Happy & Healthy
11X WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE
KEFIR
You know that I'm not really into superfoods. Just eat normally, not too much and not too fatty, varied, lots of vegetables and you're already quite far. And yet there are those hypes that do deserve a certificate. Like kefir. Ha, how do you pronounce that again. ‘Kee-what?’ whispers Adeline next to me. Kefir, Adeline. It's a drink that has existed for years, but hasn't quite reached our country yet. Too bad, because this drink based on water or milk helps with a healthy gut flora and keeps nasty viruses at bay.
The milk variant is a fermented milk product, a probiotic dairy drink made from (raw) milk and milk kefir grains. Water kefir is a healthy, fresh, and slightly sparkling drink (great in the summer) that also contains many vitamins, minerals, important amino acids, and probiotics. The probiotics in this wonder drink have three effects: they expel harmful bacteria from your gut, strengthen the lining of the small intestine, and boost the immune system. And a healthy body starts with your gut. Why you should also have kefir? Well, that's why:
1. Kefir is easy to digest. So it goes down nicely in between, without leaving you feeling full.
2. It's packed with vitamins, minerals, and probiotic cultures (lactic acid bacteria). All in one and therefore ideal, because you almost don't know what you need to get through the winter.
3. These healthy bacteria in the gut ensure good digestion. Perfect for the bloated bellies among us.
‘Kee-what?’
4. Kefir is a protein bomb and therefore the perfect (natural) substitute for your post-workout shake. Build those muscles.
5. It promotes the digestion of starch, sugars, and alcohol in the body. Bring on that wine, oh no, I'm halfway through my dry January, crap.
6. Just finished a course of antibiotics? Kefir helps to get all the nasty stuff out of your body.
7. You can buy kefir, but you can also easily make it.
8. And if you're lactose intolerant, you can just make it with water? I sense a new trendy summer drink coming for the non-alcoholics among us.
9. It helps prevent hunger. So it matches your good intentions, because that oil ball on your hip needs to go as soon as possible.
10. Kefir ensures better absorption of nutrients.
11. It works wonders for your immune system. So it's also a perfect drink for this wet, cold miserable month.
Before you dive into the kitchen (because it's still quite a thing to make it yourself); you can just buy kefir at Albert Heijn or Jumbo.
