Kefir Kommunity

Fifty Shades of Probiotics

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:28:00 GMT

With E.L. James’ titillating novel sweeping women everywhere off their feet, we thought we’d see what all the fuss was about. Now we are blushing and searching for a glass of ice water to cool down with. But at Lifeway, we always like to be in on the action, so we thought we’d take a stab at this whole “erotic fiction” craze and write a sexy little scenario of our own. Indulge us:

For the third morning in a row, Lola had woken up feeling not quite like herself. As the sunlight streamed in through her gauzy white curtains and fell in wavy streaks across her tanned torso, the 23-year-old dancer stretched lazily, her freshly painted toes peeking out from beneath her crimson silk sheets. Normally she was full of energy when she woke, no matter how wild the previous evening may have been. But lately, a fog had seemed to settle in her head. She’d lost about five pounds without trying, and she’d found some odd bruises on her legs.

Lola reached for her iPhone and took a minute to scroll through the sexy pics she and her boy toy, Aléjandro, had taken the night before. A smile slowly crept across her lips as she remembered the steamy night that had begun with a bottle of Dom Pérignon Cuvée and ended with an icy carton of Lifeway Tart and Tangy Mango Frozen Kefir. How did he manage to convince her to try these wild stunts?

Searching through her Contacts list, Lola dialed her physician, Dr. Amidor, a long and lean Harvard graduate with silky blonde locks and a rock-hard butt. Angelina the receptionist answered and was mercifully able to squeeze Lola in that afternoon at 2pm. That left just enough time for a power yoga class, a steam session and a quick spin around the local farmer’s market for organic strawberries. Normally she liked to indulge in a sweet pastry in the morning, but recently, it seemed that anything with even a hint of wheat in it caused her to double over in pain.

At two o’clock, Lola showed up at Dr. Amidor’s office wearing her favorite DVF wrap dress, the one that clung in all the right places and came off with a simple tug. Angelina brought Lola back to Exam Room Three, handed her a flimsy blue gown and ordered her to get undressed. Lola kept her heels on…just for fun.

Dr. Amidor entered 15 minutes later, her sunshiny curls bouncing above a white lab coat that hinted at a rockin’ bod beneath. “What seems to be the problem, Lola?” she asked. Lola listed her symptoms: Fatigue, mental cloudiness, stomach upset, weight loss, easy bruising. Instantaneously, Dr. Amidor knew what was at play. “I think you might have Celiac disease,” she said, and proceeded to explain more about this painful, debilitating disease that occurs when a person cannot process gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. “But I think I know just what you need.” The doctor opened a small refrigerator and out came a bottle of Lifeway kefir. Pomegranate flavor. Low-fat.

“I want you to drink a glass of this a day,” she instructed, her hazel eyes glittering with anticipation. “It’s cold and silky and creamy-smooth. I just know it will help you feel better.” Lola had read about probiotics before, but they’d never seemed this, well, sexy. “Oh, and I need you to cut out anything with wheat, barley or rye. It will seem tricky at first, but I’ll hold your hand and walk you through it.”

“But before you get dressed,” Dr. Amidor continued, “I’ll need to perform an exam. Just lie back and relax, and I’ll take it from here…”

…Stay tuned for the next installment of Fifty Shades of Probiotics…

A Not-So-Brief History of Lifeway and NATO

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:53:00 GMT

With the NATO summit unfolding in our backyard this week end, we thought we’d try and distract ourselves from the traffic jams and bus delays its causing by looking back at how the history of NATO intertwines with our own history as a company. (Click the image to open a full-size version.)

More Lifeway Kefir Coming to A Store Near You

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Good news kefir lovers – more Lifeway Kefir products will be coming to Target stores this month! Lifeway Kefir is currently available in 170 Target stores across the country and over the next few weeks that number will nearly triple to over 450 stores!

In addition to bringing Lifeway Kefir into stores where it was not previously available, we will be offering a wider variety of Lifeway Kefir flavors in 8oz bottles, including Mango and Madagascar Vanilla! We understand that you're busy, so we're doing our part to make it easier for customers to grab a quick, nutritious meal or snack on the go.

Still can't find Lifeway Kefir in your favorite store? Download a list of our products that you can take to the customer service department: Download PDF

Get a taste of the Mediterranean

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:19:00 GMT

Little Susie Applebaum sat down to eat lunch during fifth period at All American Middle School. She opened her lunchbox and discovered a bologna and cheddar sandwich on white bread with mayo, a few crackers, and a brownie for dessert.

