Candida-getting started with milk kefir and need some help

[Missy Albright]

Hi,  I have candida, leaky gut, and adrenal fatique.  I am seeing a wellness coach and she sent me some recordings of Donna Gates, who created the Body Ecology Diet.  Listening to the recordings, it seems like the common thread to healing is young coconut kefir, cultured vegetables, minerals, no sugar (at least until healed) except green apple, cleansing, & pro-biotic diet.  I plan to continue with a pro-biotic diet..kefir, cultured vegetables, etc. to maintain a healthy gut.  That being said, I am just beginning...as a matter of fact, I am making my first batch of milk kefir today! 

What I'm not sure about is should I be drinking milk kefir or water kefir?  I just received live milk kefir grains.  I had e-mailed the person I got them from and told her that I was completely new to this and explained I have candida.  She said I needed live kefir grains and sent me milk kefir grains.  So, I am trusting that she knows what she is talking about and am making my very first batch of milk kefir.  Once the kefir is done, do I drink it warm or can I refrigerate it to make it cold?  I'm actually planning on adding it to a green smoothie because honestly, I don't know if I can drink it straight up.  I'm a little scared, I have to admit.  Should I add a whole glass to the smoothie?  I read that that may be too much for my system at once. 

I'd like to make water kefir for my kids but don't know if I can make water kefir from my milk kefir grains.  Is there a difference in the grains?  Also, can I make cultured vegetables from milk kefir?  I did e-mail the person I got the grains from and she said to use my extra kefir grains for any experimenting I want to do.  That doesn't really answer my questions though.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. 

[Patsy Randolph]

Not much of an expert here but... You can refrigerate the kefir after removing the grains. Adding to a smoothie is the best way to start, hides the taster but not too much to start. When I started I started with drinking it straight - about a tablespoon several times a day. I could just toss it back and could deal with the taste on such a little amount. Now I crave the flavor :). You might want to try Aa second ferment. I havent tried it. Sorry don't know anything about water kefir. Hope that helps.

[Libby Stancell]

Be careful with the milk kefir.  Donna suggests not including dairy in your diet during the initial phase of cleasning because you may have a difficult time digesting.  If you have access to grass-fed raw milk that you can make kefir from then you might be ok, otherwise I would stick with the young green coconut kefir.  It has worked wonders for me.  I buy the coconuts in bulk from an Asian store for about $17 and it makes 3 to 4 quarts.  I love milk kefir, but if I drink it more that once a week I have issues.  Eat the cultured veggies with every meal.  I don't even use digestive enzymes anymore unless I don't have my cultured veggies.  I have also started fermenting kefir water and rejuvelac.  Good luck!