Coconut Probiotic Drink

It’s been several months since I’ve written a Consumer’s Report. Please don’t let that fool you into believing that I’m not a consumer. Like you, I get caught out-and-about and also just appreciate being able to buy a pre-packaged thing or two that meets my exacting standards. I especially love to get my hands on a product that simultaneously passes the grade and is gratifying to the taste buds. That’s what these pages are all about!

Today I raise a glass to Kevitas, my favorite drink on-the-go.

Kevitas is a cultured probiotic beverage ~ perfect for a hot summer day and even more fitting for the efforts of Refresh: A TrulyFood Summer Cleanse underway right now. (Hey, it’s not too late to join us if you’re hankering for a bit of gut healing yumminess. See details below!)

Just what does it mean for a drink to be a probiotic?

It means that its a thirst quenching way to boost the good bacteria or flora in your gut. Probiotic means “for life”. To the good life!
What’s so good about the favorable flora?

Ample good bacteria in your gut or small intestine is the foundation for resolving many health issues ~ from allergies to anger, asthma to anxiety. Those good guys will turn your emotional and immune Blahs into spirited Ahas. Probiotic drinks offer improved digestion, enhanced detoxification, support for sugar cravings, plus a boost of energy. KeVita contains a strain of probiotics from kefir cultures. Those are the cultures that have been prized for thousands of years for improving beneficial digestive flora.
Do you need more good bacteria?

You betcha! Contemporary culture has done a number on our good guys. There are several key factors that put our gut flora out of balance. These include:

• immunizations

• antibiotics

• pharmaceuticals

• birth control pills

• environmental toxins

• consumption of animals and dairy exposed to antibiotics

Why is there a rush of probiotic foods and supplements on the market?

Not only are we more depleted than our ancestors, but traditional cultures regularly consumed cultured, fermented or probiotic foods such as kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. We seem to have strayed from this habit and the market is responding to our need and interest.
If I’m taking a probiotic supplement do I still need to consume fermented foods and beverages?

It’s great to do both. It’s difficult to know if your probiotic pills are active after they pass through the digestive terrain. When probiotics are consumed through food and drink they’re more readily absorbed and utilized by your body.
Is Kevitas sugar, gluten and dairy free?

Yes with a caveat. Some of the flavors contain cane sugar. I choose to stay away from those. Personally, I only drink the Original Coconut, sweetened with stevia. (The Strawberry Acai is also stevia sweetened. I’ve been making summer “ice cream floats” for my son with that flavor and Raspberry So Delicious Coconut Water Sorbet
Kevitas or Kombucha?

Well, according to Kevitas, their product packs a more potent punch of probiotics due to the fact that the cultures don’t have to eat the sugar and caffeine typically used in traditional kombucha creation.
What about other purposes, besides drinking it straight-up?

Sure! You can use the Kevitas for a number of things. Try it in smoothies. Use it to soak grains before cooking. Consume it after a workout to receive the benefits of the good flora along with the great electrolytes provided by the coconut water. Or make a “float” like I mentioned above!
Where can I get Kevitas?

Most Whole Foods seem to be carrying it now. Here in PDX we can also get it at our local co-ops, like People’s Co-Op, and at New Season’s Market.

To life, to life, l’chaim?

To life, to life, Kevitas!

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.