If you are serious about boosting your immunity and increasing your daily energy, then adding traditionally fermented foods to your diet is a must and Body Ecology's Kefir Starter is essential to your health regimen.

Kefir, which means "feel good" in Turkish, is an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem" to maintain optimal health and strengthen immunity.

Kefir's tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, and it contains beneficial yeast as well as the friendly "probiotic" bacteria found in yogurt. When used regularly, the naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in Kefir combine symbiotically to help balance your intestinal flora and boost your immunity.

Among its many beneficial powers, Kefir also does the folowing:

• Provides supplemental nourishment for pregnant and nursing women
• Contributes to your healthy immune system
• Promotes a relaxing effect on the nervous system and benefit many who seek a restful night's sleep
• Helps support your normal intestinal tract function, promote bowel movements and your healthy digestive system -- and is beneficial after the use of antibiotics to restore balance to the digestive tract

Curbs unhealthy food cravings by making your body more nourished and balanced

The exceptional nutritional content of Kefir offers a wealth of healthy benefits to people in every type of condition. More than just beneficial bacteria, Kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help your body with its natural healing powers and maintenance functions.

The complete proteins in Kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body.

Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in Kefir, is well-known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because it also offers loads of calcium and magnesium -- both of which are critical for a healthy nervous system -- Kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

Rich in vitamin B12, B1, and vitamin K, Kefir is an excellent source of biotin, a B vitamin which aids the body's absorption of other B vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The many advantages of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the normal function of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping promote healthy looking skin, boosting energy and promoting longevity. Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus -- the second most abundant mineral in our bodies -- helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.

While both Kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products, they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep your digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that already are present. Kefir actually helps to colonize your intestinal tract -- a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Additionally, Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species. It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Kefir and Torula Kefir, which help balance the intestinal flora, including promotion of beneficial yeast in the body by penetrating the mucosal lining. They form a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and helps strengthen the intestines.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria may provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. The curd size of Kefir is smaller than yogurt, so it's also easier to digest, making it an ideal food for babies, the elderly, and anyone with digestive health concerns.

Ingredients:

Carrier: dextrose, waterfree

Lactose-intolerant?

Unlike yogurt, the lactose in Kefir is all digested by the time it is ingested, and some of the proteins have been broken down -- so even most individuals with sensitivities to milk can use it.

Kefir can be made from any type of milk: goat, cow, or sheep. Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particle granules. This makes Kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms these granules.

How Kefir is made - The granules contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars that ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The granules are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the Kefir and added to a new batch of milk.

Body Ecology Kefir Starter is specifically designed to help you cultivate, nourish, cleanse and balance your abundant inner ecosystem effectively and naturally.

Here is a great video of Truth Calkins at The Longevity Now Conference demonstrating the different things you can do with your Kefir starter packs!

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Detailed Information

Detailed Information

Ingredients	Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus Kefyr, Candiad Kefyr, and Sacharomyces unisporus.
Size	6 packets of starter
Shelf Life	Expiration date on box, good one year in fridge
Storage	Refrigerate
Suggested Use	To activate starter for initial usage: '  Into container (preferably glass with lid), mix together the entire contents of one foil package of kefir starter and one quart of slightly warmed milk (about skin temperature or 92 degrees). '  Shake, stir or whip with a whisk to mix well. Put lid on container. '  Let this mixture ferment at 72-75 F for 18-24 hours. (You will notice it is ready if the milk has thickened and has a distinctive, sour fragrance. Final consistency is pourable but not "eat with a spoon" thick.) '  Once thickened, shake or stir vigorously and place into the refrigerator. Even in your refrigerator the fermentation process continues, but chilling will slow down the fermentation of the healthy bacteria and beneficial yeast. '  Directions for transferring kefir after the initial batch has been made and directions for making kefir cheese are included on packaging.