Kombucha tea has been dubbed a “wonder drink,” an all natural weight loss tonic, a diet enhancer, a veritable fountain of youth in a bottle. Perhaps you’ve picked up kombucha tea, unscrewed the cap to hear a muted “poof” and even courageously taken a swig.
Instantly, you feel different And you want to know more about this Kombucha tea business, and precisely why you’re missing three dollars and forty-nine cents from your wallet.
Since as early as the Tsin Chinese Dynasty of 221 BC, Kombucha tea’s popularity has been documented throughout history in all corners of the world from Russia to India, Germany to Japan. Kombucha health benefits include stimulating the immune system, preventing cancer, improving digestion and liver function, increased energy, sharper eyesight, and a clearing of the skin, among other things.
So What is Kombucha Tea?
(And what are all those wormy-looking floaties squirming around in the bottle?)
Kombucha is fermented tea made by adding a colony of bacteria and yeast to sugar and black or green tea. The resulting fermented liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds. The “floaties” are known as the mother (the remains of the colony that brought on the whole fermentation process), which is healthy to consume.
Kombucha tea tastes… different. It’s an acquired taste.
You’e not likely to confuse Kombucha tea with Snapple, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew. Kombucha tastes more like… unfiltered apple cider vinegar. But after you get over the initial novelty, you’ll find that most Kombucha drinks grow on you. As strange as Kombucha tea seems at first glug, I’ll admit that I’m hooked to the stuff, and I always seem to have a bottle or two sitting in the fridge, patiently waiting to relieve my next hangover or tummy-ache.
Will Kombucha Help Me Burn Fat?
Kombucha is packed with probiotics that aid digestion, which in turn speeds fat-burning. You will definitely feel a rush with the first swig. When my stomach is unsettled, I find a few sips of kombucha tea helps. As far as the more outlandish claims about curing cancer and improved eyesight, well, I’m not banking on it. But I’ll settle for a drink that makes me feel awesome and settles my stomach, because – let’s face it – soda and energy drinks certainly don’t do that.
Many farmer’s markets and several chains including Whole Foods make fresh Kombucha tea, or you can even make your own. The fresher the kombucha, the better it tastes. Check it out.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a hangover to cure…
LEARN HOW TO DROP 20 POUNDS IN 40 DAYS WITH REAL FOOD
Hey Abel,
I’ve heard you mention kombucha many a time on your podcast! I’m really curious about it, but a bit nervous to attempt to make my own, so I thought I’d pick some up from Whole Foods and give it a try! I’m just wondering, are all brands of kombucha treated the same? I know it’s a bit trendy, and those kinds of things tend to get taken over and turned into something unhealthy and not genuinely kombucha. Is there a brand you recommend? What sort of things should I look out for on the nutrition label? Should I avoid those that seem to have a lot of grams of sugar?
Thanks so much!
Meg
Hi Meg,
You bet, take the dive! Kombucha is great. When we look into trying different kinds, we always look for the lowest sugar content. Synergy kombucha is now getting easier to find, even at regular grocery stores, and they make bottles with less than 2 grams of sugar per serving. High Country is another tasty brand out of Colorado. Have fun and let me know how it goes!
Thanks so much for that answer, I was really confused about kombucha. Tee, mushroom or drink, I wasn’t sure what was best. Thanks for clearing that up 🙂
Is Kombucha advised during the 30 day meal plan ? If so when ?
Sure, feel free to enjoy Kombucha any time of day that works best for you. If buying store-bought kombucha, check the label to see how many grams of sugar are in each serving (and how many servings are in each bottle) and aim to keep sugar below 2 or 3 grams.
If you have any issues with yeast overgrowth or candida, it’s best to skip the kombucha and fermented foods while you cleanse you kill off the candida in your gut. Dr. Amy Myers talks about this in her interview here: http://fatburningman.com/amy-myers-autoimmunity-thyroid-issues-and-how-to-heal-your-adrenals/
Does drinking Kombucha break the fast in The Wild Diet?