KLynnTX Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I'm thinking of buying kefir for my 13yo ds. He is constantly having digestive issues. Stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea. I'm trying to make sure he gets enough fiber, water, etc. I'm wondering, does kefir taste like yogurt? Is it good? I just don't want to waste my money, if there is no way he's gonna eat it!! Can you get it at the grocery store, or Walmart, or some place easy? Has anyone here used it for similar symptoms, and experienced relief? I gave him some Acidophilos (pro biotics) this morning, and I'm looking for more ways to help him! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLynnTX Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Kefir is fantastic! My kids would drink it my the gallon if I could buy it that way! It is very similar to yogurt only thinner and smoother. Its like a yogurt smoothy I suppose (you know those Yoplait drink you can buy). It has a bit more of a kick to it. We love it. I started giving it to my kids a couple of years ago because of issues like you mentioned and because we have serious candidia problems in our home. I saw amazing results because of it. I buy it at a local health food store or Fred Meyer. We prefer the strawberry flavor but raspberry is a close second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I generally buy mine from Winn Dixie. But, most health food stores carry it too. You might want to start slowly and build up. It can cause some GI changes in some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Forgot to say, the best thing you can do is make it yourself as the stuff in the store isnt as "pure". That said I have never made it and we still saw results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I buy it at Middle Eastern or International stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I'm wondering, does kefir taste like yogurt? Is it good? I just don't want to waste my money, if there is no way he's gonna eat it!! ! I think yogurt has a milder flavor than regular kefir that's made with cow's milk. I just bought some "So Delicious" brand non-dairy kefir made with coconut milk (strawberry flavored) and it's mild and delicious. My dd has always had digestive issues. After many tests the doctors said it's irritable bowel syndrome. Yogurt actually bothers my dd, and so do high fiber foods. She does better with soluble rather than insoluble fiber which is very irritating for her. (The website http://www.helpforibs.com has a lot of helpful information about the different kinds of fiber.) Has your ds had any testing to make sure he doesn't have something like celiac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 We follow the Body Ecology Diet for my dss(10) for his autism, digestive, and candida issues. We make our kefir homemade. I make milk kefir for the rest of the family, and young coconut kefir for my dss as he has dairy intolerances. I have bought yogourmet kefir started from our local health food store and it is affordable and easy to use. I just recently bought the Body Ecology Kefir starter from their website and we started using it this week. The Body Ecology starter is going to be better because it more strains of healthy bacteria in it. Kefir is super easy to make at home and much more affordable. For the milk kefir all you need is 1 pint canning jars. A half gallon of milk uses about 2 pint jars. We warm the milk in a sauce pan to 90 degrees...then put it in the jars and add the kefir. It then sits on the counter for 3 days to ferment. Super easy..... We make milk kefir smoothies and they taste really yummy. In a blender we mix our homemade kefir with frozen berries, mangos, and stevia. The young coconut kefir my dss drinks is either mixed with water...or we add a little natural cranberry juice to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KayT Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Oh Summer! I am drooling at the thought! Your kefir smoothies sound so good! I have a starter I bought at the health food store but have yet to try, but I am going to now! Do you save some of your kefir for your next batch or do you have to use the starter everytime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Are you sure that your child is getting enough fiber? My dd had stomach troubles for a while. She was on Prevacid, actually. Her troubles seem to go away when I made her take a fiber drink. I use the Melaleuca one. The specialist recommended extra fiber, limited fried foods and sugar. Kefir sounds great, too. ETA: Fiber drink is part of my dd's regular diet, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Oh Summer! I am drooling at the thought! Your kefir smoothies sound so good! I have a starter I bought at the health food store but have yet to try, but I am going to now! Do you save some of your kefir for your next batch or do you have to use the starter everytime? You can take 1/4 a cup from your first batch and use it to start another pint of kefir. You can do this up to seven times before you have to use a new package of kefir starter. I have done this several times with great results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 It's best to make it at home, and use kefir GRAINS rather than starter. It is called grains but it is more like a cauliflower looking thing. Here is the definitive site (I'm not affiliated; just use it all the time) to learn more about kefir, including where to get grains: http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html The kefir you buy in the store, unless plain flavored, is full of sugar. We make our own (we use raw milk) and make smoothies with it, as someone mentioned above, because my dc don't like the taste of it plain. Kefir is one of the BEST things you can do for your health! