Coconut Water Kefir Can Help Heal The Gut, Improve Immune Function And Prevent Cancer. Here is How to Make it!

Coconut water kefir is an extremely beneficial drink, which is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. It is a rich source of vitamins K, C, E, A, B6, beta-carotene, folates, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, and pantothenic acid.

This drink does not contain lactose or casein, so it is even healthier than regular kefir, as these ingredients are the most problematic in its content.

Its consumption will help digestion and enhance the absorption of nutrients.

It provides multiple health benefits, as it:

• Improves vision
• Strengthens the immune system
• Soothes PMS symptoms
• Improves hydration
• it is a rich source of dietary minerals, such as natural sodium, potassium, chloride
• Aids digestion
• Fights pathogenic yeasts in the body
• Prevents sugar cravings
• Boosts the energy levels

It can be prepared in three different ways: by using kefir grains, an existing kefir as a starter, or a kefir starter culture.

Yet, the cheapest way is to prepare it using kefir grains, either water or milk kefir grains.

This is how to prepare it:

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons of water kefir grains
• 1 Ceylon cinnamon stick
• 7 cups fresh of coconut water

Instructions:

You should pour the coconut water into a 1/2 gallon jar and then add the water kefir grains.

Cover the jar loosely and leave it for 48hours. Note that if you leave it longer, you may cause an explosion, due to the fermentation that will take place.

As soon as it is fermented, it will turn lighter in color. At the end of the culturing process, the kefir grains will rise up to the top, and you need to remove them.

If you want to prepare another batch right away, you can use the kefir grains again. Enjoy your drink and enhance your overall health!

6 Avoidable Risk Factors for Asthma

Many of us would agree there’s nothing worse than difficulty breathing, and while there are many conditions out there, I want to talk to you today about asthma. A terrible respiratory condition, it can greatly affect one’s quality of life. If you’re living with asthma, it’s likely you already know your triggers, but there might be some things you weren’t aware of. Perhaps you’ve been newly diagnosed and wish to keep attacks at a minimum. That said, here are 6 avoidable risk factors I want to share with you.

1. Obesity

When a person has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, that person is termed obese. In a worrying discovery, childhood obesity—or obesity at any age—can also lead to asthma. One recent study even suggested the risk of asthma increased by 55% for every extra unit of BMI.

2. Stress

There are many things that can affect the health of your unborn child, and it seems your stress levels might be one of them. A new study suggests high-stress events could be linked to a greater risk for childhood asthma. Not only were the mothers studied, but the children were also evaluated at ages 6 and 14. The children, at 14, were “twice as likely to have asthma […] if their mothers had been through a single stressful life event.”

3. Household Chemicals

Often used as stabilizing agents, endocrine-disrupting phthalates in household chemicals could also increase the risk for childhood asthma. Scientists studied the phthalate levels of pregnant women, and noted the children of women with higher phthalate levels were almost three times more likely to have an asthma diagnosis.

4. Inadequate Gas Ventilation

Gas stoves without proper ventilation could also be a trigger for childhood asthma, with a new study suggesting a link between gas kitchen stove ventilation and asthma.When used for cooking or heating, these stoves can increase the number of indoor pollutants that trigger an asthma attack. So while the chances for breathing problems are still there, using proper ventilation can cut a kid’s risk by thirty to forty percent.

5. Breathing Dirty Air

A recent study looking to North Carolina as a model suggested air quality has significantly improved since mid-1990s governmental regulations. Many of you with asthma know how pollution can act as a trigger, so, for some, better air quality can lead to a better quality of life. Because of cleaner air, fewer asthma deaths have been reported, with numbers dropping almost by half.

6. Smoking

It seems like smoking and breathing problems could go hand in hand, doesn’t it? Well, a recent study suggested those problems could start well before birth, noting children born to fathers who began smoking at an early age had three times higher risk for asthma. And remember, a child with asthma has a doubled risk of attacks or symptoms if either parent smokes in the home. 

One Final Thought

Genetics certainly plays a large role in an asthma diagnosis, so while avoiding these risk factors can help, it isn’t a surefire guarantee you’ll completely dodge the condition. When it comes to helping your child, exposure to allergens in the first year could be critical when a child is building up immunity. In a study of 560 children at high-risk for asthma, “only 17 percent of those exposed to three household allergens during the first year of life had recurrent wheezing,” suggesting timing can be crucial.Remember that sometimes a little dirt can be a good thing!