Prebiotics

Hey!!! I know…it’s been a while huh? The eclipses have rocked my world a little bit, first with my tummy issues, than with my computer. If having tummy issues isn’t bad enough, then my hard drive crapped out on me! Tanked, totally, nothing salvageable. Nothing, not one thing, no thing. I must say though, I got a TON of things accomplished while I didn’t have a computer! I can clearly see how much of a distraction it is for me! But…I’m back!

My tummy issues fell into both categories in the past month and a half…freakin’ awesome and holy crap. The freakin’ awesome part is that I finally have been able to balance one of my main issues…stomach acid and bile. Getting those 2 main issues back into balance has been wonderful. It took a little doing, and some very uncomfortable days, but I stuck with it and I’m really glad I did. Combining betaine HCL and beet flow together I was able to create a balance in my pH levels. This enables me to digest my food a bit better. We all know how that feels! It was a big “W” for me!

Once that was balanced, my other imbalances, or issues, started to come to life. The smaller ones have a tendency to hide a bit when a bigger one is ahead of them. This smaller one was a struggle for me because I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see what was making me ‘sick’. I was doing all the right things, drinking kombucha, staying off grains, sugar and dairy, doing everything I could to keep my body moving in balance. It was 3 weeks of hell. My intestines were severely bloated and just kept getting worse with each day.

Thankfully, with the crash of my computer, I was forced to re-research some information for a client. In that re-research I came upon probiotics. Now, I have always known that every time I take any kind of probiotic it has the complete opposite effect on me than it is supposed to. I could never figure out why, I just knew it worked that way. I thought my body was just weird. Well, it is weird, but that’s a whole other story! The re-research led me to lactobacillus. Yup, lactobacillus. That’s supposed to be good for us right? Not if you are me. My body does not, at all, like lacto-anything! Lactose, lactobacillus, lactase, none! So when I discovered that the kombucha I was drinking was cultured with the lactobacillus strain it all began to make perfect sense. Of course I was locked up, bloated and miserable! I was drinking, every day, exactly what my body could not tolerate. It was a huge eye opener for me. Lactobacillus is just not something I think about…or, at least it wasn’t. I think it about it now. I can not have any kind of lacto-fermented anything.

I was doing good, drinking a gorgeous protein shake (with almond milk of course!) and it was just making me ill! It was dairy-free (as per the packaging), gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO. Why was it making me sick??? Taking a closer look at the ingredients, it contained a probiotic blend. Bingo! So, that one went in the garbage. Once I came off of all the lacto-whatever, it took a week for my body to balance again. I swear this stuff makes me nuts sometimes!

And then, as I was relaying this discovery to a friend of mine (who knows I drink wine and is an expert in that industry), he throws at me “You do know that white wine has lactose in it, right?” WHAT?? No! I don’t know that! Yup…ok, some white wine, not all. If you don’t already know, white wine is made from red grapes, not just white grapes. The inside of the grape is ‘white’, the skin is red. When it is processed, and there is some red particles trapped in the wine, the makers use lactose as a sort of glue. They add lactose to the wine and the red particles attach themselves to it making them easier to remove. Hence, we have pretty, clear, ‘white’ wine.

No wonder some white wines were making me sick!! It wasn’t the sulfates…it’s the damn lactose! Seriously, this is making me nuts! I did find a white wine that doesn’t make me sick, but I’ll be sticking to some hearty rosés from now on.

OK…back to prebiotics, because now that I realize I can not have any kind of lacto-based probiotic, which just about includes all of the probiotics out there, I am feeding myself prebiotics. Prebiotics are food, and pretty yummy food at that. Certain veggies are considered prebiotic. Prebiotics are indigestible, meaning our bodies can not digest them. They make their way into the colon and that is where they do their best work. They feed the good gut flora, they add bulk to the waste and keep “things” moving in a timely manner. What is a timely manner? Your food should only take 12-18 hours to work its way through your system. More than that and you are asking for trouble in one way or another. But, enough about poop…let’s stick with the prebiotics for a minute.

Good examples of prebiotics are asparagus, kale (I swear this stuff is a super food!), leafy greens, collard greens, leeks, broccoli (another super food), cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage. They do wonders for the colon! Fermented foods are prebiotics as well (as long as they are not lacto-fermented for me!)…like the fermented cabbage we know as raw sauerkraut. The list goes on, but I hope you get the drift.

So as I tailor my food, yet again, I find myself reaching for my favorites…sautéed kale and leeks. I have been able to begin harvesting the kale from my garden and I am totally in love. A quick sauté of some chopped kale and thinly sliced leeks in my favorite olive oil really makes me smile, as well as my intestines! The other thing I’m reaching for is cauliflower. The other evening I boiled it and then ran it through my food processor with some sage and olive oil. It has the consistency of mashed potatoes, but tastes sooooo much better. I paired it with a gorgeous ‘natural’ pork chop that I first seared on the stove top and then finished in the oven. It’s the best way. The oven cooks it perfectly all the way through. I finished the pork with a reduced red wine and leek sauce. I’m telling you, it was delish! I was halfway through it before I remembered I should take a picture.

My struggles with my digestive system continue. However, I am completely dedicated to helping my body heal and find the right balance. There is no reason why we have to ‘suffer’ and live without eating real food that tastes amazing. A little bit of knowledge does go a long way, but a lot of knowledge makes for a happier body.

Taking responsibility for my own health, instead of letting a doctor tell me “just don’t eat gluten” has made all the difference in the world. I will not go down quietly! I will no longer suffer because someone told me I have to be gluten-free for the rest of my life. I refuse to be a slave to a doctor who doesn’t know that it’s not just about being gluten-free!

OK, I’ll calm down, and tomorrow I’ll remember to start taking pictures of my food again. I really have been having fun with it. I’m sure to have the sautéed kale and leek again, I’ll get a picture of it for you. The cooking technique is simple really…in a small sauté pan heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil…or more if you like. Add the chopped kale, and thinly sliced leeks. Sauté on medium-low until desired tenderness. I like my veggies still a little crisp, so I only cook it for about 5 minutes.

The other night I had roasted chicken (just the tenders), sautéed kale and leeks, and mashed sweet potatoes. The whole meal took me 15-20 minutes to make…if that! I drizzled the chicken tenders with olive oil (of course from Rocky Mountain Olive Oil), salt and pepper. Put them on a baking sheet and in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. While they roasted I peeled and chopped a sweet potato. Boiled them until tender…about 10 minutes if you cut them small…drained them, put them back in the pan and mashed them with some duck fat. Yup, duck fat…I can’t have butter remember…and some truffle salt. Yup, truffle salt. If you don’t have any, go to the store and getcha’ some! While the sweets were boiling I sautéed the kale and leeks. When the potatoes were done, so were the leeks…and then the oven timer went off. Dinner was ready! Really…20 minutes…tops! Wine was served and I was a happy woman!

OK…time for me to go grab some dessert. Mango and blueberry fruit salad with a lime and ginger finish! It’s calling me! Gotta run! Remember…prebiotics!!!

Eat well…you deserve it!
Trish