Kombucha
Hi! I was just given a scoby to start brewing my own kombucha.
Anyone have issues with kombucha or other fermented foods post op? They can be helpful to keep the pipes moving which appeals to me!
Referral: 8/14; Orientation TWH: 12/14; Nurse: 01/15; SW, Dietician, Psych: 2/15; Surgeon: 5/15; RNY: June 15/2015
There is a good Kombucha brewery near me and I just recently tried it for the first time. it was really yummy, but my only advice is to watch the sugar and carb content. It's liquid calories, and does tend to have alcoholic content that can be pretty high if you let it ferment too long. The place I go has a strict 1% alcohol content, so it's not too strong and I let my 16 year old have a taste (he didn't care for it). I don't drink it often because I'm still in my honeymoon and don't want to screw around too much, but I have a couple of bottles in my fridge right now.
Age: 44 | Height: 5' 3" | Starting January 2015: 291 | RNY 8/4/15 with Dr. Arthur Carlin| Goal: 150
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. ~Proverbs 19:20
I love Kombucha. I buy mine, as opposed to making it, and none of the brands I buy has a measurable alcohol content, so that is not a problem. I keep the calories to around 80 per bottle, so it is a treat as opposed to a regular thing. It is great, though.
Height: 5'7". HW: 299, Program starting weight: 290, SW: 238, CW 138 - 12 pounds under goal!
I've seen some nutrition labels for bottled kombucha that make it seem non-WLS friendly by the amount of carbs. I looked up a few types, and it seemed like most had about 10g carbs per serving; that can really add up when you're keeping below 25 (or 40 if you're more lenient) per day.
Also-- if you're going to be brewing your own, PLEASE be careful and disinfect things. Homebrewing anything-- kombucha, beer, whatever-- can end up with nasty bacteria in it, especially since homemade stuff is not pasteurized.
Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!
Be careful of making your own... Pulled this from Wikipedia...
Kombucha has been claimed to have various health benefits, but there is little evidence to support such claims. There are several documented cases of serious adverse affects including fatalities, related to kombucha drinking, possibly arising from contamination during home preparation. Since the mostly unclear benefits of kombucha drinking do not outweigh the known risks, it is not recommended for therapeutic Use.
I guess, along with everything else in life... Make sure you do your research =) Happy Brewing if you decide t proceed!
I use Dolcolax Night Time Releif to get things-a-movin and it has worked wonders for me.
Pre surgery, I drank and brewed my own kombucha and if you take care to make sure things are clean, it's not a problem (we also make our own wine, mead, and beer and same rules apply). However, it does contain alcohol and carbs; so I'm currently kombucha free.
That said, I also ferment veggies (including kraut), make my own yogurt and sour cream. I had terrible problems with constipation early on before I was allowed to eat veggies, but as soon as I was able to bring my ferments back into my diet, everything improved. I suspect my internal flora was just eliminated by all the antibiotics I had to have while in the hospital (I had several blockages and rounds of surgery and a small rupture).
To make your own mini-kraut, get some organic cabbage (I think red cabbage is the prettiest), slice it as finely as you can. Sprinkle it with sea salt then put it in a quart canning jar. Pound it down in the jar with a wooden spoon or some other tool being careful not to pound so hard you break the jar. Continue adding cabbage and salt mixture and packing it down until it just won't take anymore. The pounding is to break down some of the cell walls to let the liquid out. Cover loosely and leave out on your counter overnight. In the morning, if you need to top it up with water use non-chlorinated water.
Screw the lid on finger tight and leave on the counter for three days. Open the jar each morning to let the kraut "exhale" and put the lid back on tight.
After three days refrigerate. Will keep up to six months in the frig. Eat it cold on salad. My hubby likes it on his burgers. If you heat it, you will kill the beneficial probiotics.
You can do the same thing with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, Brussel sprouts, green beans... any veggie that is fairly firm.
Cate K
Northern Neck, VA 5'4" 56 years old
Highest weight 245: 7/1/2015, RNY surgery on October 26th. Had multiple complications and follow up surgeries and stayed in hospital for 24 days. Goal weight is 140.
