The Gut Coach

11/29/2021

My Heeler, My Healer







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10/11/2021

Perfect pre-meal mindfulness exercise. Digestion happens best in the relaxed, peaceful parasympathetic state.

08/22/2021

. I’m pretty excited about these sour pickles prepared in the traditional way using a salt brine. Just wish I had a ton of them and a wooden barrel to use as the fermentation vessel. I added grape leaves for their tannins to help ensure a crunchy pickle! Salt, spices, garlic to create a strong (& mold free) ecology.

05/10/2021

On this Mother’s Day, a tender day for many, I want to give a shout out to all the adoption agencies around the world who work tirelessly to rescue and provide safe haven for animals in need of mothering. As we rescue these sweet creatures, they fill our lives with unconditional love & often rescue us right back.

I’m forever grateful to the & Oklahoma for making it possible for Daisy and me to become family.

Photo: Adoption Day January 21, 2020



05/06/2021

My nod to Cinco de Mayo is a very delicious & unique Fermented Horchata using raw honey as the fermentation activator (the starter culture).

Horchata is a sweet and creamy beverage with origins in many countries around the world. It was often made with tubers (tigernuts) in North Africa & Spain and then with rice & almonds in Mexico.

Today, most store bought versions are heavy in refined sugar and cow dairy (along with a bunch of toxic fillers as stabilizers).

In this unique (and anti-inflammatory) version by Shannon Stonger in her wonderful book, Traditionally Fermented Food, raw honey ferments with white rice for 4 - 7 days to produce a tangy concentrate.

As the rice and honey ferments, the sugars are largely eaten by the bacteria making it tangy. The concentrate is then mixed with Vanilla flavoring and a nut mylk of choice (I used almond-coconut mylk) and served with sprinkles of cinnamon.

Fermentation breaks down the carbohydrates in the rice so it’s easier to digest and the fibers are wonderful resistant starch for your microbiome. Honey is also a prebiotic which nourishes probiotics in your gut ecosystem.

Not only do prebiotic fibers strengthen and significantly increase the good bacteria, they help suppress the less desirable bacteria, promoting an optimal environment for good digestive, immune and overall health.

08/10/2018

Weekend meal prep -- wheat free! Perfect for taking to the neighborhood BBQ.

I'm starting this yummy salad now for tomorrow night. Simply rinse & soak the quinoa (per link in recipe) to make the grain more digestible & the nutrients more accessible. That just takes a few minutes. Also, suggest adding a touch of sea salt to the dressing.

Summer lovin' -- mmmmm.

This is another salad I made for our little 4th of July BBQ. It was quite tasty. It showcases many summer fruits and vegetables. You could easily mix this up and substitute with fruits and veggies …

08/09/2018

This is an amazing recipe that profiles the beauty of gluten free foods. I agree with the author, it's quite "possibly life-changing" especially with fresh, seasonal herbs. Your microbes in your mouth & your gut will delight in these flavors and prebiotics. Enjoy (Janet and Walter)!

It's also vegan — and possibly life-changing.

04/23/2018

My favorite Earth Day (or any day for this sweet guy who is my farmer!) post. Embrace your inner child and go play! Connect with the earth, ground yourself and be joyful. Thank you Brown Dog Farm for such a sweet video!

04/13/2018

Check out Eileen who is 105 and going strong. She started yoga in her 90’s! I’m thinking attitude has a lot to do with her vitality. Fabulous inspiration!

03/30/2018

My wish for you this weekend.

03/26/2018

Like meditation or yoga, gardening is an age-old practice that engages the body, stimulates the mind, and uplifts the spirit. So now imagine the added benefits of planting a medicinal herb garden, and growing your own herbs for your own herbal remedies. Learn how to start your own medicinal herb garden from the ground up: https://bit.ly/2IMZcKG

03/16/2018

Adding this to my weekend menu! Easy spring salads.

Soaking the garbanzos and adding a 1-2” of kombu to the cooking water helps make them more digestible. Or, use canned garbanzos or prep in pressure cooker.

A healthy, light and satisfying chickpea salad, combined with artichokes and peppers and dressed in a lightly spiced vinaigrette.