Kefir Adventures: Part #3

Kefir Adventures: Part #3
I've been learning more and more about kefir and how to make it happy through experimenting. My basic process is to let my kefir ferment for 24 hours, shaking the jars every so often to mix things up, and then finally giving them a good hard shake right before straining out the grains, transferring the grains to new clean jars, adding milk and starting the process over again.

Sometimes I'm not home at the 24 hour mark. I try to plan ahead for this and if I know I'm not going to be home, I'll put the kefir/milk into the fridge. Putting your kefir grains and milk in the fridge seriously slows the fermentation process. I haven't perfected the timing when I refrigerate kefir quite yet. In other words, I'm a bit unsure how much time it takes to ferment while leaving the grains in the fridge. I usually end up taking them out of the fridge and letting them sit again on my counter (again, I'm unsure of optimal time frames at this point).

Kefir really is plain simple to make...but you can definitely get a bit lost in perfecting your ratios/timings/temperatures.

Note: Never tighten the lids of fermenting jars. Ever.

Taking a break in the fridge.

On the left, just about perfect. Ready to be shaken up and strained. On the right, a bit too long or maybe a bit too many grains. That separation isn't the end of the world. I just shook it up and strained it like normal. It still tasted great.

Two fresh jars with grains at the bottom, ready for some milk. Finished kefir on the right.

Green Smoothie w/ Kefir, Baby Kale...

After making a post about banana bread coffee cake I figured it would balance things out to talk about green smoothies. I love a good green smoothie. You can put basically whatever you want in it. The theory is to use lots of green stuff =). It's amazing how little you can actually taste of the green stuff. Personally, I like green things. Kale, spinach, chard, celery, you name it, I like it. A lot of people don't; I get that. Throw in a banana and some coconut water, maybe some berries, and wham. You just ate a giant portion of green goodness and you won't even flinch.

For this smoothie I used:
Rainbow Chard (2-3 leaves)
Giant handful (or two) of Baby Kale
Organic Strawberries (Leave the tops on! Just wash 'em well.)
Coconut Water (about 1 cup)
Kefir (Optional...I've been making my own!)
Ice Cubes (I used about 5)

Instructions: Blend into submission.

In hindsight, I would make this smoothie a bit thicker. Maybe a little less coconut water. Maybe add a banana. In any case; It was delicious.

Get ready =).

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading =). Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I want to hear from you!
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Kefir, Episode Two: My First Batch

Quick Kefir Recap
To quote kefir.net, "Kefir’s tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins."

Kefir is a fermented milk product. It's a strong natural remedy against any allergy, it helps control acid reflex and heartburn, reduces sugar cravings, can correct high blood pressure, promote faster wound healing, help sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD, it's easily digestible, rich in B12, B1, vitamin K, and biotin. (Source: Milk Kefir Unleashed | Fusion Teas).

It's good stuff. It's also not Paleo as dairy isn't Paleo. I do eat mostly a Paleo diet (95% or so..). Recently I have been experimenting with reintroducing some dairy into my diet. I haven't had any dairy in my diet for a couple months. I felt fine. I also feel no need to deny myself something that my body can handle well and that has major health benefits. Kefir seems up there on the list of great-for-you dairy. The kefir grains also eat the vast majority of the milk-sugars and lactose during the fermentation process.

Paleo is different for everyone; For me it mostly means just eating "healthy" whole foods. There is a lot of conflicting opinions out there on eating dairy, not eating dairy, etc. while on a Paleo diet. I'm seeing what works with my body and my health. Thus far I feel great.

My Journey Thus Far Into Kefir Land
-I received my first kefir grains about a week ago. I ordered 2 tablespoons of kefir grains from Fusion Teas on Amazon.
-For my first batch I used 1 cup of store bought, homogenized, pasteurized (NOT ultra pasteurized) whole milk.
-I simply put the kefir grains in a quart sized, wide-mouthed ball jar, added the cup of whole milk, and placed (without tightening at all) a plastic lid on top of the jar.

Quart-sized ball jar w/ 2 tbsp of kefir grains, a plastic lid, and some whole milk.

