In the ancient ways of the people in the Caucasus Mountains lies a possible answer to your digestive problems. My youthful days of collegiate debauchery have wreaked havoc on my digestive system. For years the sight of huevos rancheros or a glass of bourbon on the rocks has sent my esophagus screaming. I all but gave up two of my passions: liquor and spicy food. Until one day a Russian cabaret dancer client of mine told me about the benefits of Kefir.

Kefir is a yogurt type drink made from bacteria and yeasts fermented in milk. After doing a little research I came to find that some bacteria found in kefir (Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter) aid digestion in the stomach. I came to understand that when we have a steady diet of acidic food: coffee, red meat, liquor, fried food, etc. That our stomach becomes overly acidic and the excess acid shoots up into our esophagus and begins to wear away at the lining, causing what we describe as heart burn. What we need to do is balance our diets with basic (or alkaline) foods in order to reduce the excess of stomach acid by consuming foods with high basic content like watermelon, beans, yogurt, oatmeal and the food with the highest basic content, Kefir. The key for mitigating the negative effects of acid is balancing our diet of acidic food with consumption of food with a more alkaline content. It helps me to think of acidic food as negative and basic food having a positive effect.

As a result, I have cut out my morning coffee (if I had to pick between eliminating either coffee of booze, it is as easy choice). Coffee is highly acidic and consumption of coffee in the morning starts one off with an overly acidic stomach or what we can consider as starting out in the negative. So I usually begin my day with a bowl of oatmeal and a kefir shake (see Kefir shake recipe below). I usually have a fairly regular lunch and dinner and have Kefir and yogurt on hand for snacks.

Most importantly, I take kefir at night before I hit the sheets, because having the basic kefir in your stomach will counteract the acid in your stomach so the acid doesn't lurch up into your esophagus as you sleep. Kefir can be purchased in the dairy or health food sections of any good supermarket. Lifeway makes delicious kefir in an array of flavors (wild berry is my favorite). So if you have faith like I did and bring Kefir into your life, you are well on your way to a healthy and a full life. So pass the salsa and pull out the blender, let's have a fiesta for digestive wellness.

How to make a Kefir shake

4oz Low fat plain kefir

7 ice cubes

1 banana

6 fresh or frozen strawberries

1 teaspoon raw honey (optional you can add more or less to taste)

Place contents in blender and blend until smooth, usually about thirty seconds.

Please understand that this is not a rigid recipe and like any good cook play with it until you get desired results. Sometimes I like to add whey protein and flax seed oil to the shake to add nutritional value.