Nothing beats the combination of well-sourced berries and fermented dairy, in my opinion. Not only are the ingredients for this quick kefir smoothie tasty, but they all serve specific functions to heal and maintain the gut microbiome, so you can reclaim your power and live the life you actually want. 

Goat kefir is a Lactobacillus-rich probiotic food with higher inositol/uridine content than cow’s, and dopamine receptor regulating, anti-depressant properties (hello, neurogenesis). Goat kefir is a safe, inexpensive probiotic cornerstone for mitochondrial enzymes with antioxidant, bioavailable inositol and myoinositol which heals the body and can reduce diabetes, asthma, suicidal ideation and PCOS. The positive impact of kefir is so strong that it has been coined as a “psychobiotic”, meaning that it can help resolve anxiety and depression, as well as confer numerous other benefits for IBS, eczema, arthritis, diabetes, cancer/tumour prevention, and various autoimmune conditions. The lactobacillus in goat kefir/yogurt outcompetes Candida albicans levels, and along with this smoothie, packs an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, immunity supercharging punch.

Raw, high quality egg yolks from pasture raised, organic (corn and soy-free) probiotic-fed hens provide essential choline as one of the highest nervous system tissue regulators in the body. They contain a powerful dose of the essential fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. They also reduce chronic inflammation and homocysteine levels in the blood, promote effective digestion and can even disinfect the intestines. Overcooking yolks can oxidise the cholesterol in the egg, so I typically keep the cooking of the yolk to a minimum unless we’re talking scrambled eggs (…yum). In this recipe, we don’t include the raw white part of the egg as it inhibits the yolk’s biotin which helps in re-establishing mitochondrial redox balance and energy metabolism. Cook and enjoy the egg white separately! 

Ingredients

• 1 cup grass-fed goat kefir (or sheep or water buffalo’s, plain, full fat, raw if possible)—be very careful about sourcing dairy, try to visit and support your small-scale ethical local regenerative organic farm if you’re not sure. While I’m living here, I source mine at River’s Edge. If you truly cannot do dairy whatsoever, pure fermented organic coconut kefir with no gut-disrupting fillers, additives or gums will be fine.

• 1 raw pasture raised egg yolk, white membrane string removed

• 1 tbsp raw local honey 

• 1/2 cup local organic strawberries, fresh or frozen (or other seasonal, local or homegrown fruit… blueberries, raspberries, haskaps, peaches, the sky’s the limit) 

• 1 tbsp cold ground organic flax seed or organic chia seeds (I store my ground flax seed in the freezer to preserve its benefits) 

• 1 tsp grass fed collagen 

• Optional: 1/4 cup grass fed goat yogurt to thicken and create the swirls (or sheep or water buffalo’s, plain, full fat, raw if possible) 

• Optional: 1 inch piece of fresh organic turmeric and/or ginger 

• Optional: 1 tbsp virgin cold pressed organic coconut oil

• Optional: 1/2 tsp pure magnesium chloride flakes 

• Optional: 1/4 tsp organic camu camu powder or organic rose powder (provides loads of bioavailable whole food vitamin C) 

• Optional: 1 drop organic vanilla bean tincture

Instructions

1. Optional: first dollop a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt onto the sides of your serving glass to create the swirls after, and place some chopped/whole berries at the bottom of the glass. 

2. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into your serving glass. If you did step 1, create a marbled swirl with the yogurt and berry mixture using your spoon. Enjoy!

Tips

• For an even quicker smoothie, simply blend any amount of goat kefir with a handful of berries. You might miss out on some of the benefits, particularly of the raw yolk, flax seed, raw honey and magnesium, but this will work if you’re in a rush. Mix and match ingredients depending on seasonal availability, needs and preference.

• If you are concerned about consuming raw egg yolk, omit it. If you do consume eggs raw, ensure they are of high quality, meaning pasture raised, local, organic. You can wash the solid calcium complex eggshell before cracking as well. Avoid consuming refined sucrose/fructose at least 1 hour around consuming raw egg as this directly feeds certain bacteria, yeast and fungus in the gut, and creates an imbalance of too much. Many bodybuilders continue to enjoy raw eggs without issues, and raw egg yolk is also a staple in ancestral dishes like tartare and bibimbap.

• To separate the egg yolk, simply crack the egg in half over a small bowl, keeping the yolk in half of the shell, and letting any white fall into the bowl. Gently tip the yolk into the other half of the shell as the white continues to fall out. Repeat, moving the yolk back and forth between shells until all egg white has fallen into the bowl. Pinch off the white membrane string from the yolk and drop the yolk into the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Raw egg whites inhibit the yolk’s biotin which restores redox balance and energy metabolism, so cook with them separately.

• If you’re new to kefir, start off small and any minor side effects, ie. bloating will fade with continued use.

• Flax seed is a great source of fibre necessary to clear unbound iron and copper from the body that would otherwise get recycled back into the biliary system. 

• Consider adding 1/4-1/2 tsp cold pressed black seed oil (ancient medicine) as an occasional supplement. It is a source of thymoquinone and kills off anything non-human in the body. Ancients referred to it as the “cure for everything except death”.  Disclaimer: always ask your practitioner to determine ingredients that work for you.

• Serve in a chalice or goblet as a treat.

This elixir of life recipe can be found in my upcoming book, The Vital Life Cookbook.