Happy Healthy Gut (20 page)

Step 4: Once all the veggies are submerged in the brine, cap the jar and keep on your counter in room temperature.

Step 5: The jar should remain there for about a week. Open the jar daily to release any pressure, and begin tasting your veggies around day five. Once you like the way it tastes, put the jar in your refrigerator to store. It can stay there until it’s all gone . . . it’s preserved!

Your newly pickled veggies will taste great on sandwiches, veggie burgers, or even just by themselves. Experiment!

There are many people who find that they have a tough time digesting grains, seeds, beans, and legumes. In fact, many of us avoid beans and legumes because of the gas produced by eating them, which
can quickly turn into embarrassing flatulence episodes. (My worst nightmare scenario for this is a crowded, quiet yoga class!) The best way to curb this effect is by sprouting the grains, seeds, beans, or legumes first, which greatly enhances digestion. Instead of merely avoiding these fabulous foods, give sprouting a try. Once sprouted, they are insanely good for you and your tired, pissed off tummy.

Soaking beans and seeds before you consume them helps to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors present in sproutable foods, such as grains and seeds. The process assists in the production of many beneficial enzymes, while simultaneously breaking down and neutralizing any phytic acid that may be lurking. Soaking and sprouting also helps to break down some otherwise semi-indigestible proteins into simpler, more easily absorbable components.
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This is why it’s important to soak dry beans overnight before you cook with them.

Grains, seeds, and beans sprout very easily; usually it only takes a few days. Some of my favorite items to sprout are chickpeas, lentils, and sunflower seeds.

How to Sprout

Step 1: Soak your fare overnight. Once you’re ready to begin the process, drain the water and rinse them well. Throw away anything that looks mouldy, dark, broken, or generally different than the others. You want to look for uniformity.

Step 2: Keeping them damp, place them in a glass jar (I use Mason jars or old jam and pickle jars) and seal with a cheesecloth over the top, securing with an elastic. You don’t want them sitting in visible water, you only want them damp. If they dry, just get them damp again.

Step 3: Keep the jar out of the sun, because otherwise they will leaf and/or dry out too fast. You only want them to sprout, which takes hours to a few days to accomplish. Natural sunlight is okay; just don’t place the jar directly in the sun.

Step 4: Your eats are ready when the root is the length of the body. For example, if you are sprouting chickpeas, they are ready when the root is approximately one centimetre long.

Step 5: Store the sprouts in your refrigerator (in the jar) until you eat them all; they last about seven to ten days. My favorite things to do with sprouts are to throw them in salads, eat them on toast with hummus, on a sandwich or veggie burger, or just eat them plain. They are delish, and your tummy will be thankful.

When I think or talk about juicing, I get super excited. If you are someone who truly wants to make a difference to your health, particularly digestive health, you’ll need and want a juicer.

My first juicer came second-hand from my mother-in-law, and I intended to use it for a quick cleanse. I did that cleanse, and my love affair with juicing took flight. Making fresh juice every morning has become a ritualistic part of my morning routine. I get up, and I make juice. It makes me feel hydrated after a long night with little fluids, it keeps me regular, and it provides me with energy that I did not previously know existed. I’ve included my five favorite juice recipes in this chapter, including a beginner juice, a breakfast juice, an intermediate juice, my very favorite green juice, and an anti-inflammatory juice. I make the green juice every single morning, and if I feel like I need more energy, or if I think I might be getting sick (which rarely happens anymore), I juice more throughout the day. You can also partake in juice cleanses by juicing and drinking a lot of herbal tea all day long. You will also want to incorporate some miso soup into your cleanse days, for the purpose of replenishing important, depleted electrolytes. Don’t substitute the soup for a sport drink; they are high in sugar and artificial yucky stuff. (Some are neon colored; that would be your first clue!) If the idea of miso soup is not turning your crank, then substitute in sixteen ounces of coconut water throughout the day, instead.

