Health Booster – Kefir Tea

By : Yogurt Hydro | 15 Comments | On : February 20, 2015 | Category : Fermentation, Food, Kefir, Probiotic, Recipes, Tea, Water Kefir (WK)

I had a long week. Between birthday celebrations (that should read “a few too many drinks:)), house guests, an unfortunate 3-day issue with our water pump on the farm, and getting up at 4:30 every morning – I was exhausted.

I was really beginning to feel the effects of my body getting run down. I was sneezy, had the beginning of a sore throat, and was achy in general.
I very rarely get sick, but if I skip too much sleep, I almost always feel it – like a cold coming on.

As I mentioned, I rarely get sick. I might get a slight head cold once every 4 years.
It may be because I drink a lot of teas (I always add ginger), eat only home cooked meals, and I don’t work out – but I work hard physically. At least, that is my theory;).

When I feel a cold coming on, this is how I treat it; in general I recover within HOURS, not days or weeks. A good nights sleep seals the deal.
I don’t know how it will work for you, but it can only help!

The cure for me has always been food & beverage choices and a good nights sleep.
When I do get really ill, I stick to a liquid diet. Easier digestion means your body can use that energy for healing rather than processing a meal, and the extra hydration helps your liver eliminate toxins, and keeps mucus thin.

First, I took 2 echinacea caplets. Echinacea is an excellent start to kicking a cold. It works as a natural antibiotic and immunity booster and is great for upper respiratory issues.
If you have the loose herb or root, it could be added to your tea instead. (Don’t use echinacea if it isn’t needed, it will lose effectiveness over time. Every other ingredient listed can be taken freely.)

I started a chicken broth for later. The wives tale is true. Chicken soup helps fight a cold. Canned soup helps too, so no need to knock yourself out cooking if you just need to lay down!!

Water Kefir Tea

…And I made vast quantities of tea. A great big pot of it to last all day.
(The little pot above was only for pictures;))

I used Black Tea as the base flavor (my favorite!), loaded up the boiled water with a fair amount of ginger root, fresh cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and a little honey. I leave everything in the pot except the tea. Tea is removed after 5 minutes or it can impart bitterness.

All of these ingredients are good for fighting colds. Black tea (which is really fermented green tea) is rich in antioxidants and complex flavonoids, and relaxes airways, not to mention I needed a little caffeine boost until I had time for a nap! Lemon and honey will sooth the throat, peppers can act as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory, and ginger is great for the immune system.

The cayenne pepper stimulates all body systems, promoting healing and also works as a catalyst; making the other herbs more effective. Taking the cayenne & ginger as a combination helps clear bronchial tubes as well.

All ingredients have many other health benefits. I’ll add one caveat: I love black tea, and the caffeine doesn’t make me jittery, but some people have a low tolerance for caffeine. Just substitute the black tea with your favorite tea.

I used half of it to fill a ceramic tea pot and drank that hot; the other half was left to cool completely before I mixed in unflavored Water Kefir in a 1:1 ratio to the tea and chilled it in the fridge.
Don’t add the tea until it has cooled, you will damage the probiotics.

So now I’ve added probiotics to the mix, which keep gut flora in balance contributing to the overall health of your entire system.

After drinking a few glasses of kefir-tea, a bowl of homemade chicken soup, and a half decent (I managed 6.5 hours!) sleep, I am 99% better today – and still drinking the kefir tea mix.

It’s a pretty tasty way to fight a cold. :)

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