Happy Friiiiday, my loves! Today we are going to talk Kombucha & sparkling probiotic drinks, because questions about the benefits of both are some of the most frequently asked questions I get from you guys on Snapchat, Insta & the blog. I think part of that is due to the fact that I drink both of them a LOT and have been a fan of the bubbly yumminess long before it was a “thing,” and also because kombucha is such a buzz word in the health world right now but a lot of people don’t actually know what it is.
So, let’s chit chat details.
There is actually a difference between the two. I am going to tell you about a particular brand because that makes it easiest to discuss both types of bevvies, and I also love this brand a lot so it’s a win win. The brand is called KeVita, and they’re the perf company to share with you because they sell both kombucha AND Sparkling Probiotic Drinks! Basically, they’re making health fun for us by bottling up a bunch of healthy bacteria that we need in order to thrive, and putting it into a delicious, organic, fruit-filled, low-glycemic beverage for us to sip on and enjoy. I can’t rave about this stuff enough.
Why am I so obsessed, you ask? Well…
KeVita’s Sparkling Probiotic Drinks contain beneficial Live Probiotics (4 Billion CFU’s) to help you feel your best each day — I’ll get to WHY you need probiotics in your life in a sec. Every bottle is handcrafted with their culture, organic fruit and whole plant extracts. They are all Certified Organic, Project Verified Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Kosher. (SCORE.)
They come in 11 yummy flavors options with 10 low-cal options that are naturally sweetened with stevia and contain no added sugar. I am ALL about those options, because you know I am not much of a fruity person. I gear toward the ginger and coconut flavors (like I do with everything), but they all taste really good. The mojito one is extra fun to sip on if you’re in THAT kinda mood. 😉
For those of you looking to replace your soda habit… This is the perfect go-to. And for those like me, who are doing a sugar-free January!
And thennnn there is kombucha. My LOVE. That awesome lil’ buzzword I know you’ve heard so much about but may still be like um what is that. Kombucha is a fermented tea, and in KeVita’s case it is handcrafted from fermented green and black tea leaves. Similar to the probiotic drink, it contains beneficial Live Probiotics, B Vitamins and Organic Acids for a naturally energizing boost. It’s Non-Alcoholic, for those who were wondering, and just like the probiotic drink its Certified Organic, Project Verified Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Kosher. Those are all staple categories when it comes to what I put into my fridge/pantry, so if it wasn’t natural and full of goodness for you… I wouldn’t be telling you about it.
Why Do I Need Probiotics In My Life?
Well, there are various reasons you may want to incorporate more probiotics into your life. Firstly, life is stressful. We get overworked and fatigued, we may have trouble sleeping (if you’re anything like me), or we may have a vodka soda too many on the weekend… So you need GOOD bacteria in your tummy to help you feel your best. This type of beneficial bacteria lives in your gut and keeps your system in fighting form. Without it, the bad bacteria takes over, and you feel bloated, fuzzy-minded and overall pretty “bleh.”
Probiotics power up your digestive system by adding that good bacteria back into your tum tum. That also means helping with the absorption of nutrients and vitamins. I have a serious absorption issue due to my food allergies and my eating disorder past, so this improved absorption from probiotics helps me get more nutritional value out of my food and helps to regulate my digestive system. It also gives me more energy— but without the caffeine crash! 70% of our immunity lives in our stomachs… Did you know that?!
If you’ve been sick recently and taken any antibiotics or prescription drugs, then your intestinal health may silently be suffering. When you take medications, your intestinal flora ends up taking a bit of a hit. Adding probiotics to your diet (especially after the antibiotic or drug regimen) can help offset the meds. When I was on heavy medication for my ulcer last year, probiotics SAVED me. I sipped on ginger kombucha every day and also took a probiotic pill to build my healthy gut flora back up. It worked wonders.
Also, kombucha & Sparkling Probiotic Drinks taste good. I’m not telling you to down liquid cough syrup or anything like that. Trust me. This is a ridiculously delicious way to stay uber healthy.
Hitting You With Some More Kombucha Benefits…
Kombucha has been called the “Immortal Health Elixir” in Chinese culture for over 2,000 years. We are only just now coming around to it in the West.
It is NATURALLY ENERGIZING, so it allows your body to still do the work of ramping up energy versus inundating yourself with caffeine through a bunch of coffee in the AM. (Not to say I don’t also do that, lol).
Why I Love These Drinks
Beyond the digestion aid and the natural energy boost, I love sipping on something fizzy in between meals when I start to get a little hungry but don’t have time to sit down and eat yet. It’s the perfect thing to curb that mid-morning or mid-afternoon sugar craving too, because it has just the right amount of natural sugar but won’t leave you with that yucky feeling sugar-hangover afterward.
How Else Can I Drink Them?
I took the liberty of creating this yummy Sparkling Probiotic COCKTAIL for you guys! If I am going to drink alcohol, then you bet I am planning on putting some goodness into my gut at the same time (and to stay super hydrated… which this helps with as well).
For my Probiotic Cocktail, I combined the 1 cup of the Ginger flavor with 1.5 shots of vodka and a couple squeezes of fresh lemon. It’s basically heavenly. You can also omit the vodka and just drink your probiotic beverage in a fun cocktail glass, because it always feels fancy and exciting to do that. 😉 I’m a dork, I know. But it’s true!
Q&A:
From Cherlyn on Snapchat: I always get really bloated from drinking kombucha. Why?
Since everyone’s body is so different and we all react differently to kombucha and similar drinks/foods, I would consult a health care professional to find out why exactly your body reacts that way. I am sorry I can’t give you a better answer — but some people’s bodies just react that way to certain foods due to intolerances/allergies/gut bacteria buildup/etc, so it may be worth getting checked out.
From Emily on Twitter: When is the best time to drink kombucha?
Honestly, it’s a personal choice! Kombucha and probiotic drinks are not a nutritional or dietary supplement, so it is up to you — drink however much/little feels the best! Your body will get used to the probiotics, so you can taper up if you’d like and have about two bottles a day and feel great. 🙂
Giveaway:
We are giving away one 6 MONTH SUPPLY of KEVITA.
•All you have to do is follow KeVita on Instagram & Like them on Facebook! Then comment below on this blog post and tell me that you’ve done both of those things, and I will choose a winner at random at 8am PST next Friday. Bonus points if you tell me why you think KeVita would greatly improve your life! (I.e. Gut health, natural energy in the a.m., deliciousness, recovery from antibiotics, etc.)
Check out KeVita’s store locator to see where you can purchase in your area! They’re all over!