I’ve been reflecting lately on healing and health – how some of us are ‘gifted’ with easy and good health, and easy and quick recovery from running and workouts for most of our lives…and then for some of us, health is a multi-faceted journey, a ‘getting to’ figure out what the nugget(s) of wisdom are underneath the sometimes long periods of pain, struggle, fear, disease, injury…
I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I know that finding and immersing yourself in what brings you joy, eating more foods that still look like they came from the ground/earth, and learning to set aside some of your hurry and worry helps a whole lot in the process.
I could give more details about eating colorful and anti-inflammatory foods, specific nutrients, etc. for sustainable and lasting healing.
But today, I’ll offer encouragement that is a little more abstract. Because finding what makes you feel whole and healthy long-term, what brings you joy and makes you feel like your most authentic self will always be worth pursuing.
If you’re in the thick of your own complicated health journey, don’t give up hope. Focus on finding what brings you joy. See if you can begin by eating your next meal, whatever it is, in a way that makes you grateful for everyone (people and all the other creatures) involved in getting it to you.
I shared this recipe in a virtual cook-along with a few of my local Oiselle Volée running teammates this week and it was a big hit. It brought so much joy to me, and hopefully them, to share and bake it in community. Everyone loved the little pop of lemon this contains. The addition of the slight hit of acid enhances all the other flavors. This is also a great sweet dessert for individuals who are following a gut-healing dietary pattern. It contains only a little added sugar, which is highly inflammatory and problematic for gut-healing, but lots of flavor. Hope you enjoy!
Crumble Topping: 1 cup / 100 g rolled oats ⅓ cup / 37 g almond flour or ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds, ground into a meal ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup /55 g coconut oil, ghee, or butter 2-3 tablespoons / 36 g sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the berries in a 8 x 8-inch baking dish or similar, and toss with ½ tsp. vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Prepare the crumble in a separate bowl. Start by mixing oats, almond or sunflower flour, salt, spices, and vanilla.
Then add the coconut oil and sugar. Use a spoon or your hands to mix until combined. With your fingers, crumble the filling evenly over the berries.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
Notes: Change up the berries depending on availability and season. Some berries might require 1-2 Tbs. of maple syrup or sugar added to the filling. If using frozen berries, thaw and drain the excess liquid before using.
a couple shots of the last batch in the vibrant, bright morning light
I’ve been hearing from many athletes lately about the (hopeful) return of summer and fall races. Mileage ramping up. Adventures to look forward to. Giving special attention to day to day workout recovery.
After going virtually no where for the last 14 months, save a weeklong trip over the cascades last summer to spend a few days running and adventuring and seeing no one else, I signed up for a race (out of state!) earlier this week. And then promptly realized I should have double-checked that William and I were in firm agreement about the trip before committing for the both of us.
Oops. Apologies accepted and forgivenesses offered – the excitement is real!
Spring Green Vegetable Soup
Over on the Run Journal at Territory Run Co., I’ve shared another seasonal recipe series for a day of eating. As per usual, my idea was to keep ingredients seasonal and simple, with balanced flavors, and of course nutritionally sound for a solid day of fueling busy (and likely active) bodies.
Spring Hummus Plate with Roasted Vegetables and Cumin Quinoa
Usually when I test recipes multiple times when working on new ideas, I get burnt out on them and quickly move on after sharing. This hasn’t been the case with this trio. They’ve been on repeat in various renditions for the last couple months. My favorite is definitely the soup. It’s super delicious.
Get the full article and recipes here, and check out some of the other great trail running articles submitted by other content ambassadors while you’re at it — there are so many good ones.
I was listening to an interview a few days ago with a nutritionist who was immediately asked, “So you’re a nutritionist. What diet are you on?”
Before she responded, I visibly cringed because let’s face it, most of us who work within the nutrition world follow a style of eating that is a type of diet. The reason for this varies but is usually because many of us that spend our days helping others with food and health came to it because we struggled ourselves.
And that’s true of myself as well.
The individual on the podcast quickly and proudly clarified that she has no food restrictions and isn’t on a diet. Had I been a nutritionist more than a decade ago when I first began to realize I was being called and pulled in this direction, I would have said the same. At that point, is was very helpful for me to eat the full spectrum of foods and to not have any restrictions, as is true for many individuals.
But then a lot more health challenges came along and here I am, a veteran of a gluten-free (and dairy-free, mostly vegetarian) diet. My journey was and continues to be one of a food as medicine approach. But I’m certainly not the type of person that believes everyone needs to prescribe to my way of eating. We’re all so different with life circumstances, genetics, preferences, and yes, food choices or dietary restrictions as a way to remain in balance with our health.
