Magical Water Kefir

I am such a big believer in that if you want to look good on the outside, it always starts within. Taking care of your body and your health and wellbeing totally radiates on the outside and although I LOVE LOVE LOVE makeup and skincare, taking care of your inner health is always my #1 beauty tip. Its not always easy, and no one is perfect but small changes can make a big difference.

Around this time last year my friends from Edens Harvest introduced me to water kefir. To explain it as simply as possible, water kefir is a probiotic drink made with sugar, water and kefir grains and its benefits are awesome.

The grains aren’t actually grains at all, but are a mixture of good bacteria and yeast. Over a few days they feed on the sugar (you can see the difference below)











a few hours later...




Once completed, you are left with a drink that is packed with beneficial acids, vitamins and minerals and just overall goodness. (Read more here) and a lot of people end up replacing fizzy drinks with this.

Its benefits include:


– regulates immune system


– provides natural protection against diseases


– slows down ageing meaning healthier looking skin, more energy, better vision


– is known to treat a number of disorders


-helps to clear out the gut and regulate digestive system


You can read more about kefir and its benefits here.

So, in simple terms – Its a probiotic drink that tastes like fizzy without all the nasties and actually helps you, instead of loading your system with a tonne of sugar like how energy drinks and soda do. Uuuummm #Winning …

HOW TO VIDEO:

People may make their kefir differently due to taste preferences / temperatures and like with anything fermented, the alcohol content. I generally follow the method in this video when making my water kefir.


You can experiment with flavours using different juices, fruits and extracts. Some of my favourites are mixed berry, creaming soda (just vanilla) and pomegranate. You can check out some flavour ideas here and here.

If you’re wanting to start making your own water kefir, you can buy grains here.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup sugar (I use organic rapadura)

1/4 cup boiled water

Cold water – Filtered

3 tbsp Kefir grains

1 cup mixed berries

METHOD

Add sugar to a 1 litre glass jar and add enough hot water to dissolve.

Fill the rest of the jar with cold filtered water.

Once completely cooled (can not be warm or the grains may die) add your kefir grains.

Cover jar with a cloth and rubber band and leave to ferment for 24-48 hours in your cupboard or on your counter. The longer you leave it, the more sugar ferments out but longer than 48 hours may starve the grains.

Remove the cloth and rubber band and strain the drink and grains using a plastic sieve (try to avoid using metal) into another glass jar. (You can now restart the process at this stage)

Add mixed berries to your water kefir, close lid and leave to sit in cupboard or on counter for another one – two days (depending on the flavour and taste you like)

Strain water and berries and pour the drink into a glass bottle with an airtight lid.

You can drink straight away, or store in fridge.

For more info on kefir and probiotics in general, please check out Edens Harvest on Facebook!


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