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Coach Anjo is feeding more than just her family in the Martinez house- she’s also feeding bacteria and yeast cultures. What are we talking about? Fermented foods! Specifically her sourdough starter and kefir grains. Coach Anjo gives us the lowdown on how these healthy homemade foods are improving her family’s gut health without breaking the bank.
Fermented Foods Research
Coach Anjo went down the fermented food rabbit hole by accident. While researching probiotics to purchase from the store to improve Coach Mike’s gut health, she stumbled upon fermented foods.
As she researched probiotics she found first, that they are very expensive. Second, probiotics in pill form contain significantly less strains of bacteria than homemade options like kefir. Homemade kefir can have up to 60+ different types of bacteria while probiotics in a pill have anywhere from 10-15 strains.
What Coach Anjo makes at Home
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that has the taste and consistency of plain liquid yogurt. Coach Anjo bought her kefir grains on amazon to start making homemade kefir. Since she feeds her kefir grains every day, the culture grows- so she feeds some of the excess to her dogs instead of throwing it away.
After testing the fermented foods waters with Kefir, she added a sourdough starter to the mix. She feeds her starter with flour and water and it continues to grow. She has made several batches of bread and the Martinez family eats in within a day! With each new loaf she bakes, it tastes a little more sour as the culture gets more complex.
Easy Kefir Smoothie recipe you can make at home
Some people eat their kefir plain, but Coach Anjo uses it to make smoothies. About three times a week she makes kefir smoothies for her family and everyone gets at least 8 ounces.
- In a blender pour ⅔ Kefir.
- Add ⅓ orange juice.
- Add desired fruit (or whatever fruit you’ve got in your kitchen or freezer). Coach Anjo prefers frozen overripe bananas, strawberries, and mango.
- Blend it all up to your preferred consistency.
- Enjoy!
More About Fermented Foods
In the episode, Coach Anjo walks through the science behind what makes fermented foods so important for not only gut health but overall health. She shares what her cultures look like and how often she feeds them. If you want a piece of her sourdough starter or some kefir grains, Coach Anjo is more than happy to share!