-I left the jar out on my kitchen countertop out of direct sunlight for about 12 hours. I stirred it up once during the 12 hours by swirling the contents of the jar around.

-After 12 hours, I poured out the contents of the jar through a clean, nylon-mesh strainer. I discarded the first batch as per instructions (the kefir is still rebuilding strength from shipment, thus the first batch probably wouldn't be the best).
-I broke out a clean quart ball jar, a clean lid, and repeated the process. I poured the grains from the strainer into the new jar. This time I used 1 and 1/2 cups of whole milk. Again, I put a plastic lid on top, without tightening it at all.
-I let this jar ferment for about 18-19 hours or so. I then strained it into a large, pourable, glass-container w/ a lid. I ate half mixed with a tbsp of organic raw honey =). Yum! Welcome bacteria...

Basic kefir setup.

Running the jar through the strainer.

My first batch of kefir, ready to consume =). Oh yeah!

-I poured the kefir grains into another clean quart ball jar, and this time added two cups of store-bought whole milk. I placed a plastic lid on top, again not tightening it.
-I put the remaining kefir in my fridge with a lid on the glass container. I ate the rest this morning with a tbsp of maple syrup. Mmmm...probiotic bacteria round two. I feel great thus far. At 10pm tonight I will restart the process once again.

Thanks for reading =). Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I want to hear from you!
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Kefir

I've had a beautiful weekend including a sunset at a local park, eating a sandwich at Paseo (Seattle) -- my one bit of bread for the next three months or so...I'm not perfect (this was a really, really good sandwich...people wait up to three-hours in line just to get one), exploring a foreign kitchen as a friend is dog-sitting for a family and they gave her free reign of the kitchen, I found my first side crow yoga pose, and my kefir grains came in the mail (so excited!). A couple pictures below and then onto the kefir journey.

That's me @ Gas Works Park in Seattle. What a beautiful day it was =).

Sunset at Gas Works Park, Seattle.

Yep, I break Paleo every now and then. I do sincerly try to avoid it, but I had heard some pretty rave reviews of this sandwich shop (Paseo). It was also *very* close to the house a friend was dog-sitting at. It happened and I don't regret it one bit! My special treat for the next couple of months.

Exploring a foreign kitchen was a blast! A friend is dog-sitting for this family as they are out-of-town. They gave her free reign of the kitchen/food. I had no idea where anything was. Their oven smoked at first; Freaked me out. In the end, I was able to find TONS of delicious things. I have to leave these kind folks a thank you card for allowing us free reign of their food. Pictured above is a medley of banana chips, bananas, pecans, dried peaches, pistachios, bound with sunflower seed butter. The eggs were cooked with butter, rainbow chard, avocado, salt and pepper. Delicious! And totally thrown together on a whim ;).

Back to kefir grains. Wait...did he just say grains? Grains aren't Paleo. Kefir "grains" aren't actually grains. They can't be made or manufactured. They come from a combination of yeasts and bacteria made up of a substrate of several dairy components. Kefir seems to be really amazing stuff. It's one of the most potent probiotic foods available. It's not Paleo as Paleo doesn't include any dairy. That said, I'm not 100% Paleo. Chris Kresser wrote a great article on kefir here.

In a nut-shell, kefir can/is:
-A strong natural remedy against any allergy.
-Help control acid reflex and heartburn.
-Reduce sugar cravings.
-Correct high blood pressure.
-Promote faster wound healing.
-Help sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD.
-Easily digestible.
-Rich in B12, B1, vitamin K, and Biotin.
(Source: Milk Kefir Unleashed | Fusion Teas)

I'm going to be including home-made kefir in my diet and my blog posts. Starting today, with my very first kefir experience, you can read my entire journey now and in the future.

My First Kefir Experience
My kefir grains came in the mail a couple days ago. I didn't have time to tend to them yet so I put them in the fridge. I got home this afternoon prepared with some store-bought homogenized whole milk to get the process started. I intend on using non-homogenized milk, raw milk, and maybe coconut milk with my kefir grains after they get going. The instructions recommended starting them with store bought whole milk, so I did.

