What does deforestation have to do with human health? Here’s what I think. When I went through psychosis back in 2001, I met brick walls when trying to get help from doctors. I was terrified for my life, severely depressed, having heart palpitations, losing sleep, experiencing dizzy spells and tingling in my eyelids and lips, … Continue reading
Filed under gut health …
Zoe’s Superfood Pistachio “Fudge”
I’ve been experimenting with snack foods for my little one. She is almost 13 months, now. And, she’s beginning to be picky, all of a sudden. She’s always up for meat…not so much for veggies. So, I’ve been exploring ways to be a sneaky chef. Lately, I’ve been wanting to increase iron, protein, and Vit … Continue reading
Lacto-fermented Pickles
Fermented pickles are definitely way better in taste and health benefit than vinegar-brined cucumbers. Basically, you get a probiotic pickle. In the past, I’ve always made lacto-fermented pickles using whey (the liquid that separates from curds in milk). Whey inoculates the brine with lactobacilii and makes the fermentation faster. It was always a reliable method … Continue reading
Environmental Toxicity, Mental Health, and Inflammatory Diseases
My recent post, making the link between auto-immune disorders, thyroid disease, and mental health is getting a lot of views right now. Of course, my post is an outline and not a thorough exploration of all the dimensions I would like to express on this topic. One thing I didn’t mention is the effect of … Continue reading
Winter Warmth: Chicken Bone Broth
Key themes for winter: * stillness * storage * retreat * restoration * receptivity * kidneys * adrenals * cooked foods * bone broths * spices * roots * soups & stews * warming foods * immune support * nourishing * “For many of us, our interest in seasonality is somewhat selective. We want the … Continue reading
Give Thanks: Feeding Your Microbes and Feeding Your Lineage
It may come of no surprise to you that I tend to think about the holidays a bit differently than most. The usual family tension and meal preparation carry deeper meanings to me, reaching their tendrils into microbial gut colonies and ancestral meanderings. You all may have read previous blog posts on microbes, digestion, and … Continue reading
Restoring Digestive Health
“All diseases begin in the gut.” ~ Hippocrates I just taught an intensive in Asheville, NC for the Organic Grower’s School on Restoring Digestive Health and it got all kinds of juices flowing on this topic (smile). Distant memories from my psycho-spiritual break-down (and break-through) re-emerged and reminded me how far I had come. Truly, … Continue reading
Ginger-garlic Sauerkraut
Somehow, I have not posted my ginger-garlic sauerkraut recipe yet on my blog. And, with spring cabbages beginning to roll in, I decided to whip up a batch…while listening to Sade. I think that Sade makes the lactobacilii happy (smile)…especially Smooth Operator. So, I really wish I would have been a foodie, plant-lover, and fermenter … Continue reading
The Honored Middle and Gut Health
Some thoughts on gut health ~ Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) say that gut health actually provides the necessary ingredients to protect the heart (where spirit or “shen” resides). In Japan, the large intestine is referred to as both the “honored middle” (onaka) and “center of the spiritual and physical strength” (hara). The soul … Continue reading
Embracing the Unseen: Microbes, Fermentation, and the Gut
I’m so thankful that a friend of mine got Sandor Katz, the fermentation wizard of the Wild Fermentation movement, to come to my hometown last night! I was able to geek out on all things gut and all things bacterial for an *entire* evening. For those of you that know about my health crisis, healing … Continue reading
Lindsay Kolasa 