Re: die off

Hunt is right!

Kefir contains yeasts and many candida sufferers are allergic to yeast (and to candida itself).

When I tried kefir cultures, I had an allergic reaction (for me its symptoms in the skin and also increase burning in the gut).

So you may very well be reacting to the yeast in the kefir.

Why don't you stick to yoghurt? I make my own with my probiotics (tons of it) and eat it twice a day.

Here's a recipe - very easy to make even for a kitchen clutz like me.


Homemade probiotic yogurt

The commercial probiotics capsules do not have the required amounts of friendly gut bacteria needed to repopulate your small intestine with Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces. But there is a simple way of cheaply making your own powerful “living” kefir or yoghurt:

Take those capsules of probiotic cultures you have bought (ThreeLac, 5Lac etc.) and add them to a pint of any store bought organic whole milk “pro-biotic” yoghurt or kefir drink. verify that it is not pasteurized and that the label mentions “live active cultures”. Only use glass or stainless containers. Metals and plastics seem to harm the bacteria. Take care not to use fluoridated of chlorinated water with any living lactobacillus cultures.

Heat up two quarts of heavy cream (containing less lactose than whole milk) to 80°C / 180 °F for a couple of minutes to destroy any undesirable bacteria.

As an alternative, you can also use skim milk, powdered milk, whole milk, regular homogenized milk and even some types of soy milk – just as long as there are enough milk sugars or added sugars to feed the good lactobacteria.

Then let it cool to room temperature. Thoroughly stir in the store-bought probiotic yoghurt and the probiotic supplements.

homemade-yoghurtPour the mixture into a sealable container and close it off. Keep the yoghurt mix lukewarm at around 44 °C / 112 °F for at least 12 to 48 hours – in a large thermos for example. For best results, start incubating your brew at room temperature and increase the temperature gradually to 44 °C / 112 °F. This procedure is of course a lot easier with a yoghurt-making machine.

The kefir/yoghurt becomes “alive” after 6 – 12 hours, but remember: The longer you wait and let the yoghurt mature, the more lactose is eaten up by the bacteria and the more probiotics have been generated. Conversely, the longer you wait and let the mixture “brew”, the sourer and more acidic it becomes. Let your lactose-tolerance level and taste decide.

Save some as “starter” culture for your next batch.

After a few “generations” of yoghurt making, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus always likes to dominate the culture, so when making a probiotic yoghurt, make a fresh batch every couple of “generations” with a new starter mixture.

These beneficial bacteria can be used in your home-made kefir/yoghurt:

B. breve, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, S. boulardii, S. thermophilus.