AKA The Booch.
Kombucha is either something you know about (and love) or you’ve never tried and never cared. But as the evidence stacks up in favour of its boundless health benefits, Miss FQ’s digital content producer Terri Dunn put her hand up to drink a bottle of kombucha a day to see if she could detect any improvements.
For the seven-day kombucha diary, I opted for Amplify Kombucha. They only have a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar per bottle and makes use of natural and organic ingredients – right up my alley. Plus, they have three flavours so I could mix ‘n match depending on my mood that day.
For those of you unfamiliar with kombucha, it’s a fermented tea combining sugar and live cultures (the sugar gets consumed during the fermentation process before evolving into a lightly sweetened, fizzy tipple) and is widely regarded as ‘gut-loving’; known for helping digestion and being overall good for general health and wellbeing.
Scroll for my kombucha diaries below:
DAY ONE – THURSDAY
Today has been hectic, to say the least. I’ve got back to back meetings and no time to stop and grab lunch. In a bid to eliminate any opportunity for my hanger to pipe up in my presentation and upstage me, I reach for a bottle of kombucha and take a few hearty sips. Its effervescent nature fills my stomach, leaving me to concentrate on my meeting. Before I know it, the half hour is up and I’m free to nip out and grab my all-time favourite chicken yakisoba from the sushi joint around the corner and finish my bottle of kombucha.
Kombucha theme: Hanger be gone
DAY TWO – FRIDAY
TGIF has never felt so good. Some colleagues have organised drinks upstairs in the hub. Normally – in my general sense of being teetotal – I’d slide out of my slingbacks and into my trainers, before making a beeline for the bus. Instead, knowing there’s a chilled bottle of kombucha waiting for me, there’s a real sense of occasion and 5pm (okay, just kidding, more like 4.30pm) couldn’t come any quicker.
Kombucha theme: Friday night drinks are a thing again
DAY THREE – SATURDAY
It’s a standard Saturday night which means my flatmates and I are bound for a gig in the city. I’ve been looking forward to trying the ginger lemon flavour of Amplify Kombucha, so before we venture away from our flat I make full use of having the kitchen and fridge stocked with ingredients at my disposal to whip up a cocktail. I’m probably biased because I made the cocktail up myself, but I’ll have you know that it was proper delicious.
In standard procedure, I squeeze everyone into the car and we head to the venue in town. Normally by this stage, I’m feeling a touch tired and a part of my brain is talking me into going home and getting some sleep. But on this occasion, my energy levels are maintained and I see it through to the end. I think I have the cocktail to thank in place of just water for that one, wouldn’t you agree?
Kombucha theme: Energy to burn
Kombucha diaries continued below.
DAY FOUR – SUNDAY
Now before I crack into a deep explanation as to why we’re having a ‘Sunday Session’ at my place, please know that I did have a really productive morning getting on top of lots of admin (washing, meal prep, gym etc). It’s just that Sunday dinner is kind of a big deal; my flatmate makes these enormous pizzas from scratch and it’s just an awesome way to get everyone sharing a meal and relaxing before the next working week kicks in. So good in fact, that our wider friend group usually starts rocking up mid-afternoon with a few beverages overlooking the pool to reminisce about the night before (and just happen to stay for pizza, ugh, BS). Today there are a few stragglers; people I’ve not met before. Here we go again, I think to myself, as I get my elevator pitch at the ready for when they question as to why I’m not drinking… But low and behold, I think they think the packaging of the bottle I’m drinking from is a craft beer. No elevator pitch or awkward defence necessary. Amplify Kombucha FTW.
Kombucha theme: It’s got my back
DAY FIVE – MONDAY
This morning I woke up and swiped off my alarm. But rather than wailing my arm about trying to find my phone on my side drawers with my eyes partially open, I’d already been awake for 10 minutes having experienced ‘the body clock’. You know? That myth that wakes you up when your body’s good and ready. Note to self: not a myth. During those blissful extra ten minutes, I lay in my bed admiring my flat tummy. There was no bloating, discomfort or tension. Just a good old flat tummy, and I must say, it feels great (you know, for my confidence too). I haven’t felt this good since I ate bone broth for five meals a day for five days. Between you and me, one bottle of kombucha a day is far easier than that whole ordeal, I can tell you that for free.
Kombucha theme: Hello, flat stomach and impeccable gut health
DAY SIX – TUESDAY
I’ve hit a wall. Another overwhelmingly busy day at work and I’ve just been put forward to attend an event tonight. I mean, hey, I’m not complaining, but the clock’s just gone 3pm; there’s no way I can have another coffee without being up all hours of the night. Luckily, I haven’t had my daily allocation of kombucha and, much like my Saturday night situ, it’s the perfect boost in energy to see me through until the event wraps up at 9pm.
Kombucha theme: The perfect pick me up
DAY SEVEN – WEDNESDAY
Okay, If I confess to my hectic schedule one more time, you’ll think I’m a crazy person. But the thing is, it just has been one of those weeks. These super busy spells come and go from time to time and usually take the wind out of me. But I think – and again, this is likely to sound crazy – with the added benefits of gut-loving live cultures in the kombucha, I’m handling it really well in the sense that I’m not getting stressed out or feeling the need to erupt into tears. I’m cool as a cucumber and taking everything on my unrealistic to-do list in my stride. The real winner here is my dear flatmates not having to hear me grouch at the end of the day or mope around in the lounge.
Kombucha theme: My mood is on fleek, yo
THE FINAL VERDICT
Having dealt with my share of food sensitivities, including lactose intolerance since I was just 13 years old – that’s long before ‘dairy-free’ became a lifestyle choice, for the record – I’ve typically led a healthy lifestyle opting for whole foods, grass-fed meat and organically sourced ingredients where possible. And yet, I’ve never been entirely immune from sudden onsets of swelling, bloating and general digestion upsets.
Furthermore, I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of a healthy gut being fundamental to a healthy life, and growing research continues to support this. I routinely take probiotics and eat fermented foods a few times a week, but even so, with the daily introduction of a bottle of kombucha I noticed that, particularly in my lower abdomen, there have been positive improvements. But that’s enough about tummy chat. Having Amplify Kombucha on hand certainly gave me something to look forward to in the day, and let me feel normal, if not incognito, in social situations where me being sober typically becomes, well, kind of awkward and alienating.
This article was brought to you by Amplify Kombucha.
