Kefir Kommunity

• Watermelon
• Mangoes
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Strawberries
• Carrots
• Jicama
• Oatmeal
• Almonds
• Coconut Water
• Lifeway Kefir & ProBugs
• Granola
• Cheese
• Sliced turkey
• Tuna Salmon
• Balsamic vinegar
• Whole wheat breads and tortillas
• Eggs
• Peanut Butter

1. Try fruit! Don’t look at us that way, we know you aren’t going to replace your beloved chocolate cake with an apple. Get creative and grill some pineapple or banana slices. The caramelized sugar elevates lowly, healthy fruit to a sweet, warm dessert you’ll love.
2. Let them eat cake! Top low-fat angel food cake slices with fresh berries, drizzle on some chocolate sauce for a special treat.
3. Two words: frozen kefir. With all the probiotic benefits of our drinkable Kefir, Lifeway Frozen Kefir is a tasty, low-calorie treat. Plus it's gluten-free and 99% lactose-free, so just about anyone can enjoy it!
4. Cheat! (Sometimes.) Rather than doing dessert every day, pick one or two days a week to indulge. You’ll look forward to “ice cream Friday” or “chocolate cake” Sunday all week, and you won’t feel like you’re denying yourself.
5. Pull a switch-a-roo. Replace up to ½ the fat (butter or oil) in your baking recipes with mashed bananas, apple sauce or other pureed fruits.

Still in the mood for something sweet? Check out our dessert recipes, and this Honey Nut Panna Cotta (made with kefir!) from Sweet Sandy B.

• 1 ¼ cups almond milk
• pinch of sea salt
• ¾ cup plain Lifeway Kefir
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 ½ tsp brown sugar
• 1 scraped vanilla bean or 5 grams vanilla paste
• 2 gelatin sheets

• ½ cup salted almond slivers
• ¼ cup honey

1. In a medium saucepan, over low-to-medium heat, combine 1 cup of almond milk with sea salt, honey, brown sugar and vanilla. Be careful not to boil the mixture, just heat it until small bubbles form at the sides of the pot.
2. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ¼ cup almond milk with kefir and set aside.
3. Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5-10 minutes until they are soft.
4. Once the almond milk and honey mixture is heated, remove it from heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.Add the Kefir mix to the warm almond milk mix, stir to combine.
5. Place the pot in ice bath for about 10 minutes, stirring often until the mixture starts to thicken.
6. Pour into 4 ramekins- or any small dishes you like and place in refrigerator to set up for at least 3 hours.

• For a salty, crunchy snack with 30% less fat than traditional deep-fried chips, try taro chips. They’re high in fiber, plus they contain vitamin E.
• Sweet potato chips offer lots of vitamin A and manganese in every flavorful, crunchy bite.
• Pretzels offer a tasty chip alternative. Look for brands that don’t contain artificial sweeteners (many do!) and, if possible, try and find a whole wheat version.
• Olives are an all-natural savory snack. Wrap a few in foil and roast with a sprig of rosemary for a flavorful, low-calorie salt fix.
• Try dipping fresh veggies like carrots or sliced red peppers in a seasoned dip like kefir guacamole or roasted garlic dip made with tangy farmers cheese.
   

• Try a small bowl of low calorie cereal or granola with skim milk or Lifeway Lowfat Kefir to take the edge off your sweet tooth without the sugar crash.
• Hard candies are a long-lasting way to get your sugar fix without indulging in too many calories. Look for low-sugar or naturally sweetened versions.
• Dark chocolate can satisfy your cravings plus offer a boost of antioxidants. Keep one or two pieces in your desk drawer for chocolate emergencies.
• Don’t forget fruit! If you don’t think an apple is snack enough for a sweet tooth you’ve obviously never paired green apple slices with creamy peanut butter!
• Never underestimate the appetite-curbing powers of a hot drink. Try a flavorful tea like chai with honey or fat-free hot cocoa.
   

It’s relatively easy to make smart food choices in the comfort of your own home – if you don’t have junk food in your cupboards you can’t exactly park it on the couch with your hand in a bag of cheesy puffs, can you? But what about when you’re dining out? Whether it’s a business lunch, a hot date or just dinner with the kids, dining out can be absolute sabotage to a healthy eating plan. With a few tips you can visit your favorite restaurants without derailing the healthy habits you’ve worked so hard to form, we promise!


