The Best of 2025 — Articles & Podcasts That Changed Everything ✨

As we close out another year together, I find myself filled with so much gratitude. Each recipe, each story, each little jar of microbes we shared in 2025 felt like a thread that wove us closer together — into a community that loves, heals, and nourishes from the inside out.

This year felt big in so many ways. I watched so many of you discover kefir for the first time … or fall back in love with your cultured vegetables … or finally try that kefir soda recipe you’d been saving. I saw your wins, your healing moments, your kitchen triumphs — and every message reminded me why I love teaching these foods so much.

Fermented foods continue to amaze me. They’re simple, ancient, and humble … yet they carry a power that still astonishes me after more than twenty years. They help calm inflammation, balance hormones, support immunity, soothe digestion, steady blood sugar, improve sleep, and bring a sense of peace and grounding to the whole body.

And this year, you especially loved learning about:

🥛 Kefir, Skyr, Greek Yogurt, and Yogurt Plus — for immune strength, hormone balance, and that beautiful “calm gut” feeling
💛 L. reuteri Yogurt — my favorite microbe for oxytocin, better sleep, glowing skin, hormone support, and deep gut healing
🥂 Kefir Soda & Kombucha — for energy, mood, S. boulardii benefits, and a bubbly little lift each day
🥕 Cultured Vegetables — rich in L. plantarum to help with bloating, digestion, and nutrient absorption
🍞 Sourdough & Einkorn — nourishing, mineral-rich, and easier to digest

These foods held our hands through 2025 — through holidays, stressful seasons, busy weeks, joyful moments, and everything in between. They supported your wellness journeys, your families, your microbiomes … and you told me again and again how much they helped you feel better, lighter, clearer, happier.

So today, I’m sharing your most-loved articles and 🎧podcasts of 2025 — the ones you saved, shared, printed, and came back to over and over again.

And if you want to keep going deeper with me this month, don’t forget to check out my Holiday Microbiome Mini Course inside Biotic Pro. It’s the perfect gentle reset to help you feel amazing as we enter a new year.

🕯️On a Personal Note This Christmas 🕯️

This year was also meaningful for me personally. My youngest daughter got married, and she and her husband built a home on our property.

Having them so close has been a gift — especially since she works alongside me every day. Actually both my daughters do. It grounded this year in a very special way and made 2025 feel deeply rooted in family and connection.

Here is a photo I took of Holli and Jeffrey 🎄✨ on Christmas Eve  — Norman Rockwell inspired 🕯️🏡

A new year invites us to care for what gives life — our families, our homes, and the cultures that sustain us. ~ Donna  🙏🏡🌿🤍