Our Journal
Elderflower and Ginger Kefir
Supporting health and wellbeing is one of the reasons Bedstraw + Madder was born. Replacing toxic chemical dyes, with healing anti-inflammatory plant colour.
It doesn’t stop there though. We love to share all the things we have learnt and continue to learn along the way about supporting our health. As when our bodies thrive, we can flourish.
We all have bacteria that live in our gut. The right foods can nourish our gut bacteria for the better and help them proliferate, we call these probiotics. Excess junk food, chemicals and sugar can cause the opposite and encourage fungal overgrowth like candida which impacts our ability to be able to fight of disease. Our good bacteria play an integral role in almost every aspect of our health and immunity, even our mental health.
The link between our gut and our brain was an unknown in the mainstream for years but recent studies show conclusive evidence between the health of our colon and the state of our mind as well as the health of our skin.
So how can we support the good bacteria in our gut to prosper?
One way the Bedstraw team enjoy is with water kefir, especially in the Summer months.
Dairy free, it is a beverage with benefits and one to try if you haven’t already.
Water kefir is a fermented carbonated drink made from water kefir grains. Unlike the milk kefir it is made by combining water, grains, sugar and dried fruit together for 48 hours in a kilner jar until fermentation occurs. (don’t worry the grains digest the sugar as part of the fermentation process)
You can buy the grains easily online.
Of course, being passionate about plants and the power they hold for our health we bring them into all our recipes. Throughout the year there are different herbs or flowers that can be a powerful addition to bring anti-oxidant or anti-inflammatory benefits.
It is elderflower season so this combination uses elderflower and fresh ginger.
Elderflower has a host of benefits but has a particular affinity with the respiratory system and sinuses. Isn’t nature clever. Plants appear in the season when they are most needed. Elderflower appears during hay fever season and reduce the symptoms.
Just like every human being on earth, they each have a role to play, a raison d’etre..
Ginger increases blood circulation and our ability to sweat so is energising without the need for sugar or caffeine.
Give it a whirl…
Ingredients:
Place your water kefir grains in a 1 litre kilner jar
Add 3 spoonful’s of brown sugar
Add one piece of dried fruit ( fig, apricot, 6 raisins)
Fill the jar up with unchlorinated filtered tap water.
Leave in a sunny spot for 3 days and watch for it to get fizzy.
Drain the contents and place in a bottle in the fridge to stop the fermentation process and consume within 2-3 days.
The secret to a healthy body is a healthy gut…