Are there any supplements you covet?

[VulpusVulpus]

What would you buy? Just as a "treat"?

[humanbean]

I'd like to spend money on really good probiotics. I don't have anything specific in mind, just something better than the bog standard ones I currently buy.

[VulpusVulpus in reply to humanbean]

What would be the difference?

[humanbean in reply to VulpusVulpus]

I think better quality probiotics would have more in them and would have greater variety of ingredients.

[SilverAvocado in reply to humanbean]

Human bean, I'm not sure how true this is, but I've heard it said that home made fermented foods are far better than the bought probiotics.

I've tried sauerkraut, kombucha, water kefir, and yoghurt. All quite easy to do. Sauerkraut doesn't need any special vulture or equipment, besides a large jar. All you do is shred up the cabbage, massage salt into it, and then leave for a week or so, making sure all the leaves are well pressed down and under the liquid that should come out. Or add a tiny bit of extra water.

I've been thinking maybe I should do a thread about home fermenting, as people tend to like the comments I make about it.

[humanbean in reply to SilverAvocado]

I've read loads about kefir and kombucha and other fermented products too, and I'm sure you're right, they are better than probiotics.

I like kefir and drink it most days. But I'm so lazy that I buy it rather than make it. And I've tried sauerkraut a couple of times and absolutely hated it.

I know I should be more proactive about doing sensible things for myself...

[SilverAvocado in reply to humanbean]

Humanbean, you should take the plunge and get yourself some grains to grow your own!

A nice thing about it is that its also quite cheap to make your own, whereas buying them is very expensive. And its like having a pet. My kombucha mother is called Little Odin, but I haven't named enough of the others. As they're very fast growing so I don't feel such a sense of continuity, they're just collectively called The Microbial Friends.

[Hidden in reply to SilverAvocado]

LOL 😊

[Hidden in reply to SilverAvocado]

Just read your post and would like to see info re fermenting my own foods. esp sauerkraut. Even supposedly healthy foods in stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods often have ingredients I don't want. I'm at the point I trust food I cook and assemble myself and where I can choose the ingredients I buy. Not very trusting of commercially prepared health foods. Read an article recently about how much supposedly organic, extra virgin olive oil is adulturated with cheaper, omega 6 oils. You guessed it-more profit. It gets discouraging. Fermenting food seems daunting to me so would love some simple instructions. (Don't want to grow botulism!😕🐈)

[SilverAvocado in reply to Hidden]

Its a lot easier than it sounds! Sauerkraut is probably the easiest one, because you don't need any special cultures - the bacteria you want is already on present on the cabbage.

It is basically just shredding a cabbage, rubbing it with salt, and then pressing it down hard into a jar. If the moisture thats come out doesn't cover the leaves, add a little extra. Then just leave at room temperature for days or weeks. You can find more detail easily online.

The principle with making your own ferments is that you create an environment that suits the bacteria and yeasts you want to grow, and then its survival of the fittest, they will kill off any competing bacteria. Usually this is using salt, or vinegar to change ph, or choose the temperature.

[Hidden in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thank you. Will get a big mason jar next shopping and give it a go.

[greygoose]

A really, really good vit C. A very expensive one!

[VulpusVulpus in reply to greygoose]

[hachiko in reply to greygoose]

I bought camu camu powder, in order to have a strong, natural vitamin C product. The only problem is that I cannot drink it with anything. Just simply can't.

[greygoose in reply to hachiko]

I've never tried that.

[hachiko in reply to greygoose]

I can ship mine to you.....

[greygoose in reply to hachiko]

No thank you. lol

[VulpusVulpus]

When I'm on Amazon, there's just so many "suggestions" and they all look very tempting. I think I'd like to try some collagen supplements but I can't help but think "how would it get past the stomach acid?"

[greygoose in reply to VulpusVulpus]

What would you take collagen for? They can make as many suggestions as they like, but we know that it's not good to take things unless you need them.

[VulpusVulpus in reply to greygoose]

Ah you know, to keep my skin plump and youthful!

[greygoose in reply to VulpusVulpus]

Well, hard to see how collagen in a pill would do that!

[VulpusVulpus in reply to greygoose]

Exactly! But darn it, those infomercials look so convincing.

[greygoose in reply to VulpusVulpus]

Never underestimate the power of publicity!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

I think by the time Big Pharma got through turning the raw ingredients into a pill the health benefits would be destroyed.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Here is something I started about 2 months ago. It's either brilliant or totally nuts-you choose.LOL. We've all heard how bone broth seems to be all the rage. I agree broth at one time was healthy when soup was made with healthy animal bones but not now. Bone broth is available, expensive and who knows how it is made. I also know there are those who swear their arthritis and other pains are helped by the supplement glucosamin chondroitin. Supposedly lt is made from chicken cartilage. But again now that Big Pharma has gotten their hands on it I don't trust it. I made bone broth for the first time about 2 months ago from the bones from a whole organic chicken. Followed an online recipe, (you have to add apple cider vinegar to help leach the minerals out of the bones) cooked it on low in my slow cooker for almost 72 hours til the bones got crumbly. Drank some each day and even used a little to saute. The reason I tried this is I have bad knee pain and had been to the ortho doc who is pushing knee replacements. I'm not ready for this right now and am hoping my cartilage gets built up by my bone broth. Worth a try!

[humanbean in reply to VulpusVulpus]

I'm sure I remember reading that it is better to supplement with the things the body needs to make collagen, rather than with collagen itself. But it is just a vague memory...

[VulpusVulpus in reply to humanbean]

That would make more sense.

[hachiko in reply to humanbean]

yes . vitamin C (again), and opti MSM

[Hidden in reply to humanbean]

To me this seems a good rule of thumb for most thing medical!. Give the body what it needs to make it's own tissue, bones, etc. instead of giving it artificial 'fast food' style ingredients. Our bodies know what to do with the right raw ingredients.

[greygoose]

Oh yes! Never thought about that!!!

[hachiko]

I wish astaxanthin was cheaper.

[VulpusVulpus in reply to hachiko]

Never heard of it! I'll look it up. :0)