Last week I demoed my vegetarian Russian Borscht recipe on a live zoom call. Dill is one of the main flavors in borscht, and with this I began to crave traditional Eastern European cucumber salads that I often found in restaurants in Poland and the Baltic States.
However these people made their cucumber salads, I dont know, but it is hard to replicate authentic and decade-old recipes. With a lot of dill in my refrigerator, I decided to concoct a traditional vinegar cucumber salad with dill. 
Dill is a powerful herb (like all herbs) that is medicinal and contains certain compounds called monoterpenes, as well as flavonoids, minerals, and amino acids. The miraculous properties in dill contain enough properties to aide in:
-benefiting insomnia -maintain bone health because of the calcium -manage diabetes -Relieve some arthritic pain -may treat respiratory health because of Kaempferol and certain other components of flavonoids and monoterpenes in the essential oils Perfect for summer or winter, this is one salad that can accompany holiday meals very well! 
Cucumber Dill Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp sugar 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Directions In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cucumbers. until well combined. Let the mixture sit while you cut the cucumbers. Use a mandolin to slice the cucumbers, or with a knife, thinly slice the cucumbers. Mix the cucumbers into the dressing until well combined. Serve chilled! Let's Connect! Check out my other salad / cucumber recipes below!
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Are you ready to ramp up your immunity this winter? Are you ready to detox out all of that heavy Thanksgiving food? If so, beets and borscht are for you!
This warming and healing beet-based soup is traditional across Eastern Europe and Russia. I grew up every holiday eating traditional Ukrainian food, and every country, culture and cook has their own special recipe. While living in Germany, every country created borscht different. For most eastern block countries, they use animal bones to flavor the soup. I remember while traveling throughout Poland when I lived in Germany, that borscht was basically clear beet broth soup. Nothing else but beet broth. My Ukrainian grandmother made this differently that I just did, but know these vegetables are here to ignite your health during this "cold and flu" season. 
Join me Wednesday December 1, 2021 on Zoom 6-7pm PST for alive demonstration of this recipe + my roasted agave mandarin Rainbow Carrots. Sign up here!
Vegetarian Russian Borscht
Serves 6-8 Time 30-40 minutes Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 large garlic cloves, minced 2 carrots, grated 2 beets, grated or diced 4 small white potatoes, diced (or 2 large) 1/4 cabbage (approx 2 cups), sliced 2 tbsp tomato paste 8 cups vegetable broth 1/2 small lemon, juiced 1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh dill 2 dried OR 6 fresh bay leaves salt + pepper to taste Directions: Begin by prepping the vegetables. Sautee the garlic, onion and carrot in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the beets and cabbage, salt, pepper and bay leaves, sautée for another couple minutes. Add the vegetable broth, mix, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Next, add the dill, tomato paste and lemon juice. Mix well and simmer for an addition 10-15 minutes. Once fragrant and potatoes are edible, remove from heat, adjust any spices and serve warm! This soup tastes better after 24 hours once the dill and bay leaves have additional time to "marinate." Let's Connect! Check out my other beet + carrot recipes below!
If you're looking to stay warm in the next few fall and winter months, warm up with a unique Greek-inspired soup recipe that is super healthy and ready in under 30 minutes.
This lemon orzo chickpea soup is usually creamy because the Greeks add in eggs. In this version I am omitting the eggs and sticking to the basics of lemon juice and broth. 
Soup and sweater season is here and the number one benefit of soup is that it not only nourishes the body, but it allows us to consume liquid during a season when people do not drink as much water because they are rarely hot. When hot, the body craves liquid to cool down. So soup helps us incorporate more liquid into the diet and keeps us warm too.
Simple. Easy. Healthy. The basics is really all that we need. Enjoy! 
Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
Total Time: 20-30 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, minced 3 large garlic cloves, minced 4 carrots, chopped 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 handfuls of fresh spinach (1 bundle, washed) 1/3 cup dried orzo 5 cups vegetable broth 1 lemon, juiced salt + pepper to taste Ingredients: In a large pot, begin by sautéing the onions, garlic in olive oil, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until soften and onions are translucent. Add some salt + pepper and give it a good mix. Add the orzo + broth, mix well and let the soup simmer with a lid on it until the soup is al-dente. Once the orzo is edible, add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for several minutes until the spinach wilts. Once done, remove from heat and add in the lemon juice. Mix well, adjust spices and serve warm! Let's Connect! Enjoy my other orzo / bean+green recipes below!
As a holistic fitness professional, I cannot emphasize enough why people should adopt a detox-based diet for optimal health. The word diet is overused in modern society but rather it is important to incorporate foods that help the body detox and eliminate toxins.
Many of our everyday fruits, vegetables and herbs aide in this process along with filling the body with necessary vitamins, nutrients and electrolytes to aide in overall wellbeing. The body primarily detoxes through the fecal waste, urine, perspiration and respiration. The body cannot hold or contain toxins for too long, which is why we eliminate waste. Diseases like Crohn's is deadly because if perforations develop in the intestine, bile and waste leaks into the blood stream, which overloads the body with toxins that can lead to traumatic issues. Your health is NOT a joke.
We've become SO disconnected to our body, mind and spirit that we have become irrational in understanding how human physiology works. In a spiritual sense, we've disconnected from the sacredness that says, "your body is a temple."
We need to understand that what you consume will drastically help or hinder your health in the long term. Millions of people around the world suffer from heavy metal poisoning because everything in modern society has either been laced with chemicals (example: pesticides) or from Environmental pollution. If you are ready to improve your health, and want to make a "radical" change....all you need to do is to start incorporating more fruits, vegetables and herbs in your diet to help rid and cleanse the body of its waste and toxic overload. 
BEETS
This is probably one of the most important pieces of produce to consume on a continuous basis. The liver goes through a variety of phases to detox toxins.
Beets contain phytonutrients called betalains that support the stage 2 detoxification process of the liver. Consuming beets increases glutathione, which is used for almost every cell in the body to remove toxins. Beets are also important for expecting mothers since its high amount of the B vitamin folate is known to reduce the risk of birth defects and the traces of folic acid help develop the growing fetus. Beets thin the bile making it easier to transport it to the intestinal tract and colon. This is also made possible because of its high fiber content. Check out some of my beet recipes below!
KALE
Kale is another powerful vegetable that is packed full of fiber and nutrients. Kale is alkaline that neutralizes that blood, and kale’s phytonutrients, such as kaempferol and quercetin neutralizes inflammation. Kale contains high amounts of Vitamin C, which benefits immune health, and contains chlorophyll and sulforaphane that are two powerful cancer-fighting agents.
Check out my favorite kale recipes below!
PARSLEY
Parsley contains many of the essential nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C and K and minerals iron and potassium. As a natural diuretic, parsley eliminates excess fluid without ridding of potassium. It also contains chlorophyll, which improves detoxification and supports weight loss. The folate and Vitamin C contents also aides in immune function, which is no surprise as to why parsley is used to flavor soups!
Check out some of my recipes that contain parsley!
Turmeric
This is one of the most powerful food and herb on the planet. This tiny little root herb is one of the greatest anti-cancer foods. Turmeric is loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, protein, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc, with vitamins C, E and K.
Studies have shown that turmeric aides in the liver detoxification and can prevent liver disease. Some studies showed that turmeric provided therapeutic potential for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Something as small and powerful as this root has been linked to reversing liver damage caused by alcohol and other ingested toxins. Check out some of my turmeric recipes below!
Broccoli
Broccoli is another powerful detox vegetable, similar to kale. Along with turmeric its been known as one of the best anti-cancer foods as well as helps the body detox the liver.
