Could Kombucha be your missing link?

Kombucha tea keeping stylish whilst fermenting

I have had digestive issues and anxiety since I was a teenager, and it's been a long, painful journey trying to find the cause. After years of tests, seeing various GP's and natural practitioners, I feel I'm getting somewhere at last and have nailed down most of my food intolerances (a lot!) and emotional triggers with a regular yoga and meditation practice. But, it wasn't until I started drinking Kombucha daily that I've felt the freedom that comes with a non bloated tum, so much more energy and, well, other benefits relating to ones toileting which I won't go into because I am a lady (??!!).

Our 'second brain' is housed in our gut, where serotonin (happy feel-good chemicals) are produced. The gut is the only organ with it's own nervous system with an intricate network of 100 millions neurons embedded in the gut wall (1.)  Stress can affect gut bacteria, disrupting digestion and creating a vicious cycle of psychological and physical reactions feeding back to the nervous system. For me it has been a bit of a question of chicken and egg - did the anxiety cause the gut distress or did the gut distress and lack of serotonin production cause the anxiety? 

I think it's probably a bit of both, but what I am sure about is feeding my gut with probiotics and prebiotics has helped amazingly, and thanks to Karen from The Yoga Social who donated me my first Scoby baby (more on that below!) I am now perhaps just slightly obsessed with prebiotic filled Kombucha!

Below you will see an alien like substance which are the Kombucha scoby's in some of the tea. DELICIOUS! The Scoby (is this not the best word ever??) is actually an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. That might sound like some form of venereal disease (mmm yum), but the good bacteria in the scoby helps to seal off the fermenting Kombucha tea of the outside air and bad bacteria.

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The SCOBY self-producing more SCOBY!

The results are not as disgusting as you fear, and I find the tea can actually be quite refreshing. See below for basic instructions, there is also a lot of info online. To start out you will need to either purchase a SCOBY or get one donated (as Karen did for me and now I have Scoby's coming out my ears!)

Step 1. Preparing the tea  (this recipe is for 1 Litre to start out)

• Bring 2 litres of water to the boil (if you have filtered water even better)
  
• Place in a large bowl and add 2 tea bags. Can be black tea or green tea or a mix of both (flavoured doesn't work so well)
  
• Add 1/4 cup of white sugar (don't worry the sugar ferments in the process) and leave tea to cool
• Once cooled, remove tea bags, add scoby and the donated tea (about 3 tablespoons) to a 1.5 litre glass jar with open mouth. Do not place lid on, cover with cheesecloth or tea towel and place rubber band around the top to hold in place.
  

Step. 2 Fermentation

• Place jar in room away from direct sunlight. Depending on weather,  fermentation may take 5 days for really hot days, medium 8 days, cool 10 days. 
  
• The Scoby will start producing baby scobies, so don't be freaked out by a skin growing on top. To test it's fermented try a spoonful, if it's still sweet give it another couple of days. If you leave it for too  long it will turn alcoholic. Some may like this, but homebrew  is not really the point ;)
  
• Once your Kombucha is ready, pour the tea in glass bottles or jars and place in fridge. Make sure you keep the Scoby's and some of the tea for your next brew.
  

Step. 3 Flavouring & Second Ferment (optional)

If you are not so keen on the natural taste of the Kombucha and would like an extra fizz you can go for a second ferment. 

• Place in bottles like below and add in your favourite fruit or juice, the sugars from the fruit will create a second ferment and will even create a fizz. 
• Let to ferment outside of the fridge for 2 days and then pop in fridge ready to drink. 

Great for a refreshing drink without reaching for a soft drink. Have fun experimenting! Here are some of my experiments below:

Strawberry, blueberry and mint flavoured and Ginger, Mint, Macca powder and Ultimate Greens.

Happy Digestion!

Written by Polly Wilson

1. American Psychological Association By Dr. Siri Carpenter September 2012, Vol 43, No. 8