Thousands of miles away, Little Giovanna di Cosimo took a seat at her lunch table at Bella Signora Middle School. Giovanna unwrapped her lunch and found a whole wheat pita spread with hummus and stuffed with roasted vegetables, a small spinach salad drizzled with citrus and olive oil vinaigrette, and a container of grapes.

Guess which lil lady is healthier, and which one is on the road to obesity, heart disease and cancer? (*Cue Debbie Downer music*)

In a typical year, the average American downs a whopping 40 pounds of white bread, 75 pounds of added fats and 32 gallons of soda. True, we’ve gotten better at eating our veggies, but two-thirds of the “vegetables” we consumer are from potatoes (fried or mashed) and iceberg lettuce. As a result, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, and millions struggle with heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Compare that with the traditional eating patterns of the Mediterranean (Greece, South of France, Italy, Turkey). Those folks center their meals around whole grains, fruits and vegetables, heart-healthy olive oil, fish and lean meat and plenty of nuts, beans and seeds. They snack on walnuts and enjoy a glass of vino before dinner, whereas we munch on cheese curls and swig sugar-soaked energy drinks. As a result, Mediterraneans enjoy drastically reduced rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer and have a much higher life expectancy. One study found that eating Mediterranean as part of an overall healthful lifestyle was associated with a more than 50% lower rate of death from all causes.

May is National Mediterranean Diet Month and Oldways, creator of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid back in 1993,is featuring a host of top-notch Mediterranean-minded dietitians on their website, offering up recipes galore. We had the chance to chat with The Nutrition Twins– Lyssie Lakatos, RD, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD – who reminisced about growing up with a Thursday “pizza night” tradition. However, unlike most households where such a meal no doubt features artery-choking pepperoni and sausage, the twins’ mom was ahead of her time, whipping up a Mediterranean version featuring juicy plum tomatoes, artichoke hearts and feta cheese with basil and tangy black olives. (Here’s the recipe.)

The twins also treated us to a yummy Mediterranean-minded recipe for Chilled Watermelon Soup, perfect for a summer BBQ:

Chilled Watermelon Soup with Kefir

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients
•    4 cups seeded watermelon cubes
•    1/3 cup apple juice
•    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
•    1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
•    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•    1 tablespoon honey (optional)
•    1/3 cup plain nonfat kefir

Directions
Process first 5 ingredients and honey, if desired, in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill one hour. Serve in individual bowls and top with a generous swirl of kefir.

Join in the Mediterranean Month conversation on Twitter, sharing your recipes and thoughts, by using the hashtag #MedMonth.

Starfruit Frozen Kefir Comes to Whole Foods

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:59:00 GMT

We've got some fantastic news for kefir fans in the Boston metro area! Starfruit soft serve frozen kefir (powered by Lifeway, naturally) is now available at the cafe inside Whole Foods Wellesley! Stop in for a taste of our original frozen kefir, or one of the rotating fruit flavors with a yummy assortment of toppings.

Also on the menu are four of our yummy Starfruit Signature Smoothies - Berry Good 4U, The Diva, Breakfast Blast and Reloaded. So head to Whole Foods Wellesley, or if you're in Chicago, come to one of our four Starfruit locations!

Starfruit hasn't landed in your town yet? Use our store locator to look for Lifeway Frozen Kefir near you!

The Kefir Saga: 5 Things Lifeway Kefir and Vampires Have in Common

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:36:00 GMT

Hello Lifeway readers! My name is Natalie and I’m the newest member of the Lifeway family. When I first started back in December I was a real kefir novice - I could only really tell you what I’d read on the bottle. But around here, you go from novice to expert pretty quickly by handling customer emails and phone calls. When I didn’t know the answer to someone’s question I’d ask one of my friendly co-workers for help, which is how I was introduced to our CFO Edward’s quirky sense of humor.

A customer sent us some feedback about how she thought drinking kefir had helped her to control her allergies – having never heard that before, I forwarded it to a few people, including Eddie. He responded, “It's a super food, ask the office. I've never been sick, had an allergy, etc. In fact yesterday I was run over by a train, and had kefir before and after, and suffered few side effects. It makes you like a vampire. Only sun and garlic can harm you."

Of course he was exaggerating, but when I got done laughing I started thinking about it, and there are a lot of coincidences between Lifeway Kefir and Dracula’s decedents!

1. Survival skills – Vampires are famously resilient, only vulnerable to sunlight, garlic and a wooden steak to the heart. Likewise, probiotics are resistant to acid and bile, and are able thrive in the rough environment in your intestinal tract.

