Everything For Home: Kefir

If you think that the only thing that can heal is a drug then you may see Kefir as a powerful drug. Considering the therapeutic value of Kefir some may think it's a drug, but it definitely is not, it is simple living food. A drug is something that people take to help for a certain period of time in a disease, like a pain killer against pain. Healthy living food is something to preserve our health and life - to maintain our healthy body. Attempts to see if something is a drug or a food does not need millions of dollars of expense. One can make a test very simply and easily. If you take something, and you can live in good health without negative side effects, then it is a food. The term drug is used for something that you take only in very small dosages, and where you can't live in good health if the drug is your only intake.

Drugs are based on sickness, not on healthiness.

For maintaining health or to regain health, only living matter can help in the longer term.

When I studied Agriculture over 30 years ago, one of our teachers warned that by over-use of antibiotics we will develop resistant strains against those antibiotics that they are not effective anymore. It was a monk who was not educated in veterinary medicine. On the other side our professional teacher for veterinary medicine had scientific evidence about different antibiotics. He explained, backing it up with scientific proof, that antibiotics don't harm, not even in the long term. We hear similar stories of developing resistance from chemical industries producing sprays against all sorts of plants and insects. The chemical industry produces new products every few years, stronger and more effective, and now,when we look back to the old monk we must confess that he was right, not only with antibiotics but with all of modern agriculture.

How many resistant strains of unfriendly bacteria and viruses do we have now? Think only about TB, the nearly forgotten illness. According to reports in the last 12 months, 3,000,000 people worldwide die from TB. The antibiotic treatments which worked very efficiently years ago are now useless with these new resistant strains.

If you think agriculture and drugs of modern medicine have nothing to do with Kefir you should think again.

A well balanced intestinal flora is a key for successful treatment of illness. Antibiotics are not very selective as to which bacteria they eliminate. They kill and destroy the balance. When taking antibiotics, a brief improvement may be noticed because the antibiotics kill the unfriendly bacteria that make us ill which is the reason they are taken. But they kill the friendly bacteria as well and disturb the balance. With a disturbed intestinal flora the body's immune system suffers and we are more open to develop new illnesses. Antibiotics are taken again, and again, and ...... it's an endless downwards spiral.

Coming back to the old monk, he saw the discovery of penicillin as gods blessing when it's used in cases where penicillin is the only answer in a life or death situation. He recommended that in these cases after antibiotic treatment, sour cream, butter milk, yoghurt (natural only of course) should be taken to rebuild the intestinal flora.

When I wrote my first Kombucha book I warned against too much euphoric beliefs in regard to miracle healing. So I was surprised by the thousands of testimonials I got, proving, that lactic acid fermented living food can really work miracles. This is why lactic acid fermented food does not cure one specific illness but the lot from A to Z and on top of it makes people feel younger with grey hair disappearing and hair regrowth. Women in menopause, even if they had not been menstruating for many years, suddenly start to menstruate again. Women become pregnant at an advanced age. An illness people have suffered from and treated with drugs for 20 years or more, suddenly disappear within only a few weeks or days. All this is something many can't understand. It's the simplest thing in the world, the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

The reason why Kefir and the other lactic acid ferments work like a wide spectrum miracle drug is only because of the friendly bacteria in it. The miraculous healing effects are only possible due to the other dead food we eat, like processed, chemicalised, irradiated, over cooked, microwaved and so on. These foods are dead and cause our modern health problems of Western Society.

If you are interested in more information about the revolutionary friendly bacteria, the book by Leon Chaitow and Natasha Trenev, Pro-biotics, is highly recommended.

In short, friendly bacteria can aid in:

allergies
arthritis
cancer
bowel problems
colitis
gout
migraine
rheumatism
stomach disorders
building up the body's own immune system and detoxifying it.
playing a vital and important role in the development of a healthy digestive tract in babies.
controlling high cholesterol levels and in this way protecting you from cardio vascular damage. Bowel function is enhanced. Some literature recommends that against constipation, a fermentation time of only 24 hrs works like a mild laxative. Kefir fermented for 48 hours has a balancing effect.
People with candida albicans may be worried about the yeast's in Kefir. Experience shows that the disease is an imbalance of intestinal flora and friendly bacteria. Yeast helps to rebalance the intestinal flora and fight candida albicans.
Lactic acid fermentation enhances the digestibility of milk based foods. People who cannot otherwise digest milk, can enjoy the vital calcium rich Kefir.
During fermentation the bacteria produces the enzyme lactase and in this way predigests and enhances the protein quality in the milk for a better absorption and digestion.
Scientific studies in different countries show that friendly bacteria have an anti-tumour potential and act as anti-carcenogenic (anti-cancer) agents.
The symptoms of anxiety are reduced.
They produce specific antibiotic substances and eliminate unfriendly bacteria.
Instead of trying to treat acne externally, with the help of friendly bacteria in the intestine acne disappears by itself in many cases.
Friendly bacteria manufacture B vitamins such as B3, B6 and folic acid.
In Russia, Kefir is commonly used to aid in TB treatment.
Doctor Drasek saw the potential of Kefir before the second world war and the cure of catarrh of the breathing organs, stomach cramps, chronic intestine infections, liver infections, gall problems, and bladder problems and recommended it to people for recovering after heavy illness. It is used as well against pregnancy eczema and female ailments.
Cardish-Umbricht uses Kefir as an aid in nearly all illness and as treatment especially for internal ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, all types of scleroses, gall, liver and kidney infections, stomach and intestinal problems like diarrhoea and constipation, anemia, rashes and eczema. The dosage she recommends is one litre per day. For skin disorders a dosage of 1/2 a litre is recommended plus additional washings with Kefir of the problem areas. Kefir is rubbed in the skin and left over night.
An information sheet (author unknown) which is distributed with fresh grains when they are given to friends promises the following: The people from the Caucasus drink Kefir instead of water and eat thickened Kefir in place of a dessert. Their life expectancy lies between 110 - 150 years (the latter not being a rare occurrence). They do not have cancer, tuberculosis or digestive disorders. Professor Dr. Kanschlikow devoted a large part of his life to Kefir research and has observed its healing effect on the following disorders: catarrh, digestive nodes, stomach ulcers, anemia, all kinds of eczema, astral nodes, bilious complaints, hepatitis, diarrhoea, constipation and high blood pressure. Kefir prevents the decay of residual influence on the process of convalescence and may even be administered as a substitute for mothers milk. .... Kefir may be taken daily, preferably with the evening meal (also as a sweet alone) In case of serious illness, one must drink up to a litre a day. Kefir is not only a medication but also a special nourishment. It may be used instead of sour cream for salads and sauces.

How to Make Kefir????

1. Drain contents of jar (whey & culture) through strainer.

2. Place culture into a clean container of full cream milk (about 300 mls), thickened (if desired), with milk powder. Room temperature is best.

3. Place doley over container and leave to set or thicken. This could take 24 - 72 hours depending on ratio of milk-to-culture, and temperature. One of the recipes I received from tropical Queensland recommends a fermentation time of only 6 - 24 hours. The Kefir will become tarter the more it separates.

4. Pour Kefir + culture into strainer and strain Kefir into a bowl. It's now ready to use.

5. Wash culture remaining in strainer under cold tap until it runs clear. Place into new milk solution as per step 2.

Your Culture will increase in volume each time it is fed, forming from the casein content of the milk. Therefore the Kefir forms a little faster each time, for a given volume of milk.

The Culture will last as long as it is lovingly looked after. It can be rested in milk in the refrigerator, up to two weeks, and keeps up to two years in freezer.