Get Your Gut Looking Good

If you really want to get your gut looking good, Kombucha is something you should try.

My friends at RealFoodZim have me hooked on it.  Not only does Kombucha have a rich history of health benefits, which sparked my interest immediately, but it tastes amazing too. It is a sour, effervescent beverage, with a sneaky underlying sweetness that pulls all the flavour together.
So, it’s pretty much summer in a glass.

I was very surprised to find out that something this yummy was made from tea, and could be made with a few simple ingredients in your very own kitchen. Kombucha starts out as a sugary tea, which is then fermented with the assistance of a scoby. “Scoby” is an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.”

The scoby, as you can see in the photos is a little strange looking. It has a rubbery, slippery consistency and floats at the top of the jar. It is the scoby bacteria and yeast that eat majority of the sugar in the tea, turning the tea into a fresh, fizzy, uniquely sour, fermented (but mostly non-alcoholic) beverage, that is also surprisingly low in calories and sugar.

So, let’s talk about the health benefits. Kombucha is an over-all health booster as it is full of probiotics which keeps the gut happy, and it is said to also help with arthritis and depression. However, it is a by-product of fermentation, meaning it will contain roughly 1% alcohol, so people with alcohol-sensitive stomachs must be aware of this.

It is also important to know that if you have never tried kombucha before, just like I hadn’t, you only need 100ml per day to get your stomach used to it. I take my kombucha as a healthy shot before starting my day, and trust me even with just a small amount every day or every few days, you will see how quickly all those probiotics and good bacteria get the gut working!

So, now that the weather is warming up and you feel yourself reaching for a ice cold fizzy drink packed with sugar, think again, because you can now make your very own kombucha at home. AND not only is it fizzy and has a summery sweet and sour taste, it is packed with goodness and will help you keep slim and trim this summer as it is low in both calories and sugar. WINNING!!

 If all this healthy gut talk has got you wanting to try Kombucha, go right ahead and try make yours in the comfort of your own kitchen. I hope you love it just like I do! Happy Kombucha-ing!