I own a Breville Juice Fountain Compact. It is a centrifugal juicer, which means that is has a very fast grater to shred the produce and then separate the juice from the pulp. Centrifugal juicers are cheaper than the alternatives, which are masticating and twin-gear juicers. These ones are more expensive, because they do a better job of getting all of the juice out of your produce. However, they are slower, cost more, and generally take up more space on your counter. All of the Breville juicers are great, and the one I own was purchased for about $125.00. When you are shopping for a juicer, consider the following:

• Will it be easy to clean? (Is it easy to take apart?)
  
• Is it quiet(ish)?
  
• What is the warranty? Make sure it’s at least a year.
  
• How high is the spout, and is the spout dripless? You’ll want it high enough to fill a ten to fourteen ounce glass.
  
• How big is the chute? The less you have to prep your produce, the better. My juicer’s chute can fit a small apple, a whole cucumber,
  etc.
  I don’t want to cut food up if I don’t have to.
  

Juicing Tips

• Juice more when you feel that you might be coming down with a bug, or if you are low in energy.
  
• Use organic produce for juicing, because you will be absorbing everything that juice has to offer, and you want high levels of prime nutrients. It’s a good reason to invest in organic produce, even if it’s just for juicing.
  
• Juice
  items with the least water content first, ending with the items with the most water content. This is in order to flush out anything left in the juicer. For example: roots first, (like ginger, carrots, and beets), celery, lettuce, and hard fruit next, then apples, pears,
  etc.
  Cucumbers are always last.
  
• Juice on an empty stomach for prime nutrient absorption. (First thing in the morning is best.)
  
• Clean your juicer right after using it, so that the produce doesn’t dry and cake onto the machine and the blade. It’s just easier.
  
• Keep your juicer on the counter to remind you to use it daily. My husband hates anything on the counter, but I stand my ground with my juicer! And my mixer. And my herbs . . .
  

The following recipes make twelve to eighteen ounces of glorious juice. Juice in the given order:

Beginner Juice
: One tiny piece of ginger, three large apples, and three large pears.

Breakfast Juice
: Small piece of ginger, four large carrots, and two large grapefruits.

Intermediate Juice
: Piece of ginger the size of your thumb, one small beet, four carrots, and two large apples. (I like one square inch of ginger, but that might be too spicy for you. Throw some celery in there if you want.)

Green Juice
: Three romaine lettuce or chard leaves, two celery stalks with leaves, two pears or apples, and one large cucumber. Throw in a carrot or a few mint or basil leaves if you feel like getting creative. I make this juice every morning without fail. It makes me feel hydrated, and starts my day off with great nutrients.

Anti-Inflammatory Juice
: Four to six fennel stalks with fronds, two celery stalks, two red apples, and one cucumber. This juice is great for days you are feeling less than fabulous: especially if
you are experiencing bloating, or even a flare-up. The fennel is very anti-inflammatory, and the whole drink is fabulous for rehydration and bowel stimulation. Items such as mint and ginger are great in recovery juices, too.

Wheatgrass is one superfood that I love to grow. It is known for its alkalizing and anti-inflammatory effects on the body, as well as it being an antioxidant, opening up blood vessels, enriching the blood supply and helping digestive function. I purchase wheatgrass seeds at the health food store, and they take about six or seven days to get around four inches tall. Once they are about a week to a week and a half old, I cut them at their base and juice them in a vegetable blend. I have a trick for juicing them, because I don’t own a masticating juicer. (If you ever order a wheatgrass shot at a juice bar, they use a masticating juicer.) I open up a lettuce or chard leaf, place my grass down the middle, put a carrot on top, roll the leaf up tight, and juice it like that. It works! Wheatgrass is incredibly good for you, and super fun to grow from seed. If you have kids, they will love to see how fast it happens. Get them involved and share good health by setting a good example. I love to visit juice bars and order a wheatgrass shot. Usually you will also be given a chaser for it, like pineapple juice. It wakes me up much better (and faster) than coffee ever could. Trade your java for juice, and attain a whole new level of perkiness!

When you are done running the produce through your juicer, go back and scoop up the fiber and pulp that has been discarded and run it through again. It’s a great way to use up every last bit, and get the most juice for your buck. The left over pulp can either be mixed into soups and stews, or easily be added to your compost heap if you have one. It’s an organic vegetable garden’s aphrodisiac!

