Are you looking to become a pro of the biotic?

Well first up, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, one between us pro's. Not everyone necessarily needs to take a probiotic supplement. Sometimes, just a spoon full of Sauerkraut keeps the good gut microbes satisfied.

If you’re reading this and you’ve never really understood probiotics, I’ll start from the beginning.

Our gut microbiome is made up of a community of bacteria that’s responsible for far more than our digestive health. The health of our gut can impact our immune system, sleep, hormones, energy levels, weight, skin and more.

A healthy microbiome involves a great number of probiotics, known as our friendly bacteria, and a smaller number of pathogenic bacteria. To keep our guts flourishing, probiotics are necessary to help the growth of the good bacteria within your gut.

To replenish your strains of good bacteria, try consuming a small amount of probiotic-rich foods at least a few times each week. Personally, I take a probiotic supplement daily and consume a range of prebiotic and probiotic foods to widen the diversity. 

However, some sensitive tummies can suffer from gas and bloating when consuming probiotic-rich foods initially. It’s best to start slowly with a teaspoon and build up from there.

Below are my top six probiotic-rich foods and their benefits. By including a range of the following ingredients into your daily meal rotation, you'll be helping contribute to a thriving digestive system that will benefit the wellbeing of your entire body!

Sauerkraut is finely cut cabbage that’s been fermented, making it more nutritious than its raw variety. It can help improve digestive health and even contains high levels of iron which is great for boosting energy. Although, be mindful of the salt!

Sauerkraut can be high in sodium, so be wary when choosing store-bought varieties. Look for sauerkraut that's in the fridge at your local deli or health food store, as those kept at room temperature often contain additives and preservatives that can cause more harm than good. I love to top off my salads, such as my Bohemian Baked Vegetable Bowl, with a spoon of sauerkraut. I've included my cultured vegetable recipe below for you to try your hand at too! 

When you were a kid, did you ever enjoy drinkable yoghurt?. Nowadays, a handy drinkable yoghurt to try is kefir, a thick, nutrient-dense and deliciously creamy fermented milk product that can help support immunity, enhance detoxification and of course, reduce digestive issues.

It’s made using kefir grains that help grow live bacteria and yeast cultures. You can find it in a dairy form or, if you avoid milk, there are some vegan varieties available. How to have it? You can drink it straight, add it to smoothies, whip it up like cream cheese or use it as a dressing.

You may have heard of ‘superfood’ green powders that include vegetables from the sea and algae. While that may sound a little bit off-putting, do not be turned off by the sea! Chlorella and spirulina are not just for the lovable grass-chewing hippies. They can act as wonderful probiotics that provide a nutrient-boost with every spoonful. These green powders are made of nutrient-dense organisms found in salt water. Spirulina is comprised of more than 70 per cent protein, as well as vitamin E, chlorophyll and fatty acids. While, chlorella is a green microalgae that’s rich in chlorophyll, protein and carotenoids. Chlorophyll is a probiotic that’s seriously powerful for the gut. You can mix green powders into a glass of water or, add them to your smoothie, like my Berry and Avocado Smoothie Bowl and you won’t even know that they’re there!

Kimchi is traditionally a Korean fermented vegetable that’s made with a mix of veggies including cabbage with seasonings such as chilli, garlic, turmeric and ginger. This antioxidant-rich mix contains bacteria to aid digestive and immune health. Kimchi is rich in digestive enzymes, making it the perfect fix for a sluggish digestive system. You can use it to add a kick to your seasonings or on its own but use it sparingly as you may run the risk of burning your mouth!

Move aside regular pickles, we’re talking about the real dill! Pickles that have been lacto-fermented (i.e. fermented in salty water, not vinegar), are bouncing with probiotics and full of live bacteria. They’re best served organic and locally made, if possible. Feel free to include them in your sandwiches, toss them through your salads, or serve them next to my Turmeric Scrambled Eggs.

I couldn’t write about probiotics without including yoghurt. Both Greek yoghurt and most coconut yoghurts contain a probiotic known as Lactobacillus Acidophilus which helps show pure love to your gut. Biodynamic organic yoghurt (dairy or plant-based) is where it's at! Be sure to read the labels and watch out for any high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners and flavours added to it. Also, look for “live and active cultures” – this is what you’re after. The probiotics within yoghurt help quickly build up healthy microbes in the gut lining which helps increase the absorption of food and reduce bad bacteria. You can try your hand at making your own Coconut Frozen Yo-Gut here. 

While you wouldn’t usually think of Apple Cider Vinegar as a probiotic, it actually has probiotic enzymes that help balance gut bacteria, helping improve nutrient assimilation and balancing pH levels. It’s also seriously good for our overall wellbeing – in fact, it’s one of the first things I pop out of my cupboard when I feel a cold or flu coming on.  ACV is one of the star ingredients in my Apple Cider Gummy Bears. Yes, I said gummy bears. However, if you’re not into all things tasty, delicious and chewable (but seriously, who isn’t?), you can also drizzle some over your salads like I’ve done here.

