Blog

Coconut Chocolate Pudding with Pomegranate Seeds

Print Recipe
 Coconut Chocolate Pudding with Pomegranate Seeds
Pomegranate seeds are a rich source of a type of polyphenol known as ellagitannin, which studies show increase the specific gut bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila. Akker who? If you haven’t heard about these little guys that live in your gut (if you are lucky - we don’t all host them) its a species that is associated with lower rates of obesity, improved glucose metabolism and lower inflammation in the body. There is no better time of year to incorporate these gems into your diet than now, when they are in season and add such a festive finish to the table. Try them on this rich and decadent dairy free pudding- delicious is an understatement.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Plant Based
Keyword dairy free, health snacks for kids, sugar free snacks
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Cuisine Plant Based
Keyword dairy free, health snacks for kids, sugar free snacks
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Open chilled coconut milk can & scoop out thick cream into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Whip coconut cream on high speed with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.
  3. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract and maple syrup and continue whipping until ingredients are well combined.
  4. Top with 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately or store in the fridge in a sealed container to be used within 2-3 days.
Posted on

5 Easy Ideas for Making a Pretty Pie

Finishing touches make all the difference with presentation of most foods- pies included. Check out these 5 easy ideas to make a pretty presentation with pumpkin, squash or cranberry based pie for your holiday feast.

Leaf Shaped Cut Outs on Cranberry Pie
Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds Made Great Pie Decore
Use Extra Pie Dough to Personalize Your Pie
Use Extra Herbs Like Rosemary and Cranberries Dusted with Powdered Sugar
Add Crushed Walnuts Around The Border
Posted on

Good vs Bad Gut Bacteria

There is an ongoing battle going on for survival in your intestines between good vs bad bacteria. And the winning team is directionally proportional to how many plant based foods you eat. Space and nutrients are limited, and only the strongest will survive. Researchers estimate over 100 trillion microbes from anywhere between 500-1000 different species residing within the human intestines, alongside countless numbers of viruses and fungi. The composition and balance of these bacteria are constantly changing, with factors such as age, diet, lifestyle and antibiotic exerting the most influence.

Beneficial Gut Bacteria

The good guys (such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) live symbiotically with us, thriving on plant based prebiotic fibers (the more colorful the better) and resistant starches (the parts of grains, seeds, legumes we are unable to digest) and converting them into inflammation reducing short chain fatty acids and brain boosting neurotransmitters. The metabolites they produce in the way of short chain fatty acids also help to maintain a low acid environment in the colon, which discourages the growth of acid loving pathogenic bacteria. As if those benefits are not enough to make you want to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, these healthy bacteria also make important contributions to human metabolism and physiology by converting the plant based fibers we are unable to digest and into enzymes and vitamins (such as B & K).

Harmful Gut Bacteria

On the other hand, the bad guys, or more harmful bacteria that can take over, love processed high sugar / fat foods and are scientifically proven to produce pro inflammatory endotoxic byproducts. When they overgrow and crowd out the good guys and cause a condition known as dysbiosis (basically this means the bacteria in the gut is imbalanced) this can trigger a bigger problem – leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome happens when the delicate intestinal lining which protects our bodies from the outside world of potential toxins and pathogenic invaders is compromised, and it is with this loss of gut barrier function that endotoxins are allowed to pass from the gut lumen into systemic circulation. GI disorders, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, allergy and central nervous system-related diseases can all manifest under these circumstances.

Armed with this knowledge, we can connect the dots and understand how our bodies, by way of our healthy bacteria, benefit from consuming more plants. Let’s make feedings the good guys, and starving out the bad ones a daily practice. 

For those interested in learning more about how nutrition impacts the gut microbiome, here is a highly recommended presentation given by Dr. Alessio Fasano, chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mass General Hospital for Children. In this video he presents evidence on the connection between nutrition, microbiota composition, key intestinal functions, including gut permeability, and immune response leading to chronic inflammatory diseases.

Posted on

It Might Be Time to Get your Vitamin D Levels Checked

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked lately? If you live anywhere North of Carolina, this PSA is for you…a friendly reminder that it is time and here is why…

As an RD, my mantra is usually a food first approach towards optimizing nutritional status or addressing deficiencies. But in the case of Vitamin D, research shows it is almost impossible to take in enough D3 to meet our needs. Over 1 billion people are estimated to be walking around deficient in Vitamin D as we speak (levels below <30 nmol/L). 

Normally in summer months, those of us living at a latitude north of 37 degrees with daily sun exposure have the capacity to make sufficient D to meet our bodies’ needs. But in the Fall and Winter, due to the angle of the sun and reduction in amount of UVB rays we are exposed to, our bodies are unable to produce what we need naturally. 

A growing body of research is associating suboptimal Vitamin D levels with higher risk for osteoporosis, depression, cognitive decline, cancer, diabetes, infections and autoimmune disease. Share this message with a friend who lives north of NC who could benefit from this important reminder on how to maintain their health as we head into winter. Click here to read more about Harvard School of Public Health’s recommendation on Vitamin D levels and supplementation.


.

Posted on

What Role Does Food Play in PMS?

What role does food play in addressing PMS? A pretty important one. PMS is aggravated by a deficiency in serotonin production, a neurotransmitter which is reliant on the essential amino acid tryptophan (meaning your body can not produce and you must consume exogenously). 

While coincidently as we approach Thanksgiving, one of the more well-known tryptophan-containing foods happens to be turkey, this essential amino acid can be found in many other dietary sources such as chicken and lamb, fish & shellfish (tuna, salmon, cod, shrimp), cheese and yogurt as well as nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews). 

It is found in so many foods you would think it is tough to under consume it right? Wrong. Many women consume insufficient calories in the name of dieting (especially carbohydrates, which are actually protein sparing to the body) and as a result, they are operating at a protein deficit. In what is considered a catabolic state, the body will prioritize protein intake for energy and if that is not enough even break down its own muscle stores if need be. Serotonin production will be marginal at best in this scenario. So next time you suffer from PMS related mood swings, depression or crying spells in the 2 weeks before your period, check in with yourself and make sure you are not just eating enough calories (healthy carbs like sweet potatoes, fruit, whole grains included) but also getting enough tryptophan rich protein in your diet.