You and I are more than this body. We are more than this shell.

After having both my kids I would often miss having my smaller body. Even now, a few years later when I feel healthy, strong and flexible, I still sometimes miss the body I had prior to pregnancy.

I may never have that body again or I maybe I will. Either way, I've made peace with the body I have right now.

Everyday I appreciate more and more the amazing feats my body has accomplished in creating my two children and all it's done over the years to build this home we love, give time and energy and sweat to the relationships and work and projects that bring me so much joy.

The joy I get everyday watching my kids grow is a gift that a few stretch marks or upsizing of jeans will never come close to taking away from me.

Maybe there have been sacrifices your body has had to make over the years pursuing school, work goals, building relationships, or family.

If you ever look back at pictures of your younger, healthier, or fitter self and find your mind making critical remarks about your body, your food choices, or other choices that affect your health, I want you to think of all the things you've created and accomplished.

I want you wear your imperfections like battle wounds and badges of honor.

You and I are just humans after all, steeped in a "Diet Culture."

The reality is that most diets don't make us feel better about our bodies or our health. They makes us feel worse. They create another thing we are supposed to do perfectly in order to get results and this often leaves us feeling like a failure. Like we'll never be good enough.

But the diets, the sweets, the comfort foods, Netflix binging, alcohol or anything else you are judging yourself for -- these are not the problem.

The problem is the disconnect.

If you're feeling guilty about any of these things, it's probably because deep down you really crave connection with yourself, with your body, with others round you more than any of these things.

Under all our surface cravings, we crave a journey of self-discovery towards healing our relationship with our body and ourselves. The part of us that knows we are so much more than our body, our work, or our roles in society.

When we tune into our bodies signals and cravings we re-gain confidence in ourselves, agency over our health and our lives. We become motivated to make the right changes that are unique to our own well-being journey.

Cooking and preparing foods in my own kitchen has long been one of my favorite (of many) ways to reconnect with my physical needs and bodily cues.

It's so empowering to feel like I have the ability to nourish my body with biome healing foods and respond to cravings, cues and signals in my own kitchen and home on my own time.

That's why I created this free Gut-Healthy Recipe Booklet (click to download) of delicious, biome-nourishing sweet and savory snacks and meals for you.

Keep nourishing your body and soul 🙏

Biome-Friendly Recipe Booklet →

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Kid and Mama Approved Breakfast (or anytime!) Muffins

There’s nothing more satisfying to me as a mama of two than watching my little ones bite into and enjoy eating something that I know is giving them vital nutrients and keeping their blood sugar balanced. I try to avoid the sugar crash and violent mood swings that inevitably follows after a sweet treat, both for myself and my children, something I know most mamas will appreciate!

One tip for making your baked goods gut-healthy and blood-sugar balancing is to use almond flour instead of regular flour or a blend of almond flour and tapioca flour for a more fluffy texture. Substituting almond flour for regular flour turns any baked good from a blood sugar roller coaster to a hearty, healthy breakfast or snack.

Personally, I also love sweets that are ooh so naturally sweet and biome and blood sugar friendly. It makes the sweet taste so much more complex when the flavors come from a mix of fruits/healthy grain free flours and biome friendly sweeteners like raw honey or maple syrup.

That's why these muffins have become a staple in this house. These banana chocolate chip almond flour muffins hit the spot and are completely guilt free. 😋

If you're looking for something to prep ahead for breakfast/snack/lunchboxes this week, these are kiddo and family approved 👍

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour  1/2 cup coconut flour (or tapioca flour)      1 tsp pumpkin pie spice  2-3 eggs, lightly beaten  2 TBS ground flax seed (optional) 1 tsp salt  1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract  3 TBS melted coconut oil  3 large bananas (ripe) 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use Lily's sugar free). 1/4 cup honey (optional)  1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flours, flax (if using), salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, apple sauce, butter and bananas: stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips if desired. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups three fourths full.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Guilt-Free Carrot Cake Cups

These carrot cake cups (recipe below) are so healthy and delicious I LOVE making them for my kids and my family. 😍

Loaded with TONS of carrot, coconut flakes, raisins, and nuts these are a yummy way to get your kids/husband/partner to eat those fruits and veggies and a guilt-free grab-anytime treat for you too!

I personally love to eat them for breakfast 😋 With the frosting made of organic whole fat yogurt and cream cheese, what’s not to love first thing in the morning 🌞

That’s right, I just gave you permission to eat cup cakes for breakfast and told you they are healthy for your gut 🤯 Who said conquering your sweet tooth and eating a gut-healthy diet means you need to avoid eating delicious gut-healthy sweets any time of the day?

Want to get a snapshot of your belly microbes right now? Take the Gut Check Quiz

And don’t let the term “whole fat” scare you off!

