Kombucha_mushroomEvery year, a few new superfoods make their way into our kitchens and our recipes. While coconut oil, chia seeds and kale may have been the stars of years past, the following newcomers are finding their way into our healthy eating palates and are becoming more widely available.

1. Kefir

On the heels of what I am calling, the “year of the gut,” kefir sits at the top of the list for superfood for gut and overall health. Used initially by the people of the Northern Caucasus mountains, kefir grains were thought to be blessed and were used to mix with milk or water as the nomads of this region traveled from place to place. Kefir, usually a fermented dairy drink, spread in popularity through Eastern Europe, with stories of the fabled drink healing everything from tuberculosis to stomach disease. It was used extensively in the hospitals of Eastern Europe and Russia to heal the sick.

2. Kombucha

Another new star is kombucha, a fermented black tea originally from China. The first recorded use of kombucha was in 221 BC. It then traveled to Japan and spread to India and Eastern Europe. Kombucha was first made using a “mother” colony of bacteria from a mushroom, and then allowed to ferment and brew over time. The combination of sugar, tea and water was allowed to ferment resulting in a fizzy, bacteria laden drink, rich in good bacteria and high in glucaric acid.

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