As I continue my nutrition training, one topic keeps coming up.. GUT HEALTH. There are so many people out there with chronic health issues that have no idea that focusing on their gut health could make all the difference!
Do you struggle with Hormone imbalances, Acne, Auto Immunity, Headaches & Migraines, Skin Rashes, Weight Gain, Allergies, Fatigue/Lack of Energey, Food Intollerances, or Brain Frog? These could be signals from your body that you need to focus on your Gut Health.
When symptoms like these happen, it is our body giving us a signal that something is not right. Rather than treat the symptom, wouldn’t you like to get to the root cause and fix it? So let’s talk about our gut health and why it plays such an important role
Your gut is full of a bunch of little microbes or bacteria, good and bad. The key to gut health is keeping hour gut flora (bacteria) balanced. And did you know that 70% of your immune system is in your gut?!?! So if that balance is off, guess what else if off! Yup, your immune system!
Another amazing fact about the gut is the Brain-Gut Connection. Serotonin is our bodies “feel-good” neurotransmitter and 95% of Serotonin is produced in the gut! Can you see why an off balanced gut can cause things like anxiety and depression?
Let’s switch gears and talk about what disrupts your gut health.
- Processed foods
- Stress
- Infections
- Inflamation
- Low Stomach acid
- Environmental Toxins
- Nsaids (Advil, Ibuprofen, Aspirin)
- Antibiotics
- Herbicides & GMO’s
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Steroids
Now that we know what to avoid, how to we repair our gut health?
- Probiotics - getting those good microbes is so important! EVERYONE should be taking a daily probiotic! Your kids too! Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, and yogurt are some ways to get probiotics into your diet too.
- Digestive Enzymes - Many people do not have enough digestive enzymes that are necessary to help metabolize and digest their food. These are essential for those with minor food sensitivities (lactose, gluten, etc) to aid in digestion, reduce bloating, and other symptoms .
- Prebiotics - These are what your good guy gut bacteria feed on, so super important! Some supplements have prebiotics and here are some great foods to add to your diet to get prebiotics - Banana, asparagus, garlic, onion, leeks, Barley.
- Antioxidants - antioxidant rich foods are a huge part of fighting oxidative stress and inflammation in our body! Things like wolf berries, pomegranates, blueberries, green tea, cacao are all great sources of antioxidants. We drink a wolf berry antioxidant drink everyday that makes this step so easy.
- Reduce Stress - This can seem like the hardest thing to do, but taking a few minutes to get on top of your stress when you feel it creeping up can make all the difference. These are some of my favorite quick de-stressors - Take a few deep breaths, stop and write down three things that I am thankful for, listen to a quick guided meditation, put my phone down and read a chapter of a book, go for a walk.
If you read through this and are serious about improving your gut health, let’s do it together! Rather than starting the year off with fad diets we are getting to the core of the problem, fixing our gut to be healthier and feel our best!
I’ll be sharing specific steps to finally get your Gut health in check.
This time of year makes me want to cook all the soups and chili!
Give me all the cozy warm drinks and comfort foods!
So before when I made chili, i just grabbed a can of chili beans at the store. Little did I know that there is a lot more than chili beans in those cans... Things like GMO corn syrup and MSG (natural flavors is a sneaky way of saying MSG, so watch out for that).
And, get this! Aluminum cans are lined with BPA, which is a toxin that disrupts our hormones! BPA in our bodies, has actually been linked to behavioral issues, reproductive issues, and even obesity.
Give me all the cozy warm drinks and comfort foods!
So before when I made chili, i just grabbed a can of chili beans at the store. Little did I know that there is a lot more than chili beans in those cans... Things like GMO corn syrup and MSG (natural flavors is a sneaky way of saying MSG, so watch out for that).
And, get this! Aluminum cans are lined with BPA, which is a toxin that disrupts our hormones! BPA in our bodies, has actually been linked to behavioral issues, reproductive issues, and even obesity.
So fast forward! Here I am with my favorite way to make my own chili beans that taste way better and I know that there are only good ingredients in them.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Dry Beans (rinsed) I like to use Black or Pinto beans for this recipe
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tsp. coconut or avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (secret ingredient that makes these the best chili beans ever!)
- 2-3 tsp of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt (i love the brand Redmond's)
- 3 cups water (I do 4 cups because I like more liquid)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grab your Instant Pot, add your oil, and set to sauté
- Add onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes
- Add your spices and salt
- Add your beans and water
- Secure the lid and turn vent knob to "sealing"
- Set to Manual for 50 minutes
- Let pressure naturally release, after the lid is safe to remove, your beans are ready!
Use them in your favorite chili recipe, or they are great for taco Tuesdays! Add the juice of a lime or a couple drops of lime vitality oil to give it some Mexican flavors!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Make Bone broth? This was something that I never thought I had the time for. Life with Toddlers is crazy and adding something like this to my to do list, sounded
Fast forward, here I am making bone broth... And guess what? It’s not a boil all day on the stove top recipe.
You totally got this!
Ok so first before I share the HOW, lets talk about WHY in the world you would want to even make your own bone broth.
- Inexpensive - Just think of that chicken carcass as a couple boxes of broth you can skip on your next grocery trip.
- Ingredients - You don’t have to read the label on this! You know that all the ingredients are good and whole. A lot of boxed broths, have hidden ingredients like MSG, that no way do we want (Make suer your chicken is organic, free range. You want a healthy chicken for your healthy broth)
- Excellent source of minerals - calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, amino acids, glycine
- Boosts the Immune System (There is a reason that chicken soup is a go to when we are sick)
- Great for Digestion - improving gut health makes a huge difference for things like allergies, immune health, brain health, and so much more
- Bone, tooth, hair, skin, joints, and nail health, can even reduce cellulite!
- Good source of Collagen
So definitely all good reasons to dive in and make some broth. Let’s get started!
So how are we going to make nutritious Bone Broth in a couple hours Instead of boiling all day on the stove? Girls, it’s time to get that pressure cooker out! Where are my instant pot fans? Sometimes you hear all about something, and think, is it too good to be true? This is not that kind of situation; Instant Pots, or a pressure cooker is a must for busy mama’s in the kitchen.
Next time you cook up that beautiful whole chicken, save the bones! That is where all the bone broth super powers are. Or you can ask your local organic farmer for beef or chicken bones. Farmers markets are great places to find local options.
Ingredients
- Chicken Carcass (Can also do this with 2-3 pounds of beef, pork, or lamb bones)
- 1/2 Onion
- 3 Celery Stalks
- 1-2 Carrots
- 1 tsp Himalayan Salt
- 8- 10 Cups Water
- 1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sprig of Thyme or Rosemary or 1 tsp of dried
Instructions
1. Place the chicken bones in the Pressure cooker/Instant Pot and add Onion, Carrots, Celery, Salt, and Herbs.
2. Add water to cover the bones but do not fill more than 2/3 full.
3. Add the Apple Cider Vinegar (This helps pull minerals from the bones)
4. Select the Manual Setting and choose High Pressure and set the timer for 120 minutes
5. Once complete, allow to depressurize slowly
6. Strain broth and store in mason jars in the fridge or freeze for later use.
If you have Beef, Pork, or Lamb bones roast them in the oven for at 350 for 30 minutes first, then follow the above instructions.
