Monthly Archives: July 2024

Navigating Gut Health Through Food Choices

When it comes to gut health, there are numerous factors to consider. Dietary choices and the quality of what you consume are super important. For many, changing lifelong eating habits to support a newly identified gut health issue can be a big challenge.

The healing power of food is profound, especially for those managing conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, PCOS, and ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, many medical professionals often overlook the critical role that food plays in managing these conditions. The lack of holistic nutrition support in mainstream medicine is a good reason for individuals to seek alternative support.

Sadly many people in the United States grow up on the Standard American Diet, which is high in fast food, takeout, and sugary cereals. These dietary habits often lead to various health issues, including frequent infections, sinus problems, and other chronic conditions. Transitioning away from this diet can be challenging but is essential for improving your gut health and overall well-being.

The Journey to Better Gut Health

Embarking on a journey to better gut health often begins with addressing dietary habits. Many people experience significant symptoms, such as hair loss, weight fluctuations, and digestive issues when they eat highly processed foods with poor quality, non-nutritive ingredients. These symptoms highlight the need for a better understanding of how different foods can impact your body.

Identifying Issues: It can take years to identify the underlying causes of health issues. For many, this journey involves multiple diagnoses, such as Hashimoto's, SIBO, and parasitic infections, all of which can severely impact gut health.
Exploring Alternatives: When conventional medicine fails to provide answers, exploring alternatives like holistic nutrition and lifestyle education becomes crucial. The holistic approach involves learning about the healing properties of food and how it can support your body's natural healing processes.
Making Dietary Changes: Transitioning to a diet that supports gut health involves eliminating processed foods and focusing on nutrient-dense, whole foods. This shift can lead to significant improvements in symptoms and overall health.

The Role of Food in Healing

Food should be enjoyable and nourishing on multiple levels. However, many people develop unhealthy relationships with food due to societal norms and marketing strategies that promote sugary, processed foods. Redefining this relationship is crucial for improving gut health.

Understanding Food's Role: Food is not only a source of comfort and celebration but also a vital component of health. Learning to see food as medicine can help you make more informed dietary choices.
Crowding Out: Instead of concentrating on eliminating foods, focus on adding nutrient-dense options to your diet instead. This approach is gentler, less stressful, and will help you to naturally reduce the consumption of less healthy foods.
Expanding Your Palate: Experiment with new foods and recipes. This can make your transition to a healthier diet more enjoyable. For example, incorporating more vegetables or exploring nutrient-dense recipes can add variety and nutrition to your meals.

Practical Tips for Improving Gut Health

Meal Prep: Efficient meal preparation is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. Developing a system that works for your lifestyle can save time and reduce stress in the kitchen.
Grocery Shopping: Learning to navigate the grocery store with a focus on whole, unprocessed foods is important. Learn to avoid grocery store tricks and aim to fill your cart with a variety of fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Experiment in the Kitchen: Don't be afraid to try new recipes and ingredients. When you build up your confidence in the kitchen it can help you stick to your dietary goals and make cooking an enjoyable part of your routine.

Conclusion

Improving gut health through dietary changes is a journey that requires dedication and a willingness to explore new foods and cooking methods. By focusing on nutrient-dense, whole foods and learning to enjoy the process, you can support your body's natural healing processes and achieve better health. Remember, food is medicine, and making mindful choices can lead to significant improvements in your well-being.

The Benefits Of Eating Organ Meats

by Miraherbs and spicesorgan meats

In these modern times, organ meats are often overlooked in our diets. However, the concept of eating "tip to tail," which emphasizes consuming all parts of the animal, is gaining traction. But if the thought of eating organ meat makes you uneasy, you're not alone. Many of us didn't grow up eating these nutrient-rich parts of the animal. Fortunately, there is a solution that makes incorporating organ meats into your diet easy and delicious.

The Nutritional Power of Organ Meats

Organ meats are incredibly nutrient-dense and bioavailable, meaning your body can easily absorb and utilize their vitamins and minerals. They are often referred to as "Mother Nature's multivitamin." Yet in spite of their nutritional benefits, organ meats in the U.S. are primarily sold as pet food, zoo animal feed, or are sometimes re-fed to livestock. Only a small amount is sold in certain cultural markets where traditional dishes such as menudo and haggis are popular.

Overcoming the Stigma and Availability Challenges

The stigma around organ meats stems from a historical shift in perception. Post-World War II, muscle meat became associated with wealth, while organ meats were considered a poor man's food.

Despite a government campaign during the war to promote organ meats, this perception persisted, leading to a decline in their consumption over generations.

