Live Kombucha Soda
LIVE Soda and their marketing team are great people. But the biggest caveat of this giveaway is that my body just can’t handle kombucha. Apparently any kombucha.
A few months ago I tried Celestial Seasonings kombucha soda and my stomach hurt – like sharp stomach pains and running to the bathroom. Now, since I don’ t have digestive symptoms from gluten, I had no idea what it was, but I was assuming it was the mass amounts of gut bacteria the kombucha provides. Everyone in the universe seems to be raving about the benefits of kombucha and how much better they feel after drinking it regularly. However, I haven’t tried kombucha again since “the incident” and just prefer to take probiotics. However, LIVE Kombucha and I connected around Expo West and they really wanted me to try their kombucha. I thought I’d give it a chance because I had only tried it the one time. Trying this soda would hopefully give me a fair assessment of how my body reacted. Well, my body reacted the same – same sharp pains and upset.
Aside from the fact that I just can’t do kombucha again, LIVE was really tasty. They’ve managed to make Kombucha taste good – like soda and less like slugging down live bacteria and fermented shenanigans. I tried two of the sodas the classic Culture Cola and The Pure Doctor. The Cola tasted like it could be a real cola, and the Doctor tasted like what it hints at – Dr. Pepper. While the tastes aren’t exactly like drinking a soda, it’s not like licking dirt either. I can understand why this soda company is so popular.
One thing I didn’t like is the use of stevia. Why does everyone put stevia in everything? It seemed like a huge trend at Expo West. I, personally, can’t handle stevia. It gives me a headache and I don’t like the taste. While the soda tasted good, someone so sensitive to stevia like myself, I just wish that this had regular cane sugar only instead.
So, it’s not really a fair review. I can’t tell you that my bowels were more regular or I felt alive and magical after drinking a bottle a day, because I could only handle half of a bottle and a little bit from my dude’s soda. But, I trust Chandice from Gluten Free Frenzy who LOVES this soda. Check out her review of it here.
Live Kombucha Soda
Here’s a little bit about LIVE Kombucha Soda from LIVE:
LIVE Kombucha Soda is the pioneer of better tasting Kombucha, providing a raw organic Kombucha that is not an acquired taste. Our founder, Trevor Ross wanted his family to be healthy, particularly his father who was a soda addict—so he set out to brew a Kombucha that combines all of its raw benefits with the popular taste of soda…Mission Accomplished! All LIVE Kombucha Soda products are USDA Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free and made with Fair Trade Certified ingredients.
What exactly is kombucha? Here’s some details according to LIVE:
Think of it like this: kombucha is to tea as yogurt is to milk. It’s a cultured beverage made from a living blend of healthy bacteria and beneficial yeast called a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. This floppy, rubbery disk is also called the “mother” (as creepy as that sounds). Billions of tiny but powerful probiotics live in each 12oz serving of LIVE Soda Kombucha, ready to move into your digestive tract, help keep your tummy clean and boost your immune system by promoting the health of your gut. Our raw kombucha also contains a world of other balancing elements necessary for your well-being:
- Enzymes which help you break down sugars and process nutrients
- B-vitamins your body needs for energy, healing, and brain function
- Electrolytes that aid hydration
- Antioxidants which reduce cell oxidation
- A number of different organic acids, including lactic acid, which is essential for healthy digestive and liver function; malic acid, which is helpful for liver detoxification; butyric acid, which guards and protects the lining of your stomach; amino acid, the building block of muscular tissue; and others.
Here are the 6 flavors available and a little description of each:
- Dreamy ORANGE, a sweet and tangy blend of vanilla, cream, and orange.
- Sparkling GINGER, a burst of ginger, spiced just right.
- Culture COLA, sweet and brisk, puts a sensible spin on a traditional flavor.
- Pure DOCTOR, sweet cherry, spicy clove, smooth caramel, and deep molasses meet for lip-smacking flavor that not only tastes good – it’s good for you!
- Revive ROOTBEER, Creamy, bold and refreshingly smooth. The undertones of vanilla and bright sizzle of sassafras will take you back to a simpler time.
- Living LIMON, sweet and tart, perfectly balanced citrus flavor.
Where can I find LIVE? It is sold through specialty, gourmet, natural food stores and supermarket retail stores nationwide.
For more information about LIVE: www.LIVESodaKombucha.com
While I apparently can’t handle kombucha, I KNOW how much you guys love it – so if you’re a kombucha fan, we wanted to offer you this cool giveaway. I’ve got some LIVE Kombucha soda swag and free product coupons that I can no longer use (stupid stomach). Enjoy, and best wishes to you SCOBY lovers!
I LOVE Kombucha!
Hey girl
I am with u on the kombucha issue. It causes gas, bloating and severe cramping for me. People kept telling me that is was “dye off” and to stick with it. I finally stopped because it was hurting so badly (and not just kombucha but all fermented foods). Finally when I was diagnosed with SIBO two md’s told me to stop all probiotics and fermented foods until done with treatment. This is all very interesting to me. I’m currently writing an article about probiotics and fermented foods. In the end it’s all about listening to our bodies luckily my body is very loud and clear when it’s unhappy ;0
I’ve never tried Kombucha, I do make my own water Kefir and love it, I have heard so many good things about Kombucha I’d love to try it. the Pure Doctor sounds yummy.
I am most excited about Sparkling Ginger!
I have never tried Kombucha but I think ginger would be a good place to start
Im really not a huge soda fan in general but the orange sounds good to me. Ive tried Kombucha before but never noticed anything good or bad. But Id be willing to try it again!
I’d love to try the Revive ROOTBEER.
I like the root beer flavored soda
I would like to try the sparkling ginger soda.
I would love to try the ginger flavor; big ginger ale fan.
Kombucha will give me stomach pains, but I think the key is to sip it. You can’t necessarily drink it like a regular soda, at least I can’t. I have to put it down and come back for a sip.
That said, I absolutely love LIVE version. Its hard to find where I live though. the site lists almost all Dierbergs by me, but I can only find it at West County near my home.
Check out the fermentation I’ve got going!
http://www.betterdoneyourself.com/2014/06/30/kombucha-reload/
and scroll all the way to the bottom of the post!
Just tried the Pure Doctor flavor…loved it. I’ve tried other Kombucha that I had to force myself to drink. This product is not just palatable, it’s a great alternative to soda. Can’t wait to try some other flavors!!