If you want to try out fermenting for yourself, I've included my Fermented Vegetable recipe for you below! Once you get to learn the process, fermenting can be lots of fun. Start by choosing vegetables you’re familiar with, so it doesn’t feel intimidating. Fermented vegetables can be served as a side dish — just start with a small amount, such as a teaspoonful, and work your way up.

Also just a final tip if you’re not absorbing your food well or have a sluggish digestion cleaning it first with Love Your Gut Powder can help! You can find the powder over here www.superchargeyourgut.com

There’s only a fine line between youthful and ageing skin…

If you’re looking for an Australian-made product that’s full of superfoods to support healthy ageing, liver and gut health, or to strengthen your hair, skin and nails, you’ve come to the right place.

Vita-Sol, created by leading Australian nutritional experts, is here and it’s extraordinary. Using only the highest quality ingredients from around the globe, these blends are here to help you look and feel amazing from the inside out. Each powder contains a high source of vitamins, minerals and herbs to support healthy living and wellbeing. All the products are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, so perfect for any dietary requirements. Every product has been tested for toxic heavy metal safety and contains no synthetic ingredients.

Vita-Sol have three different types of Wholefood products.

Infinity Wholefood is full of organic superfoods to support cells for healthy ageing. It protects the skin from damage and is definitely my favourite one because we all know there’s only a fine line between youthful skin and ageing skin.

Purity Wholefood is perfect for supporting liver and gut, including organic alkaline greens and sprout blends to strengthen liver function. The blend is so well-balanced that it nutritionally supports and assists in the getting rid of skin conditions such as acne, eczema and hormonal pigmentation.

Flexibility Wholefood is a multi-action formula and deliciously warming mineral spice blend to support the health of your joints as well as skin, hair and nails. It’s nutritionally-dense and packed with antioxidants to provide the ultimate support for your insides and get your outsides glowing too.

To find out more about these beautiful products, click this link here.

Do you know what ingredient needs more recognition?

Lime.

While we all praise lemon like the holy grail – drinking it in the morning, squeezing it onto salads and making lemonade with it, it’s poor little sidekick, lime, always gets left behind. He’s literally the middle child of the citrus family.

Lime is so much more than just zest to add to a drink; it can boost your overall complexion, immunity and help cleanse the body.

So, what do you do when life gives you lemons?  Push them to the side and ask for limes instead.

Limes are an extremely good source of Vitamin C, as well as dietary fibre, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium and phosphorus. They can be consumed orally or used topically to protect the skin from infections. Similar to lemon, limes can even aid the digestion process and relieve constipation.

What’s the best way to celebrate mother nature’s beautiful limey gift?

Lime Tarts.

There’s something about lime tarts that make me really happy. They’re equally creamy and tarty, tangy and sweet, satisfying and crisp with a crumbly texture.

Let’s talk raw chocolate bars.

What once was dubbed a crazy, revolutionary healthy phenomenon has become the new café norm. These days you can buy raw, vegan caramel slices, bliss balls, mint slices and chocolate bars at your local caff! Whilst these products are usually refined-sugar free, too often they contain a whole load of dried fruit, loads of nuts and are heavy on the sweeteners.

Let's talk dried fruit. While fruit is great, being a source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and even water, when it's dried, it becomes smaller in size than it's fresher counterparts making it very easy to overdo it. This can lead to gastrointestinal problems, weight gain and quick sugar highs followed by bigger sugar drops. Consuming raw chocolate treats may mean you end up eating a lot more dried fruit with added preservatives and nuts than you usually would in one sitting, resulting in an overconsumption of calories and maybe even leaving your tummy in trouble.

So, I've come up with a delicious raw treat recipe that's so delicious and so tasty that it’s hard to believe that it’s actually good for you!

You know when you get a craving so strong that you literally don’t feel satisfied until you fill it?  

That’s me and snickers bars.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know I have a little bit (okay, understatement – more like a lot) of a sweet tooth. I loooove anything chocolatey and nut butter-y. And because the blog is all about anti-deprivation, I love creating treat recipes that are healthy and enjoyable, without causing your tummy grief in the process.

My dried fruit-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto-friendly and vegan-friendly Snickers Bars are almost too good to be true. Wow that was a mouthful.

Speaking of a mouthful, these treats are absolutely delicious and will send your tastebuds back to the days of enjoying a taste-bud tingling snickers bar.

We’ve got melt-in-your-mouth nougat, chewy peanut-butter caramel all wrapped up in chocolate. I know, I know. Amazing. 

So where to start with this healthy treat?

Let's start from the base and work upwards. The nougat base is filled with one of the most delicious, creamy nuts ever – macadamia nuts. Although macadamia nuts are high in healthy fats (and in price), they’re packed full of nutrients and a little goes a long way! Macadamias have shown to improve blood sugar levels, improve bone health because they’re packed full of calcium and magnesium and help support gut health, plus they're blended fine to alleviate any tummy troubles.