Thus far all I've done is:
-Removed the kefir grains from their packaging. I ordered 2 tbsp's of grains from Fusion Teas and had them shipped from Amazon.
-Placed them in a clean glass mason jar.
-Covered them with one cup of homogenized store-bought whole milk.
-Placed (without tightening) a plastic lid on the jar. Apparently some people use a coffee filter and a rubber band. Ultimately, you just don't want the container exploding. That would be...bad ;).
-I've left the jar on my counter-top. My apartment is not cold, but it's also not extremely hot either. I'm keeping the grains out of direct sunlight.

My kefir grains at the bottom of a clean glass mason jar.

Adding one cup of whole milk and a plastic lid (not tightened on, just placed on top).

Setting my kefir and milk on the counter-top to ferment. The lid is not tightened on. Just placed on top.

In 12 hours or so I will strain the grains, discard the first cup of milk, and add a fresh cup of milk. I can't wait for my first kefir! I'm going to add some honey and try it more or less plain at first. Then I'll branch out ;).

Thanks for reading =). I want to hear from you! Comments? Questions? Suggestions? 
Twitter (@SimplePaleoCook) | Email | Pinterest

Cheese and Paleo

The cheese I bought last night @ Trader Joe's.

To cheese , or not to cheese…that is the question. Dairy, including cheese is not Paleo. Does that mean I shouldn’t eat it? Ever? I want to be healthy. I don’t want to hurt my body. Is eating cheese going to hurt me? Is drinking milk, putting butter in things, making and eating kefir, and enjoying the occasional other dairy product really bad?

The short answer: Maybe.

It depends on your body and the type of dairy. Where that dairy came from seems to be a huge factor. That cheese in a can? Bad, bad, bad. I don’t even want to know what’s in that stuff. I won’t go near it. Grass fed, raw, aged cheddar cheese? Welcome to the Paleo gray area. Personally, I haven’t had any cheese or dairy (aside from eggs and grass fed butter) for months. I don’t really miss it. It’s definitely not something I feel like I need in my diet. That said, I want to experiment with adding occasional dairy to my diet.

I recently ordered some whole milk, some raw milk, and some cream from Pure Eire Dairy. They are local to my state and are/have:
-100% Grass-Fed & Non-GMO Certified
-Hand-selected herd to be free of A1 positive cows
-Antibiotic and Hormone Free
-Free of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides
-Not combined with any other dairy
-All jersey herd for better grazing and a rich, creamy milk
-Minimally processed milk utilizing vat pasteurization & no homogenization

I plan on making kefir at home along with including some of Pure Eire's dairy into my cooking. I don’t plan on drinking large glasses of milk with every meal, if at all. Maybe a very small glass (<8oz) every now and then. I bought some cream to put in coffee from them as well. I'll be sharing it with a co-worker and keeping it basically as a special treat. Again, moderation. I’m experimenting. Taking it slow.

As for cheese… I haven’t had cheese for almost 4 months. I honestly don’t miss it all that much, but am curious to see what happens if I start to eat some cheese in moderation. For example, I put a small slice of cheese on each of the frittatas I cooked this morning. I also packed a small slice with my lunch today as a special treat. I don’t plan on eating cheese every day. All things in moderation. Balance.

I did some brief digging on dairy, cheese, and being Paleo. Some of what I found is hopeful, some of what I found is disturbing, and ultimately it’s up to you what you want to put into your body, your temple. I try to be informed.

The Pros and Cons of Dairy/Cheese on a Paleo Diet
First off, I need to say that dairy/cheese is not Paleo. I’m not 100% strict Paleo. I try my best, but am willing to make some exceptions for things like grass fed butter and green beans. Now I’m adding exceptions, or experimenting with them at least for now, for certain, carefully selected milks, creams, and cheeses. Cheese itself is actually addicting (so I’ll be careful!).

I found the following four points about why cheese is addicting from Stupid Easy Paleo:
-Cheese is a concentrated source of casein.
-Casein breaks down into casomorphins in the gut.
-Casomorphins have opioid and histamine responses in the body.
-This opioid effect seems to explain why people cite cheese as one of those foods they just can’t give up when going Paleo.

Cheese really is addicting. I didn’t know!

