Is Kombucha Worth The Cost?
If you live in Houston, Texas, you probably have noticed an increase in the options and brands of kombucha at your grocery or local health food store. You probably also note that it is a bit pricey. Is it really worth the price? If you really like the taste, you don’t need to go any further. It’s about the same price as a Starbucks specialty coffee. If you only drink it for its health benefits, finding out whether it’s truly healthy is important.
The microbes in it can boost the benefits.
Whether you drink green tea, black tea or other variations, there are health benefits. The benefits increase when you ferment that tea, which is exactly what kombucha is, fermented tea. Just like sauerkraut, kim chi, kefir and yogurt, it offers health benefits from the microbes that occur during the fermentation process. It’s a probiotic, boosting the health by giving bacteria in the gut, which is responsible for a high percentage of your immunity. Not only do the bacteria help digest food, making them easy to absorb by the body, they aid in fighting infection and provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits.
It all starts with the tea.
The tea has polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help decrease inflammation. The fermentation process then increases the polyphenol contents. Like vinegar, it has organic acids, such as glucuronic, acetic and D-Saccharic acids, which are antimicrobial and can aid in detoxification of the liver. These organic acids also aid in the movement of polyphenols throughout the body. There are several studies that show kombucha is beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels, cholesterol and reducing the potential of cancer. It’s also been shown to have antimicrobial properties, while improving digestive functions and liver functioning.
You can keep the cost down by brewing your own.
Like all fermented foods, it starts with a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” known by the acronym SCOBY. You also need a starter tea, which can be any type of tea, but normally black or green tea bags are used, sugar, and water. You can buy the SCOBY or make your own. You need bottles and time, but it may be worth the effort if you’re on a limited budget, since it lowers the cost from several dollars a bottle to several cents. Be aware, there are some things that can destroy your plans, like using flavored tea, decaf tea, honey or sugar substitutes, metal containers, antibacterial soap or putting the kombucha in the refrigerator.
- Like yogurt, kombucha can be a good drink to help prevent Candida from yeast overgrowth if you’re taking an antibiotic. According to the CDC, four ounces three times a day is a safe option to help with that problem.
- The benefits to diabetics are still uncertain, since studies vary. The sugar in it is for the SCOBY to digest, not for the person who consumes the kombucha. Always talk with your health care professional before consuming.
- The high antioxidant content of kombucha can aid in liver health by providing protection. It can also aid in preventing damage from acetaminophen overdose. Kombucha can also be good for the brain and the lungs.
- There are side effects from drinking too much kombucha. If it’s homemade, some caution should be taken. Pregnant and lactating women and children shouldn’t drink kombucha. Neither should people with a compromised immune system or those with alcohol dependency.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym
There are many reasons people experience anxiety. Some of them are obvious, like a letter from the IRS or giving a speech in front of coworkers. Others aren’t quite as obvious and you don’t know the cause, just the feeling of being anxious. You can do several things to avoid that feeling in the pit of your stomach, some of these involve deep breathing, mind tricks or even medication. However, one option that works and has no side effects is eating bananas.
Most people think signs of an unhealthy gut are strictly limited to digestive issues, but that’s just not true. While diarrhea, vomiting and stomach aches are a sign you have something bad going on in your digestion, sometimes the symptoms don’t seem to be related to your stomach at all. A healthy gut is one that has a well-balanced microbiome. Your gut microbiome is the collection of microscopic creatures, like bacteria and fungi, that live in your digestive system. Leaky gut syndrome is another potential from an unhealthy gut.
One reason Rising Fitness in Houston, TX, is so popular is that we not only work on problems you have now, we help prevent future problems. People often complain they can’t lose weight because of a slow metabolism, but that doesn’t mean they can’t speed up their metabolism, so they don’t have to fight weight gain forever. Learning how to boost your metabolism and then doing those things that make a difference may be the most important part of our training. It not only helps you get fit now, it helps you stay fit in the future.
Inflammation is a necessary function of the body to protect it from invading bacteria and harmful substances. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can actually cause damage to the body and lead to health issues, which can include cardiovascular problems. You can manage chronic inflammation by making some healthy lifestyle changes, such as switching your diet, getting adequate sleep and hydration and exercising regularly.
Even if you don’t like regular winter squash, you’ll probably like spaghetti squash. It’s a type of winter squash that when cooked, can be separated from the outer shell in strings that resemble spaghetti, but is low in calories and loaded with nutrition. Another big benefit of spaghetti squash is its high fiber content. It has far more than traditional pasta, similar to most vegetables. Fiber is good for colon health and fills you up so you don’t eat as much, making it also good for weight loss.
During the summer, Houston, Texas, can get sizzling hot. That can bring on a series of heat related conditions. Two of the most common conditions are heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion occurs when sweating too much causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Heat stroke occurs when the body can no longer control its internal temperature. Heat exhaustion can become heat stroke and heat stroke is the most dangerous of the two. It helps to know the symptoms of heat stroke for both your health and the health of those around you. This serious condition needs immediate attention.
There’s a lot of variation on how long you need to workout every day to stay fit. Some say it’s an hour, while other focus on 30 minutes-a-day. Most research varies because everyone is different with different goals and there are different levels of intensity during exercise. If your goal is to become a better athlete, you’ll need to push yourself harder to get fit and stay fit for your sport. If you’ve been a couch potato, a half hour will definitely help you get into shape.
A complete approach to fitness is important. Considering nutrition as part of your fitness plan can help improve your health and help you achieve your goals quickly. At Rising Fitness in Houston, TX, we encourage both a healthy diet and regular exercise. Part of your healthy diet can include using a protein supplement, particularly after an intense workout. To get the maximum nutrition from your protein supplement, make your own home protein shake. You can include a number of ingredients and make it a drink you’ll love that’s also healthy.
When you want to lose weight, both diet and exercise are important. Which is the most important? It’s actually your diet. You simply can’t out-exercise a bad diet. However, exercise boosts your weight loss efforts, so it can make it easier. It not only burns extra calories, but it also builds muscle tissue, which requires more calories than fat tissue does. That effectively boosts your metabolism. Even if you have no time to exercise there are some things you can do to boost your activity level, which is important.