You know your gut needs a little (okay, fine, a LOT of) love. You've tried countless things to heal it. 

Water fast? Tick! 

Coffee enema? Tick! 

Himalayan salt inhalers? Probably a tick there too!

And let’s be honest, nothing’s really worked so far. 

If you're sick of accepting that your constipation, headaches, bloating, acne and stomach pains are normal and there's 'nothing you can do', I'm here to help. 

I'm going to run you through my step-by-step gut-healing process, so your gut can feel brand-spankin' new. 

How to Heal Your Gut  

1. Prepare 🛁 

Before you even think about shotting back charcoal juice and hitting a hot yoga class to sweat out toxins, you need to prepare the gut by cleansing and toning the environment.  To tend to your gut, or as I call it, your inner garden, you might need to do some weeding. Weeding means getting rid of the negative bacteria and bugs to make room for a healthier environment.

To prepare your gut, weed out negative bacteria by eliminating commonly irritating foods, such as gluten, dairy, caffeine, refined sugar and soy. 

Add in Love Your Gut Powder and capsules to speed up the prep. Love Your Gut Powder and capsules gently cleanse the gut and create an alkaline environment with a pH of 8. 

2. Process 🔥

Once you've prepared the gut adequately and weeded out harmful bacteria, it's time to put a little digestive fire (in Ayurveda, they call this Agni) in your belly! The gut needs to be primed to process and absorb nutrients and hydration, with water or lemon infused water being a good form of hydration. That's the role of Fulvic Humic Concentrate. Among other benefits, Fulvic Humic Concentrate helps the gut process nutrients and strengthens the tight junctions that are weakened in conditions like leaky gut that can take some time to heal.

In the process stage, it's essential to focus on rest and self-care. Stress is one of the most significant contributors to an imbalanced gut, impacting gut motility and negatively influencing the gut microbiota composition (an influencer I don't want to follow). Introduce a form of meditation into your routine, ensure you're getting seven to nine hours of sleep, and swap out your coffee for herbal tea.  

3. Populate 👨‍👨‍👧‍👧

After preparing and processing the gut, it's time to get to work! Populating the digestive system is about healing the intestinal wall lining and making room for more positivity in the gut garden. 

Movement can have a powerful influence on the state of the gut. Studies show that exercise alone can increase beneficial bacteria, reduce inflammation, and speed up your metabolism (you can thank me later).¹ You don't need to lunge it out at the gym to get your movement in if that's not your thing. All exercise is good for the gut, so you may like to try swimming, walking, yoga or even gardening instead. 

Love Your Gut adds vital minerals and nutrients to the gut to help it survive and thrive. To up the ante, include Love Your Gut Synbiotic in your routine. It adds over 20 billion high-quality probiotics in every serve. Twenty billion sounds filling, but it's just the right amount for your gut to thrive. Plus, Love Your Gut Synbiotic supports the digestive system through the bonus of fibre and digestive enzymes, so it’s an all-round gut health cheerleader. 

4. Proliferate ❎

The last but certainly not least P is Proliferate. Now, I struggled to find an appropriate emoji for Populate, so go easy on me. I settled on the ❎ symbol as it symbolises the idea of multiplying. Proliferating is all about multiplying the beneficial bacteria in your gut. To help keep the bacteria love alive, make sure you're getting in enough fibre every day. 

Some fibre-rich foods that your gut love include: 

• Apples
• Artichokes
• Bananas
• Berries
• Brussel sprouts
• Celery  
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion greens
• Garlic
• Kale
• Lentils
• Onion
• Pumpkin
• Seeds 

There's an easier way to populate your gut than what you might think, and no, it doesn't involve matchmaking your gut microbes (although that would be a reality TV show I'd love to watch!). The easiest way to populate the gut is by taking Love Your Gut Synbiotic; it’s full of prebiotics that act as multipliers of probiotics by feeding them and helping them thrive. 

There we have it - my step-by-step process of healing your gut. Do you have any gut-healing tips you want to add to this list? Let me know your top tips in the comments below.

Lee x

References 

¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31454784/

Whether you’re craving a baked goodie to dunk in tea, a raw treat that can be whipped up in a jiffy, or a sweet that’s so healthy it could be eaten for breakfast, these plant-based dessert ideas are guaranteed to satisfy ye olde sweet tooth. 

