I wouldn’t do anything for a Klondike bar, but I’d do some shady sh*t for pumpkin spice!

October is my favorite month and it might just be because I love all things pumpkin spice. Can I get a “HELL YA!?!”

Pumpkins are stacked on porches, orange lights brighten house silhouettes, and 7ft blow up Grim Reapers fill our yards. But far beyond the decorations are the smells and sights of pumpkin lattes & cream rolls, cinnamon donuts, and caramel apples (I’m drooling). 

Now, I’m not going to tell you to deprive yourself of the ONE time of year you get these tasty treats instead I’m going to give you an alternative to satisfy your taste buds while making your gut health happy. 

Pumpkins are high in fiber, containing more than 20% of your daily recommended dose, and a great source of b vitamins. The B vitamins and fiber make the pumpkin valuable against high blood pressure and strokes, thus protecting the heart over a period of time....

If you want to eat a little healthier in the fall, it doesn’t require completely changing your diet. In many cases, you can just make a few substitutions with the foods you already enjoy, and will have lower-fat foods that are tasty and nutritious. Here are some healthy food swaps that use fall superfoods.

Use Pumpkin in Cake Mixes

One of the easiest healthy food swaps you can do with your fall superfoods is to use pumpkin puree with cake mixes. This turns your cake or cupcakes into just 2 ingredients, including the cake mix of your choice and pumpkin puree. The pumpkin replaces all other ingredients you would have mixed in with the cake mix, like oil and eggs. This is often done with a spiced cake mix that goes well with pumpkin, but don’t be afraid to experiment with vanilla and chocolate cake mixes as well. 

Sweet Potatoes Instead of White Potatoes

Many people enjoy potatoes, especially in the fall when you want more savory dishes, but they tend to be high in...

Food regulates metabolism and good nutrients help to transform toxins, used hormones, RX drugs, food additives, and “junk” into water-soluble compounds which  can be excreted out of the body. So if you have your gut and liver working overtime trying to process junk (alcohol, sugar, caffeine, processed foods, and drugs) then they will have a hard time performing at their optimal levels and over time the liver gets clogged and the gut functions start to break down.  

Here’s one of my favorite Fall soups from my Restore Your Gut Health Program to help regulate the metabolic functions back to optimal performance. This soup is hearty and provides a certain level of comfort which other meals lack. 

Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and one of the healthiest starches. It has a natural sweetness which pairs well with bold curry flavors and embraces the sweetness of apple. Apple and butternut squash naturally compliment each other....

The Ketogenic Diet

I’m getting a ton of questions about the Keto diet.  To be honest, I didn’t know a lot about it besides you get to drink vodka, eat cheese and sour cream (don’t know, that’s what I see on IG!) In all seriousness, what I believe is all diets work but not all diets work for your body or lifestyle.

I know people who have received amazing results from following the Keto diet.  I also know people who have suffered from following the Keto diet such as kidney stones, tanked adrenal glands, and elevated resting heart rates. 

So, is this diet for you?

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic “keto” diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves a drastic reduction of carbohydrates, replacing them with high-fat foods. This reduction in carbs makes the body go into the metabolic state known as ketosis. It is said in ketosis, the body becomes more efficient at burning fat to release energy by turning fat cells into...

Since being diagnosed with leaky gut and blunted brush border (aka nutrient absorption deficiency), I’ve been challenging myself to incorporate as many gut restoring ingredients in my diet as possible.

My hubby & 11 yr old raved so much about this tomato basil soup that they asked me to write down the recipe so that I can make the EXACT replica next time! 

What you’ll find in my recipe is typical tomato soup ingredients intertwined with gut restoring ingredients. For example coconut oil can be used to treat occasional or mild digestive discomfort and may even relieve other severe digestive problems. It improves your body’s levels of candida and helps your body effectively absorb the essential nutrients. The best brands are organic, unrefined, and cold-pressed. For my favorite brand click here-> Coconut Oil

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

6-8 fresh tomatoes, pureed (local grown organic tomatoes can have great soil based probiotics) 

1...

Covid got you drinking and eating more than normal? Or maybe it is causing you to pull your hair out from stress!

