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Good digestion boosts your energy level and libido, improves your overall physical and mental health. Illness and wellness begins in your gut!

Happy 2020!

It’s that time again! Many of us are setting goals for the year ahead, some of which revolve around health and wellness.

It is typical to set aesthetic goals at the beginning of a New Year. In my vain opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Being happy with your appearance is not selfish or shallow; however, looking internally is the most efficient way of creating long-term waves in your overall health and appearance.

The single most impactful decision I have made regarding my own physical health has been focusing on good digestion.

With good digestion comes high energy, good mood, improved metabolism, hormonal balance, and healthy weight maintenance. All systems in our bodies are interconnected, and our wellness thrives in our gut.

In this sense, rather being laser focused on my body’s aesthetic on the outside, I try to stay mindful about looking internally at the state of my gut health. The happier my gut, the better I look and feel all around.

Many of my friends and family suffer from digestive issues of some sort, whether the frequency of GI upset is occasional, frequent, or daily. For this reason, I thought it would be useful to share some tips on proper digestion to help ease any sort of digestive unrest and also set the stage for long-term wellness.

In my cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, I touch on some of the fundamentals of good digestion. Because GI discomfort seems to be a very common source of discontent lately, I wanted to dive deeper into the concept of improving digestion.

Disclosure: I am not a healthcare professional and have no ground to stand on in the health community. What I have years of experience figuring out my own digestion. I simply have years of my own trial and error and the assistance of Western, functional, and holistic doctors. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of googling, book and article reading, and podcast listening.

This is Part One of a two-part mini series on digestion. Part One (right here) includes very basic tips, many of which are intuitive. In Part Two, which I will be posting tomorrow), I will dive deeper by discussing specific medical tests that can help you pinpoint the root cause of any digestive ailments.

LET’S GOOOO!

Here are some tips on…

HOW TO IMPROVE DIGESTION

30-Minute Thai Red Curry with Fish made quick and easy in your skillet! Serve it with choice of vegetable noodles, rice, or vegetable rice.

A weekly plant-based meal plan with gluten-free and vegan options. This vegetarian meal plan includes seasonal recipes that are nutritious and easy to prepare! Can you believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner? Do you have your menu set? My family typically makes the same dishes each year with miner tweaks. I usually tend to …

A nutritious plant-based meal plan with vegan and gluten-free options. This seasonally-inspired meal plan includes 5 healthy recipes to meal prep for the week. On this week’s meal plan: “Cheesy” Lentil Chili Casserole, Vegan Tempeh and Kale Enchilada Casserole, Roasted Garlic Kale Spaghetti Squash with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Moroccan Spiced Chickpea and Carrot Ragout with Couscous, …

Wild Rice Chicken Casserole with vegetables is a healthy, filling meal! Make it and serve to guests, or prepare as a meal prep dinner for the week.

Hello, friends!

How’s it going? What are we getting ourselves into this weekend? 

It’s chilly here in Reno-Tahoe with rain and snow in the forecast, so it’ll be a hot yoga/stay inside with a mug of tea and a great book sort of weekend for me. If you’re looking forward to a mellow weekend, too, be sure to check out my Paleo Sweet Potato Breakfast Bake I posted a couple days ago! It’s such a cozy fall breakfast!

Let’s talk dinner!

On this week’s healthy vegetarian meal plan: The Best Vegan Chili, Vegan Stuffed Shells with the Best Tofu Ricotta, Loaded Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Baked Sweet Potatoes, Spagheeti Squash Stir Fry, and Vegan Taco Bowls.

Enjoy!

On this week’s healthy vegetarian meal plan: Vegan Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls,  The Best Shakshuka, Butternut Squash and Lentil Bolognese, Guacamole and Black Bean Loaded Sweet Potatoes, and Pizza Polenta Bowls.  Enjoy! xo Sunday Vegan Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls from Making Thyme for Health Prep Ahead Tip: Ricotta can be prepped up to 3 days in advance. Kale can …

Heyo! What are you up to this weekend? I’m up in Tahoe per usual, putzing around on trails and enjoying nature.

Have you made the Paleo Strawberry Banana Bread I showed you this week? Or the Coconut Flour Zucchini Muffins? Both were a huge hit with my family! They are a great way of enjoying strawberry and zucchini season before they come to a close 😀

Coming up on the menu this week: Sheet Pan Cabbage and Tempeh, Prebiotic and Probiotic Macro Bowls, Crispy Baked Tacos with Seasoned Cauliflower, Indian Ratatouille, and Asian Peanut Noodles.

Enjoy this week’s healthy eats!

xo

Tuna Rice Casserole is an easy cheesy lightened up casserole perfect for those who love tuna noodle casserole or tuna melts. A delicious, comforting meal that is easy to make ahead!

Lightning quick 7-Ingredient 30-Minute Chicken Green Curry is an amazing, healthful weeknight meal worthy of putting on repeat.

If you’re looking for an easy, paleo, keto meal, give these Salmon Bowls with Avocado, Carrot “Rice” sauteed rainbow chard and wasabi sauce a whirl! Filled with protein, healthy fats, and nutrients, these bowls are so flavorful and easy to make any night of the week. This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission. …

In this article, I discuss 10 myths that have been popularized in the media that pertain to your gut health. Get cozy folks, this one’s another long one. Throughout my experience with IBS, I have come across some information that when put into practice alleviated, worsened, or had no effect on my symptoms. In my …

A deep dive into whether or not rice is considered to be okay for consumption on the paleo diet.

I wanted to take a moment to address a topic that can generate some confusion in the paleo community: rice. Is it paleo? If it isn’t paleo, is it still okay to eat? Is white rice okay? Should I stay away from brown rice? Will rice raise my blood sugar or mess with my gut health?

All great questions.

The answer to all of the above is: It depends on who you are.

Technically, all grains are off the table when it comes to paleo, particularly gluten-containing grains. Rice is, indeed, a grain, though it contains no gluten. Depending on the person, it can be processed easily without issue.

Some paleo purists say no grains, no way, no how. Period, end.

Some paleo folks say white rice is okay because it provides straight glucose for your body, (which your body needs for fuel provided you aren’t keto); however, you should stay away from brown rice because the whole grain contains phytates, lectins, and arsenic which can cause digestive unrest.

…And some folks say, HEY, any form of rice is okay. We’ve been cultivating it for over 3,500 years (SOURCE), which means our ancestors ate it, and the paleo diet is all about ancestral eating, right? If rice has been a major part of our diet for thousands of years, our systems have adapted to consume it. But does that mean we should still eat it? And if so, who is best suited for rice consumption?

I want to point to an article Mark Sisson wrote way back in 2010 stating that, “Rice is a grain, yes, but it’s not the same as wheat, barley, oats, or corn. Avoiding grains as a general rule is good for your health, and that goes for rice, but be realistic. A bit of white rice with a restaurant meal is not going to kill you (SOURCE).”

On this week’s healthy vegetarian meal plan, we have Balsamic Dijon Tempeh Buddha Bowls, Black Bean Enchilada Casserole, Pasta with Black Lentil, Carrot, and Chard Ragout, Israeli Power Salad with Za’atar Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Pecan Pesto. Enjoy, and have a great weekend! XO Sunday Balsamic Dijon Tempeh Buddha Bowls from Making Thyme for …

These Thai meatballs are HUGE on flavor and make for an amazing clean main entrée. Keto, paleo, whole30 and just plain finger-lickin’ good, these meatballs are show-stopping delicious.