Some of the best probiotic desserts doesn't have to be dairy based like yogurt. Although there are dairy-free yogurts in the market, I'd love to share with you some of the most beloved probiotic desserts there is:

Kombucha Jelly Squares

Makes one 9 x 13 inch pan of jelly squares

If you like Jell-O™, then try making this probiotic alternative using kombucha, water kefir, or natural cider. You can make these squares in any flavor you wish. To keep the flavoring simple, this recipe incorporates one of the homemade soda syrups covered in this book (please see the chapter on making natural sodas for the recipes). Alternatively, you could use some maple syrup, chocolate syrup, or fruit jam. If you prefer a savory version, then skip the sweetener and try using some tomato juice, kale juice, or carrot juice, perhaps with a twist of lime and a little sea salt.

• 3 cups kombucha

• 1 cup homemade soda syrup (see chapter on making natural sodas for recipes)

• 1 tablespoon or more sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener

• 5 tablespoons gelatin or agar agar

Combine half of the kombucha in a pan with your soda syrup and sugar/sweetener. Follow directions on the package for your gelatin or agar agar, adding this to the sweetened/flavored kombucha, heating it, and stirring it as needed on the stove. As the mixture cools (again, following the gelatin or agar agar recipe on your package), add additional kombucha. Pour and spread on a baking sheet or jelly mould and let it cool. If you are using gelatin, you probably will need to cool this in the refrigerator, while the vegetarian alternative agar agar should firm up at room temperature. Once it is firm, cut the jelly into squares to serve.

Thanksgiving Cranberry-Orange Relish

Makes about 3 cups of relish

This autumn, relish may become a new classic in your kitchen. It’s a great dish for Thanksgiving dinner in the United States and Canada (or anywhere else). Don’t tell them it’s naturally fermented until after they’re done eating it … see if anybody noticed!

• 3 cups fresh cranberries

• ½ cup chopped orange

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• ½ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)

• ½ cup yogurt whey or water kefir

• Optional: dash of cinnamon, a little lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a food processor and “pulse” it until pieces are finely chopped, but not yet puréed. Transfer relish into a jar, stone crock, or bowl. Cover with cloth and let it sit for 2–3 days or until the taste is right for you (if you plan to serve it to fermentation newbies, then do not let it get too sour). If needed, add a little more sugar or honey to sweeten it up before eating.

Chocolate Coconut Pudding

Makes about 3–4 cups

This pudding is made from puréed young coconut, which is cultured. You will need to use young green coconuts and not the hairy brown ones. In North America, young coconuts are often available in Asian and Latin American grocery stores; generally, their green skin has been hacked off, leaving them with a pointed or chiseled shape. Cut into the top with a heavy cleaver knife, pour out the coconut water and save it, and then scoop out the coconut meat. If you cannot find young coconuts, then you can use canned or frozen (and thawed) coconut purée.

• Meat of 3–4 young coconuts, scooped out (pour out the water and save this, too)

• 2 tablespoons water kefir

• 1–3 tablespoons chocolate chips (melted and cooled slightly), chocolate syrup, or cocoa powder

• ½ cup or more coconut water

• Dash of cinnamon

• Optional: 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener

Purée all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Place pudding in a bowl or container, cover loosely, and let it ferment. Feel free to taste this and eat it whenever you wish, probably in around 2–4 days. With the rest of the coconut water, you can make a great probiotic drink by popping in some water kefir grains and culturing it into coconut water kefir.

Food Diary

As each and every person's body is different, there is no single way to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, but a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthful fats may help manage inflammation. What you can do to find out your trigger foods is by keeping a Food Diary.

A food diary is a daily log of what you eat and drink each day. The diary helps you understand your eating habits. It can help you realize what you consume. Once you know this, you can make changes to your diet to improve your inflammation

Homemade Blueberry Kefir

INGREDIENTS

KEFIR

• 4 tablespoon ready milk keifer grains

• 4 cup organic whole milk

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. First you want to make sure the glass jar you are using is sterile. Swoosh hot water around the inside of the jar. Jar should cool before adding any milk or kefir.

2. Once the jar has cooled, add 1 tablespoon of ready kefir grains and 1 cup of organic whole milk. This will make one cup of keifer yogurt. Once you have more kefir grains you can add more. So the ratio is 1:1. For example, if I have 3 tablespoons of keifer, I add 3 cups of organic whole milk. If you have more, than you have to use more jars.

3. Mix using a wooden spoon.

4. Cover with a paper towel (cut to fit the lid size). You can use a rubber band around the paper towel to keep it in place or secure with a lid instead. Place the jar on the counter for 24 to 30 hours until it becomes firm and yogurt has formed.

5. Strain the milk using a plastic strainer.

6. Place homemade kefir & blueberries in a blender and blend until smooth. 

7. Pour into four individual-sized or two pint-sized containers and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I am proud of you for making it to Day 7 of this challenge! You are almost done! It takes a lot of discipline and planning to get this far. It is important to reward yourself for completing this challenge. Your final challenge for today is to treat yourself with a sweet and tasty yogurt/parfait for dessert!

Yogurt is thought to reduce inflammation by improving the integrity of the intestinal lining. And, by bolstering this layer of tissue, endotoxins — produced by gut bacteria — cannot cross into the bloodstream and promote inflammation.

To examine the potential benefits of yogurt on inflammation, in the scientists’ first experiment, they recruited 120 premenopausal women, half of whom were obese.

Half of the participants were asked to eat 12 ounces of low-fat yogurt each day for 9 weeks while the others ate a non-dairy pudding instead.

Throughout the experiment, at various points in time, the researchers took blood samples and assessed them for biomarkers of endotoxins and inflammation.

The results, published in December 2017, showed that some inflammatory markers were significantly reduced in yogurt eaters.

It is important to enjoy yourself so I suggest that you add fruits, nuts, or seeds into your yogurt if you are looking for some flavor for your treat today. If you are having problems digesting dairy, I recommend that you use Greek yogurt since it has no lactose.

Now that you have completed this challenge. I want you to spend time and assess how you feel after completing this challenge.

Let's take a look at your results for this entire challenge:

• How do you feel right now on a scale of 1 -10?

• What symptoms are you experiencing at the moment?

• Did you follow this challenge step-by-step?

• What is the most difficult part of this challenge?

• Do you see any improvements in your health?

• How close are you to your intended goal?

After your assessment, I want you to know that it is important to understand that this journey is a process. Most individuals will not hit their goals within a week. It takes patience, discipline and practice to manage your condition. The purpose of this challenge is to make progress towards your intended goal. If you feel like you have made progress and this is the right fit for you, my next challenge for you is to try this diet for an entire month.

Why try this diet for a month? Most individuals on this diet feel a drastic difference after 30 days. Your body needs to adjust and get the proper nutrients to heal your body. I have a 30-day plan consisting of dietary recommendations, building better habits, extensive knowledge of how this diet works, a food diary, and an abundant amount of tasty recipes.

You can find out your next challenge in this course.