I’ve combined these nuts with a blend of delicious ingredients including coconut cream, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, vanilla powder, almond meal, peanuts, a pinch of salt and some Love Your Gut Powder. Did we just make gut-friendly nougat? Oh yes, I believe we did!

Once our nougat’s in order, it’s time to make the caramel....because caramel is delicious and makes everything better. EVERYTHING. I’ve created a peanut-butter, cashew caramel for our centre. I want to speak more about it, but I can’t in case I start dribbling all over my keyboard… oops too late. You’ll just have to trust me on this one… it doesn’t taste as good as it sounds; it actually tastes even better. Speaking of peanuts – did you know they’re actually a legume, not a nut? They’re rich in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect our cells against oxidative damage. 

Guess what?

I’ve been invited to participate in an incredible virtual summit about all things gut health!

It’s a huge online event that’s coming up soon covering all things digestive healing – the natural way. I know, I know, you’re just as excited as I am!

I’ll be sharing some of my most important strategies for healing the gut through fasting, including my top tips and action steps.

The name of the Summit is The Healthy Gut Experts Summit 2.0. 

This Summit features over 35 top medical doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, researchers and health professionals who’ve been chosen because of their depth of knowledge, insights and success. We’re going to show you what you need to know about healing your digestion, living better, and feeling your absolute best in your body, every day.

You’ll learn proven, cutting-edge strategies to gain control of your health.

And since I’m one of the featured experts, I got you a free ticket. 

So why don’t you join me?

There are lots of gifted experts participating in the Health Gut Experts Summit and these FREE tickets are available for a limited time only. So, if you’re looking to learn more and attend, get all the details and reserve your spot here! 

Hope to see you there,

Lee xo

Let’s talk about stress, baby. Let's talk about you and me...

While I know stress isn’t one of the sexiest topics out there, in our modern-day world, it’s become a major issue because we've all become super busy! While we praise busy-ness and love to talk about how busy we are (seriously, it's like a competition these days!), the stress that comes with it isn't always a good thing. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I always try to remember to listen to my own gut instinct; by that I mean to take things slower when I'm feeling like everything is becoming a little too much and I try to reduce stress as much as possible by slowing down. 

Stress plays a huge role in gut health, altering the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota and likewise, an unhealthy diversity of bacteria can impact emotional behaviour and exacerbate our stress response. While we all try to find balance by going to work, spending time with family, seeing friends, exercising, cooking healthy meals, and the list goes on, this kind of busy lifestyle can lead us down stress street! 

If an adult hasn’t inherited healthy lifestyle and eating habits from their family or community when young, it becomes increasingly harder to develop and implement them in later stages of life. We all know it’s a lot easier and more convenient to choose processed, take-away food over home-made food but really, in the long run it's not always the best choice for long term health. The thing with processed and instant foods are that they can be difficult to digest, really slow down our digestive systems and take a huge toll on the health of our gut micro biome.

If you’re looking to make ‘adulting’ at work a little more easeful, I'm sharing a few tips and tricks from my book Supercharge Your Gut to get you on the right track, because you know what - adulting is stressful enough. 

I recommend waking up early with the sun, drinking a large glass of warm filtered water with the juice of half a lemon or apple cider vinegar to kick-start that digestive system and liver into full gear. I love getting up and moving first thing in the morning. Not only does getting out into nature help start the day off on the right foot, it also resets the circadian rhythms which stimulates the pituitary gland, releasing feel-good hormones. Now you have no excuse to not be a morning person!

Once you’re home from your morning exercise, try dry body brushing with a long handled brush. Then shower and switch between bursts of hot and cold water to get the lymphatic system pumping. While you’re in the shower, try oil-pulling. Place 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil or sesame oil in your mouth upon rising, before you’ve eaten or drunk anything. Swish the oil around your mouth for 10 minutes, then spit it out. Never swallow the oil, which will be full of bacteria.

Brush your teeth and tongue thoroughly afterwards, to remove any excess oil, or invest in a tongue scraper. Including this simple ritual in your day will offer benefits such as whiter teeth, clearer skin, healthier gums, fresher breath, clearer sinuses, an improved lymphatic system, better sleep and increased energy, and for pre-menopausal women better regulated menstrual cycles. 

When you’re ready and dressed, make yourself some Love Your Gut Powder in a glass with water. If you're low on time in the morning, I recommend preparing breakfast the night before. Recently, I've been loving my Golden Gut Nice Cream, Mocha and Banana Smoothie Bowl, Golden Gut Granola Clusters or Smashed Avo on Golden Gut Loaf for breakfast. They're all seriously delicious and can be prepared before-hand for ultimate convenience. 

Throughout the day, be sure to hydrate! Sip on ginger, lemongrass, fennel and fresh mint teas, and flask it. You can also stash pre-made tea mixes in your desk drawer at work to enjoy throughout the day.

