Kefir Kommunity

 We hope everyone had a lovely, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Though we’re sad to see the summer come to an end, as we look back on the past few months, we’re pleasantly surprised to see how much excitement has taken way here at Lifeway. Check it out:

We debuted two fabulous new products -- BioKefir Shots and Helios Goat Milk Kefir. 

Move over Bachelorette. Step aside Millionaire Matchmaker. There’s a new reality star in Hollywood. This Fall, probiotics will take their rightful place in the spotlight when they star in a new series of TV documentaries.

Most women of childbearing age know they need to take a prenatal vitamin to give their future baby the best chance at being born healthy. But according to a new study, moms-to-be might want to add a prenatal probiotic to their daily routine.

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that children born to women who drank probiotic-enriched milk from 36 weeks of gestation to 3 months postnatal during breastfeeding were half as likely to have eczema  at age 2 than those whose mothers drank milk with no probiotics. And of the children in the probiotics group who did develop eczema, they demonstrated less severe symptoms.

Two of the strains of healthy bacteria found in the milk used in the study -- Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. acidophilus – are also found in Lifeway kefir. Over and over, we hear from pregnant women and new moms who love our kefir and feed it to their kids, almost from Day 1.  One mom even used it to ease her child’s formula-to-milk transition. We say, if there’s a simple, healthy step you can take that will slash your baby’s risk of being born with this itchy, irritating skin condition…why not?

In the Lifeway kefir family, we’ve got bottles of all different shapes and sizes. Mama and Papa Kefir are 32 oz. tall and strong to manage the household. Our first bundle of joy, Daughter Kefir, entered the world at 8 oz of low-fat peachy goodness. And then, imagine how shocked we were when we learned we were having quadruplets! Mama Kefir delivered a four-pack of 5 oz Baby Boy Probugs, all of whom we nicknamed Gooberry, a la George Foreman. 

No one wants to spend time in the hospital. Chances are, you’re in pain. You’re likely scared. You have to wear an uncomfortable gown and get poked and prodded and eat watery mashed potatoes.

For babies, life is pretty easy. They basically just eat and sleep, plus they get to wear really cute clothes and sleep in a tricked-out crib. They don’t have to work or bring home the bacon; a baby’s life is like chilling on a Carribean vacation, when you think about it.

Even if you don’t have kids, this is pretty exciting news. According to brand new research out this month, probiotic supplements may help reduce death and disease in premature babies. The study, in the May issue of Pediatrics, looked at the breadth of research already published on the topic and concluded that in babies born before 34 weeks (40 weeks is considered full-term), supplementation with probiotics led to lower mortality rates and reduced rates of an illness called necrotizing enterocolitis, in which intestinal tissue actually dies.

You’ve no doubt heard of Irritable Bowel Syndrome - as many as one in five American adults suffers from the condition, including Tyra Banks and actress Cybill Shepherd. But what exactly is IBS? Surprisingly, IBS is not a disease, per se, but a grouping of symptoms including abdominal pain or discomfort, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation. It affects the colon or large bowel, the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. Despite its prevalence, many sufferers remain silent because the symptoms can be embarrassing.

Detoxing is a superhot buzzword, with items and services available to help you cleanse everything from your liver to your skin, from the blood coursing through your veins to those special places where the sun doesn’t shine. We’ve even told you before about how to help speed things along after a major meal like Thanksgiving dinner.

But what about looking ahead a few weeks and focusing on the pre-tox possibilities?  Today’s UK Daily Mail outlines a six-step pre-tox party plan to help prepare your stomach kidneys and immune system for the quickly-approaching onslaught of food, booze, stress and lack of sleep that always seem to hit us head-on during the holidays.