Celiac Disease Awareness
May happens to be Celiac Awareness Month, and as an individual that has had to eat strictly gluten-free for the last eight years, the better part of those years has been in educating others about what it means to live with a food restriction that when contaminated with even a little gluten, leaves longer-term symptoms than ‘just’ having a stomachache for a day or so.
What that means is also different for each person. 80 percent of individuals with celiac disease have difficulty remaining gluten-free, 70 percent are still exposed to gluten while on a strict gluten-free diet, half of all children with celiac are anxious about eating, many individuals have symptoms of depression, and nearly all have sacrificed major life experiences such as not being able to travel widely, enjoy a meal out with friends, enjoy the full experience of a wedding or birthday celebration and the like.
For me, it means I rarely eat out because I react to most restaurant meals unless it’s made in a strict gluten-free kitchen. Pizza, bakeries, gastropubs, and the like that serve a traditionally floury mix of foods and/or have one grill, fryer, or oven are generally the worst — ethnic cuisines that tend to be gluten-free by their nature are less risky. This is similar when eating in the homes of friends or family. (Wheat) flour in the kitchen tends to mean it floats and ends up in foods and surfaces you wouldn’t think about unless you have to.
On the flip side, there are many options to live fairly comfortably with a gluten-free lifestyle these days. More restaurants are beginning to understand the major issue of cross-contamination. Usually these restaurants have a family history and they’re the ones to trust because they take it seriously.
And gluten-free flours and baked goods are much more plentiful in the last several years.
But that doesn’t always mean we should be eating them.
What do you mean? I have to eat gluten-free because of celiac or similar and you want to take away my GF baked goods too?
Inherently, most gluten-free baked products have a lot of “junk” ingredients in them, ie starches, gums, and excess sugar (hello boxed gluten-free cake mix whose main ingredient is sugar). What most of these ingredients turn into in the body is a simple sugar, and sugar is extremely inflammatory, especially for individuals with an autoimmune disorder–which means the body tends to be really good at making inflammation a regular event. Not so good for daily comfort, being pain-free, having a positive mood, or long-term health.
So while I’m not a proponent of too many gluten-free baked goods — especially if they’re made with lots of refined flours, starches, gums, and sugars, I tend to be of the mindset that fresh baked bread, cake, cookies, and pastries and even the kind that are actually just not that good for you, can make their way into a Celiac friendly diet. Though maybe asjust sometimes foods rather than everyday.
And while this is a celiac disease and gluten-focused article, I’m fully aware that other restrictive diets due to food allergies and/or medical necessity can be just as or more challenging to navigate. Despite this, my goal as a food as medicine eater and nutritionist is always to increase the diversity of our daily food choices, rather than limit them.
Strawberry Rhubarb Scones, makes 8 These are the Irish style of scones, so they’re usually made round, low in sugar or without, and delicious sliced in half and eaten with a little cream (traditional), yogurt, or honey. I’ve made these with vegan butter here (Melt Plant Based Butter Sticks), but unrefined extra virgin coconut oil and Kerrygold butter also work well . Freeze your butter or oil and then grate it into the flour mixture. If you have no reason for avoiding true dairy butter, opt for that instead and choose a good brand, like Kerrygold. The addition of sugar and vanilla are optional because I left them out in my first try of this recipe and found them still delicious. You’ll know by now I tend to be acclimated to eating very little sugar so keep that in mind.
160 g oatmeal 110 g buckwheat groats 10 g arrowroot starch or cornstarch 25 g sugar (optional) 4 teaspoons / 20 g baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 60 g / 4 Tbs. frozen grated butter or coconut oil ¾ cup chopped strawberries 1/3 cup finely chopped rhubarb 2/3 cup cold non-dairy milk 1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
Preheat oven to a very hot 475°F
In a spice grinder or food processor, mill the oatmeal and buckwheat until they’re ground into a fine flour.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Rub the frozen grated butter or oil into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
Stir in the chopped strawberries and rhubarb.
Add the milk and vanilla at once and stir until it just forms a sticky dough. They will seem a touch wet, but they will end up more tender this way!
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve a layered effect in your scones, knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. Scones require a light hand so be gentle and err on working the dough less.
Pat or roll out the dough into a 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle or circle that’s a little more than 1-inch thick. Cut or separate it into eight equal portions and gently form into rounds.
Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes (check at 10 minutes so as to not overbake!) until the scones are well risen and are lightly colored on the tops.
Immediately place the pan onto a cooling rack and serve while still warm, or gently reheated.
GUTSy Performance Nutrition 