And now, for lunch! If you can, use your lunch time as a break in your day. Try to enjoy lunch away from your desk, instead of doing that half-eating, half-typing or writing thing – not good! Go for a walk during your break, do some yoga poses or stretches and remember to breath!

If you've got a meeting after lunch, try warrior pose for strength and firm foundations.  It takes just a few minutes and you'll be surprised how different you feel afterwards. Find an empty meeting room or do it in the bathroom! Avoiding being sedentary can reduce stress and increase focus and productivity.

If you’re keen for an absolutely delicious lunch; one that’ll take your whole office to the streets of North Vietnam with its fragrant smell, you have to try out my Beef Pho Broth. Pho originated in the early 20^th century and was sold at dawn and dusk by roaming street vendors, shouldering mobile kitchens. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients, as this wonderfully fragrant broth is very simple to prepare. My advice is to make the broth beforehand on a weekend and freeze it.  That way you'll have it on hand when you need it. It also works beautifully in a slow cooker. Pho is as comforting as it is delicious – it’s like a mid-day hug for your insides.

If you’re prone to snacking, you may want to pack some snacks so you’re well prepared and not munching down on the packet of stale crisps that has been sitting at the bottom of your desk drawer for three weeks too long. Try vegetable sticks with hummus, tuna dip and/or an avocado. If you're feeling extra zesty, why not pop half a lemon in your bag for a citrus squeeze? 

Once you've finished work and got home, it's usually the time to start thinking about dinner. I know how hard it can be to motivate yourself to cook something after a long day of work, but it's so worth it! For me, I like to use cooking as a time to de-stress and reconnect. After a long day, I recommend choosing a meal with protein such as my Asian Kelp Noodle Salad,  Supercharged Savoury Mince or Vegan Caesar Salad!  They're quick and easy to prepare and so Yum.

Make sure you’ve had enough to eat by indulging in a gut-soothing dessert. Try some Turmeric Fudge (which can be pre-made on the weekend and frozen) and, if you’re still hungry, finish the night with a Maca and Tahini Latte.

For ultimate stress-busting benefits, be sure to try out my beautiful broth below! I promise you won't be disappointed. To make it easy for you, don't forget to make the broth on the weekend then it's so easy to heat up for mid-week dinners and lunches, just by adding the extra ingredients.

Beef Pho Broth

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) beef bones — shin, knuckles, marrow and gelatinous cuts are good
• 6 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) filtered water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 7.5 cm (3 inch) knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) beef sirloin, thinly sliced
• 3 zucchini (courgettes), spiralised
• 1 handful of bean sprouts
• 1 large handful of mixed fresh basil, mint and coriander (cilantro)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges or cheeks

Directions:

To make the broth...

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Melt the coconut oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the bones and stir to coat.
• Put the lid on, transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the bones are browned. Place the casserole dish back on the stovetop.
• In a dry frying pan, toast the spices over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add them to the casserole dish with the filtered water and vinegar.
• Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours, adding a little more filtered water from time to time if necessary.
• Using tongs, carefully remove and discard the bones. Allow the broth to cool, refrigerate or freeze, then scrape off any congealed fat on top (keep it for cooking with).

To make the soup

• Add a bit of the stock fat to a frying pan and lightly sauté the onion and ginger. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.
• Bring back to the boil, stir in the tamari and season to taste.
• To serve, arrange the beef and zucchini in bowls. Pour in the boiling broth and top with the bean sprouts and herbs. (The boiling broth will book the meat. If you prefer the beef to be cooked longer then add it to the casserole dish when bringing to the boil). Serve with lime wedges.

Design by Catfish Creative

The gut is one of the most important components of the body. We interact with it daily and are constantly receiving feedback from it and yet, it’s something that as a society, we tend to keep on the down-lo. We don’t like to talk about our digestive systems in public because it can feel a little too personal, but it’s something so intricately connected to every single thing we do.  

Feel nervous about something? It’s more than likely you’ll have butterflies in the pit of your stomach. Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you? You’re probably feeling bloated or, maybe you’re running to the bathroom.

When we have these issues, we usually take on great measures like eating more vegetables, piling on the sauerkraut, taking fantastic gut-boosting powders such as my Love Your Gut Powder, and so on, but it can be hard to tell if what we’re doing is working and what our best course of action actually is.

So, I’ve decided it’s finally time to reveal the truth. Get those pens out, brains open and ears listening because it’s time to go back to school – gut school!  Get ready for Gut Health 101, with your teacher, Lee Holmes. Are you ready?

Let’s imagine our gut as a beautiful Amazonian rainforest. It’s a naturally complex and dense ecosystem that, when thriving, is luscious and ever-expanding. Every single unique part in the forest plays a role in creating one of the most beautiful environments on the planet. To keep it that way, we need to balance what we feed it to keep it thriving. However, when we diminish its diversity, cause pollution or create damaging conditions, the naturally flourishing system can become harmed and limit its ability to keep us protected and thriving. We need to look after this ecosystem to prevent issues. But, where do we begin?

