

Cultured Food Life
Donna Schwenk
Discover how to make and serve delicious probiotic foods and improve your overall health with Donna Schwenk. In her weekly radio show "Cultured Food Life" (new episodes every Tuesday), Donna will de-mystify different probiotic foods such as kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables, and share how to add these foods into your diet. As a teacher and writer, Donna works with thousands of people to open the door to a world of foods that can help improve an array of health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, and IBS. In her down-to-earth and informative style, Donna will walk you through the basic preparation techniques and teach you how to make these delicious probiotic recipes at home. You can find out all about Donna on her web site https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 25, 2022 • 16min
Episode 187: Making Winter Kombucha
Making kombucha in the winter can be a little bit of a challenge when temperatures drop, as kombucha likes to brew at about 75-80 degrees. Here are my best and most helpful tips for making Kombucha in the winter when temperatures drop not only outside, but inside your home as well. If your house gets below 75 degrees, these tips can be a lifesaver! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-187-making-winter-kombucha/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/making-winter-kombucha/ https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/recipe/bubbly-fruit-flavored-kombucha/

Jan 18, 2022 • 15min
Episode 186: Warm up With Prebiotic Marshmallow Hot Chocolate
I love warm chocolate cozy drinks but as the years have gone by I learned that I needed to incorporate healthy treats that not only satisfy my cravings around the holidays but nourish my body. This drink has many health benefits and is so easy to make and have on hand. Check it out you won't regret it. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-186-warm-up-with-prebiotic-marshmallow-hot-chocolate/ Check out this link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/warm-up-with-prebiotic-marshmallow-hot-chocolate/

Jan 11, 2022 • 31min
Episode 185: 7 Ways to Heal Your Gut
Your gut is your largest immune organ and is responsible for 80 percent of your immune system. The more good bacteria you have, the better your immune system is. Your emotions believe it or not are controlled by your gut bacteria, and studies now suggest that gut bacteria are controlling anxiety and stress responses. Your cravings for food are determined by the types of microbes you have in your gut and so much more. If you're feeling out of whack, you might need to check out your gut and I have 7 things you can do that can make all the difference. Listen to learn more. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-185-7-ways-to-heal-your-gut/ Check out this link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/7-ways-to-heal-your-gut

Dec 7, 2021 • 16min
Episode 184: Gingerbread: The Healthy Holiday Treat
Gingerbread is one of those special recipes that has two of my favorite ingredients: ginger and blackstrap molasses. Loaded with vitamins and minerals it makes a really wonderful healthy treat. I have lots of recipes and listen and learn the history of gingerbread! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-184-gingerbread-the-healthy-holiday-treat/ Check out this link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/gingerbread-the-healthy-holiday-treat/

Nov 23, 2021 • 17min
Episode 183: 9 Ways to Use Extra Kefir Whey
If you're making kefir, and especially kefir cheese, you're going to wind up with a lot of whey. Whey has been called liquid gold, and it has been used throughout history to help with many diseases. Lactoferrin, a special protein in whey, acts as a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory that helps the body heal. Check out all the different ways you can use this powerful food in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-183-9-ways-to-use-extra-kefir-whey/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/9-ways-to-use-extra-kefir-whey/

Nov 16, 2021 • 19min
Episode 182: Kefir Soda: The Soda Pop That's Good For You!
I have a fun and easy way to make kefir soda that does not involve using water kefir crystals. You only need 3 ingredients and a thick glass bottle made for brewing and you'll be making lots of kefir soda and really fast. Once you get your first bottle made you can make subsequent bottles in less than a day. There are billions of probiotics in kefir soda and it's so much better for you than any storebought sodas that can ruin your health. Listen and give it a try you'll be glad you did! Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-182-kefir-soda-the-soda-pop-thats-good-for-you/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/water-kefir-or-kefir-soda-two-different-ways-to-make-probiotic-soda/

Nov 7, 2021 • 38min
Episode 181: The Power of HMOs
When I first heard about how powerful HMOs were, I went looking for them. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are specific carbohydrates, and essentially a super prebiotic occurring naturally in mother’s milk. It helps build the all-important Bifidobacterium in the gut that has a myriad of health benefits all the while feeding other species of bacteria in your gut to promote a diverse and strong microbiome. I found HMOs at Layer Origin and was pretty impressed but after I tried them I was convinced. Not too long after that, I was contacted by Beau from Layer Origin who is on this podcast. It's a leading-edge conversation and I'm excited to share it with you. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-181-the-power-of-hmos/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/hmos-and-bifidobacterium-why-theyre-so-important-for-your-gut/ https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/store/product/purehmo-super-prebiotic-powder-human-milk-oligosaccharides/ https://layerorigin.com/

Nov 2, 2021 • 16min
Episode 180: How to Make Your Own Vinegar
Making your own vinegar has many health benefits and the taste is so good you'll always want to make your own. Vinegar is so simple to make - you just add a few ingredients into a pot and let it ferment. Time is the only drawback since it can take some time, but if you start now it will be ready before Christmas. Check out how to make 5 different types of vinegar and before you know it you'll have homemade vinegar that will be a treasure to your friends and family. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-180-how-to-make-your-own-vinegar/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-to-make-your-own-vinegar-5-different-recipes/

Oct 26, 2021 • 22min
Episode 179: Helpful Tips For Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is worth the effort and the joy you'll get is hard to describe until you pull your first loaf from the oven. The secret to good sourdough bread is in the bubbly sourdough starter, but there are a few other things you need to know to make it easy and fun for you to make delicious sourdough bread. Listen in and learn all the tips tricks and I'll answer many of the questions that are frequently asked. Sourdough bread is love made visible. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-179-helpful-tips-for-sourdough-bread/ Check out these links: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/sourdough-faqs/ https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-to-care-for-your-sourdough-starter/ https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/ways-to-use-your-extra-sourdough-starter/ https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/pumpkin-seed-sourdough-bread/

Oct 19, 2021 • 38min
Episode 178: Immunity, Your Gut, and Longevity with Joel Greene
I'm really excited for you to meet Joel Greene founder of Veep Nutrition and author of Immunity Code The New Paradigm for Immune Centric Health and Radical Anti-Aging. Joel gives a powerful paradigm shift to an immune-centric approach to changing your gut, energized living, and how to dramatically slow aging in easy practical steps. I was shocked at how much I learned from doing some of his protocols and how wonderful I felt from them. I think his message is life-changing and I hope it will help you as much as it has helped me. Episode link: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/podcast/episode-178-immunity-your-gut-and-longevity-with-joel-greene/ Check out these links: https://www.veepnutrition.com/ https://www.instagram.com/realjoelgreene/ https://www.amazon.com/The-Immunity-Code/dp/057869140X/?tag=culturedfoodlife-20 https://www.veepnutrition.com/product-page/immune-centric-fat-loss-course