LETTER
Optimising our digestive health improves our overall well-being; this week's good mood food menu is all about that! How do you feel ~ body, mind & spirit ~ digestion, energy, mood & emotions?
What we eat affects how we feel; there is a genuine and intricate connection between our gut and brain called the vagus nerve, responsible for crucial functions like mood and immune response, rest and digest, heart rate and metabolism.
This gut-brain connection is like a super-highway with bidirectional communication between our emotional and cognitive brain and our intestinal functions; good health begins with good digestion, and the gut affects the brain!
This week’s menu focuses on anti-inflammatory + high fibre + blood sugar balancing + living foods and restorative recipes to help improve our digestive function, gut microbiome, energy and mood.
Local Maine Foods
Apple Cider Vinegar@Ricker Hill Cracked Oats@Maine Grains Miso@go-en fermented foods
Recipe Notes
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CLEANSING DRINK raw & unpasteurized ~ Raw & unpasteurized apple cider vinegar water drink is an ancient food as medicine. Deeply rooted in holistic healthcare, this drink is believed to have many health benefits. Modern-day science has “proven” it helps boost metabolism, is good for our gut microbiome, alkaline, blood sugar balancing, and LDL cholesterol-reducing food.
- BERRY SUPER SEED PARFAIT ✾ PRE + PROBIOTIC ~ Set yourself up for good digestive health with good mood food! This little sugar-free parfait is a balanced bite that will keep you satisfied and on track maintaining good gut health ~ great for breakfast, lunch or an on the go snack.
Frozen berries are the best to use here; as they defrost, they make a delicious berry juice perfect for the berry super seed layer.
Botanical Benefits = Naturally detoxifying + high fibre + prebiotics + probiotics + vitamins and minerals + 100% sugar-free.
- CRACKED OAT, APPLE & BERRY BAKE ~ A hands-off delicious sugar-free recipe that makes eating whole grain oats easy as the oven does all the work: you can double the recipe.
The apple adds a natural sweetness to this recipe which works well made plant-based or with eggs and dairy milk ~ see recipe notes below—a fabulous recipe to use up those not so great apples laying around that you can make in advance.
- QUICK MISO NOODLE CUPS with Bok Choy & Cilantro ~ A grown-up healthy version of those 2 minute instant style noodles – this is almost as fast, equally satisfying, and a real food-as-medicine meal. If bone broth is part of your diet, this is a perfect recipe for using homemade bone broth for a quick go-to meal.
- BROCCOLI ALMOND & CARAMELISED ONION SALAD ~ An elevated broccoli salad full of great flavours and textures; serve warm or at room temperature.
- SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN CHILLI ~ A delicious veggie bowl loaded with fibre, plant protein, herbs, warming and grounding spices. I like lots of spices, but it is not everybody’s favourite, so I have given you quantity options so you can cook this recipe according to your spice and heat levels.
Serve as is or as part of a fun fiesta sharing-style meal with sides of rice, quinoa, romaine lettuce leaves, guacamole, cilantro-lime cabbage slaw and fresh lime wedges if you like.
Wishing you vibrant, healthy
Chef Karina Hines
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