Well, we need to first figure out where we went wrong. This is where technology comes in.

Luckily for us, the gut is constantly under the microscope, with new scientific research and growing technological findings every day. This has hugely improved our understanding of the microbiome of our gut. There are a multitude of tests available now which can help give us a greater understanding of what’s going on in our digestive systems. These tests can help us understand the reason behind some of the gastrointestinal issues we may be experiencing; however, not everyone needs to get these tests done. If you’re experiencing digestive problems, I recommend speaking to your GP or health practitioner and figure out together whether a test is right for you.

First up, we’ve got the comprehensive stool analysis. This test helps give us a greater understanding of the garden of our microbiome. The stool analysis takes a look at the colonies of bacteria within the gut, as this has a huge impact on our digestion, hormones, immune system and brain. This test can also identify if there’s a build-up of negative bacteria in the gut. If this is the case, Love Your Gut Powder and Golden Gut blend can come in handy as they can help sweep out impurities, heavy metals, parasites and nasty gut bugs without interfering with or wiping out the beneficial bacteria we need for our guts to thrive.

Second on our list of tests is none other than the SIBO breath test. SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) negatively affects the structure of the small intestine which can affect the way in which nutrients are absorbed. This can also be connected to 'leaky gut', where the intestinal walls become permeable to proteins which make their way into the bloodstream, causing abnormal immune responses, allergies, intolerances and autoimmune issues. The SIBO breath test is simple and can be ordered online or done through your GP or health practitioner. Diets can also play a major role in helping eradicate SIBO and prevent relapse. You might like to read my 21 Day SIBO guide plus recipes and meal plan eBook.

Some people don’t tolerate histamines well, which can increase their sensitivity to particular foods high in histamine. The histamine tolerance test can help detect whether there’s a histamine intolerance present.

Intestinal permeability screening is a blood lab test that measures antibodies against bacterial toxins and other proteins in the gut. It can enhance our understanding of the permeability of the gut lining and can help indicate whether someone has ‘leaky gut’ syndrome.

The last test we’ll talk about is the cross-reactive food reactivity; a blood-test for people who’ve worked on their diet but still experience the same symptoms. This can happen when non-gluten containing foods interact with, or are in the same vicinity as, gluten-containing foods. Our bodies react as if the gluten has triggered a response. This test helps us figure out how severe the intolerance is.  

Fish and fennel Broth

Now that we’ve been tested, we have to figure out how to clean up our ecosystem! Some foods that I recommend when trying to heal and seal in order to supercharge the gut and keep the garden growing are bone and veg broths, probiotic-rich food if your histamine levels are ok and slowly-cooked vegetables and stews. I also suggest avoiding foods that inflame the gut. These include processed foods and packaged foods with chemicals and preservatives that our bodies don’t even recognise! Gums and thickeners are two common culprits of digestive disorders and should be avoided. Try limiting your intake of raw foods too as these can cause bloating and reduce your overall intake of gluten, alcohol, sugar, dairy and caffeine.

If you really want to take your gut health to the next level, my Supercharge Your Gut print book and Supercharge Your Gut online program work by nurturing the digestive system two days a week, helping to harness a balanced environment within the gut.

Supercharging Your Gut is a beautiful way to practice self-care; not only does it help calm the nervous system, boost energy, improve moods and reduce stress, it's also the perfect plan for optimising gut health. It'll give your gut a boost and beautify your inner-ecosystem without taking over your life. Your body will be propelled to convert energy more efficiently and take a load off your digestive system. With so many delicious recipes to try, mindful practices and lifestyle tips, you’ll be able to enjoy supercharging your gut and gardening that inner-forest of yours and experience the positive outcomes in no time!  

One beautiful and fun way to show the gut some love is to stimulate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which can be compromised in gastrointestinal issues. While eating clean and doing mindful, stress-busting practices can help out our vagus nerve, it’s been found that gargling and singing can improve vagal functions. So, if you need me, you'll find me singing The Greatest Showman soundtrack in my car… it’s to boost my gut health, okay?

If you want to find out more tips on supercharging your gut to help you thrive, not just survive, and flourish that beautiful inner-ecosystem of yours, and get over 100 amazing recipes be sure to check out my new book Supercharge Your Gut!

I scream, you scream we all scream for Golden Nice Cream! Get ready for my golden take on the creamiest of desserts. 

I really like ice-cream… and by that I mean, I loooove ice-cream.

There’s just something so comforting about a creamy scoop of your favourite soft serve. Kids love it, adults love it, grandparents love it, everyone loves ice-cream!

However, our old, plain vanilla ice-cream is getting a little boring. So, I believe it’s time to step it up a notch, or as we like to call it around here, it’s time to SUPERCHARGE it... Bring in the Golden Nice Cream!

I know what you’re wondering, why the nice cream?

Well, this recipe is made extra nice because of the golden ingredients. They’re all completely natural, delicious and good for you! It's from my latest book Supercharge Your Gut.

