In my never ending search for all things skinny healthy, I stumbled upon kombucha (pronounced kom-BOO-cha). Kombucha is a handmade Chinese tea that’s been fermented for 30 days. Sounds gross, right? Kind of. The drink is natural and organic, and the label claims it supports appetite and weight control, metabolism, digestion, anti-aging, healthy skin and hair, blah, blah.
All that stuff aside, I just tried it to see if it would help me get skinny. I gave it a shot and quickly became addicted. Two weeks in, a daily kombucha has all but eliminated my crazy food thoughts (i.e., “If I don’t get some cookies within 20 minutes, I might start busting skulls” kind of thoughts). I sip on a bottle throughout the day, and I no longer feel the need to snack when I’m not hungry.
Thinking about taking the plunge? Some tips from a novice kombucha addict:
- Open the bottle slowly. My first bottle exploded all over my office. Actually, most of the bottles fizz all over when I open them even though I don’t shake them.
- It smells kind of strange (a little like vinegar or beer). You’ll get used to it.
- Don’t be discouraged by the crap floating in the bottom. If you drink kombucha with a straw, you can avoid most of that stuff (or you just don’t notice that you’re drinking it).
- Speaking of straws – they’re essential for daily kombucha consumption. Buy a bunch or hoard them from your office’s common kitchen area.
- On your first day, drink only half the bottle. You may feel a little shaky, sweaty or jittery. That means it’s working (or at least that’s what I told my sister).
- Flavors: My favorites are Strawberry, Grape and Passionberry. Cranberry and Citrus are pretty good too. Botanic No. 7 is disgusting – don’t waste your money.
- Warning: This stuff may cause you to develop a crack-like addiction to it. You may find yourself driving around southern New Jersey with your 3-year-old niece in the backseat because “Aunt Gina just really needs to get her special drink”.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Did it make you skinny? I mean…healthy?
C: It made me feel skinny, and my clothes fit better. Most importantly, I felt less gross because it prevented me from eating crap all day at work.
Godspeed.
This stuff is amazing. The above mentioned flavors are delicious. Steer clear of Guava Goddess. It’s disgusting.
Seriously….I am in for splitting the case!
I have to stop eating chocolate, Pringles, Oreo’s and most of all Captain Crunch.
I don’t see anything wrong with above food groups but I am in denial.
How much Kombucha can I/should I drink in a day? I want to fully experience the get skinny powers it possesses.
Welcome, Kara! I drink only one kombucha a day – I tend to feel pretty energized after just one, so I fear I may appear like I’m on speed if I drink more. Good luck!
My two cents: Bontanic No 7(I love Hibiscus) is THE best flavor and would buy it every time but for the weird series of overly fizzy bottles, Strawberry comes in 2nd and Ginger 3rd; if you want one that is more filling try the Mango.
SAW: Thanks for the input! I must say I’m surprised you love Botanic No. 7 – I couldn’t stomach it. We are in agreement about Strawberry and Mango, though. I could (and sometimes do) drink Strawberry every day.
Hey there… Have you guys tried brewing it yourself? It’s pretty simple and saves a lot of money. I use to buy it by the case in a Chicago Whole Foods, but 8 months ago, we relocated to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua. There’s no Kombucha here. So I started brewing and bottling my own. I have 2 batches all the time, one a week older than the other so I have a fresh weekly supply. It is an amazing drink! The steps are simple, try googling it or check youtube. Cheers!
I just wanted to inform HCG that Whole Foods have taken this miracle drink off the shelves due to the alcohol content in the drink! They informed me yesterday, as I was frantically looking for a bottle, that the drink continued to ferment after they bottled it, so the alcohol levels increased. The people at Kombucha are supposedly working on fixing this problem, but do not think they will have the miracle drink ready for us for 1 year!!
AL: Thanks for the info! We did hear about this before L. Lohan was incarcerated (she alleged that kombucha set off her alcohol-monitoring device), and we’re definitely disappointed. Even though the GT brand is no longer stocked in stores, I know you can find other brands of kombucha at certain health food stores (including Essene in Queen Village). I haven’t tried the other brands and can’t guarantee that they’ll be as tasty, but they may be worth a shot.