I was recently reading an article written about the gut-brain relationship - which took me back to why I started Bucha Brew in the first place. 

Coming from the world of personal training I experienced all sorts of people in need of help, 95% of whom came in to lose weight, feel better and get more fit.  In this human lab of mine, I started noticing a trend in the individuals with particularly bad diets; most of them were suffering from some type of anxiety, depression, anger or sadness.  Back then there was not a lot of information on the connection between the gut and brain health.

When I first started researching kombucha, I found a lot of articles directed towards its digestive health benefits.  As a new mom, I was on the hunt for anything to help my temperamental digestive system (I'm sure all the moms out there know what I'm talking about )  Kombucha really helped me and many of my clients.

Stress can send your brain-gut connection way out of sync and can completely alter your gut physiology, contributing to IBS, IBD, acid reflux, heartburn, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.  Also, know, this is a two-way street; poor diet choices can significantly affect your emotional stability, stress levels, and anxiety.

What to do?

Drink kombucha, obviously .  Here is the real secret-the best and ultimate solution is to de-stress.  I understand it's not so easy these days.  Put aside time to take a few deep breaths, get more sleep, socialize, exercise and eat healthy. And given the overwhelming conclusion about the gut-brain connection, take care of your gut people!

Pre and pro-biotics are the heart of gut care. What's the difference? Prebiotics are the foods that feed the gut bacteria- think onions, bananas, garlic.  We are more familiar with probiotics- supplements, yogurt (try nondairy!), kefir and of course kombucha.  Drinking kombucha can positively impact not only your gut health but also your mental states!🤯 

Get your hands on this epic prize pack fully loaded with local Vancouver goodies valued at over $1500 brought to you by your favourite BC kombucha brand- Bucha Brew.

Here's the deets:

1. Go to @BuchaBrew follow us, like the giveaway post, spam your neighbour, your crush and your bestie with a tag- 50 extra points for sending dance videos because you know how much we like to 🎶move it move it 🎶
2. Visit as many of the participating badass Vancouver brands listed below👇 for additional entries.  
3. Follow.🕵️‍♀️  Like. 👍 Tag.🏷  Repeat.🔄  The more brands you follow the better your chances.🤑

BUCHA BREW- 1 Hat 1 T-shirt as much Kombucha🍻as you can fit in your fridge (we are not kidding) 

Quesava - 6 Free boxes VEGAN bites

MyMomentum - 1000 points

CMNGRND - 5 Class pack & a HAT

Herbaland - 1 Free box of PROTEIN gummies

Nuit - Almond butter

Flourgirl Baking - 6 VEGAN buns

Icaria CBD oil - 30ml CBD oil

Gymbox - 1 free Month 

Inshape Health and Fitness - 1 Free month of VEGAN smoothies

Modo Yoga YVR - 1 Free Month

Baboli foods - 3 Dips

Hello Sweets - Ice Cream Sandwich

Susgrainable - Cookie Mix, Waffle Mix & a reusable BAG

Ninas Perogies - 2 bags VEGAN pirogies 

Dipped Doughnuts - 6 Doughnuts

ZIMT Chocolate - 3 Bars and Macaroons

StormCity Coffee- 1 Bag of Timbertrain coffee beans

Delush - CBD gift box

Spread'em - 2 cashew dips

Wize Monkey Tea - 6 Boxes of tea & a HAT

Burn 365 - 2 x 1 Week UNLIMITED class pass for you and a FRIEND

BC Ballet - 2 tickets to the Ballet (so fancy)

If you, or someone you know has diabetes, then you’ll understand that paying close attention to diet is very important. As much as you try to keep your blood sugar levels stable, there are many different variables that can cause a spike. Sugar is something that must be closely monitored. When choosing a kombucha you need to be selective as many market brands have sugar content ranging between 10g-20gs per serving. 

Much of what is currently available on the store shelves has had additional sugar added post fermentation, for flavour. Kombucha is most beneficial to the body when consumed in its natural, raw, unpasteurized form, without any added sugar. At Bucha Brew, we ferment for a minimum of 30 days to ensure most of the caffeine and sugar is metabolized. We then flavour our kombucha with only freshly pressed fruit juice from 100% organic, whole fruit. This gives each one of our kombuchas an authentic taste profile with added antioxidant benefits and vitamins from real fruit.  No additional cane sugar or sweeteners are added post fermentation, leaving our sugar content at only 4-6g per serving. 

kombucha is said to have a number of effects that make it of interest to diabetics as it may help with moderating fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The combination of the fermented tea, B vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and high concentration of acid (gluconic, acetic, and lactic) appears to have a positive effect on the metabolism and digestive system, which could in turn help stabilize blood sugar levels.

However, there is little modern scientific evidence to support these claims, so while some kombuchas are certainly more diabetic friendly,  be selective and cautious before consuming. 

