kombucha tea

How to Make Kombucha Tea
healthy living

Join the Kombucha Tea Craze and See How It's Made

Have you noticed that your health food markets have stocked fridges full of kombucha tea?
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Have you noticed that your health food markets have stocked fridges full of kombucha tea? In only a few years, kombucha has become king of the healthy beverage craze. Loved for its fizziness and signature sweet and sour flavor, fans of kombucha also love its probiotics, B vitamins, and beneficial acids — kombucha is practically liquid gold with the cost of a 16-ounce bottle averaging $4. It should be noted, however, that this traditional Eastern-originating brew has not undergone Western scientific research to support all of its health claims.

We met up with brewmaster Otto Thorsen of Three Stone Hearth, a community cooperative kitchen in Berkeley, CA, to learn the basics of brewing a delicious kombucha tea. Stay tuned for a detailed recipe for black tea kombucha and my experience making a home brew.

Essential Ingredient Scoby in the Starter Liquid Brew Your Tea Primary and Secondary Fermentation Spice Up the Flavor Trial and Error
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What Is Kombucha Tea?
Food

Is Kombucha Tea Worth All the Hype?

You're asking and I'm answering .
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You're asking and I'm answering . . .
Dear FitSugar,
Kombucha tea seems to be all the rage at my local grocery store. There are
many purported health benefits such as improved digestion and circulation.
Can you please let us know if there is substance behind the Kombucha hype?
Many thanks!!
– Kombucha Betty

I know many folks, Cameron Diaz for one, that love, love, LOVE this tea. It is true that the benefits listed on the bottles are endless – Kombucha seems to cure just about everything but bunions. All that aside, clinical studies in humans are seriously lacking so there is no direct scientific evidence to back up the health claims found on the bottle. However, researchers have found potent antioxidant effects as well as stimulation of the immune system in animal populations with limited toxicity. That is good news. Kombucha is prepared by fermenting sweetened black tea with a symbiotic culture of yeasts and bacteria, creating a slightly carbonated "tea" thus earning the nickname "champagne of life." It could be the high caffeine and sugar content that provide drinkers of this "Manchurian mushroom" (that isn't really a mushroom) a boost in energy.

Bottom line: None of the purported health benefits of Kombucha tea can be backed with scientific evidence in human populations, so hopefully someone will study this soon. The fact that a not-so-pleasant tasting, slightly acidic drink has been around since 221 B.C. suggests some folks truly find it beneficial. So drinking it can't really hurt you, but do be wary of homemade brew because it is easily contaminated.

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Get the Snack: Cameron Diaz
healthy snacks

Get the Snack: Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz has been looking very healthy and fit these days.
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Cameron Diaz has been looking very healthy and fit these days. We've seen her hit the gym and the beach for workouts lately and it sure is paying off.

Cameron's known for eating a bunch of small meals throughout the day, so it's no wonder that she was spotted toting around a very healthy snack recently. Honestly, it looks like a snack I could get into, so here's what she's eating:

  • Blue Corn Chips: They're great because they're made with organic corn, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, no trans fat, made with expelled pressed oil, Kosher certified and cooked in filtered water.
  • GT's Organic Raw Kombucha: It's got probiotics, live active enzymes, L-Theanine (an amino acid), organic acids and Polyphenols (antioxidants). The taste is an acquired one, one that you love or hate.
  • Water. I'm actually surprised that Cameron is not drinking out of a reusable water bottle, like a Sigg, but water is important to drink through out the day. Here she's opted for a 1.5 liter bottle of Poland Spring.

It also looks like she has some healthy leftovers too, which she does have in a reusable container. I'd also be willing to bet there is some protein in there too.

There are more pics of Cammie and her healthy snack, not to mention her cute (and simple) headbands, so read more