Broccoli contains sulforaphane, which fights off infectious cells in the body. Three of the most powerful nutrients include glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiin and glucobrassicin, which neutralize and eliminate unwanted contaminant. Since the body detoxes in a two step process, broccoli is a food that provides nutrients that work in both stages. The glucosinolates aide in phase one, and the sulforaphane contents aide in the second phase. Broccoli contains more vitamin A + C than a single orange. Check out my favorite broccoli recipes below!
Eating and fruit, vegetable, root or herb will help the body naturally detox. These five are known for its powerful effect not only in cleansing the liver, but aiding in disease prevention. Your body and immune system is powerful, and it becomes more powerful with a cleaner and healthier diet.
Let's Connect! 
While exploring the countryside of Colorado, I discovered a place called Eatery66 in Ridgway, Colorado. Needing some greens, I ordered the detox salad and it was by far one of the best salads I ever had. It came with a very light, oil-free turmeric dressing.
I could not figure out taste-wise, every ingredient but I wanted to replicate this the best I could. Since it was light, it was not like your traditional tahini recipe that has flavors that would go into hummus. The dressing recipe has been adapted from the full helping blog that was the closest I could get to Eatery66's recipe. 
As I've mentioned before, it is of the most utter importance to ramp up your immunity.
Raw vegetables in general aide in the detoxifying process; however, some ingredients are more powerful than others. Beets are the one ingredient that detoxifies every cell in the body. Turmeric, also known as the queen of spices, has properties like antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, to anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory usages. Turmeric is packed with nutrients such as dietary fiber, protein, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc, with vitamins C, E and K. 
The great news is that I am demonstrating this recipe live on Zoom, alongside with my pumpkin curry recipe, with Guided Fitness on October 27, 2021. Feel free to check out my fitness and cooking classes at guided fitness.com/online The registration opens approximately 14 days before the class!
On October 27, 2021 at 6pm PST join me on a Live Stream Cooking Class on Zoom for these two recipes: Pumpkin Curry Soup + Detox Salad w. Turmeric Tahini Dressing. Class is only $5 for the public! Registration can be found at least 2 weeks in advance on GuidedFitness.com/online.
Detox Salad with Turmeric Tahini Dressing
Prep Time 10 minute Ingredients: Spring Mix Beets, Grated Cherry tomatoes, halved Avocado, cubed Cucumber, sliced Carrot ro Radish, grated Microgreens Cauliflower rice (optional) Chickpeas Pumpkin + Sunflower Seeds Dressing Ingredients: 1/4 cup tahini 1/3 cup water 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce or Tamara 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 small garlic glove, minced dash of maple syrup Directions: Mix together the quantity of vegetables you'd like in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well combined. Drizzle dressing on top of your salad and enjoy! The dressing is best for 4-5 salads. Let's Connect! Check out my other detox-recipes below!
Time sure does fly. And boy, do things change over time. I've been reminiscing over the "good old days," and realized I never posted this recipe that I am made from a former yoga retreat I catered in Canada.
This recipe is ideal with farm-fresh berries and plums as it ignites the natural flavors and juices. Its an excellent end of summer recipe to transition into fall with a warmer and heartier and healthier dessert.
This refined sugar free recipe is important to enjoy sweets without the added sugar. Now more than ever it is important to ramp up the immunity, and cardamom spices and berries do that very well!
Crisps are one of the easiest desserts to make, and hope you enjoy this late summer fruit recipe....and Happy Fall! 
Mix filling in a bowl.
Pour filling in a greased pie pan.
Mix the topping and pour even on top of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees.
Enjoy warm!
Join me in OCTOBER for two live zoom cooking classes with Guided Fitness. Menu includes Rigatoni w/ Butternut Squash Sage Pasta Sauce w. Walnuts + Spinach. The other menu includes Curry Pumpkin Soup + Turmeric Tahini Detox Salad.
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Vegan Apricot Plum Crostata
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GF Blueberry Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
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Vegan Blueberry Breakfast Cake
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Have you heard about the Scarborough Fair? Most probably have from the popular mid-century Simon + Garfunkel track.
