Single-serve overnight Oats Parfait

INGREDIENTS
1 glass wide-mouth Pint jar
1 cup homemade milk kefir (probiotics, calcium, and protein)
2 Tbsp quick oats (fiber, protein, prebiotics)
1 Tbsp chia seeds  (fiber, protein, prebiotics)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts  (fiber, protein, healthy fat, prebiotics)
1 Tbsp local honey, optional

Add your favorite chopped fruit immediately before eating:
fresh fruit - bananas, apples, pears, strawberries, mango, etc
canned fruit - diced peaches, diced pears, crushed pineapple, etc
frozen fruit - blueberries, strawberries, mango, etc


INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in the pint jar, except chopped fruit. Stir. Put a lid on it. Place on counter top overnight, or at least 7 hours.  In the morning, add chopped fruit and eat for breakfast, or in the morning place in the fridge for up to 1 week, add chopped fruit right before serving.

NOTE on KEFIR
Kefir has 60 strands of probiotics! When compared to the 3-7 found in commercial yogurts,  kefir stands supreme.  Eating a serving of kefir everyday helps me 'feel full' throughout the day, not eat more than I should, and maintain a healthy weight.  It also helps strengthen my immune system. I could take a supplement-form of probiotics for $30-$60 dollars/month, or I could eat homemade kefir for the minimal cost of the milk used.  

If you want to try kefir, stop by my house for kefir grains, or 'google' a homemade milk kefir recipe!

NOTE on SOAKING WHOLE GRAINS,  NUTS, and SEEDS: 
Many digestion issues such as leaky gut syndrome and IBS can be traced to eating foods that are difficult to digest.
Toxic lectins and phytates, or phytic acids, are anti-nutrients found on the outer hull layer of every whole grain, nut, and seed. Lectins and phytates block the absorbion of many vital vitamins and minerals and harm the fragile intestinal wall.  Soaking whole grains, nuts, and seeds at room temperature, in slight acidity, overnight or at least 7 hours, creates a chemial action that disassembles lectins and phytic acid. Soaked grains, nuts, and seeds are easily digestible, encourage vitamin and mineral absorption, and help prevent symptoms of IBS and leaky gut syndrome.
     -Lindsey Scarber