Raw Yogurt and Kefir have been with us for centuries and are among the healthiest of foods handed down to us by our forefathers (and foremothers). These are some of the oldest and best probiotics. No one contests the health benefits of yogurt and kefir.
Today there is a steady movement to revive the healthful raw food diets of former years. Raw food diets are becoming popular and raw food restaurants are at the front of a potentially growing trend. Along with this are defenders of what 'organic' means as well as 'grass fed', 'no preservatives', 'no vaccines', 'free range', etc.
There is also a movement to stop this revival by eliminating raw sources of many foods. You may observe this by simply searching on Google for 'raw food raids'. You will easily see the extent of this and some shocking video footage. The odd thing is that none of the co-owners of the cooperatives complain or experience any negative effects from the various food items - and they are the only ones consuming this food.
Whom, then, is this raw food raid protecting? This is a question we are not supposed to ask. It was clarified for me personally on a video made by Dr. Mercola who has advocated raw food for many years. He explains simply that the huge farms can not compete with the small farmer and producer of local raw milk because the huge farms use methods that produce unhealthy products which have to be completely heated at high temperatures to make them safe, thus "throwing out the baby with the bathwater". What I mean by this is that the valuable nutrients and enzymes and the healthful 'good' bacteria are all eliminated in the process. Thus the increase in popularity of raw milk is viewed as a threat, since the huge companies can not compete in that arena.
Raw milk is available to many as I am writing this (September of 2010). It is extremely popular. Within the last decade, when (2001) it again became legal in the county in which I live (Los Angeles), each of us had to sign up on waiting lists a week ahead of time to get raw milk.
I learned that by letting raw milk sit out for a day or two or more, it becomes clabbered milk. My grandmother would know what that means, but as I had no previous experience I did not know what it meant until it was explained to me. Pasteurized milk would 'go bad', raise an outrageous stink and be inedible. Raw milk on the other hand simply begins the pre-digestion process becoming "precultured milk", just as in the process of making yogurt, kefir and kefir milk. There are two completely different answers to "How long can milk sit out before it goes bad?" depending on whether you are speaking of pasteurized milk or raw milk.
Where to Buy Kefir Online - Can I Order Kefir Grains Over Internet
Kefir is a simple drink that is made from the fermentation of sugar solution from many products including rice, water, sugar solution, milk, coconut and many others. You will need to inject bacteria and yeast in the solution, leave it for a few days and it will be ready to drink.
Kefir and Its Benefits
On my search to find products that aid with food allergies, I discovered a product call Kefir that is a Probiotic. Fermented from live kefir grains, Kefir milk contains bacteria and yeasts composed of lipids, proteins and sugars. The Kefir grains work to break down the sugar in milk, which makes this milk more tolerable for those who are sensitive to lactose.
Kefir Grains - Kefir Health Benefits
In 1908, Metchnikov wrote in his book "The extension of life" that the secret of longevity found in the Russian Caucasus Mountains was Kefir. Kefir is actually cultured milk that people made and consumed. The villagers of the Caucasus Mountains gave us the Caucasian yoghurt and kefir (milk fermentation product).