I actually made this recipe several years ago, and completely forgot this post this. I began spending much time in nature, admiring the vibrant green ferns and trees of late summer.
I found this bright green 1960's dress all while continuously hearing The Scarborough Fair song, and discovering how to grow my own food. With the inspiration of all things green and herbal....I decided to make Scarborough Fair potatoes to ignite a sort of "medieval healing" vibe of consuming more herbs with the powerful potato.
I actually made this recipe several years ago, and completely forgot this post this. I began spending much time in nature, admiring the vibrant green ferns and trees of late summer.
I found this bright green 1960's dress all while continuously hearing The Scarborough Fair song, and discovering how to grow my own food. With the inspiration of all things green and herbal....I decided to make Scarborough Fair potatoes to ignite a sort of "medieval healing" vibe of consuming more herbs with the powerful potato.
"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme"
Life in 2021 is challenging, and it's going to become more challenging especially in the world of health. Americans have this "distaste" for potatoes, blaming it for being unhealthy, but fails to realize a culture who constantly deep fries potatoes removes all or any nutritious value from the food.
Potatoes are packed with fiber and the compounds: flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, which act as antioxidants in the body by neutralizing potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals.
Potatoes are packed with fiber and the compounds: flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, which act as antioxidants in the body by neutralizing potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals.
"Never underestimate the healing power of a quiet moment in a garden."
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Many vintage dresses & items available for purchase on my Etsy shop, The Elizabethan Closet. For more vintage items, let's connect above on the Instagram account!
Scarborough Fair Potatoes
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients:
6 cups of fingerling potatoes, washed and halved (or white skinned potatoes)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems
salt to taste
Topping
4 sage leaves
4 springs of thyme
1 stick rosemary
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease a baking sheet.
Prep the potatoes and the herbs. In a mixing bowl, mix the potatoes, herbs, olive oil and salt. Since sage is a strong flavor, I put that herb on top, but if you like it, chop 1-2 leaves and mix it with the potatoes.
Once mixed, spread on the greased baking sheet. Dab a little oil on your hands and rub it on top of the leaves/stalks of herbs and place the herbs on top of the potatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes, or longer if needed. Remove from oven once edible and slightly crispy.
Let's Connect! Check out my other potato-based recipes below!
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients:
6 cups of fingerling potatoes, washed and halved (or white skinned potatoes)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems
salt to taste
Topping
4 sage leaves
4 springs of thyme
1 stick rosemary
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease a baking sheet.
Prep the potatoes and the herbs. In a mixing bowl, mix the potatoes, herbs, olive oil and salt. Since sage is a strong flavor, I put that herb on top, but if you like it, chop 1-2 leaves and mix it with the potatoes.
Once mixed, spread on the greased baking sheet. Dab a little oil on your hands and rub it on top of the leaves/stalks of herbs and place the herbs on top of the potatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes, or longer if needed. Remove from oven once edible and slightly crispy.
Let's Connect! Check out my other potato-based recipes below!
Vegan Colcannon Irish Potatoes
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Vegan "Cheesy" Garlic Herbed Cauliflower + Potatoes
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Vegan Creamy Chive Potatoes
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The battle versus chemicals, GMO's and artificial preservatives have been in a "war" for several decades. Some people advocate for it, others don't. Much research has been proven over time to show that glyphosate have caused much damage to human health and sadly, much of the public doesnt realize how detrimental it's been to our health.
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide patented in 1974 by the Monsanto Company and is the active ingredient in Roundup-branded herbicides, and the herbicide used with “Roundup Ready” genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Bayer now owns Roundup and since its initiation more than 19 million pounds of Roundup has been sprayed by farmers, landscapers, gardeners across the world, with twenty-percent of that share sprayed within the United States.
