Foods to Heal Your Skin (Part 1)

Most people have never heard of kefir before, as it is one of those hidden gems in life. However, as our culture is becoming more health conscious, you might began to see kefir making its way into the mainstream.

What exactly is Kefir?

Kefir is one of the best probiotic foods/drinks (think yogurt) out there made by fermenting milk with a living kefir culture that contains multiple strains of good bacteria and yeast. Kefir was once a hidden secret in the Caucasus Mountains in Eastern Europe. For centuries, little was known about kefir outside of this region. The shepherds in the region guarded their kefir grains, refusing to sell them to outsiders. These grains were past down between family members. When news reached Russian doctors, that kefir was being successfully used to treat tuberculosis, intestinal, and stomach diseases, they began to study it and found other uses as well. Today kefir has spread throughout the world reaching North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Why Kefir?

We are used to thinking of our gut and skin as two separate systems. Recently, the concept of gut-skin connection has become a hot topic, and one of the most important ideas came from the Microbiome Project. The idea being that everyone has pathogens or bad bacteria in their gut, and when individuals have a gut that is out of balance with the bad bacteria dominating, they can manifest in different conditions and parts of our body. On the skin-eczema, acne, psoriasis, etc. In the gut as food allergies and IBS. In the lungs as asthma. In the nose and eyes as hay fever and seasonal allergies. In the nerves as chronic fatigue or nerve pain. In the brain as anxiety and depression.

If you suffer from any of these conditions, rethink of how your body is connected and how to treat your body as a whole. Modern medicine tends to focus on quick fixes such as with steroid creams and antibiotics to treat skin conditions, but do you notice that the problem always comes back. Instead, take the time to heal your body as a whole for a long-term solution, and a great place to start is with your gut and bringing back the good bacteria to level out the homeostasis in your gut.

Different types of Kefir

• Milk Kefir- made from cow, goat, or almond milk
  * Pros: More powerful than water kefir
  * Cons: If you suffer from any skin conditions (acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc) avoid the cow’s milk as it is a trigger for more
  inflammation. Goat milk is a more beneficial alternative, as it has been shown by many studies to be less allergenic,
  and active goat’s milk kefir returns good bacteria to inside your body and helps to repair the microbiome.

• Water Kefir-made from water kefir grains
  * Pros: Can be easily made and bought online if you local grocery chains don’t sell kefir
  * Cons: Less potent than milk kefir

Making Kefir Smoothies/Smoothie Bowls

Ingredients:

• 6 fl oz Traditional Plain Goat Milk Kefir (http://www.redwoodhill.com/goat-kefir/plain/)-> Available at Wholefoods
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 2 teaspoons of Tropeaka Alkaline Greens Powder (https://tropeaka.com.au/collections/blends/products/alkaline-greens-d)
• Raspberries
• Granola (https://delivery.wholefoodsmarket.com/store/items/item_4039713)
• Coconut Shreds (https://delivery.wholefoodsmarket.com/store/items/item_3847788)

1. Place cup of frozen strawberries, banana, 6 fl oz milk kefir, and green powder into blender. Blend until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Pour your kefir smoothie into a bowl
3. Add raspberries, granola, and coconut shreds onto your bowl
4. Enjoy a delicious, healthy, and healing breakfast or snack :D!