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I agree with HappyGrace - Kefir grains are the way to go. You get grains once and you can use them forever (provided you treat them right ;) ). It's certainly less expensive than buying pre made in the store, and you have control about exactly what goes into it. I also second HappyGrace's website recommendation. Not the prettiest site on earth, but it's full of good info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elohcin Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 If you do make it yourself with grains, the longer you brew it the stronger it gets. It has a yeasty flavor that yogurt doesn't have. We make raw milk kefir every day. It gets mixed into smoothies and makes a great quick sourdough bread or pizza. There are also lots of other ways to use it too, but smoothies are my fave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I think yogurt has a milder flavor than regular kefir that's made with cow's milk. I just bought some "So Delicious" brand non-dairy kefir made with coconut milk (strawberry flavored) and it's mild and delicious. :drool5: I've never seen the "So Delicious" brand of Kefir! I don't think they sell it around here. Just like the Jamfrakas bars, I could only find when we visited California. I'm going to have to ask the health food store or WF if we can get it special ordered. Ds1 can't have dairy and this would be great for him. I make him water kefir, but something else would be great too. To the OP, I make raw milk kefir for my younger with kefir grains. It is really simple and homemade kefir,, I believe has 3x as much probiotic power than the store bought kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Can you use Lifeway Kefir as a starter? I appreciate any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 kefir is DELICIOUS and does taste like yogurt. Your son sounds like he has IBS! Can you research this to see what dietary changes you need to make? Also, you need to make sure you buy VERY good probiotics. Not all work as good as others. I just spent a couple of hours researching this last night. I buy mine at iherb.com because it's cheaper. If you get the refrigerated ones, which is all I have used until the ones I purchased last n ight, they come in a little styrofoam box with an ice pack. If you order in the cool months you won't have issues with the ice pack melting. I did research and two I'd recommend, because of all the reviews I read at Iherb, are Dr. Ohiras (read reviews, they recommend 5 in the morning and 5 in the evening for a certain amount of time and then yiou reduce) I got Jarrow Formulas brand. I read a lot of their reviews and due to price decided to try them. I'm going to be using this on 3 people and so wanted a cheaper alternative. Has your son been on a lot of antibiotics in his life or eat a lot of carbs/sugar? I tell EVERYONE to try apple cider vinegar. Raw, unprocessed apple cider vinegar. One teaspoon in water 3 x day for kids. This helps correct the biology. I gave that and probiotics to my mother who had ulcerative colitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 There is a book The Fibre Menace which suggests that for many people, excess fibre can cause many digestive problems in our grain rich diet culture. I have stopped being so concerned about getting enough fibre and instead make sure I drink enough fluids and eat healthy fats (check out the Weston Price foundation for more informaiton, although use your own discrimination). I use kefir grains to make my own kefir (I have never seen kefir available commercially here in Australia) and I make smoothies for my family with kefir, juice and various fruits (banana, berries, mangoes if in season etc). They love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 A friend of mine asked me in April if I had heard of K. grains to which I replied, no. She explained to me what it is and offered me some of her "keifer grains"! Yippee! I'm excited. I make it all the time. It's hard to say what it tastes like because I'm sure there are several recipes. If you'd like mine, pm me. Sheryl <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Where is a good place to buy kefir grains? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I agree about using the grains too. Also, have you tried a chiropractor? If his lower back is out of alignment, digestive issues can happen. That could explain why he is having trouble with both diarrohea and constipation. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Where is a good place to buy kefir grains? The grains "grow" over time, so you eventually end up with more than you need. If you can find someone local who makes their own kefir, they will generally just give them to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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