If you’re looking for healthier versions of your traditional favourite desserts, you’re in the right place. Here are some of the best (in my very crumble oops humble and non-biased opinion) plant-based dessert ideas. 

Ready? 

Cookies

“I hate cookies!” said no sane person ever.

But seriously, who doesn’t love a good cookie? I believe cookies are the dessert that is destined to send your tastebuds back to a time where you were sitting in front of a fire, cookie in one hand, tea in the other, and smiles plastered across the faces of your favourite people.

My favourite cookie combinations are relatively straightforward to make. I usually combine almond meal with eggs or chia seed eggs, maple syrup, baking powder and a pinch of salt. For extra goodness, I’ll add choc chips, nut butter or mixed nuts. 

I genuinely believe cookies are one of the most comforting foods you’ll ever bite into. These Banana and Quinoa Cookies are for all my fellow cookie monsters.

Bliss Balls

What was once dubbed a revolutionary healthy and tasteless phenomenon has now become the new norm. These days you can find raw, vegan bliss balls at your local café and supermarket. That said, typical bliss balls are usually overloaded with sweeteners and dried fruit + sulphites, which means this ‘healthy dessert’ isn’t that healthy at all. 

While fruit is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, overconsumption of dried fruit can lead to gastrointestinal problems, weight gain and quick sugar highs. Save yourself the tummy trouble and keep the dried fruit in your bliss balls to a minimum. You’ll thank me later.

These hemp and tahini bliss balls are my go-to.

Raw Cheesecake 

Does anyone else have a soft spot for cheesecake? It wraps up two of the most delicious foods on the planet – cheese and cake – with a pretty bow.

But, for my friends who avoid processed foods, gluten, dairy, sugar and eggs, cheesecake probably sends you running in the opposite direction. Until now. 

It’s possible to craft a cheesecake that’s raw, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. Before you roll your eyes at me at the idea of a cheese-less cheesecake, just trust me.

My favourite cheesecake is a raw mango cheesecake. 

For the base, simply combine a mix of nuts, coconut, coconut butter and sea salt in a blender to get a crumbly yet firm foundation. You may need to add in some filtered water. Then, place it in a dish and pop it in the freezer.  

For the filling, combine cashews, mango, coconut butter, lemon juice, coconut milk and a bit of honey in your blender. Place the mixture on top of the base and place it in the freezer to set. 

Keep the cheesecake in the freezer for a few hours, and then serve with fresh berries. It’s sure to convert even the biggest sceptic. 

Sweet Nuts

Are you looking for a quick nibble? 

Sweet and spiced nuts are an excellent and easy sweet snack that you can make with your family. Sweet and spiced nuts are rich in both protein and fat, which means they keep us full. Simply combine mixed nuts with rice malt syrup, sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and maybe chilli if you’re a bit daring for a nibbly sweet and spicy snack. 

If you’ve got a chocolate craving, roast your nuts in the oven with a pinch of salt, melt dark chocolate over the stove and coat the nuts in the dark chocolate. Everyone will go nuts for them!

Banana Bread

Did you really experience lockdown if you didn’t venture into banana bread land? Banana bread is a relatively fuss-free loaf that holds its own. 

Bananas are incredibly nutrient-rich, containing fibre, several antioxidants and potassium, which supports a healthy heart and can even help lower blood pressure. Plus, bananas contain magnesium, which means they’re excellent for relieving cramps and aches.

The problem with bananas, however, is that they can ripen quickly. That’s where our saviour, banana bread, comes in. 

Who would have thought combining overripe bananas with flour, eggs, baking powder, a sweetener of your choice, and a bit of milk would create a dreamy, moist and satisfying dessert? My family goes bananas for coconut banana bread. 

Berry Crumble 

If any nutritionist says that a healthy breakfast needs to be savoury (read: boring), they’re wrong. It’s possible to make a crumble that’s so nutritious and pleasurable; you could eat it for breakfast. 

A good berry crumble feels like a soul-hugging dessert; it’s nourishing, guilt-free and perfect for savouring over a long and slow Sunday morning. 

While berries are traditionally used in a crumble, if they’re not in season, they can be expensive. So, this is your invitation to get creative and substitute berries for apples, pears, or whatever else you have sitting in your fridge or freezer. 

This is my favourite berry crumble recipe.  

 Start with the topping.  

