What Is Kefir and Why Is It Good For You?

By Carolyn Bray

I recently received Kefir from my brother and his wife who has been taking it for over a month. He wanted the rest of the family to try it, too. Why would he want us to try it?

Water Kefir (what I received) looks like a crystal with a jelly-like texture. I was told that it is good to drink it's water or eat it as is. I tried some Kefir grains, and it was tasteless.

Kefir is a bacteria that eats sugar, and is good to have after consuming high sugar foods. I had to do some research, and found out that Kefir was recommended in The 17 Day Diet, which has been widely received by millions of people. So, It must be good.

There are two types of Kefir: Water Kefir and Milk Kefir. Water Kefir can taste carbonated and bubbly, and be modified in various ways. Milk Kefir is sour and can be used like yogurt. Kefir is a probiotic. It's a healthy yeast & bacteria combination which helps the body digest foods and extract calories. There are many health benefits associated with having an increased supply of healthy bacteria. Good for digestive and intestinal health. Other types of probiotics are yogurt, miso, and tempeth.

What's great about Kefir is that it is a probiotic that you can manufacture yourself, as long as you take care of it. Kefir is a living organism, so you must be careful not to kill it. If you do things right, your Kefir will last a long time, and you will have plenty more that will grow from the first batch.

One of the things you need to be careful of is to not use metal utensils or bowls with the Kefir. Best to use plastic or glass. Also, don't use chlorinated water or filtered or distilled water, as they do not have the minerals that the Kefir needs. If you do use filtered water, you must add minerals back by adding more ingredients (molasses, egg shell, baking soda, unrefined sugar).

Unrefined sugar is best to use with Kefir so that it will grow. It also makes the liquid more fizzy and carbonated when done (compared with refined sugar). Do not use honey as it has antibacterial properties which will inhibit growth. There are a lot of YouTube Videos on how to prepare Kefir. What you add to the Kefir depends upon what you want the final outcome to be.

The basic recipe was easy to do. Here is one way: Put in Kefir grains (approx. ¼ to 1/3 cup) in a large glass jar. Add approx. 1/3 cups of (unrefined is best) sugar, and fill up the jar with approx. 3 cups of water. You could also add dry unsulfured fruit for extra taste if you want. Stir with a plastic spoon, and cover with a paper towel, secured with a rubber band. Be sure to store it away from direct sunlight. After about 2 -3 days you will see the Kefir grains start to float towards the top of the jar, and growing bigger. The water will be cloudier, too. That means that the water is ready to consume.

Use a plastic colander/strainer and drain the kefir water from the jar into another container. You can drink this while a new batch is fermenting. Rinse the Kefir grains, and put Kefir grains back into a rinsed jar to repeat the process over again.

The Kefir water could be used as is, or fermentedagain for a bubblier, carbonated drink. To do the 2nd fermentation you need to get a bottle that closes tightly. Pour Kefir liquid in the bottle, and add fruit or 100% fruit juice. Use approximately ½ cup of juice per 1 quart of Kefir liquid. Seal bottle, and shake. Leave on counter for 24 hours to ferment. After that, you can drink it over ice or put it in the refrigerator to have later (be sure to discard fresh fruit after 24 hours). Refrigeration helps to create bubbles, and protects the Kefir from over fermenting.

My favorite way to have Kefir is to make a Smoothie.

Here's the recipe I use:

Kefir Smoothie

Makes One Serving

1 cup Kefir liquid

1 cup frozen and/or fresh fruit (mixed berries)

1 Tablespoon olive oil or flaxseed oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

Mix in blender until smooth. Pour into a tall glass, drink with straw to prevent "brain freeze". Enjoy!

So many more recipes on the web. Try them out and see what works for you. Kefir is worth trying, you may be pleasantly surprised. By the way, our family is still having Kefir to this day.

Carolyn Bray, Author/Editor

[http://healthy-woman-tips.com]

Helping you make the right choices to get healthy and feel great!

Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter with featured articles, tips, recipes, and resources delivered to your email. You can also gain immediate access to "Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Diet"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carolyn_Bray/904130

 http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Kefir-and-Why-Is-It-Good-For-You?&id=6254664

Creatine May Beef Up Brawn and Brain Functions

By Kevin A 

Creatine was first discovered in the 1800's as an organic pre-protein compound found in meat. The scientific name for it is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. Synthesis of creatine takes place in the liver and kidneys by amino acids. It is then transported by the blood to other parts of the body for use by muscles. It is believed that our bodies are able to store up to 95 percent of the synthesized creatine in muscle tissue. In the 1900's creatine gained popularity as a natural aid to improve athletic performance and enhance muscle mass. Experts also believe that creatine plays a role in maintaining energy production in the brain. Creatine can be found in dietary sources such as meat products and dietary supplements.

For years creatine has been the favored ergogenic aid of sportsmen for enhancing sports performance. However, results from a recent study show creatine may not only be useful for beefing up muscle prowess; it may also be used to boost memory and general intelligence. The results from this new study hold promising news for businessmen, housewives, the elderly, and university students looking for boosted memory performance just before exams.

According to study results published in the British Journal of Nutrition, vegetarians showed marked improvements in memory after taking creatine supplement for five days. This indicates that people with lower muscle levels of creatine, typically vegetarians and vegans, may benefit the most from creatine supplements.