Let’s start off with the star of the show, my Golden Gut Blend. A gorgeous blend that helps improve nutrient absorption and is high in anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, helping us fight off infection and disease. I like to think of it like fairy dust… seriously, I suggest sprinkling it on absolutely everything.

Bananas are another key ingredient in our nice cream. Not only are they absolutely, positively delicious, they’re also high in potassium, helping to look after our heart health. Bananas are rich in fibre, speeding up our digestion and keeping our guts smiling. They’re also full of magnesium which assists in reducing our muscles from aching. So yes, this is my permission for you to eat ice-cream as your new pre or post-workout snack. You’re welcome.

One of banana’s best partners in crime, nut butter, had to have an inclusion here too. I don’t know about you, but I have a serious nut-butter addiction. It’s so real. I'm personally loving cashew butter but feel free to use any nut butter you like! If you have an issue with nuts, you could try tahini or any other type of seed butter. 

This Golden Nice Cream is rich in so many vitamins and minerals. It’ll help boost your energy, add a glow to your skin and keep your gut happy and healthy! Watch just how I make it in the demo and check out the recipe below.

Golden Nice Cream

Serves 1

Ingredients: 

• 2 bananas peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp Golden Gut Blend
• 2 tbsp nut butter
• ¼ cup chilled coconut milk
• 2 tbsp rice malt syrup or 6 drops liquid stevia

Directions:

• Place the frozen banana in a high-speed blender. Add the golden gut blend, coconut milk and your choice of sweetener. Whiz until smooth.
• Serve immediately, topped with fresh banana and an extra sprinkling of golden gut blend.

Forget avocado and toast, Harry and Meghan and every female's love-affair with Hugh Jackman after seeing the Greatest Showman, and say hello to another power couple; my 2-day Supercharge Your Gut Program and Supercharge Your Gut book. I know this is a big statement to make but I'm making it: they're bound to be your favourite conscious coupling for 2018 (book-pun totally intended). 

I'm so excited to be officially launching my 2-day Supercharge Your Gut Program alongside my brand new Supercharge Your Gut Book and can't wait to bring you along for the adventure.

Hey Lee, what’s your Supercharge Your Gut Program?

I thought you’d never ask!

My 2-day SYG Program is an uncomplicated online gut health program that's designed specifically for you – yes, you! It'll help restore and maintain your inner health so that you can experience complete wellness from head-to-toe, gain more energy and vitality, lose weight and feel healthier. Plus you'll have alot less of any uncomfortable gut symptoms.

The great part about it is that you only need to commit two days a week to maintain a healthy gut. It’s not time-consuming or a complicated drawn out program, just a super easy couple of days a week to implement into your weekly routine.

The SYG program provides step-by-step guidance on how to improve and maintain a healthy gut with delicious food to achieve enduring results. An the good news is that it's really affordable. For just $10 a week or $35 a month you can have your tumeric scrambled eggs and cancel anytime!

If you're not yet convinced, here are just two of the many testimonials we've received: 

Danielle C says: It's been an eventful body ride with ups and downs to which 8.6 kilo was dropped 1.8% body fat lost, many new habits have formed and a clearer happy tummy is proven for no tummy aces YAY!  It's the longest I've gone without booze for over a year! 
Natural foods taste incredibly sweet to me now. What a relief to cut out sugar!! It's encouraged at least 3-4 people around me to improve their diet. I can now know the correct way to fast for two days a week. So many delicious recipes that will stay in my food regime! 

Kaaren says: I realised that although my family do have a good diet (whole foods, grains fruit, veggies, not much junk food) we weren't having "enough" of  the good stuff. I started your program in September this year, my 11 year old daughter even asking me what was different about this diet. My reply was "this is how I grew up, eating all these foods  (the ratatouille reminded me of what my mum used to make) and this is how we are supposed to be eating",  however with our busy life I had forgotten what to do. I now feel fantastic and have reignited my passion for food and rarely have any side effects. 

When you sign up you’ll receive a welcome pack, two days of recipes and meal ideas delivered to your inbox, additional gut-loving recipes adapted to meet your specific needs, web videos and daily expert advice to keep you on track and encouraged.

You’ll also receive guided mediations that can be listened to where and whenever you need them. These are great to help you unwind and relax. I like to listen to them before I go to sleep as they send me into a very deep sleep. They truly instil positive, constructive messages to help relax and unwind your body and mind. Speaking of the body, I’ve also included a whole lot of yoga poses that are key for digestion. These will help alleviate symptoms such as bloating and constipation.

Oh, that does sound great... and what's this book you speak of?

Well, if you're ready to further your insight into all things gut health, this is the book for you. Supercharge Your Gut, the follow-up to the best-selling book Heal Your Gut is here, and it’s going to change your life forever. Get ready to sink your teeth into the latest gut research, over 100 gut-loving recipes and explore the ins and outs of our most influential body part.  Supercharge Your Gut offers a two day a week maintenance program that’ll set your gut health up for life.