Organ meats don't taste like many people think they do. There's an unspoken assumption that all organ meats have a strong, distinctive flavor like liver or kidney, but this isn't the case. For example, the heart is rather mild and is similar in texture to muscle meat. And well prepared stronger flavored organs such as liver or kidney can be quite delicious.

Even if you're open to trying organ meats sourcing these parts can be challenging.

Farmers' markets and local farms can be good places to start, as they often have access to the whole animal. You can also try ethnic markets, particularly Mexican or Asian stores, which also stock organ meats as these are regularly used in traditional cuisines.

Seasoning with organ meat

If you're not quite ready to try cooking organ meats the good news is that's not the only way you can use them. One of my favorite ways to add organ meats to the diet is as a seasoning. When you add it as a seasoning you're getting both the nutrient density of the organ meats as well as the yum factor.

My favorite way to season with organ meat is a product called Pluck. Created by James Barry, a whole foods chef, it's an innovative organ-based all-purpose seasoning designed to make it easy for people to get the benefits of organ meats without the challenges of taste and preparation that can put people off. By creating this product James is on a mission.

His goal is to help people achieve lasting health by making nutritious choices easy and sustainable. This includes supporting the local economy and farmers and promoting regenerative farming practices.

As The Ingredient Guru, I love the fact that the ingredients in Pluck are straightforward and wholesome: onion, pink Himalayan salt, garlic, a bovine organ meat blend, smoked paprika, lemon peel, black pepper, mustard seed, parsley, green onion, and thyme. It offers an easy way to add the nutritional benefits of organ meats to your diet. Pluck allows you to easily incorporate these nutritious organ meats into your diet without changing your eating habits.

James shares these words of wisdom, "We already season our food, Pluck doesn't require a new habit. It just makes it easy to get organ meats in your diet consistently."

How to use Pluck

When it comes to adding seasonings to your food very few people complain. Because we all love good flavor. If the flavor comes from a nutrient-dense seasoning, that's even better.

I'm not going to lie here, it's better to serve it first and then tell people what it is. And that's simply because of a misplaced pre-conception. After they taste Pluck first and love it, chances are they're going to want more.

So you're probably wondering about how to use Pluck in your kitchen. Here are some of my favorite ways to add it to food:

A delicious quick snack is simply hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with Pluck
It's also great on scrambled eggs
Another great snack option is on popcorn
Season your salads with a dash of Pluck
Also great on baked potato
And it's wonderful to add that extra yum factor by sprinkling it directly on meats

Pluck really is a versatile addition to your kitchen seasoning shelf.

Conclusion

Eating organ meats doesn't have to be daunting or unappealing. With innovative products like Pluck, it's easier than ever to incorporate these nutrient-dense foods into your diet. Pluck offers a delicious solution that benefits both you and the planet. Whether you're new to the idea or looking for convenient ways to include more organ meats in your meals, Pluck provides a simple and tasty way to enhance your diet.

Emergency Preparedness In Densely Populated Areas

by Mirapantry, preparednesspreparedness

This post is meant to empower you so you can take proactive steps toward building a preparedness plan that is specific to your area and your family needs. The goal is for you to make sure you are equipped to handle unexpected situations no matter where you live. When you start now, you're investing in your safety, reducing stress, and increasing your peace of mind.

Why You Need to Be Ready

If you live in a bustling city or densely populated area chances are on a day-to-day basis it feels like you have everything you need. Shopping is convenient and plentiful, entertainment and activities are nearby, and you probably have good access to medical care. In an emergency situation, however, things can be quite different. If there is a crisis of some sort, such as a natural disaster or a major accident, or even some kind of a shutdown situation, emergency services may be stretched thin, as responders prioritize those with the highest need. This post looks at why having a personal level preparedness plan is vital and how you can start today.

Understanding the Challenges

When you live in a densely populated area, such as the suburbs, with lots of people, an emergency can strain community resources. Emergency services, such as firefighters and paramedics, may be busy helping others, which will create longer wait times for help. They may also need to handle dangerous situations such as fallen power lines or broken water mains before assisting others with some sort of urgent need.

Why Build a Preparedness Plan?

When you have a preparedness plan, it means you are able to take care of yourself or family members until help arrives. It may also mean that you can be helpful for a friend or neighbor who is experiencing an emergency. Preparedness might mean having enough food, water, medical supplies, and basic first aid awareness to get you through the situation until trained help can arrive. Plus there are times when knowing what to do can help you stay safe.

Being prepared and aware of how to respond in an emergency can help to reduce fear, stress, and anxiety. Instead of worrying, you can focus on staying safe and helping others.

