Kick the Soda, Keep the Fizz

I've been a soda drinker for about six years. In that time, I've kicked the habit twice. The first time was easy - cold turkey, no problems. The next time I went through it, four years later, was torture. At first, it was purely the caffeine addiction - I got that terrible withdrawal headache, felt foggy-headed and I missed that lift my cola gave me. But after a month or so had passed, my cravings were still powerful. I lusted after the cold tingle of that first drink - it was always the palpable memory of that first drink that haunted me, the relief of the cool fizz as it washed down my throat. Every time my spouse popped open a can, the sound of it made my mouth water and my senses jump, only to be let down when my better judgment informed them that no, there would be no cold soda forthcoming.

This went on for weeks, til I began to feel like one of Pavlov's dogs - I'd find myself responding to the sound of a soda can opening by showing up out of nowhere at my spouse's side, charming my way into "just one sip" to recreate the heaven of that first drink. I knew eventually I'd have to give even that up, as well. By hanging on to that one sip, I was only prolonging the torture.

I reasoned that it would be a good idea to have other beverages available to drink. Normally, our household doesn't host juice, Kool-Aid or any of those other brand-name drinks, so the only options are tea, water or my husband's stash of soda. It seemed like a good time to try something new. I'd recently been culturing milk for kefir, a yogurt-like product that was thin enough to drink. Compared to yogurt, the kefir culture contains a greater range of probiotics that are beneficial to gut health. I knew from researching about kefir that the source of the culture, the kefir grain, could be used in other liquids as well. So I separated some of my grains out of the milk kefir jar, rinsed them well and began experimenting with creating a kefir beverage from flavored waters.

I started with lemon slices in water, but wasn't really excited about the flavor, and after a few batches I decided to try culturing juice with the kefir grains. I used grape juice for the first try and much to my surprise, I was actually pleased with the result! I had expected a change in flavor much more pronounced, but the grape flavor persisted even after culturing and there was no unpleasant taste. What really had me hooked was that there was a tingle to the beverage... a touch of carbonation developed during the process, and gave the juice a fizz. I kept experimenting til I soon hit on a method that created a slightly sweet, very fizzy drink, using only apple juice, kefir grains and a tightly closed antique wire bail jar.

I was happy to discover a pleasant and easy source of probiotics, and was even more pleased when I noticed that my craving for soda had faded. Being able to enjoy a fizzy beverage whenever I wanted, without worries of excess processed sugars, artificial sweeteners or caffeine, quelled my cravings. I now enjoy "kefir soda" as my four year old calls it, nearly every day and no longer feel enslaved to those blue cans.

Kefir grains are not too hard to come by, but they cannot be purchased in any store. They must be passed on from someone who has a working kefir jar in use. You may obtain milk kefir grains and convert them to juice, like I did, or you might be able to find actual "water kefir" grains which are meant for culturing water-based beverages. The easiest way to find kefir grains is to join an online community created for those interested in using and sharing kefir. A benefit of becoming a member is that it is possible not only to obtain grains, but to ask questions and get information from the more experienced members of the group.

It's worth the initial effort to get the grains; once they arrive the process is no more complicated than steeping tea. Brewing your own fizzy kefir beverage will provide you with a healthy and enjoyable way to kick that soda habit once and for all.