Herbal Medicine, Nutrition + Health, Spring

‘Bitter’ Spring Tonics – for Optimal Digestion

March 25, 2021by Rebecca1 Comment

And spring soup that doesn’t taste at all bitter.

One of the practices that routinely helps us to continue in or return to health is to eat with the seasons. In the springtime, that means more super-green tasting and often slightly bitter greens. Traditionally, all cultures enjoyed bitter foods during their mealtime rituals, especially in the spring. In both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, particular attention is brought to the liver and gallbladder in spring. These are digestive organs that are important for storing bile to emulsify and breakdown fats, and to process metabolic wastes, environmental and food toxins, and to store and secrete vitamins and minerals.

In early spring, the new plant growth – if you’ve ever plucked greens from the wild or even from your backyard – is often bitter. But farming, and to a certain extent climate change, has actually changed the taste of many of our bitter greens so they’re milder, more sweet, and pleasing to modern eaters.

The Bitter Taste is Critical for Healthy Digestion

Ideally, we include all six of the flavors in our meals in a balanced way, so no one flavor stands out.

The bitter taste is so important because it activates the liver and stimulates the release of digestive secretions which promote the digestion of food and help the body to absorb and use the nutrients in the foods you eat.

The bitter flavor also promotes gentle movement in the gastrointestinal tract (GI), which reduces cramping, bloating, and sluggish or stagnant digestion. Ever feel particularly heavy and lethargic after a rich and decadent meal? That’s the feeling that the bitter flavor prevents or alleviates.

The bitter flavor is especially helpful when digesting foods is problematic.

While you may not particularly enjoy the bitter flavor, it works best when you taste it directly on your tongue. If you put a few drops of a bitter herbal tincture on your tongue, you just might have a brief whole body, chill-like, reaction. That’s a good thing. That’s the stimulating effect that bitters have on the digestive system.

Just like other flavors, bitter foods and herbs range from mild to intensely bitter. Often, we don’t need to overdo a good thing. For this flavor, a small amount is helpful. And depending on you, starting with incorporating more mild bitters is plenty effective.

Burdock Root

Burdock is a tried and true liver and skin tonic. Often used in it’s dried form, in herbal teas, it’s also wonderful to use fresh. If you can get your hands on some (found in the produce section of a grocery store that carries local items) or from a local farmer, I highly encourage you to incorporate it into your spring meals. Chopping and cooking into soups, stews, stir-fries, and sautéed in a little oil and spices is where it really shines.

I consider burdock root to a be a mild but highly effective bitter that’s a little different than all the other bitter spring (green) foods. One, because it’s a root instead of a leaf, but also because it contains a high percentage of inulin. Inulin is a pre-biotic fiber that is food for the beneficial bacteria in our lower GI.

Looks can be deceiving. This is what burdock root that’s been stored for a while –but is still nice on the inside–looks like

Common bitter foods and spices to incorporate into meals

Bitter Spring Vegetables:
Arugula
Broccoli
Fresh Burdock Root
Cabbage
Dandelion Greens
Other Dark Leafy Greens
Kale
Radicchio + Chicories
Watercress

Bitter Spices:
Fenugreek Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Turmeric

Happy Liver Spring Green Soup, serves about 4

Spring is a good time to incorporate more fresh greens and bitter herbs—local if possible—into your routine. This soup is an example of how to balance flavors so there is a hefty dose of liver-supportive bitter herbs, but the end result is balanced and delicious. It tastes like a smooth bowl of comfort rather than a bitter stew. I had a busy day when I first made this and texted William to tell him about it so he could have dinner ahead of me. He’s one of the best recipe testers because he’s one of those supertasters that picks out anything strong flavored or off. When I got home and asked him about this soup, his response was “That’s A LOT better than I was imagining.” And an empty bowl. This is a true spring tonic. Enjoy!

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated or minced
1 tsp. turmeric
Small pinch of ground black pepper
1 fresh burdock root, peeled and diced
1 pound sweet potatoes, (4 cups chopped)
4 cups mineral broth or water
1 Tbs. dried nettle leaves (or 1 handful of fresh nettles)
2 cups arugula or similar seasonal greens (watercress, spinach, chard, nettles, etc.)
4 cups kale
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Fresh herbs to top
Cooked lentils to top (recipe below)

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Stir in the chopped onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, salt, and ginger and cook a couple minutes more. Add the turmeric and black pepper and let it cook just until the aroma comes up. Then stir in the sweet potatoes, burdock root, broth and nettles. Bring to a boil.
Once it boils, cover and turn down to simmer for 15 minutes or more, until the sweet potatoes and burdock are soft through. Then add arugula and kale to the top. Cover and allow them to steam soften for a couple minutes. Stir them in.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before pureeing in batches until smooth. Return to the pot and add the apple cider vinegar and taste to adjust seasoning. When it’s missing something, I find it often needs just a tiny bit more acid to balance – try adding a few more drops of vinegar.
Serve topped with fresh herbs and cooked lentils. I chose lemon balm since that’s what is growing abundantly in my garden right now. Mint or parsley would be wonderful as well. For an active individual, pairing this with a slice or two of a nice whole grain sourdough or similar bread may round out the meal even more

