Today’s guest, Amanda Buse, is a functional medicine health coach who teaches aromatherapy, nutrition, and kombucha workshops in the Hershey, PA area. She’s here to help us get our gut right.

So… what is Kombucha? It is an ancient fermented tea that acts as a natural probiotic.

If you can make tea, you can make Kombucha. All you need to turn your regular tea into Kombucha is a Scoby, a starter, and a little sugar.

• S.C.O.B.Y. = Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. The yeast in the culture feeds off of the sugar, then the bacteria feeds off of the byproduct of the yeast.
• Your starter is finished Kombucha, and you need it to prepare your Scoby for subsequent brews.

You may have noticed that Kombucha is getting more popular. It’s not just in health food stores and health coach’s kitchens anymore – it’s in your local grocery store, in major retailers, and on menus. Amanda thinks there’s two reasons for its popularity:

1. “Kombucha is absolutely delicious.”
2. It has numerous health benefits: it is a natural probiotic; balances gut bacteria to promote a healthy immune system; and contains multiple B vitamins, beneficial acids, and multiple strains of live bacteria.

Kombucha in stores can be expensive, so there’s also a growing homebrew culture. Your scoby is reusable (and every batch of Kombucha will add to your scoby stash), so it’s a very cost-effective option. It’s not just less expensive – it’s also fun!

The fermentation process can vary, but Amanda recommends letting Kombucha ferment for at least 2-3 weeks. The process makes it healthy and safe. There are two ways to brew Kombucha, but Amanda uses this process because it is faster:

Click here to download the kombucha recipe card!

If you want to get your own Kombucha brewing, Amanda can help you start the process with one of her workshops. If you don’t live in central PA, there are some more resources below.

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Resources:

• Connect with Amanda: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• If you want to start brewing Kombucha…
• • Sign up for one of Amanda’s workshops in central PA