GUEST REVIEW: G.T. Dave’s Kombucha (Bye-Bye Diet Coke, Hello Kombucha)
By Jenni Simmons

When my friend Christine first described GT’s Kombucha as “organic, raw, fermented tea,” I felt a little sick inside. Now I understand that those are positive terms, but at the time I could not understand why someone would torment tea in such a gross fashion. I had visions of the vomitous beverages on Fear Factor. My friend said it tasted “like spiked, sparkling fruit juice,” and I thought, “Yeah, sure it does.” She also touted several impressive health benefits and then my curiosity was officially piqued. She is a trustworthy friend who normally has a good, sane head on her shoulders so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Plus, I will try almost anything once. How do you think I came to be passionate about natural living anyway? You must be a bit adventurous.During a routine trip to Whole Foods I purchased the seemingly safe Synergy Divine Grape flavor. The young cashier happily explained I would get a slight buzz similar to wine. This was not a problem. My first sip tasted pretty much like straight vinegar with a matching scent. Yet the grape juice tasted refreshing, just like I drank when I was a kid. Surprisingly, with each sip Kombucha tasted better and better and truly quenched my thirst. There indeed was a small buzz, but it would have taken a few bottles to get really happy. I was also in the process of weaning myself off Diet Cokes, and GT’s Kombucha was the perfect substitute - it has fizz minus questionable content and artificial sweeteners.Come to find out, G.T. Dave started his company to produce Kombucha drinks because his Mom survived an aggressive form of breast cancer by drinking Kombucha daily in addition to her treatment. She is alive and well today, cancer-free, and she drinks one bottle of GT’s Kombucha every day. With cancer in my family history I decided if it is good enough for Mrs. Dave, it is good enough for me. Now I drink one bottle a day - a half at a time. It is the only beverage I drink regularly other than water, raw milk, and yerba maté.There are two types of GT’s Kombucha:1. 100% Raw Organic Kombucha in 4 flavors: Original, Citrus, Gingerade, and Multi-Green.2. Synergy Organic & Raw which is 95% raw, organic Kombucha and 5% real fruit juice in a rainbow of 9 flavors.

To date I’ve tried Citrus and Gingerade in the first group and Divine Grape, Cosmic Cranberry, Strawberry Serenity, Guava Goddess, and Gingerberry in the Synergy line. Right now Cosmic Cranberry is my favorite. I love the taste and cranberry juice is excellent for female health - staving off certain icky infections and offering natural vitamin C.Like my friend said, Kombucha is a handmade Chinese tea that is carefully cultured for 30 days in which miracles occur. In addition to its cancer-fighting properties, each bottle also supports good digestion, metabolism, appetite control, weight control, liver function, detoxification, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin & hair, and strengthens the immune system. And that’s not all. Every bottle also contains folic acid, B vitamins, probiotics, amino acids, electrolytes, and organic acids; it is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and low in carbohydrates, even. This web page is a wealth of additional information (as well as the entire web site). If you are still not impressed, flip through the index of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon to find documented evidence from Russia.The only negative to GT’s Kombucha is that it costs close to $3.00 per bottle so when the budget is lean, I drink a bottle every other day. But I always try to keep it a regular staple in our fridge. Christine and Kerry both tell me that Synergy Mystic Mango is their favorite flavor; it is on today’s shopping list.