Prebiotic Baked Tray from Supercharge Your Gut

Mocha and Banana Smoothie Bowl from Supercharge Your Gut

In a really easy-to-digest format, you'll discover just how to care for and improve your immune system, hormones, sleep, nervous system and more! Learn all about SIBO, histamines and that FODMAP diet that Claire is constantly going on about at work.

If you're ready to totally transform the way you feel from head-to-gut-to-toe, these two tools are exactly what you need.

And just incase you need more convincing, I'm going to share with you a delicious recipe from my latest and greatest, Supercharge Your Gut.

My turmeric scrambled eggs are perfect for easy breakfasts, late summer dinners and everything in between. Plus, if this recipe is anything to go by, you’ll find that the recipes in both the program and the book are equally nourishing, tasty, simple to make and easily digestible. All recipes are gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free and include wholefood ingredients that can be found in your local supermarket or healthy grocer. I've included recipes for delicious, nutritious, easily digestible meals like nutrient-packed smoothies, soothing soups, healing broths, comforting mashes, bowls, crockpot meals and stews, easy to digest dinner dishes and desserts that'll nourish your body and leave you satiated.

Make a two-day commitment to the health of your gut and you'll be surprised at how good you can feel.  I hope you will join me in making your gut healthy and happy today via the program or grab a copy of Supercharge Your Gut.

If you're not yet convinced, you'll have to give my delicious Turmeric Scrambled Eggs a whirl, they're scrumdidiliumptious.

Turmeric Scrambled Eggs

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive oil or coconut oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 4 eggs whisked
• 1 TBS wheat-free tamari
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsps turmeric or to taste
• 2 TBS nutritonal yeast flakes
• Fresh Basil to serve

Method:

Sauté garlic and onion in frying pan until translucent.
Add in eggs, and stir and then add tamari and spices.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes continuously stirring.
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and torn basil to serve.

Does anyone else have a love affair with cheesecake?

It combines two of my favourite things – cheese and cake.

And it makes for one delicious dessert.

But, for my friends who are cutting down on processed foods, gluten, dairy, sugar and eggs, cheesecake is probably one of the foods you avoid like the plague.

Until now!

I’ve created a cheesecake with my Golden Gut Blend that’s a perfect afternoon treat or delightful dessert for summer. It’s a raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cheesecake that is absolutely delicious.

Before you give me that attitude and roll your eyes at the idea of a cheese-less cheesecake, sometimes, you've just got to trust me. I think I can even say I like this more than regular cheesecake. And quite frankly, so does my stomach (sorry for the TMI!).

Don't be the friend who brings the unpalatable raw dessert to your dinner party. Bring this instead!

I’ve included sweet, juicy mangoes because they’re finally in season here in the Southern Hemisphere. I’m a little bit in love with them. Seriously. If you get a good one, don’t let that man-go. If you were to check my search history, “How many mangoes can I eat until I turn into a mango?” may come up. I promise I was asking for a friend… If you’re a lover of all things mango too, check out my Supercharged Banana and Mango Smoothie

This cheesecake combines two of my favourite goodies into one delicious recipe. My Golden Gut Mango Cheesecake is a recipe you’re going to luuuuurve.

The best part?

You know that old saying: ‘happy life, happy wife’? If you want my personal opinion, I think it should be changed to ‘happy tummy, happy mummy’.  As many of you know, the gut is the cornerstone to health and linked to many other bodily systems and parts. It can affect your hormones, immune system, your emotions and mental capacity and of course the way that you absorb and digest food. If your gut isn’t happy, there’s a fairly good chance that you won’t be happy either.

Today I’m sharing six of my favourite tips to improve your gut health, so you can get on with life!

Include Fibre

When considering the health of your gut, consider fibre! Getting the right type of fibre into your diet will help you to create a healthy and diverse community of gut bacteria and regulate your digestion. There are two types of fibre. Insoluble fibre this is the one that doesn’t dissolve in water and helps speed up the passage of food and keep you regular, like some grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruit and vegetables. The other type of fibre, soluble fibre, dissolves in water and helps form a gel in the body. Foods rich in soluble fibre include oatmeal, psyllium husks, berries, lentils, fruit and vegetables. Insoluble fibres are wonderful for flushing out the body but an excess of these fibres can be irritating. Soluble fibres on the other hand, are the ones you can also focus on for improved gut health.

When you eat the soluble fibres from whole plant foods, your gut bacteria ferment these fibres into short chain fatty acids which act as prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in your gut. When you eat adequate levels of soluble fibre, they pass through the stomach and small intestine and land up in the large intestine where they help grow your probiotic bacteria.  This helps maintain the lining of the gut, improves digestion, increases absorption of minerals and can even increase immune system function.  You can read more about probiotics and prebiotics here or learn abut it in my new book Supercharge Your Gut.

Some foods rich in soluble-fibre include sweet potatoes, carrots and root vegetables, green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds, grass fed, organic butter and ghee. Some of these delicious prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods can be found in my Marrakesh Casserole below!

