Kefir': Beverage from Russia with love

Summer gives us the perfect excuse to indulge in good ol' dahi or gulp down chilled glasses of buttermilk. With the goodness of good bacteria these by-products of milk find many takers across the country. Moina Oberoi wants to introduce you to another fermented milk drink sold under the label MO's Kefir, whose benefits she swears by. Oberoi , who is a wellness chef specialising in spa cuisine, ayurveda, macrobiotic cooking, healing foods, sustainable farming and Japanese cuisine shares the benefits of kefir and more.

How it all began?
Moina says she was struggling with muscle inflammation for years and heard from a classmate at The Natural Gourmet Institute in New York where she was studying to be a wellness chef last year, how kefir was really good for inflammation. She tried it and it worked. She adds, "Within weeks of having store bought kefir I was pain free. In fact, I hadn't felt that energetic in years. I decided to be a purest and source the starter culture and make it myself. Homemade kefir is even more nutritious than commercial kefir and it tastes a lot more fresh and creamy as well. When I moved back to Mumbai a few months ago I missed having kefir in my daily routine. My pains came back and no other available source of probiotic did the trick. Finally a month ago my friend Daniel Leithinger found kefir grains for me. I was so thrilled I named the culture Danny."

Meet a culture named Danny
Monia says In the last month Danny has grown from one tea spoon to one cup. She adds,"It was multiplying faster than I'd ever seen and seemed to want to be shared. With that though I decided to start a small business and sell it. I did not know what the response would be like or if anyone even knew what kefir was, but to me it is a magic potion that heals almost any ailment so even if it helps a hand full of people MO's kefir has done it's job."

How is it prepared?
Moina makes the kefir herself in a simple home run facility as of now. The only ingredient, hence the most important factor in kefir is the milk. Once the fermentation is complete and the kefir is set she gently strains and bottle the drink. It is then refrigerated for a few hours before delivery. The entire procedure takes roughly 36 hours.

Dahi v/s kefir
Although dahi and butter milk are great forms of protein and a decent probiotic supplement, they tend to have an average of two to seven strains of good bacteria, whereas kefir has an average of 40 to 50 strains of good bacteria. Kefir also has more beneficial yeasts than yogurt. However, It is not just the quality but what their functions are that are variably different. The probiotic strains in yogurt are transitory in nature, They do not colonise the gut themselves, and just pass through which requires a constant infusion to maintain the same health benefit. Kefir is different from yoghurt in that the strains contained colonise the intestinal tract and some of the strains attack and destroy pathogens reasserting dominance and control of the intestinal environment. This is why yogurt beverages and processed probiotic drinks are no comparison to kefir, which most effectively improves your digestive health and rebalance the gut environment.

What's the best way to consume it according to and how often?
The most effective way to consume kefir is by having a cup of plain kefir first thing in the morning. However, it is quite filling and still extremely effective and beneficial if had in the course of the day. Fruits can also be added to it to create a healthy, delicious smoothie, it can be had as a dip or used as a raitha with fresh veggies.

Who should avoid having it?
She adds, "People who may not be able to tolerate kefir are usually those who have issues with casein and yeast. However, not all who have these problems have problems with drinking kefir. Theoretically, the good yeast in kefir will combat with pathogenic yeast in our body. So, it is best to experiment what is best for yourself. Take it slow. Start with just one tablespoon and work that up until you can tolerate 1 cup or more a day without any problems."

Is it recommended for those on a diet, looking to lose weight
In the west nutritionists often recommend implementing kefir in peoples diet to lose weight. Genetically larger people essentially have different strains of gut bacteria compared to thin people. Larger people have bacteria that can get more calories out of the food and would store fat much easier than the thinner demography. It's all about how your food is processed, so by changing the strains of bacteria in your gut you can burn calories more efficiently. One 200 ml bottle of kefir, although made out of whole milk only contains roughly 115 to 150 calories as the culture feeds on the milk sugars leaving the fermented milk to be 99% lactose free. It is rich in easily digested proteins and good fats and helps your gut absorb nutrients and digest your food better, so calories can often be an inefficient way to measure healthy food.

How to order?
You can start with a trial package of three bottles delivered every alternate day for one week for Rs.300. Currently Moina is delivering in South Mumbai from Cuffe Parade to Haji Ali and hopes to soon start delivering from Haji Ali to Bandra/Khar (W). You can make the full cash payment on delivery.

For more details, visit http://moina.co/mos-kefir, https://www.facebook.com/moskefir or email moskefir@gmail.com

ABOUT MO's KEFIR
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that hails from Russia. MO's kefir is a slightly more sour, liquefied version of yoghurt that comes packed with lots of good bacteria which is great for your gut.