Vegetable ferments and Probiotics

Before I share the links, let me add a couple more important bits of information!

1. Never use city tap water (chlorinated or fluoridated) in your ferments or kefir.  Chlorine kills bacteria.  Chlorine doesn't choose between good and bad bacteria, it just kills it all!  Use bottled water.  Filters do not remove chlorine or fluoride, so just leave that stuff in the tap.  If you have a well, you should be fine to use water from the tap.
2. If you want to keep good gut flora in your body, refrain from drinking chlorinated water or cooking with it.  
3. Do not use salt that has iodine.  This will also inhibit the fermentation.
4. Use organic vegetables as often as they are available to you.  Not only are they free from harmful toxins and pesticides, they also have the good microorganisms that grow naturally in the vegetables.
5. The basic brine recipe for veggie ferments again:  1 TB salt to 1 quart water.  Cover with air tight lid and ferment at room temperature for 3 days.  It is okay to open and check the progress daily.

Here is a good link for a list of common mistakes made when fermenting vegetables.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/

This website has great information on different strains of good bacteria, what foods they are found in and what they do for your body.  This particular strain is amazing!  L. rhamnosus is a strain that survives the stomach acids, goes to the digestive tract and fights bacteria that cause kidney and urinary illness.

http://www.probiotic.org/lactobacillus-rhamnosus.htm

Here is the recipe for Beet Kvass that I will try next time.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/beet-kvass-recipe/

This is the video explanation that you MUST watch!  You will understand why a healthy gut is so important to your mind and body.

This is where I purchased my water kefir grains (through Amazon)

http://www.keysands.com/

Another non-dairy beverage that provides probiotic help is Kombucha tea.  You can find it raw and bottled at the healthfood store.  If you make it at home, you have to purchase a starter "mushroom" or get some from a friend.  The recipe for kombucha is just tea, sugar and water with some finished kombucha as a starter with the "mushroom" which grows on top as it ferments.  I used to make it at home and it is delicious.  It also requires upkeep, so I will stick to my water kefir for now.

Last, Dr. Mercola has a wealth of information on his website.  He sells a probiotic product that is really potent.  It has all the strains of good bacteria that I would be looking for to boost my immune system should I fall prey to some chronic disease.  His video is quite informative.

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics.html

Update on the beet Kvass
I am very excited about the kvass that I had tasted after three days of fermentation.  It is absolutely delicious!  Taken 4oz morning and evening, it should provide lacto probiotics.  It also aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and dissolves kidney stones.  The recipe was from the book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods.  I would highly recommend it as a resource of information for anyone wanting to ferment food for health.