Topping

•     1 cup cashews, roughly chopped
•     1/2 cup macadamias
•     1/2 cup almonds
•     3 tablespoons butter or you can use 2 tablespoons coconut oil for vegan
•     2 tablespoons coconut sugar
•     Pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place all the topping ingredients apart from butter/oil in a food processor and roughly chop.

Transfer to a bowl and rub the butter in or add coconut oil and stir and set aside.

Filling

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder, paste or one scraped out vanilla pod
• 2 tablespoons almond meal
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) mixed berries (can use frozen)

To make the filling, mix the maple syrup, vanilla and almond meal with the lime zest.

Place the berries in a saucepan and pour over the mixed syrup.  

Mix gently to combine, taking care not to break up the berries. 

Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a pie dish and sprinkle over the topping ingredients. 

Place in oven and cook for 20-25 mins.

For the best result, serve this crumble straight from the oven with a generous dollop of chilled yoghurt or whipped coconut cream. 

This berry crumble is vegan-friendly, gluten-free and free of refined sugar, making it the perfect goodie to share with friends and neighbours.

There you have it, my favourite plant-based dessert ideas. I hope you enjoy them!

The Best Green Soup recipe

Inflammation can be tricky to manage. In short, controlled amounts, it helps your body recover from injury and illness by supplying necessary blood and heat to affected areas. However, ongoing or chronic inflammation increases your risk for heart and kidney disease and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

The good news is that the meals you choose can increase or help to decrease overall inflammation. Many people with chronic conditions follow eating guidelines to keep their levels in check.

I'd love to share with you five tips to get more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.

1. Choose Cooking Oils Wisely

When the news about saturated fats and heart disease risk broke, manufacturers raced to create healthier cooking oils. However, they may have done more harm than good in some cases.

While plant-based oils are generally higher in the unsaturated fats once considered beneficial, some researchers have begun to cast aspersions on the high omega-6 levels in the typical western diet. While omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids benefit human health, the wrong balance can increase inflammation.

What should you eat? Opt for cooking oils that have a better omega-3 to omega-6 balance — like olive and avocado oil — and aim to get more fatty fish in your diet. Seafood such as salmon, sardines and mackerel contain high levels of omega-3s to help balance the omega-6 in many popular cooking oils like safflower and sunflower.

What about canola oil? This cooking oil is known by many as a cheaper, healthier alternative. Some people tolerate it without problems — however, others develop violent allergies. Humans shouldn’t eat the raw plant since it’s genetically modified to eliminate toxic erucic acid and glucosinolates. However, high-heat cooking methods and hydrogenation alter the chemical structure, making it problematic for some people. Use with caution and mindfully examine any inflammatory effects.

2. Visit Your Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s markets are absolute bonanzas for getting more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. Why is that? You’ll find the freshest, organically-grown produce brimming with antioxidants and phytonutrients to support vibrant health.

Part of that dynamic involves calming widespread systemic inflammation. Fresh food works by providing your body with the nutrition it needs to overcome daily stressors and toxins like micromanaging supervisors and environmental pollutants.

For example, summer stone fruits are a spectacular antioxidant source. Pick up a basket of fresh nectarines, peaches, apricots, plums or cherries — or their exciting hybrid cousins.

Do you want a healthy and anti-inflammatory summer spritzer, unlike the alcohol-based numbers that can spur swelling and anxiety? Mix a can of Zevia zero-calorie ginger ale with a dash of peach puree and top with fresh apricot and plum slices. Divine! For gut health, which is connected to inflammation try my Love Your Gut Synbiotic.

Vegetable Marrakesh Casserole

3. Go International

What’s on your dinner menu tonight? The typical American diet has become overly laden with problematic foods. However, you can improve your diet by taking tips from friends around the globe.

Many clinical nutritionists like myself uphold the Mediterranean diet as a model of healthy eating. Why? It’s high in plant-based foods, healthy oils and lean proteins, reserving fattier, denser meals like red meats as accompaniments, not the meal's centerpiece.

Plus, many people have little trouble getting on board with this meal plan. Who wouldn’t love a healthy plate of whole-grain spaghetti with zucchini, paired with a light caesar salad?

Do you have more exotic tastes? If so, go gaga for Asian cuisine. Popular spices like turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory powerhouses. Your best bet is pairing these herbs with black pepper to enhance the calming effect — try an exotic curried chicken with a side of carrot ginger soup with roasted vegetables.

