Probiotics
By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 4/9/2013 8:22 AM
The following text conversation recently took place between us and some friends: Us: Where should we go for dinner?
Friends: We don’t care. Seafood? Steak?
Us: How about sushi?
Friends: OK. But we are paleo.
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 4/3/2013 10:03 AM
Chances are, you know somebody with high blood pressure. Worldwide, a staggering 40% of adults over the age of 25 have it, putting them at risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and other dangerous conditions. In the US, one in every three adults is affected. Seven and half million people die every year worldwide as a result.Unfortunately, about one in five American adults with high blood pressure don't even know that they have it. You may go for an annual checkup, but how many of us remember – or even ask about – the reading our doctor gets when she wraps the blood pressure cuff around our upper arm? Considering most of us are able to memorize our phone number, our Social Security number, how much we weigh, and plenty more, it shouldn’t be so difficult to remember five digits (ie 120/80.) We owe it to ourselves to take better care of ourselves, to know our blood pressure and, if it’s too high, to do something about it.
First, a little about the number. It’s actually comprised of two figures: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic is on top; diastolic, on the bottom. The top number, which is the higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting and refilling with blood). In most people, systolic blood pressure creeps up as we age due to stiffening of the arteries, plaque build-up, and increased rates of heart disease.
On April 7, the World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day, and this year, the theme is high blood pressure. They encourage everyone to cut their risk of high blood pressure by:
-Reducing your intake of salt (Scour labels: Up to 75 percent of our sodium is hidden in processed foods like tomato sauce, soups, condiments and canned foods. Look for the words "soda" and "sodium" and the symbol "Na" on labels; these words indicate that sodium is present.)
-Eating a balanced diet
-Working out regularly
-Not abusing alcohol (If you drink, limit it to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.)
-Not smoking
We found an intriguing 2009 study in the International Journal of Molecular Science which shows that probiotics may lower blood pressure, suggesting that “good bacteria” (like those founding kefir) may play a role in reducing hypertension. The research is preliminary, but promising. As always, check with your doctor – she may think it’s a good idea for you to drink kefir in addition to taking your prescribed blood pressure medication if you’ve already been diagnosed, or she might suggest you include kefir in your daily diet as a preventative measure.
By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 3/18/2013 10:50 AM
Lifeway: So, rough night last night, huh?Leprechaun: You have no idea.
Lifeway: Where were you?
Leprechaun: Where wasn’t I? I started with green Guiness in Boston, then threw back a few shots along the emerald Chicago River, and finished up in Los Angles with some seriously spiked Irish coffee.
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 3/7/2013 1:06 PM
Here at Lifeway HQ, our phone is constantly ringing off the hook. Comments we tend to hear over and over include:“I’d like to start bathing in your blueberry kefir – how many 32 oz bottles do I need to fill a standard Whirlpool tub?”
“My husband left me for another woman and I thought my life was over. That is, until I started stocking my freezer with your Tart and Tangy Dulce de Leche…and he came back!”
“I just ran my first marathon and finished in the top three – and I owe it all to Lifeway BioKefir!”
“Mmmfffph hrunn shmmmm hommmmmm.” (Occasionally we get butt-dialed, too. This one translates to, “Your kefir is the only thing that keeps my Irritable Bowel Disease under control.”)
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 2/14/2013 1:40 PM
Valentine’s Day is here again, and before you accuse this of being another “Hallmark holiday” you might want to look into the historical roots of this romantic day! Now that we’ve softened your cynical side, let’s talk about kissing. Snogging, necking, smooching – call it whatever you like, just check your breath before you get to it!
Gums and mints only mask the problem because the cause of your dragon breath might actually be way down in your gastrointestinal (GI) track. So what to do when your breath renders you nearly unkissable? Drink some Lifeway Kefir, of course!
According to Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, and several other studies, consuming probiotic foods such as kefir can help to replace the bad bacteria (read: stinky) in your body with beneficial bacteria! But don’t just take a bunch of doctors’ and scientists’ word for it, check out all these lovey-dovey couples in Starfruit Café, our chain of soft-serve frozen kefit stores in Chicago.
These folks couldn’t get enough of our kefir, or each other during our Kissing & Kefir event. Who could blame them? Breath this fresh is impossible to resist.
By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 1/3/2013 9:47 AM
To kick off the year, Katy Perry has bravely vowed to “only shoot fireworks from my breasts when I mean it.” Taylor Swift promises, “I will not date John Mayer. I will not date John Mayer.” And Will Ferrell has publicly declared his intent to get at least 13 hours of sleep a night, regardless of what his job, family or life might throw his way.
We’re glad celebs are able to make light of New Year’s resolutions because the fact is, they’re notoriously self-sabotaging. Most of them fail, because we tend to make grandiose, widely-sweeping plans like, “I’m going to lose 50 pounds by Spring Break so I can wear a tenney weeny yellow bikini” or “I’m quitting smoking…today!”
That’s why we’ve created our own list of resolutions which we think are entirely doable. Feel free to copy our list and paste it onto your Facebook page, so your friends can keep you accountable as you tackle your new goals.
Be 20% more kefir-y
Travel more Why not visit Greece, Hawaii or India?
Spend more time with family and friends We’re putting the following people on iPhone speed dial: Polly ProBug, Farmer Bob, who makes our Farmer Cheese, Christy Turlington Burns, and Lifeway’s most badass foodie, Natalie (yep - the one with the hot dog tattoo)
Stop skipping breakfast Try a Breakfast Blast Smoothie.
Save a little doughLog in each month for valuable coupons.
Be nicer to our kids ProBugs make it easy to put a smile on their faces.
Chill out Tart n Tangy Mango Frozen Kefir makes it easy.
Finally go organic
What's YOUR doable New Year's resolution?
Wishing a happy and healthy 2013 to all of our wonderful customers and fans!
By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 9/10/2012 7:54 AM
Some people will do anything for a laugh. Bozo painted his face white, wore a crazy orange wig and ran around in giant shoes. More than one dad has allowed his wife to send in a tape of their son nailing him in the crotch with a soccer ball to America’s Funniest Home Videos. Steve Carell had his chest hair ripped off to the tune of Kelly Clarkson. Cameron Diaz wore some very special hair gel in There’s Something About Mary.
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 8/22/2012 1:58 PM
A funny list of senior citizen text codes recently made its way into our Inbox. Some examples:
ATD: At The Doctor's
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 8/16/2012 8:11 AM
If it seems like autism receives a ton of press, there’s a reason: The developmental disability now affects 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys); in fact, more kids will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, according to Autism Speaks. And yet, funding remains dismally low at $79 million. (Compare that to $277 million for Leukemia, which strikes one in 1,200 or pediatric AIDS, which receives $394 million while affecting one in 300.)
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By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir on 8/8/2012 12:35 PM
If you’ve spent anytime inside the public bathroom stall of Morton Grove, Illinois’ grungiest, meanest local pub, you’ve seen the writing on the wall: There’s a serious Kefir VS Kiefer turf war going on. That is, the fight for world domination taking place between Kiefer Sutherland, esteemed actor, and Lifeway Kefir, tasty beverage. But what you might not know is that 7500 miles away from our kefir plant, in India, a similar battle wages on: Between our
Lifeway Lassi and everyone’s favorite Collie, Lassie. Here, we dissect the drink-doggie smackdown:
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