A Good Pot of Lentils, serves 3-4
Portions to Serve 1: 1/2-3/4 cup lentils

1 cups green or brown lentils
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups water

Optional Aromatics: Choose 1-2
1 tsp. coriander seeds; ½ carrot; fennel fronds; 1 sprig thyme; 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley; ½ celery stick; 1 small bay leaf

Place 3 cups water, lentils, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1 to 2 of the aromatics and return to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and no longer chalky at their core, about 30-45 minutes. Let them cool slightly in their cooking liquid.

Much of my nutrition practice is focused on individuals and athletes with digestive health issues such as leaky gut, food allergies and intolerances, chronic GI distress, malabsorption of foods and nutrients, and inflammation. If you’re tired, stressed, and not really sure what to eat to help or hurt anymore, I invite you to reach out to me for more personalized support.

Nutrition + Health, Spring

Lunchtime Basics: Quick Egg Flatbreads with Greens + Gold Spice Dressing

February 26, 2021February 26, 2021by RebeccaLeave a Comment

Dropping in to share a realtime lunch idea for you all lately. This is a meal concept that’s super seasonal, which makes it all the more delicious.

Food Confusion and Eating Seasonally

I know some of you who read this regularly may not eat eggs. But some of you do. I’ve personally waxed and waned about eggs and many other foods over the years but ultimately have come right back to my initial conclusion: Eating is personal. And over time you change, go through phases, or learn more of what is needed to sustain you.

One thing that is very personal to me about eating is seasonality and locality. It’s what helped me through a time when I was as perplexed about what to eat as some of you – when I was following too many food trends and afraid of what to put in my body or of eating “too much.” I compared myself to everyone around me but I didn’t know how to gauge my own hunger, symptoms of imbalance, or simply get out of my head and into my body.

William began keeping hens about three years ago, and prior to that I had largely avoided eggs for several years. That phase where eggs didn’t sound good, I didn’t like spending $7+ per dozen for local eggs, and didn’t like the conditions involved in the traditional egg production industry. But also that phase where I was following trends and wasn’t entirely eating for me.

And so, slowly, two new chicks each spring that began laying a few months later and brought such big personalities. I grew up on a farm with lots of various animals but in the years in between that time and the introduction of our first two hens, Marge and Pepper, I had somewhat forgotten how every animal comes with her own personality and desire to please.

It’s normal for hens to stop producing eggs over the winter due to less daylength and it being cold outside. Though this winter has actually been the first for ours to take a break. Not being a daily or often even a weekly egg-eater, the winter egg break was just fine at first. But as it went on for weeks and then became a few solid months, I started to realize how I was dropping even more into the quiet of the winter season – and eating even more that way too.

Eating seasonally traditionally means less variety and abundance in the winter. It also traditionally means a change in gut microbes that can help us break down the foods that are in season.

As the first eggs began to arrive back in the laying box and our hens began strutting around, proud of their golden tokens, it made me more aware of the gifts of each season.

Which is all to say, whether you choose to eat eggs or not, I encourage you to look for signs of the changing season as you’re out and about in your neighborhood or community, and especially next time you’re shopping. I encourage you to choose at least one new seasonal food each week–and if you struggle with confusion about what to eat, really pay attention to how you feel physically and mentally in the hours after you eat your chosen new food.

Just notice what comes up.

Quick Egg Flatbreads with Bitter Greens + Gold Spice Dressing, Serves 1
I use two things that make this super quick. A ready-made dressing and some leftover veg to add in and round out the meal. Otherwise, you can steam what vegetables you have on hand while you’re cooking the rest. Or skip the extra vegetables, but it will be a fairly light meal and may not be enough – this of course depends on the person.
One other note about the method: this late winter/early spring time of year is marked by a season of cold and wet in most regions (in the northern hemisphere). To counter that and retain balance in the body, it’s best to eat meals that are warm and cooked, and to start to add in more astringent greens like kale, chard, and spinach, while avoiding excess foods that cause mucus and damp in the body such as dairy and rich, heavy meals or sauces.