2. Forever young – Vampires never age, which is great news if you get bitten in your 30s when you’re at a good place in your life, not so great if you’re doomed to be 15 years old forever. While kefir won’t necessarily stop time, Lifeway Kefir’s exclusive blend of probiotics “ProBoost™” have been clinically proven to support immunity and enhance digestion, as well as boost your well-being in several ways. So you’ll feel young forever!

3. Strange beauty – Maybe Nosferatu isn’t such a looker, but most big screen vampires are. Long, dark hair, flawless porcelain skin, and sometimes, they’re even a little sparkly. Not only does drinking kefir make you feel great, which translates to smiling more, standing a little taller, and generally looking good – but you can also use it to achieve the same gorgeous hair skin and nails of your favorite undead heart throb. Check out our kefir beauty secrets to find out how!

4. Turkish wordplay - The year 1047 marked the first appearance of the word "upyr" (the Turkish word for “witch,” an early form of the word "vampire") in a document referring to a Russian prince. Over 1000 years earlier, people in the Caucasus Mountains started to enjoy a cultured milk drink called kefir, derived from “keif,” the Turkish word for “good feeling.”

5. Always on trend – Vampire legends have been around for nearly 1000 years, but they are just as popular now as they were then, and every few years they reinvent themselves for a whole new crop of fans. Horrific Nosferatu thrilled movie-goers in the 1920’s, a few years later Bela Lugosi made the ladies swoon as Dracula. The 70s and 80s were packed with good-looking blood-suckers preying on disco and club-goers and then came Interview with a Vampire in 1994 (Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, hello!) These days we have True Blood and Twilight keeping vampires relevant and there’s no doubt the trend will continue forever! Likewise, Lifeway Kefir got its start back in 1986 by bringing a 2000 year old concept to the modern era. Over the years we grew and changed – always trying new things like La Fruta, a kefir drink found in Hispanic markets, or ProBugs – a line of organic whole milk kefir made just for kids. These days Lifeway Kefir is available in hundreds of varieties – and our newest flavors of frozen kefir are taking fans by storm!

So maybe what Eddie said wasn’t such a stretch after all – maybe kefir and vampires go together like peanut butter and jelly. But just in case we’re wrong, you might want to stay away from train tracks for a while longer!

James and the Giant Peach Kefir

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:16:00 GMT

Don’t worry if you didn’t have a chance to trick any friends yesterday for April Fool’s Day; today is yet another fun holiday: International Children's Book Day. Honoring the birthday of Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, April 2 is a day to encourage reading and promotes the love of books for children. We asked some Lifeway employees with young kids about their little ones’ favorite bedtime stories:

Natalie: “My son Teno just turned six and he's checked the same book out of the school library for five weeks in a row - Life-Size Zoo. He's always gravitated toward encyclopedia-style books rather than story books, but the huge photos and silly-but-true facts in this series are perfect for a good bedtime cuddle session. We've read it so many times it can get a little boring, so we change things up by naming the different animals after family members. Not sure how my husband feels about being the gorilla, but Teno sure thinks it's funny.

He's also a huge fan of a book called The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. It's a silly reimagining of classic fairy tales with lots of goofy twists and turns and really cool illustrations. The copy we read at night was actually mine when I was a kid. My mom's a 2nd grade teacher so my siblings and I always had the coolest bedtime stories.”

Marina: “Sofia, 2, loves looking at pictures in the Little Mermaid book. I only read to her books in Russian but this book is in English, so I just describe what's in the picture and translate the story into Russian. Now she picks up the book and wants to read it herself; she repeats what I've been describing, pretends that she is one of the characters (like a shark with large teeth) and makes up her own stories and songs!”

Julie: We read before bedtime. It's a nice time to wind down the day, have quiet time, cuddle, talk about the day and what's going on. It's precious. Like most little girls, mine – Leah, 3, and Misha, 1 - love pink. The little girl in Pinkalicious loved pink cupcakes so much one day she ate too many and turned pink. We have a phrase in our house: "You get what you get and you don't get upset," which is from the book; that sends a good message to be grateful for what we get, especially when little ones want one more piece of candy, or another toy, etc.

My little ones also love the simplicity of Goodnight Moon, as well as the slower rhythm I read it in. It calms them down. Then we say goodnight to some of the things in their room.”

