Lifeway Kefir Review and Giveaway

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

If you're friends with me on Twitter, you may have seen some tweets about Kefir. Before starting Mamavation I drank it every morning as part of my breakfast. A typical breakfast for me with Kefir looks like this:



(L to R) 1 slice of sprouted wheat toast with 1 teaspoon of butter, 1 small banana, an 8-ounce glass of Low Fat Raspberry Kefir.

So I bet you're wondering, what the heck is Kefir? (All information was taken from the Lifeway Site.)

Historically, Kefir dates back to ancient times. It was originally produced when nomadic shepherds carried fresh milk in leather pouches. Along the way, they realized that it fermented into a delicious bubbly beverage. It is thought that the name Kefir originated from the Turkish word “Keif” which means “good feeling”, for the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.

The Lifeway Company has been around since 1986, Russian immigrant Michael Smolyansky began manufacturing kefir in his basement to bring the taste of his native country to the U.S. He passed away in 2002, but his daughter and son remain in charge of the company, keeping it a family business. Today, Lifeway is the country’s leading manufacturer of kefir, with multiple flavors and varieties that include lowfat, whole milk and organic versions as well as a children’s line, and a provider of other probiotic natural and organic dairy products for health-conscious consumers.

What makes Kefir so great? Well, I orignally stumbled on this product just in the grocery store. I was put on some heavy antibiotics, and I was looking for a yogurt with a lot of probiotics and live cultures, so that all of the good bacteria in my body wouldn't be killed off. (We all know what happens after a long round of antibiotics...) When I glanced up at the top shelf I noticed a label boasting 10 live and active cultures plus "The Lifeway ProBoost." I decided to give a try.

I am not exaggerating, but I was an instant fan. Not only did I make it through a round of antibiotics without any "repercussions," but I also notice myself feeling better and having more energy. From then on I made sure to have a glass every morning as part of my breakfast. I've been recommending this product to all of my friends and family and have made even more raving fans.

If yogurt-y drinks aren't your style, there are plenty of great recipes that use Kefir as well!

How about some Basil Lifeway Kefir Dip?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of fresh basil, blanched
• 1 pint of Plain LowFat Lifeway Kefir
• 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Blend ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate. Serve with sliced veggies, baked pita chips, multi-grain crackers, etc.

I used my free product to try out this recipe, and it was delcious! Similar to tzatziki sauce with a basil twist. I think it would be great with dill or mint instead of basil as well.

Buy it!
To find Kefir products in your area, check out the Store Locator.

Win it!
Five winners will get a VIP Pass valid for one FREE product in any flavor!

How to Enter:
Visit the Lifeway Site and then come back here and comment with something you learned that wasn't mentioned in my review.

Want extra entries? (Leave a separate comment for each one!)
-Be a fan of Nine More Months on Facebook. (1 entry.)
-Become a fan of Lifeway Kefir on Facebook. (1 entry.)
-Follow Lifeway Kefir on Twitter. (1 entry.)
-Follow me on Twitter, AND tweet this giveaway. "Hey @ninemoremonths I want to #win a a VIP Pass from @lifeway_kefir http://bit.ly/fWJKC5 #mamavation #giveaways" Comment with a link to your tweet. (You can do this once a day for 1 entry each.)
-Be a follower or subscriber to my blog. (1 entry each.)
-Grab my button and tell me where it is. (1 entry.)
-Make a blog post linking to this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to it. (5 entries.)
-Enter another one of my giveaways. (1 entry each.)

Giveaway ends Friday March 4th, 2011 @9PM PST. US entries only. Winners will be picked via Random.org and announced the following day. Please respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received a free VIP pass to try a product of my choice for review purposes. I did not receive any other form of compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.