When you make the decision to stop eating yucky food, and start eating real food that makes you feel better, you might find that you want to invest in some new kitchen tools. If you are going to begin
cooking with new and sometimes quite foreign foods, having the right tools for the job cuts down on any initial frustration you may have. Within the first year of my diet change, I bought a juicer, a food processor, a bamboo sushi mat, and a rice cooker. While keeping in mind that you don’t need any of these items to get healthy, this is my list of what I personally consider kitchen must-haves for those who want to get cooking, and want to have fun while doing it:

1. Food chopper. This handy device can chop things like onions in seconds, and doesn’t process them to the point of mush. All my friends have heard me say that I will never cut an onion with a knife again. My crying days are over—my children are no longer confused when I cook dinner.
   
2. Food processor. Great for soups, anything with a lot of veggies in it like chili, salsa, guacamole, hummus, and more. I own both a manual one for small tasks, and a larger one for big jobs.
   
3. Juicer. I use this every day, and can’t imagine life without it. The juice I make every morning is what keeps me in routine, hydrated, grounded, and regular.
   
4. Mixer. I use this on a weekly basis. I know this sounds spoiled, but I don’t want to mix dough with a spoon anymore. I’m a lazy cook, and having help like this actually motivates me to hang out in the kitchen, instead of a restaurant.
   
5. A great knife. Actually, a few great knives. Sharp ones. My favorite kind of knife for general, everyday cutting is a santoku knife.
   
6. Stainless steel pots and pans. These are a must. Teflon ones are bad for you, because they contain carcinogen material that can enter the food being cooked with it. Remember, any little bit of help you can give your body, do it. Cast-iron is also a great way to go.
   
7. Blender. Very useful for making smoothies, which my entire family enjoys on a daily basis. It’s a great way to fit in a quick, nutritious snack.
   
8. Bamboo
   sushi mat. You will get a lot of use from this. One of our favorite things to bring to our friends’ houses and serve at our own home now is homemade vegetable rolls. They are super fun, and taste amazing.
   
9. Rice cooker. This device makes meal planning a cinch. I use it to make rice, millet, couscous, quinoa, and other whole grains.
   
10. Crock pot. A crock pot is fabulous to have, especially in the winter months. Homemade soups, stews, chili, and other plant-based dinners can be made while you are at work. Also, your house smells amazing all afternoon long!
    
11. Salad spinner. I use this handy tool every single day to quickly dry lettuce and kale. It saves me tons of time, and I can’t imagine not having it now.
    

The effects of stress are dangerously underrated by most of us. Stress can be both good and bad, but more often than not, stress causes us considerable concern, and often on a daily basis. So, what exactly is stress? Stress is strain on the body and/or mind that causes our adrenal glands to release cortisol into our bloodstreams. Once used almost solely as a “fight or flight” response, this cortisol release happens far too often in our western life. Stressors no longer include predatory animals or the challenge of scavenging for food. Now our bodies perceive stress to be anything from mild environmental pollutants to the spicy food from that amazing Thai restaurant down the street. Your digestive system is incredibly sensitive to stress, and reflects that sensitivity by shutting itself down on a dime, or quickly powering up unnecessarily.

Stress is a bitch. It screws with our perception of things, our immune systems, our sleep, and our digestive performance. There are many stressors in our lives, and some people get more stressed out than others. (This is where I sheepishly raise my hand.) When I was deep into my IBS years, any type of stress would set off an attack, good or bad. Even things like getting in a good, hard, abdominal
work-out would prompt swift guttural protests. If you can avoid stress, or try to cut it back, your body will be forever grateful.

It’s also important to note that there are mixed views on whether or not IBS is caused by stress. My very first episode of IBS that I can remember coincided with a bad relationship. While I don’t know for sure if my condition was sparked by the stress I went through during those few months, I do know that stress seemed to make my symptoms worse when coupled with an impending or existing flare-up. My personal opinion is that stress
does
contribute to IBS, or at least it did for me. I think that when your digestive system is clogged and inefficient, stress can contribute to the process of digestion (or lack thereof), in some way or another, whether it be significant or minimal.