4. Pick a Better Flour

If you’re like many, you have the trusty bag of bleached, all-purpose flour on your pantry shelf or tucked into a storage container. However, you could be serving up an inflammatory nightmare for your pancreas.

The manufacturing process can sometimes create a chemical byproduct called alloxan, which scientists use to induce diabetes in laboratory animals. When you combine alloxan with the rapidly absorbing, blood-sugar-spiking nature of white flour, you have a recipe for the Type 2 form of the disease in humans.

Fortunately, you have a world of other choices. You might have to experiment a bit to get the taste and texture to your liking, but you can play with quinoa and amaranth if you like ancient grains.

Are you craving more protein in your diet? Try lentil or garbanzo bean flour. You can even find insect flour in select specialty stores if you aren’t squeamish. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with opting for whole-grain flour or a gluten-free substitute like oat.

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato with Basil Pesto and Chopped Salad

5. Think Plant-Based

Strive to make your diet as plant-based as possible. Such foods contain natural nutrients your body absorbs better than supplements. They provide the building blocks for all the processes your body needs to perform to function at its best and help promote homeostasis — your ability to maintain internal stability as conditions change. Drastic fluctuations can spur inflammation.

The easiest way to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet is to look at your plate as a clock at each meal. Fill half of it with the deep, leafy green and colorful stuff, leaving 15 minutes for lean protein and 15 for starch.

You can also identify painless ways to incorporate more vegetables into typical meals. For example, do you take a sandwich or wrap most days for lunch? Top it with red pepper, red onion, lettuce and tomato.

Do you have a handful of vegetables left over from various meals that you don’t want to get limp and soggy? Mix up some broth-based vegetable soup and indulge in a bowl before your main course.

Eat More Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Feel Better

Chronic, widespread inflammation increases your risk of nearly every disease. It can also make you feel downright yucky and unenergetic most days.

However, you can tame the flame by getting more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. Follow the five tips above to improve your meal planning and boost your overall health.

Hummus is a beloved staple snack for most health-conscious people all over the world. Because it is versatile, savory, and can taste fantastic with just about anything, it makes a strong case as a substitute for pretzel bites or queso for that matter. 

You may wonder, what happens if you are on a ketogenic diet, but just can’t keep your hands off hummus? 

Let's find out in this article whether you can snack on hummus while on keto.

Exploring the origins of Hummus 

Hummus has origins in Western Asia and Egypt, where it has been traditionally prepared from cooked and battered chickpeas; however, other legumes are also used. 

Back in the thirteenth century, it was prepared and served as a room-temperature dish, primarily containing chickpeas, herbs, spices, vinegar, and oil. The first hummus recipe was published in an Arabic cookbook from the 13th-century.

Today, hummus is an incredibly popular food that has captured the hearts of most people. Today, the ever-flavourful hummus is flaunted as a superfood, especially in the health-conscious communities, where it is used as a staple dip.

Most of the hummus you’ll find in the markets uses the traditional Middle Eastern recipes; that said, you can try mixing it with different foods and flavors such as:

• Tahini (mashed sesame seeds)
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Basil 
• Rosemary herb
• Chillies and peppers

Is hummus keto-friendly?

The key ingredient of hummus is chickpeas, coming under the umbrella of the legume family. 

Legumes, which also include other beans, are not advised for the ketogenic diet. Despite being excellent sources of plant-based protein, they are abundant in carbs (making it a less desirable option for keto-dieters) and low in fat.

The keto diet applies restrictions on the number of carbs consumed. Depending on your weight, your carb consumption may be restricted from 20g to 50g of carbs per day. 

Carb-amount in hummus

A 2-tablespoon, which is approximately a 30-grams serving of plain hummus has the following nutritional constituents.

• Calories: 78
• Protein: 2 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Total carbs: 6 grams
• Fibre: 2 grams
• Net carbs: 4 grams

The serving size of the hummus is approximately the size of a golf ball, smaller than your typical serving. Despite these small amounts, it contains a solid 4 grams of total carbohydrates. Most flavours, such as herbs, species, peppers, and garlic do not alter the carb amount or the number of other nutrients.  

What do food experts suggest about hummus?

Let’s ascertain whether hummus, the beloved snack amongst dieters is keto-friendly or not?

As we clarified earlier, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the major ingredient of hummus. According to the US Department of Agriculture, a cup of garbanzo beans comprises 45 grams of carbohydrates. When chickpeas or other beans are transformed into hummus, the total carb content is about 49 grams.