How to Get Started

Make a Plan: Have that conversation with your family about where to meet if you can't go home, or how to contact each other if phone lines are down. It may seem awkward or uncomfortable to bring it up, but this is a form of self-care and self-reliance that should not be overlooked.
Create an Emergency Supplies Kit: Keep supplies like water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, and a first-aid kit in a safe place you can reach easily. You can easily get started with the Ten Tips For Emergency Preparedness Class (soon to open! Bookmark this page to stay updated)
Stay Informed: Every emergency is different and each area of the country experiences different things. Learn what types of emergencies are common in your area, what to do to prepare for that type of situation, and sign up for alerts from your local authorities.

Conclusion

Emergency preparedness isn’t just for extreme situations—it's about being ready for anything that might happen. Living in a city means relying on yourself and your community when help might take longer to arrive. By starting now, you're taking an important step towards ensuring your safety and that of those around you.

Remember, being prepared is a responsibility we all share in keeping our communities safe and resilient.

All About Blackberries

by Mirafruit, recipesblackberries

When it comes to berries most people think of strawberries or blueberries, those are the most popular ones at the grocery store. Sometimes you'll get people who buy and enjoy raspberries. Yet there's another berry that is equally delicious and wonderful, yet it tends to be overlooked. Blackberries.

I believe blackberries are one of Mother Nature's tastiest treats. Plus these beautiful dark berries are filled with flavor and nutrients. I'm fortunate enough to be able to grow thornless blackberries in my garden and the few weeks when we have fresh plump juicy blackberries are just fabulous.

Where Do Blackberries Grow?

Blackberry bushes can be found all over North America, but they particularly love the eastern parts and the Pacific coast. If you live near these areas, you might have spotted their thorny bushes covered in dark, juicy berries. If you're adventurous enough you may even wade in among the thorns to pick and devour these delicious wild berries.

Rather than tangling with the wild varieties, it is possible to grow your own blackberries (as long as you live in agricultural zones 5-9). If you're going to grow your own I do recommend getting the thornless variety. After all, why deal with the thorns if you don't have to? If possible find out when the garden sale from your agricultural extension service is and you'll be sure to get varieties that do especially well where you live.

Nutritional Powerhouse

Blackberries are not just delicious; they are also incredibly healthy. A single cup of raw blackberries has 30.2 milligrams of vitamin C, which is about half of the daily amount you need! Vitamin C is important for keeping your immune system strong and your skin healthy.

These berries are also loaded with antioxidants, which help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals. These antioxidants are also beneficial for brain health.

Because of their health benefits, blackberries are considered a very healthy fruit and can often be referred to as a "superfood."

Quick and Easy Blackberry Recipes

Of course, there's nothing wrong with eating blackberries by the handful, especially when they're fresh from the vine and sun-ripened. But whether you're growing them, or if you're buying them at the grocery store, blackberries are a treat, especially in these quick and easy recipes:

Blackberry Smoothie

1 cup of blackberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of greens
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of liquid - milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc
Blend together until smooth. Enjoy!

Blackberry Salad

- 2 cups of mixed greens
- 1 cup of blackberries
- ¼ cup of feta cheese
- ¼ cup of walnuts
- Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and toss everything together for a fresh and summery salad.

Blackberry-Apple Pops

2 cups of blackberries
1 cup of organic apple juice
2 tablespoons of honey
Blend the blackberries, apple juice, and honey until smooth.
Strain the seeds from the mixture using a colander or cheesecloth
Pour the mixture into popsicle molds.
Insert sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid.
Enjoy a refreshing treat on a hot day!

Blackberry Yogurt Parfait

1 cup of Greek yogurt
½ cup of blackberries
¼ cup of granola
Layer yogurt, blackberries, and granola in a glass or bowl for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack.

Refrigerator Blackberry Jam

4 cups of blackberries
2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Cook the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened
Remove from heat, strain if desired
Pour into jars and let cool
Store in the refrigerator 2-3 weeks

Remember, blackberries are not only delicious, they're also versatile in the kitchen, and are packed with ealth benefits. I encourage you to get or grow your own and enjoy these beautiful, tasty berries.

[expand title="Sources"]

Martins, Mariana S., et al. “Blackberries and Mulberries: Berries with Significant Health-Promoting Properties.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 27 July 2023, www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/15/12024. Accessed 29 June 2024.

Barbie Cervoni MS, RD. “Blackberry Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.” Verywell Fit, 20 May 2024, www.verywellfit.com/blackberry-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4109221. Accessed 29 June 2024.

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