Kefir Kommunity

Hey all you sinus infection sufferers out there – sick of trekking back and forth to the pharmacy to fill pricey prescriptions that don’t work too well? Check out this letter from Lifeway kefir devotee Linda, from Rock Island, IL:

Whether it’s an Elliptical machine, a phone to call your best friend, a martini or a Valium, chances are you reach for something when you get stressed. Now, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Dermatology, you might be able to reach for a glass of kefir instead!

If you didn’t catch us on the Today Show on Tuesday, here’s the clip:

Women’s health writer Leslie Goldman appeared alongside Kathie Lee and Hoda to discuss seven foods that help you heal, including kefir for bad breath. Other examples include pineapple for bruises, dried cherries for jet lag and ginger for an upset stomach.

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with a condition called Ulcerative Colitis, you understand all too well the pain and discomfort associated with this often-debilitating disease. UC causes inflammation and sores, aka ulcers, to form in the lining of the rectum and colon. These ulcers then bleed, producing pus and causing pain. Inflammation in the colon also causes the colon to empty frequently, leading to diarrhea.

If you’re planning on grabbing your honey and pulling him or her beneath the Mistletoe this Thursday night to make out, you might want to make sure your breath doesn’t smell like Christmas ham or stale fruitcake. Sure, you can run to the bathroom, whip out your toothbrush, squeeze on some toothpaste, brush, rinse, spit, reapply lip balm and run back but that five-minute process doesn’t exactly scream “Spontaneous!”

How much easier would it be to take a quick sip of kefir and then pucker up?

“I’m going to ditch my muffin top.”

“No more cancer sticks for me!”

“2010 will be the year I stop being such a lazy Blackberry-addicted couch potato.”

New Years resolutions like these are a dime-a-dozen and typically get kicked to the curb – many within just 48 hours of 2010, according to a recent study. Screaming to your girlfriends, “THIS is the year I’m going to find a husband, have a baby, get a promotion, lose 26 pounds and find a cure for cancer” over the nightclub blare of Auld Lang Syne may seem realistic at the time, but after the champagne wears off, you’ll realize that you’re chasing after the impossible. Why not start the year off right with more achievable, realistic goals? Wanna shed some pounds? We applaud the effort. Trying to reduce stress in your life? We need to do that, too. These goals are absolutely doable, it’s just a matter of going about it in a smart manner.

Don’t wanna catch the flu? Glove up. It seems every single thing we touch – from our keyboards to our friend’s Blackberry to bicep curl machine at the gym is literally teeming with bacteria and viruses. Remember, scrupulously washing your hands is one of the best ways to protect yourself. And according to this abcnews story, you’ll also want to avoid touching ATMs, elevator buttons, grocery carts, yoga mats and mush more:

In three days, your kitchen table is going to be smothered in miniature bags of M&M’s, 100 Grand Bars and endless streams of candy corn. Your children will likely be bouncing off the walls, their eyes glazed over like butterscotch disks as they stare at the mounds of candy they’ve amassed after a night of successful Trick or Treating.

A recent story on AOL Health calls out kefir as one of the best immune-boosting foods to eat this winter. In the article, entitled “Foods to Boost Immunity” by writer Stephanie Tweito Jacob, American Dietetic Association spokesperson Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, says "We're not sure of all the reasons why our bodies break down, but we do know that food can absolutely help to build us up. It's so important to prevent illness to begin with by getting enough rest, exercising regularly, following a healthy diet and not skipping meals.”

We had a fantastic time at the ADA conference, and were thrilled to hear from Registered Dietitians and nutritionists from across the country who told us they routinely “prescribe” Lifeway kefir to their patients. From lactose intolerance to managing chemotherapy’s side effects, staying healthy while on antibiotics to living with Celiac Disease, kefir’s 10 strains of live and active cultures seem to be the nutrition professional’s tool of choice.