Supplement Facts

From our Family to Yours – Probiotic Supplements are the Foundation of Your Health

Yordan Trenev was also familiar with the benefits of certain bacteria; he had also worked at Continental Culture Specialists. Certain that his wife’s business venture would succeed, Yordan worked diligently to support the operation. Despite working full-time, he drove many miles each day to transport the dry ice needed to keep the bacteria viable in the Trenev home.

Today, Natren owns the pharmaceutical-grade building in which the company’s probiotics are produced. In keeping with their commitment to excellence, Natren’s International Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification guarantees the ingredients and potency listed on the product labels. Without independent audits from government agencies that enforce the International Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention Standards (PICS), other companies’ GMP certification cannot guarantee the same degree of product quality.

Twenty-five years of growth are also apparent in other ways. Instead of the two employees with which it began, Natren now boasts a staff of 50+ employees and has an extensive product line of more than 70 products.

With the surge of interest in holistic approaches to health and the focus on preventive care, Natren’s impact on the health industry continues to multiply. Natasha is consistently asked to educate medical professionals around the world about the benefits of probiotics. She is recognized as the expert and lone authority in the use of probiotics to battle such illnesses as GERD, gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, vaginitis, candidiasis, yeast overgrowth, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and a host of other ailments. Natasha’s work is so respected that her probiotic production standards were read into the United States Congressional Record and are currently cited as the Probiotic Industry Standards. Natasha was invited to speak at the World Health Organization’s Congress of Health in Adelaide, Australia.

“Probiotics are my life’s work, and I consider this approach to be the most important healthcare concept of the 21st century. People don’t realize how important beneficial bacteria are to human health and longevity. Antibiotics, stress, pollution and food contaminants destroy good bacteria in our bodies and make us vulnerable to infection and disease,” explains Natasha. “As disease-causing micro-organisms continue to develop resistance to even the most powerful antibiotics, probiotics will increasingly become the supplement of choice for ensuring health.”

Natren relishes its role as the leader in the probiotic industry. Led by Natasha and Yordan Trenev, the company actively seeks opportunities to inform the public about “friendly bacteria” and change the prevailing perception that all bacteria are bad. “In 1960 and 1970, we were going to food shows introducing people to yogurt. People in the United States and Canada did not know what yogurt was, let alone that it was considered the world’s oldest health food. Now yogurt is in every store,” Yordan remarks. “We want to do the same with probiotics. We want everyone to know what probiotics are within the next few years.” Evidenced by the company’s immense growth and its support among healthcare professionals, Natren is making impressive progress toward this goal.

5 level teaspoons (10 gm) Natren Yogurt Starter
2 quarts (2 liters) fresh whole milk
Thermometer
Timer
Clean, large heat-proof bowl (i.e. Pyrex or glazed ceramic)
Spoon
Large pot or doubleboiler for Step # 1
Yogurt maker or heat proof bowl for Step # 3

Step 1: Pre-culture Treatment
Heat milk to 180°F (82°C) in double boiler or water bath. (A water bath is simply a heat-proof bowl, pitcher or jar placed directly in a large pan of water.) The pan can be left on the stove and maintained at a temperature of 180°F (82°C) for 20-40 minutes, to complete the pre-culture treatment. Cool milk quickly to the incubation temperature of 110°F- 112°F or 42°C- 44°C. A pan with ice cubes may be used to cool the milk. This will take about 10 minutes. Do not put anything directly into the milk.

Step 2: Inoculation
Place starter culture 5 tsp. (10 gm) in a clean bowl and pour 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) of cooled milk over starter to form a smooth paste. Continue to pour milk into paste, a small amount at a time, stirring slowly until all pretreated milk is thoroughly blended with culture. Good results depend on proper temperature control, and slow blending of culture starter and milk.
DO NOT ALLOW MILK OR FINAL MIXTURE TO COOL BELOW 110°F-112°F (42°C- 44°C).

YOGURT CHEESE

Without a doubt, there is no better soft cheese on the market than that which you can make at home using your own yogurt made with Natren’s Yogurt Starter.