According to theUS Right to Know website, "Herbicide tolerance is the most prevalent GMO trait engineered into food crops, with some 90% of corn and 94% of soybeans in the U.S. engineered to tolerate herbicides, according to USDA data. A 2017 study found that Americans’ exposure to glyphosate increased approximately 500 percent since Roundup Ready GMO crops were introduced in the U.S in 1996."
According to theUS Right to Know website, "Herbicide tolerance is the most prevalent GMO trait engineered into food crops, with some 90% of corn and 94% of soybeans in the U.S. engineered to tolerate herbicides, according to USDA data. A 2017 study found that Americans’ exposure to glyphosate increased approximately 500 percent since Roundup Ready GMO crops were introduced in the U.S in 1996."
Now According to the Popular Science website, after a litany of studies and many lawsuits, Roundup has been proven it's main ingredient is carcinogenic and supposedly by 2023 the Bayer formula will change its formula.
Why Should I Be Concerned?
The world, but specifically America has been indoctrinated by so much marketing and a junk-food culture, there is a sense of ignorance or naivety in understanding how chemicals hurt the body.
Most think that because the market has approved such items, that it must be okay, or healthy or good to consume. Many
And yet anyone who questions these things made by modern are deemed "pseudoscience" freaks, when given that the planet has grown, healed and evolved through its own natural intelligence throughout the last several thousands of years.
As someone who's lived in Australia (twice), India and Germany, these countries had more strict food regulations or bans on certain chemicals. They also didn't suffer from as many health epidemics like America. Now that the world is becoming more Americanized, health issues / epidemics is becoming more "normal."
Numerous health reports and studies have shown how glyphosate has affected human health as well as environment issues like how glyphosate affects honey bee hives and it's sensory input.
In the 2019 study, "Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate (GLY) on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive, states, "GLY negatively affects associative learning processes of foragers, cognitive and sensory abilities of young hive bees and promotes delays in brood development. An integrated approach that considers behavior, physiology, and development allows not only to determine the effects of this agrochemical on this eusocial insect from an experimental perspective, but also to infer putative effects in disturbed environments where it is omnipresent.
The study cites 85 references, some of which also state that glyphosate affects the micro biome of the bees.
Medical Doctor, Dr. Zach Bush, has stated that glyphosate is the cause of leaky gut and gut micro biome issues. His research shows leaky gut caused by glyphosate. Every person tested in his clinic tested positive for glyphosate in their urine. The blood brain barrier also becomes leaky when exposed to glyphosate residue. Throughout his research and time of creating chemotherapy he found a different path into medicine and a connection between the changes in the micro biome and cancer.
In an interview with Salon.com, the author asks, "What do you know that this chemical does to the human body?"
Dr Bush replied, "The first thing it does is act as an antibiotic in the soil and in our gut, and so this molecule is taken up into our food. So, it's not something you can wash off. It's actually in the flesh of the tomato, corn, soybean, whatever it hits. And so, it's integrated in that water structure, and as it hits your gut microbiome [it] acts as an antibiotic to kill the microbial diversity in your intestines. We now know [this] is the beginning of chronic disease, many chronic diseases are now being mapped back to injuries in the microbiome. And so, as we wipe out the bacteria and fungi with this broad spectrum antibiotic in our food, we are killing the health of our animals, the livestock we consume, beef, poultry, pork, and everything else. So, we're making those animals sick.
As humans, we're seeing the same pattern. This epidemic of chronic disease has emerged from this collapse of the microbiome. The glyphosate antibiotic holds our whole gut and vascular lining together. Those are called tight junctions, and the tight junction Velcros are responsible for creating intelligent barriers. Your gut membrane is the largest barrier to the outside world: it covers two tennis courts in surface area and is the thickness of half of the width of a human hair. So, it's this tiny microscopic cellophane-like covering that separates the outside world from your human biology. What glyphosate and Roundup does is perforate that membrane by destroying those tight junctions and creating something — that's now been called "leaky gut" in the public — in the medical literature it's called gut permeability — it increases gut permeability.
