Springtide: A 2-Ingredient Gluten Free Healthy Beverage

For the most part, commercially processed and packaged yogurt is of late a disappointing disaster for the health conscious consumer.

Too much sugar, too much fat and even more worrisome is a process that destroys much of the good bacterial flora we have come to refer to as probiotics.

Probiotics are especially important for maintaining a healthy digestive system. A healthy gut can be an important component in an individual’s overall health. You might be thinking about a reasonable alternative to processed yogurt and hoping you don’t have to take out a second mortgage to achieve acceptable results. Luckily, beyond the concept of making your own yogurt or purchasing expensive inefficient capsules, Kefir is a fabulous and perhaps even, a superior alternative.

Consequently, Kefir is one of the two ingredients in our Springtide beverage recipe. The second is natural cranberry juice.

According to doctors at CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri, an alarming amount of adults over 50 years of age suffer from a form of dementia brought on by a urinary tract infection or more commonly referred to as a UTI.  Furthermore, they suggest and often instruct patients to drink a small amount of cranberry juice each day to help keep the urinary tract clean and clear of bacteria that cause infection. Doctors say, it is not a guarantee, but the rate of success is significant.

Not exactly thrilled by the taste of plain kefir, a year ago, after my mom’s hospitalization, I combined these two ingredients and made them part of my daily regimen. Packed with nutrients, the benefits are far-reaching as these two ingredients offer an array health perks.

Ingredients

1.5 ounces of plain kefir

4 ounces of natural cranberry juice

Ice cubes are optional

Directions

Place ice cubes in a glass; pour in cranberry juice, and top with kefir. Drink-up!

Recipe by Sammy Sutton