Maria: My little kiddo (8 month old Denis) LOVES to be read to in general; this is the only time that he can sit quietly and take a break from constantly moving around! As long as there are pictures to look at and pages to be turn and chewed on-he will listed to anything!

And, just for fun, we’ve also reimagined a few classic kid tales…with a healthy kefiri-ffic twist:

Cloudy with a Chance of Farmer’s Cheese
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blueberry Lowfat Kefir
The Little Engine That Could Eat Probiotics
Green Kefir and Ham
Charlie and the Chocolate Chip Sweet Kiss Factory

Harry Pomegranate and the Deathly Hallows

James and the Giant Peach Kefir
Are You My Mother? (If so, may I please have a ProBugs?)
Guess How Much I Love Frozen Kefir

The Smarter Cinnamon Challenge

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:56:00 GMT

Warning: The stunts discussed within this blog post may be considered dangerous and should not be imitated. Recordings of any stunts will not be aired on Lifeway.net

If you’ve ever seen Jackass’ Steve-O stuff his underwear full of raw chicken and shimmy along a tightrope over a pond full of alligators, you know that some stunts are just plain idiotic. So upon first glance, the "Cinnamon Challenge" sweeping the nation seems fairly benign. All you have to do is swallow a teaspoon of cinnamon without water in 60 seconds.

But as GloZell and thousands of other spicy risk-takers have shown us, this game is hardly sugar and spice and everything nice. Swallowing cinnamon is a surefire way to induce a horrific coughing fit, possibly make yourself vomit and can even irritate your lungs.

At Lifeway, we know when a bet is worth taking (like when someone dared us to drink an entire bottle of strawberry-banana kefir while doing a handstand – no problemo!) and when we need to take a pass. Besides, the last time we purposefully inhaled a fragrant herb, we were just crazy college kids.

But we do love us some cinnamon, in appropriate doses, that is. The spice has potent health benefits, including the ability to lower blood sugar and stop the growth of bacteria. Fertility experts also consider it a “warming” food, and believe it, combined with other holistic measures, may help certain women conceive.

Our resident chef extraordinaire, Natalie, has whipped up a cinnamon-infused delight that will not leave you gagging, spitting or cursing. If you want to upload something to YouTube, blend yourself this spring-themed smoothie and record yourself drinking down a tasty treat. No choking required.

1 cup Lifeway Vanilla Lowfat Kefir

1 cup frozen, unsweetened peaches

1 T honey

½ tsp ground cinnamon (or more, if you’re feeling spicy!)

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch ground ginger

March Madness, Kefir Style

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:39:00 GMT

It’s March Madness, and whether you’re a member of the Big Blue Nation rooting for your beloved Kentucky Wildcats or just watching the NCAA Tournament because you like hanging out at sports bars and drinking Miller Lite, chances are you’ve placed a bet in some bracket or another. But why limit yourself to hoops? We decided to get a little creative and draw up some brackets of our own here at Lifeway, pitting some of our favorite creamy, tart n tangy products against each other in the ultimate foodie faceoff. Will frozen strawberry kefir trounce our special Every Mother Count blueberry kefir? Will BioKefir dominate ProBugs? Place your bets now!

While we’re at it, here are a few other faceoffs we’d like to see:

Cupcakes versus Whoopie Pies
Fruits versus Vegetables (go artichokes!)
Real Housewives versus Rock of Love ladies
Books versus Kindle
Lefties versus Righties
Dogs versus Cats
Celebs versus Paparazzi
Famous astrologers versus famous astronomers (we can never remember the difference, anyhow!)

And the Winner Is...

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:51:00 GMT

We’re very excited to announce the winner of our national Every Mother Counts Sweepstakes! The sweepstakes winner is Tonya Hoffmeister from Kokomo, Indiana!

Every Mother Counts is an advocacy and mobilization campaign founded by Christy Turlington Burns to increase education and support for maternal mortality reduction globally.

Mrs. Hoffmeister won the sweepstakes grand prize which includes an April 16^th trip to Chicago to meet Christy, and experience a viewing of her “No Woman, No Cry” documentary. The film explores the challenges faced by at-risk pregnant women in various parts of the world.

Following the event, we’ll be hosting a question-and-answer panel with Christy and Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky, who has become an advocate for EMC, most recently visiting Bangladesh and running the New York City Marathon for Team EMC to raise awareness for the cause. The panel will be moderated by Jane M. Hussein Saks, executive director at the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College in Chicago.

There are still lots of prizes up for grabs so visit the Lifeway Kefir Facebook Page for more information and to enter!