And so, that injury starts to activate the immune system, and we become reactive to our foods. So, we develop allergies of all sorts, pollen allergies and environmental allergies, but also all the food allergies that have become so prevalent in our children today. And so, we lose the barrier system, and so at that point, not only have you become chronically inflamed, you're also literally losing self-identity."
According to the US Right to Know website on their fact sheet published August 5, 2021, they clearly bullet point additional information regarding glyphosate and bees.
The US Right to Know website also links, "In March 2017, the federal court judge unsealed some internal Monsanto documents that raised new questions about Monsanto’s influence on the EPA process and about the research regulators rely on. The documents suggest that Monsanto’s long-standing claims about the safety of glyphosate and Roundup do not necessarily rely on sound science as the company asserts, but on efforts to manipulate the science."
Most think that because the market has approved such items, that it must be okay, or healthy or good to consume. Many
And yet anyone who questions these things made by modern are deemed "pseudoscience" freaks, when given that the planet has grown, healed and evolved through its own natural intelligence throughout the last several thousands of years.
As someone who's lived in Australia (twice), India and Germany, these countries had more strict food regulations or bans on certain chemicals. They also didn't suffer from as many health epidemics like America. Now that the world is becoming more Americanized, health issues / epidemics is becoming more "normal."
Numerous health reports and studies have shown how glyphosate has affected human health as well as environment issues like how glyphosate affects honey bee hives and it's sensory input.
In the 2019 study, "Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate (GLY) on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive, states, "GLY negatively affects associative learning processes of foragers, cognitive and sensory abilities of young hive bees and promotes delays in brood development. An integrated approach that considers behavior, physiology, and development allows not only to determine the effects of this agrochemical on this eusocial insect from an experimental perspective, but also to infer putative effects in disturbed environments where it is omnipresent.
The study cites 85 references, some of which also state that glyphosate affects the micro biome of the bees.
Medical Doctor, Dr. Zach Bush, has stated that glyphosate is the cause of leaky gut and gut micro biome issues. His research shows leaky gut caused by glyphosate. Every person tested in his clinic tested positive for glyphosate in their urine. The blood brain barrier also becomes leaky when exposed to glyphosate residue. Throughout his research and time of creating chemotherapy he found a different path into medicine and a connection between the changes in the micro biome and cancer.
In an interview with Salon.com, the author asks, "What do you know that this chemical does to the human body?"
Dr Bush replied, "The first thing it does is act as an antibiotic in the soil and in our gut, and so this molecule is taken up into our food. So, it's not something you can wash off. It's actually in the flesh of the tomato, corn, soybean, whatever it hits. And so, it's integrated in that water structure, and as it hits your gut microbiome [it] acts as an antibiotic to kill the microbial diversity in your intestines. We now know [this] is the beginning of chronic disease, many chronic diseases are now being mapped back to injuries in the microbiome. And so, as we wipe out the bacteria and fungi with this broad spectrum antibiotic in our food, we are killing the health of our animals, the livestock we consume, beef, poultry, pork, and everything else. So, we're making those animals sick.
As humans, we're seeing the same pattern. This epidemic of chronic disease has emerged from this collapse of the microbiome. The glyphosate antibiotic holds our whole gut and vascular lining together. Those are called tight junctions, and the tight junction Velcros are responsible for creating intelligent barriers. Your gut membrane is the largest barrier to the outside world: it covers two tennis courts in surface area and is the thickness of half of the width of a human hair. So, it's this tiny microscopic cellophane-like covering that separates the outside world from your human biology. What glyphosate and Roundup does is perforate that membrane by destroying those tight junctions and creating something — that's now been called "leaky gut" in the public — in the medical literature it's called gut permeability — it increases gut permeability.
And so, that injury starts to activate the immune system, and we become reactive to our foods. So, we develop allergies of all sorts, pollen allergies and environmental allergies, but also all the food allergies that have become so prevalent in our children today. And so, we lose the barrier system, and so at that point, not only have you become chronically inflamed, you're also literally losing self-identity."