1-2 Tbs. Gold Spice Dressing
1 handful of seasonal bitter-ish greens, chopped or torn
splash of water
2 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 eggs, scrambled one at a time
salt and pepper

toppings/add-ins to accompany:
leftover roasted or steamed vegetables OR roasted/steamed sweet potato, daikon radish, etc.
cilantro, parsley or dill

Make dressing or prep it ahead.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of the Gold Spice Dressing and a pinch of salt, and wait until the spices are just beginning to smell. Then add in the greens and a splash of water. Stir and then cover to steam-sauté for just a minute or two. Remove from the pan and set aside for a minute.
Wipe the sauté pan clean and then add another small splash of the dressing. Pour in the first scrambled egg and a little sprinkle of salt. Don’t stir. Let it cook for 30 seconds to a minute and then set the first tortilla over the top of the egg. Cook another minute or more, just until the bottom is set. Then flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until the egg is cooked all the way through and the tortilla is warm.
Repeat with the remaining egg and tortilla.
Finish by layering your plate with the egg / tortilla flatbreads, the sautéed greens, and the steamed or roasted vegetable add-ins and herbs. Drizzle a little extra dressing on top as desired.

Nutrition + Health, Running, Winter

Gently Spiced Beet + Orange Smoothie

January 15, 2020March 3, 2020by RebeccaLeave a Comment

It seems we’re fully into the new year now. The Christmas decor is all taken down, the neighborhood immersed back into winter darkness without the festive lights. We’re all back to work and school, business and workouts as usual. Back into our old routines and maybe struggling with any resolutions made at the turn of the decade.

I suspect like a lot of people, I didn’t actually make any concrete resolutions. But I did reflect on the old year, realizing a lot of good progress on ‘overall health and happiness’ was cemented in 2019. And since I like the changes I made to get there, I’m continuing to put an effort into them.

Because there’s still progress to be made. The last several years have brought so many health challenges my way, and I’m finally seeing real longer-term improvement.

Since I work within the public health and nutrition industries, I read a lot this time of year about the best diets, and this and that. Veganuary is under way, the climate crisis and wildfires in Australia are on the top of many individuals’ minds, and reducing plastics are a topic of discussion–in Oregon, we’ve finally instated a statewide ban on plastic grocery bags–which seems archaic that we’re only just now getting there when it was standard practice 12 years ago when I first traveled to Europe.

But that’s a topic for another day–though one I do want to get to.

It came across my newsfeed today that despite the massive media attention given to the best way of eating, of working out, of ‘self-care’ – ing, etc., the best way is still personalized nutrition and integrative health. Which means one size does not fit all. And sometimes one size doesn’t even fit most.

I made a big list this morning of the positive health changes I saw come to fruition last year and after looking them all over, I realized two big foundational pieces stood out. One, I received a comprehensive micronutrient test to measure my intracellular nutrient values – as opposed to the not as reliable serum markers that a doctor might measure (which don’t show whether nutrients are actually making their way into the cells to be utilized); and I drastically reduced my stress.

Even though I was already ‘walking my talk,’ through diet, my micronutrient test showed otherwise. You may have heard the saying ‘we aren’t what we eat, we’re what we digest.’ Coming in after marathon training and a particularly bad-timing autoimmune flare, my micronutrient status was sub-optimal in many random not obvious nutrients.

What followed were several months of repletion, and continued focus on gut health to actually absorb those precious nutrients. And feeling substantially better.

But I was also frequently reminded about the link between stress and nutrition. When stressed, we use up nutrients faster and we don’t absorb them as well, because the stressed brain and body is not a resting and digesting brain and body. That means we need to try to eat in a relaxed mindset. The smoothie I’m sharing below can cause me an uncomfortable, bloated tummy on days when I eat it at my work office in a rush, or when there’s too much stimulus in the building. And on other days when I’m relaxed, it has no such negative effects.

Likewise, partially ‘mechanically broken down’ foods like soups and smoothies help our stressed systems get more nutrients in the system when we need them.

Beyond practices that help me keep daily stress in check and continuing to work on optimally digesting / absorbing my foods, I’ve also given myself a little personalized nutrition challenge to incorporate more beets and greens in this winter season. I chose these two specifically given several months of bloodwork results, but they’re incredibly health promoting for most of us.

This daily smoothie, which I often have for a mid-afternoon snack, is my current go-to.

Spiced Beets and Orange Smoothie, makes 1 ~16 oz.
To prep for several days of smoothies, I wrap a few medium beets in foil and roast them all together to use as needed. Though the ingredients might seem tedious with this and that random seed and nut, I’ve included a range of them to hit more of the antioxidant micronutrients we need. Use whatever protein powder is appropriate for you, or if you don’t need extra protein – simply leave out.

1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 medium beet, roasted
20 grams / 1/2 a scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
a small handful spinach or other greens, or 1-3 tsp. moringa powder
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 Brazil nut
1 Tbs. raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/2 – 1 cup water, to desired consistency

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth. Double batch, divide, and store in the fridge if you prefer a couple days’ worth at a time.