Everyone knows I’m crazy about kefir, but I heard something this week and I had to share: Did you know kefir can act as a natural antidepressant?
I always heard kefir could help your mood, but I didn’t really believe it until this week! A new farm guest was picking up raw milk from our farm store and told me that when he regularly drinks kefir made with raw milk, he can tell a significant improvement in mood! Isn’t that crazy?!
Who would ever think that something so tasty could actually boost your mood?!
If you’re like me, you want to know the how … how in the world could “drinkable yogurt” boost my mood? Seems too good to be true, until I looked further into the research.
Turns out, there have been numerous studies done on the link between kefir and depression relief! Studies show that the gut and brain are closely connected via the vagus nerve. This means that what is happening in your gut is imperative to what is happening in your brain. They actually call the gut the “second brain.” If you don’t have a healthy gut, you have little chance at having a hormonally balanced brain.
It gets better though!! Ninety percent of your “happy chemical” (known as serotonin) is produced in the gut. If you don’t have a healthy gut, you can’t properly produce serotonin. (In order to be in a good mood, we must have serotonin.)
But wait … there’s more! Beyond being packed with probiotics and 100 other amazing things that help your gut to be incredibly healthy, kefir is packed with tryptophan, which is an essential building block for serotonin … which means more “happy serotonin” for you!
So, not only does kefir make your gut healthy for overall health, it actually provides the building block for the “happy chemical” serotonin!!
I don’t know about you, but I’m requiring a glass of kefir for my whole family every day now.
- Moody tweens?? I’ve got one of those … She needs kefir!
- Emotional 9-year-old? I have one of those too. She needs kefir!
- PMSing mom – kefir! Ok, everyone has one of those.I need kefir!
- Tantrum 2-year-old? Kefir! What if we could help them with kefir!?
- Overworked dad? Kefir! Whenever my husband is having a particularly taxing day on the farm, I bring him kefir and it is his absolute favorite treat. He often tells me, “I needed that!!!” when he finishes drinking it.
- Believe it or not, there are studies saying kefir helps postmenopausal women. Because when your gut is in a good mood, the rest of you might stand a chance too. Honestly, who wouldn’t want that kind of backup?
- It doesn’t stop at mood, though! Emerging studies suggest that kefir, as a probiotic-rich food, may have potential benefits for children with ADHD!
Did I mention it’s ridiculously easy to make?!
I made you a video that shows the exact process for how I make kefir. You can take a look and see how easy it is! Visit gerdesfreshfarm.com/post/easykefir to see the video!
P.S. I dare you to do the research yourself!! Don’t take my word for it. I’m not a doctor, and this isn’t medical advice, but guess what – your food matters!!! Eating the right things can help in so many ways! Don’t miss out on what kefir can do for you!
Meet your farmer – Liz Gerdes. She and her husband run a farm-to-table raw milk dairy and farm Airbnb in Caledonia. If you’re looking for raw milk fresh from the farm, visit gerdesfreshfarm.com or follow her on Facebook @gerdesfreshfarm or Instagram @gerdesliz for more info.
Kefir Popsicles
Let’s ditch the chemical-filled summer treats and make this easy summer treat
- Watch my kefir making video at gerdesfreshfarm.com/post/easykefir if you want to make homemade kefir! (It’s easy!!)
- For popsicles: add the kefir, frozen fruit, and honey (or real maple syrup!) to a blender and blend just until smooth.
- Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze. Times will vary, but mine are usually frozen in about 8 hours.
*Tips for kefir popsicles from myculturedpalate.com
Make the mix sweeter than you think it needs to be – once they are frozen, the pops will not taste quite as sweet as they did beforehand.
Do not leave them at room temperature to get the popsicles out of their mold. They will most likely break when you are removing them.
To unmold the popsicles, run warm water down the bottoms of the mold for a few seconds, and then they should come out easily.
If the sticks are not able to stand up straight, freeze the popsicles without sticks, wait 30 to 40 minutes until it’s a bit slushy then add the sticks. Just don’t forget to add them in later!