According to the US Right to Know website on their fact sheet published August 5, 2021, they clearly bullet point additional information regarding glyphosate and bees.
- A 2018 study reported that glyphosate damaged the beneficial gut bacteria in honeybees and made them more prone to deadly infections. This followed research from China showing that honeybee larvae grew more slowly and died more often when exposed to glyphosate, and a 2015 study that found field-levels of exposure impaired the cognitive capacities of honeybees.
- Research from 2017 correlated glyphosate use with reduced populations of monarch butterflies, possibly due to reductions in milkweed, the main food source for monarch butterflies.
- Sept. 2016: FDA found glyphosate in US honey at double the levels allowed in the EU, and FDA tests confirm oatmeal and baby foods contain glyphosate.
- Nov. 2016: FDA chemist found glyphosate in honey in Iowa at 10X higher levels than allowed in EU. Also in November, independent testing by consumer group Food Democracy Now found glyphosate in Cheerios, oatmeal cookies, Ritz crackers and other popular brands at high levels.
The US Right to Know website also links, "In March 2017, the federal court judge unsealed some internal Monsanto documents that raised new questions about Monsanto’s influence on the EPA process and about the research regulators rely on. The documents suggest that Monsanto’s long-standing claims about the safety of glyphosate and Roundup do not necessarily rely on sound science as the company asserts, but on efforts to manipulate the science."
More Research About Microbiome Disruption
According to the US Right to Know website on their fact sheet published August 5, 2021, they clearly bullet point additional information regarding studies that support how glyphosate has disrupted gut micro biome.
Glyphosate is an issue, especially since it is found in so many genetically-engineered foods. The latest craze is the almost-real-but0fake meats that have been found to have traces of glyphosate. Mom's Across America tested the newly fake meats finding, "Thelevels of glyphosate detected in the Impossible burger by Health Research Institute Laboratories were 11 X higher than the Beyond Meat Burger. The total result (glyphosate and its break down AMPA) was 11.3 ppb. Moms Across America also tested the Beyond Meat Burger and the results were 1 ppb."
So if you excrete what you consume, what exactly is our bodily waste of glyphosate doing to the ocean, sea life and the environment?
Do you have a concern for glyphosate?
Let's Connect!
- November 2020 paper in the Journal of Hazardous Materials reports that approximately 54 percent of species in the core of the human gut microbiome are “potentially sensitive” to glyphosate. With a “large proportion” of bacteria in the gut microbiome susceptible to glyphosate, the intake of glyphosate “may severely affect the composition of the human gut microbiome,” the authors said in their paper.
- New glyphosate papers point to “urgency” for more research on chemical impact to human health, by Carey Gillam, USRTK (11.23.2020)
- A 2020 literature review of glyphosate’s effects on the gut microbiome concludes that, “glyphosate residues on food could cause dysbiosis, given that opportunistic pathogens are more resistant to glyphosate compared to commensal bacteria.” The paper continues, “Glyphosate may be a critical environmental trigger in the etiology of several disease states associated with dysbiosis, including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Glyphosate exposure may also have consequences for mental health, including anxiety and depression, through alterations in the gut microbiome.”
- A 2018 rat study conducted by the Ramazzini Institute reported that low-dose exposures to Roundup at levels considered safe significantly altered the gut microbiota in some of the rat pups.
- Another 2018 study reported that higher levels of glyphosate administered to mice disrupted the gut microbiota and caused anxiety and depression-like behaviors.
Glyphosate is an issue, especially since it is found in so many genetically-engineered foods. The latest craze is the almost-real-but0fake meats that have been found to have traces of glyphosate. Mom's Across America tested the newly fake meats finding, "Thelevels of glyphosate detected in the Impossible burger by Health Research Institute Laboratories were 11 X higher than the Beyond Meat Burger. The total result (glyphosate and its break down AMPA) was 11.3 ppb. Moms Across America also tested the Beyond Meat Burger and the results were 1 ppb."
