Kefir Kommunity

• 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.
   

According to international health expert Dr. Dean Ornish, the average American will pack on 1 to 1½ pounds during the holiday season. Multiply that by the next 20 or so years and that’s a massive muffin top staring you down from underneath the mistletoe.

Arm yourself to fight holiday weight gain with our hunger-busting, buffet-surviving tips:

Wear fitted clothing It’s easy to gorge when you’re wearing elastic pants. As you peruse your closet and choose an outfit for your upcoming holiday dinner party, slip into something a little less comfortable. You’ll be far less likely to overdo it if you’re self-conscious that your button-down shirt might explode open all over Aunt Syndey.

Drink up But not the egg nog! Before you hit the holiday cocktail party, down a glass or two of water. A study out of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University found that dieters who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals over the course of 12 weeks lost five pounds more than dieters who skipped the H20.

BYO If you’re nervous your family’s holiday food fest will be full of nothing but creamed green beans topped with French-fried onions and buttery mashed potatoes, bring your own healthy dish. It doesn’t have to be boring: Try a creative salad, shrimp cocktail, some creamy tomato bisque (made with kefir, of course) or maybe some kefir guacamole.

A few more excellent tips from Dr. Ornish himself:

• Put 20 percent fewer high-calorie foods and 20 percent more fruits and vegetables on your plate. Studies show that you probably won’t notice the difference.
  
• Eat the healthier foods first – they will fill you up somewhat, so you’ll be less likely to overeat the more indulgent foods.
  
• Choose foods that leave evidence – ie, keep the shrimp tails and chicken wing bones on your plate after you’ve eaten them. Studies show that if you have cues to see how much you’ve eaten, you’ll eat less.
• Arrive a little late and make a grand entrance. More of the indulgent foods will be gone by then.
  
• Substitute cranberry sauce for gravy, which is usually high in fat and calories. Cranberry sauce is nutritious and loaded with antioxidants.
  
• Close your eyes and savor the food periodically during the meal. You’ll consume fewer calories and experience more pleasure.
  
• Take a walk after dinner. You don’t have to hike five miles. A stroll around the block is a good start. Walking not only burns calories, it also helps relieve bloating and prevent heartburn.
  

For eleven months, the pages on your calendar have flipped by, the stars have slowly been aligning, all to get us to this magical date: 11.11.11. The special date has been linked to everything from the purported 2012 Mayan Apocalypse to Jessica Simpson’s shotgun wedding. (Some might even consider them the same thing.) 

Most people deem Nov.11, 2011 an extremely lucky date, numerically speaking – and we agree! We say, why wait until January 1 to start making some changes when 11/11/11 has such a better ring to it? Some ideas on how Lifeway kefir can help you achieve your New Year’s Resolutions:

If your New Year’s Resolution is: To lose weight

Why don’t you: Start drinking a glass of Lifeway kefir a day. Research shows that people who consume a lower-calorie diet that includes low- or non-fat dairy shed nearly twice as many pounds as those who only cut calories.

If your New Year’s Resolution is:Drink Less Alcohol

Why don’t you: Drink more kefir! We’ve even been to parties where the hostess served low fat pomegranate kefir in chilled martini glasses!

If your New Year’s Resolution is: To reduce stress

Why don’t you: Drink more kefir. New research out of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center suggests that probiotics – the good bacteria that make kefir so healthy – might be capable of delivering neuroactive compounds to help improve psychological health. The theory behind this new wave of medicine lies in a potential connection between gut microbes and the nervous system. Kefir also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the body relax (think of the feeling you get after eating a big Thanksgiving dinner…that fatigue is from the turkey, which is rich in the same amino acid.)

If your New Year’s Resolution is: Feed my child healthier food.

Why don’t you: Pick up some Probugs™. Our line of creamy, organic whole milk kefir with fun characters and flavors appeals to even the most finicky of eaters. With a no-spill spout and easy-to-grip package, Probugs™ are great for tiny hands and even better for growing bodies. High in bone-building calcium and energy-sustaining protein, kefir contains 10 live and active cultures (friendly bacteria) that help little bellies stay calm and developing immune systems healthy. Plus, kids love the funny names and goofy characters, Orange Creamy Crawler and Sublime Slime Lime. 

If your New Year’s Resolution is: Start recycling

Why don’t you: Buy from eco-conscious companies, like Lifeway Foods. We buy local, which means less packaging and fewer miles being traveled.  And most of our packaging and production materials are either biodegradable or recyclable.  We also buy renewable energy credits to offset the electricity used in our production facilities; our credits are equivalent to planting 335 acres of trees.  And at our headquarters, even our office furniture is recyclable!

What’s your 11.11.11 resolution?

Delicious? Absolutely. Convenient? You bet. Waistline-friendly? Hell, no.

Happy 2011! We’ve got great news to usher in your new year: According to USA.gov, the most popular New Year’s resolutions are:

Drnk Less Alcohol

Get a Better Education

Save Money

Get Fit

Lose Weight:

Manage Debt

Manage Stress

Quit Smoking

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Take a Trip

Get a Better Job

Volunteer to Help Others

All sorts of gadgets exist to help us monitor how much we’re eating and how fast we’re doing it: iPhone apps and BodyBuggs, bowls marked like measuring cups inside and even high-tech forks and spoons that flash green, signaling “Time to eat.” (After 40 seconds, the light switches to red, telling you to Put Down The Fork for 25 seconds.) 

The hot weather is inching its way nearer and nearer and we all know what that means: Bathing suit season. But if your itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini has you feeling like a hibernating bear, it’s time to start shaping up. And Lifeway is here to help!

If you’re having a difficult time sticking to your New Year’s resolution to lose 10 pounds, there might be someone – or some thing – to blame, other than your penchant for late night snacking. New research out of Emory University, Cornell University and the University of Colorado at Boulder suggests that intestinal bacteria called gut microflora may be conspiring against you, making your store excess fat when all you want is to be thin.