Truth: cravings are caused by:

• Lack of primary food. Meaning bored, stressed, lack of purpose in career or life, strained relationships, lack of sleep & movement, or emotional disruptions caused by COVID!

When the body is overloaded with junk from drinking, eating, ingesting chemicals & drugs (illegal/legal), stress, etc. the liver becomes clogged. Think of the liver as a vacuum cleaner, when it’s full of crap it doesn’t vacuum efficiently. Same goes with the liver!

When the liver is working optimally it doesn’t support the body’s natural detoxification process. Did you know your symptoms could be attributed to a clogged liver? Did you know the inability to lose weight or have energy like a kid may be a signal your liver needs a good detox? 

I personally don’t believe you need a fancy (and disgusting) colon cleanse or a 7 day...

*BALANCE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR*

That's right, the simple weight loss solution may be to balance your blood sugar.

As professional working parents we live life at max capacity.  Placing stress on the body spikes blood sugar which releases adrenaline and cortisol. An excess amount of cortisol can wreak havoc on the body and cause several unwanted symptoms such as weight gain, acne, fatigue, irritability, headaches, etc. Stress also breaks down the gut lining causing a whole list of other issues, you can learn all about that in my program RESTORE YOUR GUT HEALTH. 

If you go long periods of time without eating it places a lot of stress on an over-stressed body. During this period the blood sugar levels plummet, and you may experience wicked cravings for more food—specifically simple carbs or sweets. If you live at max capacity eating a balanced diet every ~3 hours will help to balance blood sugar levels and may prevent disruption of your body’s functions and help...

Confession: the extra fizz in my cocktails isn’t sparking water or soda, it’s kombucha which supports my gut healing journey! 

Kombucha is an ancient Chinese drink that was known as the “immortal health elixir.” It has been used for fighting degenerative diseases and illnesses for over 2000 years and is finally growing in popularity. And why not - it makes the BEST mocktail cocktail!  

Kombucha is a type of sweet tea made from a fermented yeast called SCOBY, or a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. SCOBY is sometimes referred to as “the mother and the mushroom” due to its reproductive rate and mushroom-like shape. It is delicious, refreshing, and loaded with benefits.

Kombucha Benefits:

Antioxidant Powerhouse

Kombucha provides a wide variety of healthy antioxidants which boost your immune system and help your body fight disease and illness - yes please!  

Liver detoxification

Got gut bloat? Consuming kombucha may help...

Covid positive: more time to try out new kitchen products!

Covid negative: stress leads to craving junk food! But, I’ve found a few hacks. 

Here’s a few of my new favorite product picks:

Ninja foodie

Seriously, why was I so against getting a Ninja Foodie? It’s FREAKING AWESOME!!! Honestly, we have EVERY kitchen gadget known to man and can easily open a small restaurant tomorrow. I cringed thinking about finding an open spot to store the Foodie. But, my SIL strolled in with a gift for my hubby and poof - we have a Foodie!  

People are raving about this product and I couldn’t agree more. I’m a veggie snob and had major doubts about the Foodie but it has stellar "roasting" air frying capabilities. I may never use my oven again! I give this kitchen gadget an A+. Easy to clean Reduces cooking time Tastes the same

If you’re in the market, I’d recommend the Ninja Foodie with the pressure cooker like this one -> FOODIE it makes...

Are you at war with your gut and determined to win or have you given up and are convinced nothing will work???

I almost called mercy on my gut until I met a functional medicine doctor who guided me to the truth which led me to become a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Trainee (graduating soon!!) I’ve learned a TON and am still amazed at the science projects which go on inside our body.  

One thing is for certain, great gut health takes small, daily actions, and lots of tweaks before you’re feeling like your old self again. Believe me when I say, repairing your gut health can be enjoyable, refreshing, and energizing! 

This is why I’m giving you one of my best smoothie recipes for gut health plus the perfect template to make your own concoction.  

Banana Raspberry Probiotic Smoothie

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup milk, water kefir or yogurt 
• 1 Cup frozen raspberries 
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil (recommended product found here-> Coconut )
• 1 tsp...