Some good things about dairy/cheese are that, according to Paleo Leap, “dairy can introduce good bacteria with yogurt, kefirs, and possibly cheeses”. They go on to say, “In fact, fermented dairy is, in my opinion, one of the best choices you could make if you decide to consume it, mainly because of the good bacteria, but also because the fermentation process will consume most of the sugars.” Marks Daily Apple claims, “…much of what makes dairy so problematic for people is mostly absent from the best cheeses”.

You see, some bad things happen because lactose is not tolerated very well by a large portion of the population. The exception here, from Paleo Leap, is “Hard cheeses, yogurt and kefir that have been fermented long enough to eat up all sugars won’t have any lactose left, so it’s a good alternative for the lactose intolerant”. Marks Daily Apple points out, “the less lactose a cheese has, the less carbohydrates”. This is good news =). Unfortunately, “Even without lactose, dairy will still have this insulin promoting effect (Cheese: Why You Can’t)”.

Paleo Leap warns, “since dairy is growth promoting because of a multitude of growth factors like IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1), undesirable things like acne can become a problem and some people argue that cancer cells could also develop much faster with dairy (The Place of Dairy)”. Paleo Leap goes on to explain, “…we are not supposed to drink the milk from other animals. We are the only mammals who do it”.

Milk needs to be carefully selected. Paleo Leap explains, “regular grocery bought milk is still a very poor choice. The cows probably ate a diet of corn and soy while confined in a very tight environment. As if it wasn’t enough, we skim the milk to reduce the healthy saturated fat and we pasteurize-it, rendering some enzymes and beneficial bacteria infective”. Luckily, they continue to show the bright side saying, “Do not despair though because grass-fed, pasture-raised and organic cows will produce a milk of a much higher quality… it’s high in vitamin K2, omega-3 fatty acids, CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid), a powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer linoleic acid”.

The general advice seems to be to go raw and grass fed whenever possible. This does come with some risks, you need to choose your source carefully! If you can’t go raw, Marks Daily Apple suggests that, “Pasteurized grass-fed cheese isn’t chock full of the delicious bacteria common to raw dairy, but it does retain the higher levels of CLA. Grass-fed cheese, pasteurized or not, also contains the heat-resistant vitamin K2, which Weston Price asserted was the key (along with vitamin D3) to the excellent bone and dental health in the primitive (but supremely healthy) groups he studied” (Is All Cheese).

Then there is Betacellulin. Marks Daily Apple has a good paragraph on it:
“Betacellulin, a potentially dangerous epidermal growth factor that has been linked to cancer, is present in most cheeses. Paleo critics often point to the betacellulin present in dairy as a major deterrent to its inclusion in a healthy diet (rightfully so), but they tend to focus on pasteurized, homogenized non-organic dairy from grain-fed cows – the most common type of dairy consumed in the country. Raw, grass-fed dairy, on the other hand, contains high levels of conjugated lineolic acid (CLA), which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties. Raw dairy supporters suggest that the higher levels of CLA present in raw, grass-fed cheese may act as a counterbalance to the negative effects of betacellulin also present” (Is All Cheese).


So, ultimately, there are risks and benefits. Pros and cons. Ups and downs. I figure that I have been almost 100% free of dairy in my diet and I have been fine. I’ll be slowly reintroducing some dairy with moderation in mind and carefully monitoring how I feel. Of course I’ll be blogging about it along my journey! Kefir here I come...

Stay tuned and thanks for reading! Also thanks to Paleo Leap, Stupid Easy Paleo, and Marks Daily Apple. You should check them all out; They have great information.

I want to hear from you! Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Twitter (@SimplePaleoCook)? Email (simplepaleocook@gmail.com)?

Sources:
"The Place of Dairy on a Paleo Diet | Paleo Leap." Paleo Leap Paleo Diet Recipes Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://paleoleap.com/place-of-dairy-on-paleo-diet/>.

"Cheese: Why You Can't Quit It Stupid Easy Paleo - Easy Paleo Recipes." Stupid Easy Paleo Easy Paleo Recipes. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/10/28/cheese-why-you-cant-quit-it/>.

"Is All Cheese Created Equal?" Marks Daily Apple RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cheese-unhealthy/#axzz38shmv3FC>.