For so many years researchers were saying that the medium chain fats found in foods like chocolate and coconut were bad for us 😬 Basically ALL fats got a bad rap at the time.

What they didn’t know at the time, was that you can’t lump all fats together. Because many types of fats are SUPER healthy and actually help us LOSE weight. Yup, you heard it right.

Now we know (through TONS of research) that healthy fats like those found in coconut oil, yogurt, fish oil, fish, avocado, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds and even organic butter/cream cheese actually PROTECT us from things like insulin resistance and fat storage. 🤯

In other words, they help us to regulate our blood sugar levels effectively! 🥥

Healthy fats are also the LAST nutrient our body is likely to store as fat. The first thing it stores as fat is usually extra carbs like sugars and refined grains. 🌾🍬

This recipe (below) is a great way to get a wide variety of healthy fats in your day and satisfy that sweet tooth all in one swoop!

Healthy Carrot Cake Cups (Gluten Free/Low-Sugar)

For the Cake:

·        1 1/4 cups Coconut flour 

·        4 tsp Cinnamon

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        1 tsp baking powder

·        1 tsp salt

·        ½ tsp ground nutmeg

·        4 large eggs

·        ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

·        2 tsp vanilla extract

·        4 cups grated carrot

·        ¾ cup diced pecans or walnuts

·        ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

·        ½ cup maple syrup

 -   1/4 cup coconut oil

·        Optional: ½ cup raisins

*Optional: 1/4 tsp monk fruit or stevia powder (if you like them cake-like sweet! Make sure to use 100% stevia or monk fruit)

For the Frosting:

·        8 oz organic full-fat cream cheese, at room temp (1 brick)

·        ¾ cup organic plain Greek yogurt

·        2 tsp vanilla extract

·        1 TBS maple syrup

·        1tsp 100% monk fruit or stevia powder or glycerite

·        3 TBS coconut flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

For The Cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and fill two muffin trays with muffin liners

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, salt and nutmeg.

3. In a separate, large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs, sweetener, Greek yogurt and vanilla until well combined.  Stir in the coconut flour mixture and stir until combined.

4. Gently fold in the carrots, pecans/walnuts and coconut flakes until well combined.  Let the batter stand for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can begin to absorb the moisture. Your batter will be thick, this is normal.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 muffin trays, spreading out smoothly. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

To make the Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and yogurt on high speed until fluffy. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined.

2. Set the mixer on low speed and gradually add in the sweeteners and coconut flour, until you've added all of it and it's well combined.  Return to high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is thick and slightly fluffy.

To Frost:

1.  Spread a thick layer of frosting all over each cupcake and top with extra diced walnut/pecans. It’s also fun to add a whole pecan to the top too, have some fun with it!

2. DEVOUR!

Chocolate Adaptogenic Moon Cycle Smoothie

Growing up, I wasn’t encouraged by the people around me or society at large to trust my gut feelings or listen to my body. I was repeatedly told to trust the experts and the authority figures in my life and eat what was being served to me. 

But deep down, I knew I could find a better way that involved tapping into my own body’s wisdom and intuitively eating for better overall mood balance and health. 

Regaining authority over my own body and health has been a healing process for me both emotionally, spiritually and physically. 

Around my monthly cycle, the tension in my body begins to rise and my immune system takes a dip. I know I need to be careful to give my body nourishment this time of the month to prevent getting burnt out, feeling depressed, or sick. 

The concentrated vitamins and minerals in raw green smoothies have a positive, modulating effect on our hormones. Spinach is high in magnesium which helps to promote muscle relaxation which manages stress and body tension or pain. 

If you're like me, my immune system takes a dip right around my cycle. Smoothies contain raw vegetable enzymes that give your immune system a much-needed boost, helping you overcome the chronic symptoms and health problems associated with leaky gut.

Want to get a snapshot of your belly microbes right now? Take the Gut Check Quiz

Chocolate powder is also high in magnesium and adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs help to reduce any heightened stress, anxiety or mood imbalances. 🥰

Recipe for Chocolate Adaptogenic Moon Cycle Smoothie:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

• 1 frozen banana

• 1 cup almond or cashew milk

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 handful fresh or frozen spinach

• 1 TBS Adaptogen Cocoa Blend (I like Anima Mundi brand) Reishi, Chaga, Agaricus, Cacao, Lions Mane, Shiitake, Maiitake, Cordyceps.

• Optional: 1 tsp potato starch and/or L-glutamine powder (for added blood sugar balance and gut health)

Gut-Healthy Ranch Salad Dressing

Whenever my immune system is weakened for some reason (stress related, lack of vitamin sun, mama burn out…) 😵 I notice a resurgence of symptoms that indicate my gut health needs a little love...

