With all the heat that we have had, I have been drinking a lot of liquids.
I would like to report that the liquids I chose is straight water. But this is not the case. I do drink about 40 ounces of fruit juices, Coca-Cola, ginger ale and 7Up pretty much every day – diet and regular.
Knowing the fruit juices and carbonated drinks are heavy on sugar (the worst has fructose). I decided to venture into our local “wellness” store (they used to be called “health food” stores). I was surprised that the girl who looked after me was as knowledgeable as she was. She graduated college in nutrition and I was impressed with her – she knew her stuff!
I told her of my concerns with my selection of drinks. As soon as I told her that I had an autoimmune disease, she said that the carbonated and fruit drinks had to go. I really enjoyed those drinks. She was adamant, if my health was a concern to me, I needed to drop the pop and fruit drinks. In their place she liked water, but if I was looking for something healthy and tasty, she suggested Kombucha. I had heard of it, but only in passing, so I looked it up on the internet. It is available almost everywhere.
From the web: “In recent years, this Kombucha has become popular amongst people who are looking to their improve their health and boost their energy levels. Basically, Kombucha is a fermented beverage that starts with black or green tea. The fermentation process involves the tea. A bacterial SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is the fermentation starter that kicks off Kombucha fermentation. The SCOBY is made up of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast and sugar. Packed with a range of probiotics, antioxidants, and polyphenols from the tea, the bubbly drink is an easy swap for pop or alcohol. Probiotics can help prevent or treat diarrhea caused by infections or antibiotics which ultimately can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. In a nutshell, probiotics can boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.”
I decided to pick six different drinks and try them out at home. As an example, I tried SYNERGY – a cranberry flavour – for its taste and because SYNERGY is alive with 18 times more probiotics than the next leading competitor. I loved their slogan – “Living food for the living body.” It seemed perfect for me as a new and inexperienced Kombucha drinker.
It is “brewed with kiwi juice to cultivate nine billion living probiotics for improved digestion, naturally-occurring, sustained energy, and holistic physical and mental wellbeing.” Despite the description, the alcohol and sugar are miniscule. I know you wanted to know all that. So… I’m about to dive into our picks for the best kombucha brands from our local wellness store. Whether you like light and effervescent or juicy and sweet, they have it all. A report will come soon.
I told the gal in the store of my love of watermelon and corn, and she didn’t find fault in that choice of foods. In fact, she implied that Kombucha goes well with corn and watermelon. I left the wellness store with my selection of Kombucha drinks, plus a loaf of gluten-free raison bread. I am sold on the wellness concept; I should have shopped there years ago. My dementia and dermatomyositis diseases should show improvement in the next month.
The move to Kombucha is an indicator of my paying more attention to nutrition. That, plus my exercise program, needs to be energised to keep me active and cognitively functioning. Up until two months ago, I felt that my brain and body were getting better. But, in the last two months I didn’t feel any progress.
I’ve written about the importance of exercise and nutrition in the past. Well, it is time to “walk the walk” and forget the “talk the talk.”
And I need to listen to my wife.
She has super caregiver skills that I should follow very closely. It’s hard for an independent person like me to listen and act on her advice. She is right 95 per cent of the time (I would say 100 per cent, but she wouldn’t like me saying that about her).
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Bob Murray is retired from the graphic communication (printing) industry and has been living in Seaforth since 2015. Murray was diagnosed with Dementia in 2013 and works hard to stop the progress of the disease. Follow him on his blog entitled Voyage with Dementia – https://myvoyage553264702.wordpress.com.