Hola Buchachos,

Natasha, our Western Sales Manager, has been working hard to set up our food service side of distribution.  On Friday we received news that we have successfully secured a new listing with Gordon Food Service (GFS) for our line of kombucha. 

GFS has been in business for 115 years delivering to all types of restaurants, cafes and grocery stores across North America.  

This is a really exciting milestone for Bucha Brew, giving us the opportunity to easily access restaurants and cafes across BC and Alberta! 

2 for $6 DEALS! 

July 4th-10th all BC Safeway, Sobeys & Thrifty stores will be running a 2 for $6 on our Tropical cans.

7-Eleven will be running their 2 for $6 cans (Tropical flavours, Ginger & Raspberry) from July-September.

We hope you have an amazing week! 

-Kara Sam

#culturedinvestment

Authentic Kombucha, in its purest, raw form, contains live bacterial cultures that need to be refrigerated to maintain potency and.... “Shelf stable” kombucha means it has been through a pasteurization process, thus killing these live cultures and enzymes and stripping it of it's most beneficial properties. How would you feel about shelf stable yogurt? Would you buy it? Not likely. The same applies to your kombucha.

 

Shelf stable kombucha generally contains added preservatives and a higher sugar content and is manufactured this way to cut costs and extend shelf life. This manipulation puts the beverage into a whole different category and should not be considered a Kombucha. Real kombucha, its its raw, unpasteurized state should be stored between 4 and 6 degrees to keep the natural cultures alive and kicking and slow the continuous fermentation to almost nothing. If it is left unrefrigerated, it won't go off, but it will continue to ferment and after a short period of time, will build up too much pressure inside the bottle/can and explode (resulting in a very messy kombucha shower!)

 

The kombucha market is booming but there is confusion building for consumers. As the category continues to grow, more and more "kombucha' type beverages are appearing on the shelf. It is now more important than ever, to know the good from the bad.  
Spot the difference.

 

The tea

It is essential to use a caffeinated tea, high in tannins in order to ensure the scoby (mother/starter culture) thrives and ferments properly. The best teas are black or green as they are high in tannins, caffeine and antioxidants. When buying kombucha, if the labels reads “tea flavours or extracts” or contains no tea whatsoever (yes, there are some out there), then it is not authentic kombucha. 

 

Ingredients list

If "kombucha" is listed as an ingredient, then it is a good indicator that the beverage is made of more water and sweeteners/flavourings than actual brewed kombucha. True kombucha should list the live cultures in the first 3 ingredients and they will generally be gluconacetobacter or brettanomyces bruxellensis. 

 

Is it in the Fridge or on shelf? 

Is the kombucha you are about to buy stored in the fridge or on the shelf? We now know the importance of refrigerated kombucha, so if your chosen brand is sitting warm and snug on the shelf, rubbing shoulders with long life milk and room temperature soda, then don't waste your money. 

 

Expiry date

Raw, unpasteurized kombucha should display an expiry date no longer than 6-8 months. While kombucha doesn't technically expire if it is kept refrigerated, all market brands that are producing authentic kombucha will set an expiry date of 6-8 months to ensure maximum potency and flavour for the consumer. 

 

Sugar 

Two things to address here. 

 

1 - If sugar is not a listed ingredient then that kombucha has likely not been through a proper fermentation process. Sugar is needed to feed the yeast in the initial fermentation. During this process, the sugar (and caffeine) is metabolised and depending at what stage the fermentation is stopped, the residual sugar content should be very low. Typically, kombucha should be fermented no less than 30 days to reduce the majority of the sugar.

 

2 - Traditionally, kombucha is a healthy, immune boosting, disease fighting, gut building beverage. It is not a pop. If your kombucha contains over 10g sugar per serving, it is likely than additional sugar has been added for flavouring, post fermentation. This does necessarily question its authenticity, but a high sugar content does go against kombucha's healthy profile. If you are looking for a refreshing, better for your alternative to energy drinks or pop, then a kombucha that contains the same or even more levels of sugar is not your best option.  

 

The taste

Kombucha is a fermented beverage. Therefore, naturally it should have a slight tangy flavour. This shouldn't be overpowering or off putting, and some brands taste more vinegar-like than others. It’s all down to preference and kombucha category now offers quite a variety. However, if there is not even the slightest hint of tanginess, then it might suggest that either no tea has been used or it is made from a kombucha concentrate with too much added water. 

 

 

Let us be totally honest... finding kombucha in a private club seems like a pipe dream.  I mean it wasn't till recently that woman were allowed in.  But, things change and thankfully so we rode that tidal wave and Bucha Brew is now on tap at one of Canada's most prestigious private clubs.

 Now the toughest decision will be which curly straw to use so you don't mess up that sunning lip stick.

Be Ambitious.  Be You