never cease to amaze me with everything they can do. […]
Read MoreFermented Sweet Pickle Relish
Every year I plant my garden, anxious for my fruits and veggies. But each year I don’t plant cucumbers because each year they come back anyway. They will sprout in different places in my garden, always in a place where they can have lots of room. […]
Read MoreFifteen Kefir Ice Creams
I’m always looking for ways to enjoy my kefir, and kefir ice cream can be enjoyed anytime – even for breakfast! If you don’t have an ice cream maker that sits on the counter, you may want to consider owning one as they are a great investment. […]
Read MoreCooling Down With Cultured Foods
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. […]
Read More10 Ways and Reasons to Use Your Cultured Veggie Brine!
Cultured vegetables are super powerful, but so is the brine they are made in. The powerful bacteria in cultured vegetables called Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) is a powerful weapon against pathogens that can invade your body and try to make you their host. […]
Read MoreThe Probiotic Superstar in Cultured Veggies
I have been getting a lot of letters asking if you can ferment vegetables with water kefir or kombucha. You can ferment vegetables with these two different cultures, but the vegetables tend to get mushy and don’t last very long. […]
Read MoreWhat Kind of Milk Do I Use To Make Kefir?
There are many ways to make kefir with many different types of milk, and believe me, I’ve tried them all. Mostly to try to help you. I have some of my favorites, but I will explain which ones you can use and let you know my favorites too. […]
Read MoreSummer Sourdough Bread — Grilled or Baked
When I walk into my kitchen each day, I see the bread knife and cutting board scattered with crumbs. It is a daily occurrence; and although I like a clean kitchen, this is one thing I tolerate with pleasure. . .
Read MoreKefir Made Easy
When your feet hit the ground in the morning are you pumped about the day? Do you feel appreciation and love for others? Do you have energy that will last all day? Did you know that you are supposed to feel this way? […]
Read MoreWhy You Should Be Growing and Eating Sprouts In a Jar
Fermenting, sprouting, and soaking are all ways I enhance my food. These are the heroes that help me stay healthy in spite of all that seems to tell me I need to fear aging and all the disease that could come my way. I believe so firmly in wellness that nobody can convince me otherwise. […]
Read MoreCultured Vegetables FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Cultured Vegetables It’s my favorite time of the year – when I have an abundance of fresh vegetables that I can ferment. Fermented vegetables can last…
Read MoreSeven Healthy Reasons I Love Dates
It’s Mother’s Day and I’m thinking about my mom who lives 2,637 miles away from me in Leesburg, Virginia. My mom loves, loves dates so this blog is for her. […]
Read MoreProbiotic Salads and Dressings and Why Your Microbes Need Them
There are many reasons you should eat salads. They are one of nature’s perfect foods – they work like medicine. The benefits are many and they’re delicious too! Having fermented dressings is a mainstay in my house and is one of the many ways I add cultured foods to my family’s diet. . .
Read MoreYour Immune System and Seasonal Allergies
I have had seasonal allergies since I was twelve or thirteen years old. For months in the springtime, I locked myself inside the house and turned to drugs and steroids that harmed my immune system. This seemed to be what everybody did and I did the same because I had nowhere else to look. . .
Read More