The trial study recruited 121 young women, a mixed batch of vegetarians and omnivores. They were randomly given either a placebo or a creatine supplement (20 grams a day of creatine monohydrate) for five days. A battery of cognitive tests was performed both before and after the trial. Creatine supplements gave a quantifiable boost to memory power. The results showed that creatine supplements improved cognitive functions in vegetarian women by 40 percent, when compared to the placebo group. In both vegetarians and omnivores, creatine supplementation reduced the variability of the women in their responses to a choice reaction-time task.

Previous studies have also suggested the role of creatine in cognitive performance. Dr. Caroline Rae, who led a study on creatine supplements in 2003, believes that creatine increases the amount of energy available to the brain for computational tasks, thus improving general mental ability. In the study conducted on 45 young adults who were vegetarians, creatine supplementation showed a significant positive effect on both working memory and intelligence-tasks that require speed of processing. The findings underlined the dynamic role creatine plays in influencing brain performance.2

The mechanism

Phosphocreatine is a compound that acts as a reservoir of high-energy phosphate and may serve a role in neurotransmission. Levels of phosphocreatine are regulated by the enzyme, creatine phosphokinase, concentrated in the synaptic regions of the brain. High concentrations of phosphocreatine are found in the hippocampus, often referred to as the seat of learning and memory in the brain. Because of the uneven distribution of creatine phosphokinase, researchers believe that creatine does not work in a general way to improve brain functions. It may be able to improve certain aspects of cognitive functions and not others.

Other functions of creatine

Creatine is believed to:

·Help create energy in the body

·Help increase muscle mass, possibly due to its ability to draw water into muscle tissue, thus expanding its size.

·Creatine may have anabolic benefits. In this state, protein synthesis may occur at a greater level, maximizing benefits to muscle.

·Creatine is used to alleviate muscle soreness.

Creatine formulations include

·Creatine Monohydrate

·Creatine Ester Ethyl

·Creatine Citrate

·Ester Creatine, or Creatine Ester Ethyl Hydrochloride

Creatine delivery forms

Popular delivery forms include micronized creatine powders that dissolve quickly and completely in a liquid drink. Creatine supplements are found in liquid delivery forms as well. Creatine chews and creatine energy bars are also popular for loading and maintaining creatine levels in the body.

Manufacture Your Own Creatine Supplements.

Nutricap Labs, a high-quality sports nutrition manufacturer that has a GMP-certified facility can offer you customized manufacturing solutions. A highly-qualified research team, experienced in nutritional supplement manufacturing, can help you custom-design a formula that meets the expectations of your target market. In-house graphic designers and wide-range options for packaging can put your product on the fast track to success!

For more information on how to start your own creatine supplements line, call (800) 494-6154 to speak with one of their knowledgeable product advisors or submit a request to receive a free quote in 24 to 48 hours.

Nutricap Labs is a high-quality sports nutrition manufacturer and nutritional supplements manufacturing service.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kevin_A/260517

 http://ezinearticles.com/?Creatine-May-Beef-Up-Brawn-and-Brain-Functions&id=5767451

Fun Christmas Facts - The History of Gingerbread Men

By Gwen Nicodemus 

Gingerbread has been around for a long time, but the recipes used to make it have changed considerably over the years. Initially gingerbread was made from breadcrumbs, ginger, and a sweetener, like honey. People discovered that ginger has preservative properties and used it accordingly.

The recipe for gingerbread changed, and by the 15th century (the 1400s), the breadcrumbs had been replaced by flour. Honey was replaced with molasses. The biscuit became lighter. Some recipes made sweet, thin crisps of ginger and others were thicker and more biscuit-like.

Pictoral scenes that told stories were carved in wood and the gingerbread was rolled and pressed into them.

It was first made into figures (like people) n the 16th century (the 1500s). Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the first gingerbread men.

Queen Elizabeth was queen of England starting in November of 1558. (She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.) Queen Elizabeth was known for having well dressed courtiers in her court. She has been credited with the first gingerbread men. The story goes that she had gingerbread cookies made and decorated to look like her favorite courtiers, and had the cookies presented to them.

Gingerbread men tend to have vague shapes. For instance, the legs do not have definite feet, and they certainly don't have any toes. The arms don't have definite arms, and they definitely don't have any fingers. Gingerbread women are equally simple in design. Gingerbread expands when it bakes, even recipes without eggs. As a consequence, the cookies work better when they are not overly detailed.

The detail work comes into play when you decorate these cookies.

So, gingerbread men and women needed houses, chairs, tables, beds, wagons, trees, and livestock that is also made out of gingerbread, and bakers created these.

The Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel in 1812. The story told of a witch that wanted to eat the children, Hansel and Gretel. She fattened them up with candy and other sweets, and the children munched on a house made of gingerbread. Gingerbread houses became popular at that time, especially in Germany.

Gingerbread houses are popular in the United States and many parts of Europe, but oddly, not England. These houses are most common during the Christmas season, but also work well for every other holiday. Valentine's Day houses are decorated with pink, red, and white candy. Halloween houses have ghosts popping out of them and are often purposely constructed "wrong." The only limits with gingerbread houses are your imagination and the size of your cookie sheets. (I like to design one or two each year from index cards. Remember that gingerbread is thicker than paper, but put together the cards into whatever kind of house you can design.)

My favourite recipe for gingerbread houses is called " the alternate recipe." I replace the shortening with butter and use corn syrup instead of molasses.

Gwen Nicodemus is a freelance engineer/writer and a homeschooling mom. Visit her website, Notion Nexus, for unit studies, worksheets, notes, and educational videos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gwen_Nicodemus/776087

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fun-Christmas-Facts---The-History-of-Gingerbread-Men&id=5368665