A spokesperson for the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Robert Foroutan, suggests that a meager amount of hummus can potentially fit into your diet. 

However, the downside is that it will not make it gratifying. Foroutan further suggests that the recommended source of carbs can be instead obtained from dark-leafy vegetables such as spinach and other veg like broccoli and asparagus.

Lower carb alternatives to hummus

While a small serving or two of traditional hummus should be fine on a keto diet, you’d still want a low-carb alternative to your regimen, especially if you are longing for a dip. Here are a few options to consider as low-carb alternatives to hummus:

• Black soybean hummus. Hummus made from black soybeans is very high in fibre, which helps keep the net carb amount in check. Black soybean hummus contains about 2 grams of net carbs per 3-tablespoon or a 30-gram serving.
• Baba ganoush. Baba Ganoush is a Mediterranean dip and spread, but instead of chickpeas or legumes, it is made from eggplants, and the other ingredients are very much similar. In a 3-tablespoon serving of the baba ganoush recipe, we have approximately 3 grams of net carbohydrates.
• No Bean Hummus. This is where my no bean hummus comes into play. Hand on heart…it tastes identical to the real thing…. I’ve just snuck in a raw zucchini and almonds for creaminess. Find the recipe here.

The bottom line

While the high number of carbs found in most commercial versions of hummus may not fit the bill for the most ketogenic dieters, it's still conceivable to enjoy your favorite dips without breaking away from the ketosis process. 

Choosing to prepare your own hummus with low-carb, legume-free ingredients - the DIY cauliflower and avocado hummus with olive oil, for example -  is perfect for keto-dieters.

As for traditional hummus, you can still enjoy the delicious, savoury hummus if you're following the keto diet consistently. You can relish your hummus on your carb backloading days, or if consume it either before or after a workout.

Has a post-COVID belly got you down?

If you’re experiencing lingering digestive issues after having Covid-19 you’re not alone. Post-covid gut issues are something I’ve seen a fortune of in my clinic recently – from bloating, reflux and flatulence to constipation, diarrhoea and leaky gut. So, I’m here to help. 

The gut is the body’s epicentre to health. It’s central to many of the body’s systems, including the immune system, so it isn’t surprising that the aftermath of COVID can come in the form of a range of digestive issues. 

Some of the most common gut symptoms associated with the virus include vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, a lack of appetite, abdominal pain, flatulence, distorted taste and nausea. If you’re experiencing any of these during or after catching COVID, no, it’s not a coincidence or your body playing tricks on you. In fact, up to a whopping one-third of people with COVID have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms.

Why does COVID impact the Gut? 

While the jury is still out on this one, it’s clear that although COVID is primarily a respiratory illness, more evidence suggests that the GI tract is involved in this disease.  

The Gut Lung Axis

It turns out that the gut and the respiratory tract share an immune system, known as the gut-lung axis.¹ This axis is bi-directional, which means if the gut is affected by bacteria, the lungs will be impacted too, and vice versa.²

There are also around 100 times more receptors in the GI tract than respiratory organs, so the gut may be able to house more viruses when it acquires an infection. 

In COVID, when pro-inflammatory cytokines enter the body through the lungs, it causes all-over body inflammation. Once these cytokines reach the gut, the virus can travel through veins that drain blood from the digestive tract, impacting the all-important vagus nerve.

Once this occurs, the disease impacts the gut barrier, altering bacteria within the gut, increasing its permeability and causing more inflammation.³

Increased intestinal permeability, which is also known as leaky gut, allows the bacteria to circulate, exacerbating the illness. When this happens, we can experience a range of digestive discomfort symptoms, like bloating or flatulence.  

To make matters worse, the medications taken for other symptoms of COVID can cause side effects like nausea and diarrhoea.

What Happens to the Microbiome?

The gut is the largest immune organ in the body, and its bacteria influence immune responses. The variety of the gut’s bacteria may influence the severity of COVID and the body’s response to it. Imbalances and inflammation in the microbiome may be implicated in persisting symptoms, known as ‘long COVID’.⁴

Increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut hinders the body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, making it harder to fight off an infection.

Who is Most Likely to Experience Gut Symptoms with COVID? 

Unfortunately, people with pre-existing GI conditions, such as ulcerative colitis or IBS, may experience the disease more seriously and have adverse complications that's why it's so important to look after your gut health both prophylactically and on an ongoing basis.