Glowing skin is an inside (and outside) job

The skin is the largest and arguably, one of the most important organs in your body, it’s the barometer to measure and notice what is really going on inside. Dry skin brushing is an easy and calming technique that looks after your skin, stimulates the digestive and lymphatic systems, liver and adrenal glands, and assists these organs in decongesting. It also helps to give the body a gentle internal massage to stimulate circulation. Whenever I suggest dry skin brushing to someone when they’re suffering from gut health issues, they often look at me as if I’m crazy – how does brushing my skin make my stomach work properly? Well, by performing this technique you’ll actually be assisting the gut, by stimulating the digestive system, nutrient absorption and detoxification!

All you need to do is invest in a long-handled bath brush which contains natural bristles. Use long strokes, in a circular motion towards the heart. Before you dive straight in to brushing, ensure both your skin and your brush are dry. Begin with the soles of your feet and continue brushing upwards on both sides of your legs, then move to your back, then around to your abdomen where you can work in a clockwise direction following the direction of your colon and then head up towards your heart being careful with the chest region. Then, have a shower to remove debris and dead skin cells. Turns out you CAN brush your way to good gut health – who knew? 

Keeping stress levels at bay

Coming into one of the most frantic seasons this time of year, stress can be at a high. Long-term stress lingers for weeks and can be incredibly damaging to the gut. Evidence shows that our gut bacteria respond in a damaging way to negative emotions and stress out our bodies! When you’re stressed, your body produces hormones that can contribute to the proliferation of bad bacteria in the gut, sending it off kilter and this can lead to cravings, skin disruptions, fatigue and weight gain. In order to keep our guts happy and humming, keeping stress at bay is key. Obviously, decreasing stress can look a little bit different to everybody, so find out what works best for you. A few good stress-busting techniques include calming yoga, walks, ocean swims, meditation, spending time out in the sun, good talks with friends and connecting with nature. I guess it’s time to get your ‘om’ on!

Goodbye sugar-free sweeteners

Of course, there’s more to gut health than the practices we do – it’s also important to look at what you’re feeding your gut. Unfortunately for some of you, this may mean saying sayonara to sugar-free sweeteners. Sugar-free sweets, snacks and diet soft drinks can aggravate the gut and cause bloating because of all the artificial chemicals they contain. These chemicals, that our DNA doesn’t recognise or can’t digest properly, get completely swept up in the digestive tract and end-up in the colon, which is not what you want to happen when healing the gut! Large amounts of these additives can also cause flatulence; definitely another reason to stay away. There are far better ways to blow someone away.

Hydration

I know what you’re thinking, if I hear another nutritionist talk about hydration being the key to good health, I’ll roll my eyes so far backwards they won’t come back to place! But, the simple technique of staying hydrated helps flush out negative bacteria within the gut and balance out the digestive system. This helps your body undergo all the complicated biochemical mechanisms to keep your gut happy and functioning. So yes, drinking water may be simple, but it does remarkable things for your gut health.  I usually stir a tablespoon of my Love Your Gut powder in the mornings into a cup of warm water.  It helps to clean the debris and keep my insides happy.  If you want to stay hydrated throughout the day, my Golden Gut Blend is a great way to mix it up- just add a tablespoon to warm milk of choice; it makes a gorgeous and tasty golden latte!

Stop gulping!

Eating is not a race. And yet, we all tend to scoff down our food so quickly you’d think we were going for gold at the Olympics! Our modern lack of mindful, slow eating and our forever on-the-go approach has a definite link to our gut heath issues. Gulping down food, guzzling down drinks and moving while eating inhibits your body’s ability to digest nutrients properly. Chewing more thoroughly while sitting down to a meal mindfully helps you tune into your body more and send your body into rest and digest mode. You’ll be less likely to overeat when you know you’re full! Plus, when you chew properly, your food is able to mix with saliva and increase the ease of digestibility before it reaches the stomach. This means it’s less hard work for your gut and less chance of that food-baby feeling. 

Getting hungry? Enjoy this prebiotic-rich Marrakesh Casserole, from my book Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian, slowly and mindfully. If done correctly, it'll nourish your gut, your body and your soul! 

Marrakesh Casserole

Ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cm (3/4 inch) piece of ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2–3 teaspoons dried harissa
• 400 g (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1 small pumpkin (winter squash), peeled and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces 
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
• 1 zucchini (courgette), cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
• 400 g (14 oz) tin chickpeas
• cooked quinoa, to serve
• coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to serve
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, to serve
• mint leaves, to serve
• 80 g (23/4 oz/1/2 cup) almonds, to serve

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof tagine pot or casserole dish over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, or until translucent.
• Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir well to combine.
• Add the harissa, tomatoes, rice malt syrup, lemon juice, coriander and mint, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat.
• Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and zucchini, stir well so they are all well covered in the sauce and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the chickpeas and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Serve on a bed of quinoa topped with the coriander, lemon zest, mint and roasted almonds.