For me, it could be anything from skin inflammation, a few pimples, bloat, gas, or some stubborn extra pounds that won’t come off….but this is going to look different for everyone and often times inflammation in any capacity is a key indicator that the gut microbiome needs attention.

I try to look at these times as opportunities to give my whole system a refresh, rather than being hard on myself with the list of ways I could have better taken care of myself.

Let’s be real, sometimes as a parent or a busy, driven person in any domain we are going to need to amp up our own self-care in order to continue to be a resource to others to the same capacity. 

What's growing in our own gut microbiome will largely determine our metabolism, autoimmune conditions, the strength of our immune system, skin health, and even daily mood.

Want to get a snapshot of your belly microbes right now? Take the Gut Check Quiz

Just like with any garden we need to make sure the pH of our microbial soil is just right, so that our crops have all the nutrients they need to grow, and of course, that no pesky weeds start dominating too much internal space. 

When these weeds start to grow the diversity in our gut biome will decrease. This is dangerous because we need biome diversity in order to cool down our bodies natural inflammatory responses (check out Chapter 3: A Secret Microbiome Garden in my book to learn more about inflammation and gut health.)

It’s times like these when it's most important for me to take care of my own internal soil and clear out any weeds. I like to do this by switching to a clean, whole foods diet by replacing store-bought items like dressings/sauces/drinks with gut-healthy ones I make at home. 

In the summertime especially, I love to get creative with homemade salad dressings because the heat makes a cold salad the perfect meal everyday😋

Here’s a recipe for my dairy-free, gluten-free, blood-sugar and cholesterol stabilizing, gut-healthy Ranch Dressing! Also tastes great as a veggie dip:

Creamy Ranch Dressing (makes 7-10 servings)

• 1 package of organic firm tofu

• 2 TBS water

• 2 TBS avocado oil

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 -2 tsp sea salt

• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar

• 1 TBS chicken or veggie bouillon powder

• 2 TBS fresh oregano, dill, or parsley (or 2 tsp dry)

SUBSCRIBE HERE to receive bi-weekly recipes and gut-health tips delivered to your inbox. You’ll also received a free Gut Check Quiz to get a snapshot of your gut health!

The 3 Stages of Gut Healthy Eating During Quarantine

I don't know about you but this non-stop cooking during these last few months of quarantine has had it's highs and lows for me...

When this all first began I was PUMPED to stop eating out and cook all my own food at home. I dusted off some of my favorite cookbooks like Cultured Foods by Leda Scheintaub. I’d been psyched to trade a copy of my own book, A Gut Feeling, at a Fermentation Festival in the Berkshires with Leda for a copy of her book and it has quickly become a favorite since. I also pulled out Eating Clean by Amie Valpone, a few others, and got to work.

I took photos of recipes I was inspired to try or re-try and added the ingredients to my shopping list. “No choice but to cook 100% at home? Good thing I was born for this!” I thought. (You can find a few of my cookbook inspired home-made recipes here.)

Of course, the months dragged on and on and the grocery shopping became excessive. Our fridge was always overflowing with food and trying to keep stock of what was fresh and what was on its way out and needed to be used right away, not to mention keep everything organized, started to wear on me. Add to all that the non-stop whining of my picky four-year-old who refused to take more than a few bites of most of the new creations I proudly placed on her plate -- and I was ready for some reinforcements.

After a few months I started to resort back to the tried and true, gluten-free quinoa pasta, roasted veggies (roasted broccoli is a fav in our house), organic gluten-free chicken nuggets and tacos/quesadillas. Three things I knew my four-year-old and husband would both eat. This is when I knew I needed some help. I could no longer continue cooking non-stop for our family of four on top of everything else I was doing without reaching burn out.

Now, if you’re a parent or a super busy gal like me, then you know what I’m talking about. There comes a time -- probably more often than we’d like to admit -- when getting some extra support in place is no longer just a luxury, it's a NECESSITY. 

I want to share two of my go-to favorite frozen meal/services I’ve started or renewed my subscriptions on during COVID that have been a life-saver for me.

1. Plantable makes plant-based, no sugar added, chef-crafted meals, freezes them and delivers to your door

2. Daily Harvest is my long-time personal favorite for frozen foods. I recently discovered they have added paleo wheat-free flat-breads and low-sugar, plant-based ice creams to their repertoire, on top of their delicious plant-based smoothies I’ve loved for years. (Be sure to use discount code “agutfeeling” for three free cups on your first order!)

Now, I’m finding my new grove of home cooking that involves, delicious, healthy meals ready to go in my freezer to supplement my homemade dinners with the family. 

Share your own tips and tricks to eating healthy, plant-based meals at home in the comments here!

Here's my lunch today, a chicken salad supplemented with a Daily Harvest Artichoke Flatbread: