First time to try Kava

[Hyperion]

Welcome Hyperion. Why not just order the sampler from BHK or the Gift Pack from Gourmet Hawaiian Kava. The one from GHK has 3 types of Kava and each Kava has a different effect. It gives you a real good chance to test a little bit of everything and find out what suits you. By the say, your story about drinking a few beers after work, that was my story for 40 years. And sometimes it is more than a few beers. The weekends were wrought with Binge Drinking (like if I was 18 again). Kava has tapered my drinking. I still like my alcohol but I have Kava days and I have beer days and I try to do both in moderation. Here's good rule, Kava on the workday so you can sleep good. Beer and BBQ on the weekends.

Hi Deleted User01,

Thanks for the welcome. I've been doing some looking on the forum here today and checking out the websites of the various vendors. Thanks for the tips. I might go head and order something else just in case the Vanuatu3 is as weak as people are saying.

The weekends were wrought with Binge Drinking (like if I was 18 again). Kava has tapered my drinking. I still like my alcohol but I have Kava days and I have beer days and I try to do both in moderation. Here's good rule, Kava on the workday so you can sleep good. Beer and BBQ on the weekends.

I can totally relate. I drank too much this weekend, but it's a ritual when I have the time. Last nite was grilling and I think I had 8 beers. I feel ok this morning, but I want to start totally avoiding alcohol as much as possible on nights where I'm going to have to work the next day, so I can stay sharper in the early part of the day. I know I'm not going to totally give up my beer and BBQ, that would be unthinkable, I just need to stop consuming during the week as much as possible. It's starting to make me fat also, and I assume that Kava is not full of empty calories like alcohol?

 

[Shantu]

Kneading and straining is such a nice part of the kava experience if you can do it alone. It allows for a few minutes of reflection and prepares you mentally. It can be very relaxing.

 

[Deleted User01]

Hyperion, I read an article on drinking the other day that woke me up. You can have 2/3 drinks a day without causing too much liver damage. The article claimed that binge drinking is what damages the Liver. People don't drink for 4 days and then they binge on the weekends and they say, "There, that makes up for not drinking the other days". They are very, very wrong. The binge drinking is the real culprit in Liver Damage. Just a heads up. I like my program of 3 beer days and 4 Kava days and I have to try very, very hard not to overdo it on beer day (beer, wine, or scotch). And you know not to mix the two on even given day.

 

[2Intense]

Hyperion -
Welcome - I’m also relatively new to the forum, but I’ve been drinking kava regularly for 2+ years. I've had everything KBR has to offer. Do not be put off by the “sawdust” comments that really just speaks to the grind. It seems the trend is to grind kava much finer now than when I first started drinking kava. It makes sense, more surface area, more kavalactones extracted. Besides, the Van3 is very mild you should be fine. The Tudei offering has a stern warning attached.

The more kava you drink the more you’ll find consistency of experience is difficult no matter who you buy from. Beside quality kava, the 2 most important factors involve you – prep method and consuming it on an empty stomach. Prep is discussed ad nauseam on this site so you find all you need on here in past posts. Make sure your stomach is empty.

Everyone seems to have their favorite vendors. I’d suggest trying a “gift pack” from GHK and a “Sample Pack” from BKH. Between the 2 you’d get to experience a wide variety of kava's and grinds and see what you like. Just keep in mind a higher price does not always equate to a better kava. Best of luck

 

[Deleted User01]

Hyperion -
Just keep in mind a higher price does not always equate to a better kava. Best of luck

Also keep in mind that if a Kava is cheap and too potent, you have to ask yourself, why? Violet asked that question, did the Acetone Test, and found out the her Kava was Spiked with Tudie. How can that happen? Do you really think the Kava Resellers in the U.S. know that much about their Source/Farmers? Or, could the resellers actually be spiking the Kava themselves? I know some of the answers but that's all I can say. I encourage all Kava Members to put their Kava to the Acetone Test. As 2Intense intimated, no doubt there is some good stuff at a cheap price. But we are also finding some bad stuff too. And though this topic is somewhat negative, I think it puts the vendors on notice and will discourage them from future Shenanigans.

 

[Hyperion]

Hyperion, I read an article on drinking the other day that woke me up. You can have 2/3 drinks a day without causing too much liver damage. The article claimed that binge drinking is what damages the Liver. People don't drink for 4 days and then they binge on the weekends and they say, "There, that makes up for not drinking the other days". They are very, very wrong. The binge drinking is the real culprit in Liver Damage. Just a heads up. I like my program of 3 beer days and 4 Kava days and I have to try very, very hard not to overdo it on beer day (beer, wine, or scotch). And you know not to mix the two on even given day.

Hey Deleted User01, when you say don't mix the two, are you referring to different types of alcohol, or Kava and alcohol. That's something that I hadn't even thought about yet and haven't heard a mention of. I don't mix alcohol since I only drink beer. I never drink wine or liquor.

 

[Hyperion]

Also keep in mind that if a Kava is cheap and too potent, you have to ask yourself, why? Violet asked that question, did the Acetone Test, and found out the her Kava was Spiked with Tudie. How can that happen? Do you really think the Kava Resellers in the U.S. know that much about their Source/Farmers? Or, could the resellers actually be spiking the Kava themselves? I know some of the answers but that's all I can say. I encourage all Kava Members to put their Kava to the Acetone Test. As 2Intense intimated, no doubt there is some good stuff at a cheap price. But we are also finding some bad stuff too. And though this topic is somewhat negative, I think it puts the vendors on notice and will discourage them from future Shenanigans.

Umm... what is tudei?

 

[Deleted User01]

Hey Deleted User01, when you say don't mix the two, are you referring to different types of alcohol, or Kava and alcohol. That's something that I hadn't even thought about yet and haven't heard a mention of. I don't mix alcohol since I only drink beer. I never drink wine or liquor.

It just means that you don't drink alcohol on the days you drink Kava. Better safe than sorry. And you don't mix Kava with other drugs either. Just a safety thing.

Tudie means Two Day Kava. You get a big Kava hangover the next day. You are still Krunked the next day. Some people like that but they may not have day jobs. Also, Tudie is known to have a greater percent of the chemicals that cause Liver Damage. The Government of Vanuatu banned the export of that type of Kava. It gives Kava a bad name and it is the "dangerous" kava. It is said that much of that Kava is the original "wild Kava" before the bad stuff was bredout of it. It's big topic. But that being said, people still do it. Just not me. Here is the deal, if they label their Kava as Tudie and you buy it, then it's on you. If they don't label it , you buy it, and find out the hard way. Then it's on them. We just want truth in labeling without being Judgmental.

 

[HeadHodge]

... If they don't label it , you buy it, and find out the hard way. Then it's on them. We just want truth in labeling without being Judgmental.

WELL SAID (IMO).

 

[Hyperion]

Just received my first shipment of 'sawdust', lol. Well, it really does look like sawdust! When I get time later this afternoon, I'm going to read up on prep and see if I can make up a batch. I'm too excited!

 

[HeadHodge]

I know your excitement. Let us know how it goes.