What’s the Bottom Line?

More research is needed to understand the full extent COVID has on the body, but it is clear that the gut is involved.  

My Top Tips for The COVID and Post-COVID Gut 

A Gut-Friendly Diet 

Focus on a gut-friendly diet filled with omega-3 fatty acids, fruits, vegetables, soups and smoothies. A gut-friendly shopping list should include anti-inflammatory turmeric, gut-healing gelatine, omega-3-rich fish, protein, gut-loving slippery elm and supercharged Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder.

The Synbiotic Powder helps repair, restore, and rebalance and reignite your gut health from within.

 

 

 

 

 

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It contains 20 billion bits of love for your bacteria in the shape of a unique and completely natural synbiotic formulation, with plenty of digestive enzymes, dietary fibre and a supercharged blast of antioxidants. You can find out more here. 

Incorporate foods that not only make it easier for your gut to digest but will make you feel lighter and possibly less fatigued.

Some of my favourite gut-loving meals are steamed, sautéed, stewed or roasted vegetables, bone broths, fibre-rich foods and gluten-free grains. There are load of recipes here.

Avoid triggering foods

If you are experiencing lingering health issues, help restore your gut by avoiding or reducing caffeine, alcoholic beverages and refined sugar. Giving your gut a break can allow the gut lining to heal and help reduce inflammation, too. 

Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is required to help move things through the body. Water can help hydrate the kidneys, improve digestion and reduce fatigue.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Shift the balance of unhealthy microflora to a microbiome that can generate energy for the body by eating more pre and probiotics.

Probiotics are live microorganisms found in yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut that add healthy microbes to the gut. Prebiotics, found in artichokes, asparagus, and chicory root, act as food for the gut’s good bacteria. Prebiotics can improve immune function, reduce inflammation and even help weight loss. Prebiotics and probiotics work harmoniously to help the gut microflora survive and thrive. 

Probiotic Foods:

• Kefir 
• Kimchi
• Miso 
• Sauerkraut
• Yoghurt 

Prebiotic Foods:

• Banana 
• Cassava
• Chickpea flour
• Chicory root 
• Garlic
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Leeks 

Gut Toolkit 

Fulvic Humic Concentrate (FHC) is a great ingredient to include in your gut toolkit. It supports the integrity of the gut lining and strengthens its tight junctions, which replenishes microbiota, nutrients, and enzymes after viruses. It also helps to stimulate energy production, and improves oxygen levels. ⁵

Fulvic acid has a number of studies for its effects on immune health and inflammation. Test-tube studies have shown that it may limit the release of inflammatory substances like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). ^{6, 7}

The other ingredient to add to your toolkit is Love Your Gut powder. This powder helps to gently sweep the gut and carefully wipe it clean of bad bacteria. Love Your Gut Powder enables you to absorb nutrients by removing built-up plaque, allowing you to absorb more from your food and improve digestion.

If you're feeling tired and depleted, having a soothing and filling breakfast can help. My Coconut Oatmeal on a cold morning is like a warm hug for your insides. Oats are one of the most magical gut-healthy foods around, boosting beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, and relieving issues such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

Oats are a good source of resistant starch which is not digested in the stomach or small intestine and reaches the colon intact. This oatmeal is such an easy way to squeeze in some gut-healing benefits first thing in the morning.

COCONUT OATMEAL

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 50 g (1 3/4 oz/1/2 cup) gluten-free organic rolled (porridge) oats
• 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) filtered water
• pinch of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
• pinch of ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) Coconut Milk
• 1 handful of mixed fresh berries
• mint leaves, to garnish

Method

Combine the oats and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer
and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the oats are tender, stirring regularly.

Stir in the salt, cinnamon. Mix the coconut milk through until creamy and smooth.

Serve topped with the berries and mint, and an extra sprinkling of cinnamon.

I'd love to know: have you experienced any digestive discomfort with COVID?

Let me know in the comments below.

Keep well!

Lee x  

 References

1 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.765965/full#B26

2 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.765965/full#B31

3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34177935/

4 https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/make-up-of-gut-microbiome-may-influence-covid-19-severity-and-immune-response/

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2876922/

6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25888188/

7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19131228/

Tea is a plant-based drink that many people regularly consume because of its sweet flavors and soothing aroma, but it also has some genuine health benefits. Let’s discuss the various tea categories and how they can positively affect your bodily functions.