 

• Skip the big entrée and order an appetizer and side salad
  
• Start with a salad or cup of soup and split an entrée with your dining companion
• Ask for a to-go box as soon as your entrée arrives, pack half of it away for tomorrow’s lunch
• Start small and slow – order a small dish and let it settle, only order more food if you’re still hungry
• Try the kid’s menu – smaller portions, smaller prices

• Foods that are pickled, smoked or served in broth tend to be salty
• Take it easy on the cocktail sauce, teryaki and soy sauce
• No fried foods. Seriously.
• Just say no to extra cheese on anything
• Opt for a vinaigrette on your salad, and ask them to hold the cheese and croutons
   

• Vegetables! Whenever it’s an option, opt for a side of steamed veggies over French fries.
• Words to look for: grilled, broiled, roasted, steamed
• Huevos rancheros! This Mexican take on breakfast is high in fiber and protein making it a smart option any time of day.
• Thin crust pizza with extra sauce and half the cheese – try to stop at two slices, though
• Opt for salsa or mustard on your burger over mayo
• Let your food settle before you order dessert – if you want something sweet, try sorbet or fresh fruit. Maybe you could ask your favorite restaurant to offer frozen kefir?

Looking for a more civilized way to get your Kefir kick? Check out these Game Day recipes – we upgraded your favorite football foods so you can enjoy the game in good health.


 

• 1 package (8 oz) Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 6 oz Lifeway Plain Lowfat Kefir
• 2 oz hot wing sauce

• 2 oz blue cheese crumbles
• 6 oz of cooked chicken breast, diced

2.       Pour into baking dish and bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  It won't brown too much on the top.  Serve with a platter of fresh, crisp and colorful vegetable dippers.


 

• 4 ripe avocados
• ½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
• 1/2 cup Lifeway Plain Lowfat Kefir
• 1-2 Tbs fresh lime juice (to taste)
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ - 1 tsp chili powder (to taste)
• ½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

3.       Keep tomatoes separate until you’re ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning. Just before serving, mix in the chopped tomato.


 

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 & 1/2 cups Lifeway Plain Lowfat Kefir (or Lifeway Greek Style Kefir)
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (4oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• ½ (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 loaf round sourdough bread

Today’s post comes to us from Flo C. Sheffield, a yoga teacher at Active Sol Yoga in Atlanta, GA. Flo believes in the benefit of a daily yoga and meditation practice in order to maintain a peaceful, happy life. 


 

• Designate an area in your home solely for your practice. It can be in a bedroom, guest room, or living room. Many prefer to have a door so they can close the room off from their animals, children or partners. This ensures you will not be interrupted.
•  Make sure you have a wall nearby. If you have difficulty with balance or want to get creative with your practice; the best prop is a wall, and every home has them!
• Yoga mat- you can pick up a mat practically anywhere these days. My first mat was from a large department store. I still have that little pink foam mat as a reminder of how good it was to me for many years! But, if you can’t get your hands on a mat you can use a large towel. However, it won’t work as well because they tend to bunch and move around a lot.
• Props- you can get things like straps, blocks and blankets. Really this is a personal call so do a little research on this before you spend tons of money on items you don’t need. I made my own yoga straps and eye pillows.
  
  

I realize that when you start out this is not the easiest thing to do. So I’ve done some prep work for you! Here are some simple poses you can start with.  Use this as a guide, and make modifications however you’d like. I’ve provided the Sanskrit name of each asana and English name as well. Take some time to look up the postures online. Yoga Journal online is a wonderful resource for looking up postures. Plus, there are many books out there. One book that covers practically all yoga postures is “Light on Yoga” by B.K.S. Iyengar.  