To make yogurt cheese, simply line a colander or strainer of your choice (a stainless steel steamer set into a deep glass bowl works well) with a good quality cotton cheesecloth. Rinse the cheesecloth in hot water first, and wring dry. Make sure the cheesecloth is large enough to not only line the strainer, but that it also has a good 8” to 10” overlap. Pour the yogurt into the lined strainer and draw the overlap over, twisting it into a loose knot on top of the yogurt. Whey, the liquid part of the yogurt, will immediately start to drain down through the strainer into the bowl leaving the cheese and the milk solids in the lined strainer. It will be necessary to empty the whey from the bowl as it fills the bowl to ensure that the cheese is not sitting in its own whey. To hasten the draining procedure, one may pick up the cheesecloth bag and gently wring it, or put some weight on top. When the cheese is of the right consistency to please you (the longer it drains, the dryer it becomes) transfer it to a container of your choice, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

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PIMENTO CHEESE

3 large red pimento peppers, roasted*
1 cup yogurt cheese
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh shallots
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
7 drops of Tabasco Sauce

With the blade of a food processor running, drop the shallots, parsley and pimentos into the bowl and process until well chopped. Add the salt, sugar and lemon juice and process further. Add the yogurt cheese and Tabasco and blend until the mixture is very smooth. Transfer the cheese to a bowl and chill, covered, in a refrigerator for several hours, preferably over night, before serving. Serve the cheese as a spread or dip with any of the following: blue corn bread, crackers or chips.

*TO ROAST PIMENTOS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash, dry, cut into halves and seed pimentos. Put cut-side down on a broiler pan and place under a preheated broiler about 6 inches from the heat. Watch carefully and turn them every five minutes, if necessary, to allow even baking. Broil until they are evenly blistered, 15-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle but still hot. Starting at the blossom end, peel the pimentos and discard the skins.

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FROZEN STRAWBERRY YOGURT

4 cups plain yogurt
2 cups (heaping) fresh strawberries
½ to ¾ cup honey

Blend strawberries and honey until smooth. Fold in yogurt and mix until well blended. Pour into a mold, cover tightly and freeze until firm or freeze in an ice cream maker. The churning action of the freezer will give it a much smoother and creamier texture. Serve topped with fresh strawberries, if desired.

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VELVETY LIME SAUCE

1 cup soft yogurt cheese
Juice & finely grated zest of one large lime
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard

Blend all ingredients together until velvety smooth, adding more limejuice or cream cheese, if needed, to obtain the right consistency. Pour into a clean glass jar, cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight, for flavors to develop.

This zesty sauce truly brings life to foods. Serve as a dip for raw vegetables, dollop it on salads or use it as an accompaniment for cold chicken, turkey or fish.

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YOGURT CREAM-CAVIAR ENDIVE

24 Belgian endive leaves
¾ cup yogurt cream
1oz. Caviar, chilled

Wash and thoroughly pat dry endive leaves. Place a dollop of yogurt cream at the base of each endive leaf. Top with about ½ teaspoon caviar. Arrange prettily on a plate and serve.

Served alone or with a crisp varietal champagne like Korbel Blanc de Blancs, this makes a most elegant, yet simple and easy to prepare, appetizer.

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ORANGE-PINEAPPLE YOGURT ICE CREAM

2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups yogurt cream
¾ cup honey
1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange concentrate
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

Blend yogurt, yogurt cream and honey in a blender until very smooth. Add frozen orange juice and blend until well mixed through the first mixture. Stir in pineapple. Freeze according to directions in an ice cream freezer or pour into a mold, cover well and freeze in a freezer until firm, usually 3-6 hours.

Note: Churning will produce a much creamier mixture.

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GINGER PEAR-LIME COOLER

1 large, ripe pear
Juice of 1lime
2 packed teaspoons crystallized ginger, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup yogurt

Peel, core and coarsely chop pear. Drop pear pieces into blender container. Add lime juice and ginger. Blend until smooth. Add honey and blend until well mixed. Add yogurt and blend until very smooth and frothy. Pour into tall glasses, and garnish with a thin slice of lime and a sprig of lemon balm or lemon verbena, if available.

Note: For maximum flavor, pour into a glass jar and refrigerate several hours, or preferably overnight, for flavors to develop. Blend until frothy before serving.

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GINGER PEAR-LIME YOGURT ICE CREAM

Pour above mixture into ice cream freezer and churn until frozen. Serve as is, or with Ginger-Pear sauce.

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YOGURT-CHEESE MAYONNAISE

1 cup yogurt cheese
*5-6 tablespoons cold-pressed safflower or flaxseed oil
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until very smooth and creamy. Pour into a clean jar with a tight lid. Refrigerate and use as needed.

• Flaxseed oil, if available, is best because it is the richest source of the Omega-3 essential fatty acids that play such a vital role in maintaining good health.