Colored Teas

Colored teas share the same source: Camellia sinensis, a plant with many antioxidants that grows in China and India. The most noteworthy antioxidant is EDCG, which attacks a number of ailments, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and late-onset issues like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Along with these antioxidants (also known as flavonoids), Camellia sinensis has noticeable caffeine and theanine contents, both of which help with mental alertness and give you a temporary energy boost. Let’s take a closer look at the most prominent colored teas.

1.   Black Tea

Black tea has the highest caffeine content, making it the go-to mixture for those who drink their tea to replace coffee or energy drinks. Some studies also suggest that it limits the effects of cigarette smoking and reduces the risk of stroke.

2.   White Tea

White tea is the purest tea in this category, with no curing or fermentation process. As a result, its antioxidants remain in their natural state and have been shown to limit cancer cell growth and protect healthy cell DNA. However, if you’re looking for taste, we suggest trying something else.

3.   Green Tea

Green tea is the most closely observed tea because it contains the highest ECGC levels. We have strong evidence that it stifles cancer growth in many areas, including our digestive and respiratory organs. It also has the ECGC benefits mentioned earlier.

4.   Oolong Tea

Oolong tea has a specific effect, reducing abnormally high cholesterol levels in animal studies. It’s unclear whether humans experience the same effect, but it has a large group of believers who use it as a weight-loss supplement.

5.   Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh tea is a solid tea only made from aged, fermented leaves. The leaves are pressed into small cakes, creating a filling low-calorie snack that helps with weight loss and gives you a significant energy boost. It’s considered a type of black tea, but it doesn’t have the same anti-smoking effects.

Herbal Teas

We produce herbal teas from herbs, roots, fruits and seeds. They don’t have the same antioxidant and caffeine levels as green teas, and the effects largely depend on the ingredients. Overall, they tend to have more soothing and pain-relieving effects. Health experts recommend drinking herbal tea to curb cravings during addiction recovery and settle the stomach.

A wide variety of herbal teas are consumed around the world, but the following teas have the strongest track records and are the most popular.

Chamomile and Lavender Tea

1.   Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is considered the most effective herbal tea at improving sleep quality and alleviating chronic sleep issues like insomnia. However, scientists are divided on whether the effects are genuine or simply a placebo. It also has anti-inflammatory effects on your digestive system and could alleviate symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.

2.   Peppermint Tea

Although we haven’t performed tests on humans, several animal studies show that peppermint tea has significant positive effects on the digestive tract, alleviating nausea, constipation and stomach ulcers. It even reduces spasms in the lower intestines, relieving irritable bowel syndrome. This tea is the recipe to try if you’re dealing with digestive issues.

3.   Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is perhaps the most similar to the colored teas in the first section, with powerful antioxidants and flavors. The main ingredient is a proven immune system stimulant,  reducing inflammation and alleviating nausea. Ginger ale is also a popular sick-day drink for this reason. Some

4.   Hibiscus Tea

According to some studies, hibiscus tea is primarily known for its tart flavor and bright coloring, but it also may balance high blood pressure and lipids. In any case, the unique taste is undeniably relaxing and will help you manage your stress levels. Stress management helps lower blood pressure, so perhaps this is the connection the researchers found.

5.   Echinacea Tea

Some studies have shown that echinacea tea helps the immune system fight the common cold and other minor ailments, but the evidence isn’t expansive or detailed enough to make a firm conclusion. Still, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to drink a cup of echinacea tea when you’re feeling under the weather. Sometimes a hot liquid is all you need to soothe a sore throat or clear your sinuses.

Sticky Chai made with Rooibos

6.   Rooibos Tea

This tea from the fermented South African red bush plant has been a popular natural remedy for the country’s occupants for hundreds of years. Unlike other herbal teas, it contains flavonoids that may have the same anti-cancer effects as colored tea. Some studies have also shown that it improves bone density and prevents heart disease, acting as a blood vessel constrictor similar to some blood pressure medications.

Add Tea To Your Daily Diet

Tea comes in many forms and has a wide variety of health benefits, as you can see. Colored teas lean more on the side of proactive, energetic effects, while herbal teas are more calming and preventative. They all taste delicious (though everyone has their preferences).

Even if some of the teas we discussed don’t have conclusive evidence, the overall soothing sensation of a hot cup of tea is enough to justify consuming the beverage on a regular basis. Add tea to your daily diet and reap the rewards!