• Siddhasana: Sit comfortably on a blanket or block (make sure your hips are higher than your knees.) Take 3 deep breaths in and out through your nose.
• Siddhasana with side bend: Inhale bringing both arms overhead. Exhale and drop your right fingertips to the floor next to your right hip as you reach your left arm towards the right. You will feel a deep stretch on the left side of the body. Stay here for 2-3 breaths then repeat by inhaling both arms overhead and dropping your left fingertips to the floor next your left hip while reaching the right arm over towards the left.
• Marjaryasana and Bitilasana: Cat and Cow pose. Come to all fours on your mat. Make sure your shoulders are over your wrists and hips are over your knees. Inhaling, gaze up while rolling the shoulders down the back and your hips move up as well as you being to take a tiny backbend. On the exhale tuck your chin to your chest and hollow out your belly. Pushing the floor away and rounding your spine. Keep going for 4 more breaths. Inhaling your open your chest and exhaling you round your spine. End in a nice flat back position, this is known as “tabletop."
• Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward-facing dog. From Tabletop position (see above,) begin to curl your toes under and push your hips to the ceiling. You may need to walk your feet in towards your hands a bit. This typically looks like an inverted V. In Downward facing dog take 5-10 breaths. You can bend one knee then the other as you warm up your hamstrings. This is a great stretch to do daily. If you have a dog, you’ve seen that they do this after a long nap.
• Balasana: Childs pose. From downward facing dog slowly drop to your knees. So once again if you have knee issues grab that towel or blanket. Roll the towel up place behind the knees to create space in your knee joints. Once set up appropriately begin to drop your hips to your heels and move your chest to the floor, eventually resting your forehead. Sometimes keeping your knees wide helps for your chest to reach the floor. Take 10 breaths here.
• Savasana: Corpse pose aka final resting pose. This is a relaxing way to end each practice, you should never skip this pose. While lying on your back, take your legs out the width of your mat. Place your palms by your sides face up so that your shoulders roll down your back. Relax your neck and gently close your eyes. From here just breathe. Feel your breath come into your body and leave your body. Try not to create a “to do” list while in this posture. Try to be on your mat with your breath for a minimum of 2-3 minutes. Music can help with this post, it’s nice to listen to an instrumental piece that is about 3 minutes long to time your savasana for you. Feel any tension in your body melt. And breathe, breathe, breathe. After your 2-3 minutes, roll to your right side hugging your knees then gently push yourself back to a seated position. It is ideal to end practice the way you began with 3 deep breaths.

That’s unfortunate on a number of fronts. Family therapist Carleton Kendrick Ed.M., LCSW, author of Take Out Your Nose Ring, Honey, We’re Going to Grandma’s!, describes nightly family dinners as “the single most powerful daily dose of family love, connection, encouragement and stability.”  Not only does sitting down to chicken cacciatore help strengthen the bond between parents and children, “it establishes a ritual that children come to depend on as part of their supportive family structure and support system -- the one place they may receive daily, unconditional love, support and appreciation.”

And get a taste of these benefits: Research consistently shows that regular family dinners reduce kids’ risk of binge-drinking, drug use, running away from home, and more. A recent study in Pediatrics also suggested that preschool-aged children enjoy a lower risk for obesity if they regularly eat supper with their family.

DO: Play “Roses and Thorns”

Every night at dinner in the White House, the First Family plays a game called “Roses and Thorns,” where everyone takes a turn reporting the day’s roses – the good events — and the thorns — the bad ones. Experts believe such a ritual can help restore a sense of balance to your family while promoting bonding in a fun, casual way. Even better: Research shows that expressing gratitude can boost mood, so maybe your angsty preteen won’t act so cranky.

DON’T: Allow cell phones

Institute a “No phones allowed” law, both at home and when dining out. But you and any other adults will have to follow the rule, too. You’ll set a stellar example and teach your kids that dinner time is family time.

DON’T: Ask the Same Old Questions

Asking, “How was your day at school?” is boooring. Soon enough, your kids will start tuning you out. Instead, try telling them a little bit about your day (“Guess who I bumped into at lunch?”) and see how they respond.

DON’T: Make Them Clean Their Plates

*Some of this information originally appeared on LHJ.com in a slideshow written by Lifeway blogger Leslie Goldman.

1.      Walnuts – Think about it, have you ever seen an ugly squirrel? All kidding aside, walnuts contain an important Omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that helps to keep your skin moist and supple. Just a half ounce of walnuts contains all the ALA you need in a day. That same fatty acid nourishes your hair for shiny locks! (Not a walnut fan? Olive oil contains a similar essential fatty acid!)

2.       Eggs – An excellent source of protein, eggs also contain biotin and vitamin B-12 for healthy hair and skin. You can also make a pretty neat facial using only one egg!

3.       Kefir – This super-powered cousin of yogurt is an excellent source of protein and calcium for strong, beautiful hair, teeth, fingernails and more! Lifeway Kefir’s 12 live and active cultures also balance your body’s eco-system, so you feel as good as you look. Check out our other kefir beauty secrets here!

4.       Berries – Blackberries, blueberries and strawberries have the highest "total antioxidant capacity" of any foods! Eating these juicy wonders translates into beautiful skin because of their ability to protect skin cells from damage, like that caused by sun exposure. If you’re not “berry” excited by berries, artichokes, prunes and pecans also have lots of antioxidants.

5.       Water – Are you starting to get the feeling that drinking plenty of water is a good idea? Staying hydrated effects every part of your body inside and out. Water plays a key role in distributing nutrients throughout your body, which translates to healthy hair, strong nails and clear skin.

Do you have a beauty secret to share? Leave a comment, we’d love to read it! And don't forget to sign up for our money-saving coupons so you can stay beautiful on a budget.