Kefir vs Greek Yogurt

What does a health coach do when she finds an entire gallon of milk, 2 days past it’s expiration date? Make Greek yogurt and Kefir of course!!! It is so easy, and better for you than the milk in the first place.

You probably already know this, but I am not a big fan of milk. However, Kefir vs Greek yogurt are a different story because of their positive influence on gut health.

Gut health is VERY important in sustaining our life. My yoga teacher, Lucy, explained yesterday, that tonight is a full moon and it’s in Virgo, which correlates to our intestines aka gut. Many people believe the intestines are about elimination, however they are also about bringing life. It is through these organs that we absorb the nutrients from our food, which is why we want to focus on a healthy gut!

Greek yogurt has live and active cultures which are great for your gut health: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus, and Lactobacillus casei. It is also high in protein, low in sugar, low glycemic, high in calcium, and tastes great with berries, in place of sour cream, and for a snack.

Now take those benefits, multiply them by 5 and you have Kefir, which is essentially fermented milk.

How to Make Greek Yogurt

Scald 4 cups of organic milk on stove top. Remove from heat. Cool so when you put your finger in the milk, it doesn’t burn. In the meantime, heat over to 110 degrees. Remove skin from top of heated milk. Stir in 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt, pour in glass bowl and place in warm oven.

After 10 minutes, turn oven light on, and turn oven off. Leave milk in oven overnight. When you wake up, milk should be firm and molded to glass bowl. The result is regular yogurt.

To make Greek Yogurt, line mesh strainer with cheesecloth and pour in yogurt. Hang strainer over glass bowl for about 8 hours or until yogurt is at desired consistency. The remaining liquid is the whey and is awesome in a green smoothie, as in photo below. OK that’s not quite a green smoothie because I used chocolate Bod-e Protein Powder, by Chris Powell, but there are definitely greens in it!

How to Make Kefir

Fill glass jar with milk. Add Kefir starter mix, according to package directions. Cover jar with paper towel, securing with rubber band. Let stand at room temperature for approximately 24 hours or until curd forms. Place in refrigerator for 8 hours to stop the fermenting process. Stir and enjoy. You may drink it plain, mix in smoothie, or add fruit.

So give it a try…don’t let that milk go bad, turn it into a healthy treat for your body! Are you game?

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