January Musings
A round up of books, podcasts and talks that have been inspiring over the past few weeks.
A little dive into all the fermenting, gut health, healing and food findings this month that are too good to keep to myself and would love to share.
FOOD:
New fave fave WFH lunch, it’s seriously good and is made on repeat at the moment.
INGREDIENTS:
1 x savoury buckwheat sourdough pancake ~ made from sourdough discard with added gram/chickpea flour, water, mixed with turmeric powder and the magic Ayurvedic trio: coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. ( I mix up a big batch of batter once a week and leave it in the fridge for handy pancake snacks and lunch for the next few days).
Big spoonful of homemade kimchi
A heavy dusting of nutritional yeast
1 x crispy fried egg
A sprinkle of flakey sea salt and black pepper
Mix up the pancake batter with the sourdough discard, added flour, herbs and spices until you have thick dough you are happy with. Heat up 1 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and fry the batter until it is cooked all the way through.
Place on plate and top with the kimchi, nutritional yeast, fried egg, salt and pepper. Enjoy :~)
INSPIRATION:
Some seriously good jar inspiration from Berlin based culinary duo Studio Schmaus (@studioschmaus). Going forward I want to make all my jars to look like this, so pretty and delightful:
For anyone else wanting to up their jar game this year, you can find these Weck jars with the nice clips here if you’re in the US or from here if you’re in the UK.
BOOKS:
Super Gut by William Davis (clove green tea recipe from this book below)
A deep dive into what goes on in our guts and how our microbiomes have changed in the modern world; how some species of microbes have completely disappeared and tips to bring back the good ones.
As it kept coming up everywhere, I gave into the synchronicities and listened to this one on my morning matcha walks. Fascinating stories from people who have healed a multitude of illnesses and meditations to help restore a balance of energy and flow throughout the body.
Captivating, heart breaking, life-changing. Written by the founder of Breath Pod. Such a beautiful account of one man’s loss; what he discovered through his grief and how breathing changed his life. With breath exercises we can use to change our state, help with asleep, focus and reduce anxiety.
Speaking of breath, this might be the best TedTalk I’ve seen lately:
Breath to Heal by Max Strom.
Just his voice alone is so soothing.
PODCASTS:
A few of the best podcasts I’ve listened to this month on functional medicine, healing and gut health:
3 mistakes people make trying to heal autoimmune disease with Dr. Mark Hyman.
How a doctor cured her Autoimmune Disease with Functional Medicine with Dr. Cynthia Li author of Brave New Medicine (now next on my reading list)
The Poo Scientist - an interview with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, award winning gastroenterologist, on Diary of a CEO
JANUARY WISHLIST:
The book Infradian Nourishment by Sarah Lillian Honey (@arc.woman)
A cookbook written by a nutritionist for the four phases of the menstrual cycle, inspired by the four seasons. Yes please, 100%.
“After trotting across the globe to complete my nutrition degree and certification in fertility awareness method, I've meticulously crafted over 100 recipes for you. This culinary journey is a celebration of global flavors and hormone healing. From beloved classics to undiscovered culinary gems, it covers it all! With four chapters representing the four phases and inspired by the changing seasons in my wild Tasmanian cabin, this cookbook is truly a labor of love.” ~ Sarah Lillian Honey.
A dream evening at the stunning Rote Wand in Austria:
RECIPE: Clove Green Tea from the book Super Gut.
INGREDIENTS:
500ml water
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 teabag green tea
1 teaspoon FOS powder (a prebiotic powder derived from chicory)
2 teaspoons allulose (optional)
Additional sweetener to taste
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
RECIPE:
In a small saucepan, combine the water and cloves and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover to maintain a low simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the teabag in the last 1 - 2 minutes of simmering, then remove from the heat. Discard the teabag.
Stir in the FOS, optional allulose, other sweetener, and optional cinnamon stick, and serve or sip throughout the day.
This tea is “a mucus-building powerhouse of a recipe, so simple yet packing several intestinal health advantages into a simple cup of tea. Use this tea to help repair, rebuild, or maintain your intestinal mucus barrier.” ~ Dr. Willian Davies (author of Super Gut)
The antibacterial and anti-fungal eugenol oil found in the cloves and the catechin polyphenols in the green tea work together in this soothing drink to help the mucus barrier.
Mucus is the shield we need to keep our microbes inside our gut and on the right side of our intestinal wall, playing a crucial role in keeping us healthy and our immune system working.
I hope you enjoy this gathering of sources and inspirations :~)
Would love to hear if you have read, listened or watched anything fascinating on gut health or fermentation recently. Leave a comment with any suggestions, always love hearing from you!
Wishing you a lovely week,
Fleur x