So if you excrete what you consume, what exactly is our bodily waste of glyphosate doing to the ocean, sea life and the environment?
Do you have a concern for glyphosate?
Let's Connect!
Glutathione is referred to as the body's master antioxidant. Glutathione (GSH) is found in every cell of the human body and contains three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamate built from the elements of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur linked together. The liver contains the highest concentration of glutathione, which helps the body detox unwanted waste. In fact, the liver produces GSH naturally.
Glutathione (GSH) is essential to the body's natural defense system. Glutathione decreases with age as well as viruses, bacteria, radiation, specific medications and heavy metal toxicity reduces glutathione. Long term reduction of GSH leads to a lower immune function and reduces the liver's ability to detoxify the body. Glutathione's role is to counteract free radicals and oxidative stress which leads to the aging, damage to the DNA which leads to disease. Chronic inflammation can contribute to oxidative stress and deplete glutathione supply (1.).
Luckily, there are foods grown from nature that fuels us with glutathione naturally. The best part is that some of these "super" foods are packed with so many nutrients they are considered some of the best foods in the world not only to aide in a healthy lifestyle, but to prevent cancer and other diseases.
The absorption rate of glutathione in the digestive tract varies for each food, as the digestive tract needs to break down the food into amino acids; however, consuming higher rates of produce and dark leafy greens have been linked to an overall healthy lifestyle because of GSH and other vitamins and nutrients that are in the foods. Processing and cooking vegetables can reduce GSH levels, but this should not stop anyone from consuming these foods. Those who are desperate to increase levels can find sublingual or supplements to help as the digestive rate differs.
Balance is required - not an excess! EVERYTHING ROOTS TO HARMONY. With each section I have linked recipes to support consuming more glutathione-based foods. You can also visit the Mind Body Soul Food Recipe index for more whole-food based recipes.
Glutathione (GSH) is essential to the body's natural defense system. Glutathione decreases with age as well as viruses, bacteria, radiation, specific medications and heavy metal toxicity reduces glutathione. Long term reduction of GSH leads to a lower immune function and reduces the liver's ability to detoxify the body. Glutathione's role is to counteract free radicals and oxidative stress which leads to the aging, damage to the DNA which leads to disease. Chronic inflammation can contribute to oxidative stress and deplete glutathione supply (1.).
Luckily, there are foods grown from nature that fuels us with glutathione naturally. The best part is that some of these "super" foods are packed with so many nutrients they are considered some of the best foods in the world not only to aide in a healthy lifestyle, but to prevent cancer and other diseases.
The absorption rate of glutathione in the digestive tract varies for each food, as the digestive tract needs to break down the food into amino acids; however, consuming higher rates of produce and dark leafy greens have been linked to an overall healthy lifestyle because of GSH and other vitamins and nutrients that are in the foods. Processing and cooking vegetables can reduce GSH levels, but this should not stop anyone from consuming these foods. Those who are desperate to increase levels can find sublingual or supplements to help as the digestive rate differs.
Balance is required - not an excess! EVERYTHING ROOTS TO HARMONY. With each section I have linked recipes to support consuming more glutathione-based foods. You can also visit the Mind Body Soul Food Recipe index for more whole-food based recipes.
Cruciferous Vegetables - Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Broccoli Sprouts, Brussel Sprouts
Well isn't that a long list? Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound named, sulforaphane, which are found in cruciferous vegetables and studies have shown sulforaphane increases and restores blood and cellular glutathione levels (2, 3).
Orange Cranberry Kale + Rainbow Chard Salad Topped with Roasted Butternut Squash + Chickpeas
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Vegan Garlic Broccoli + Bok Choy
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Kale Farro Salad w/ Parsley Tarragon Dressing
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Allium - Garlic, Onion, Shallots
Some medical doctors claim that sulfur-rich foods like Allium vegetables are rich in sulfer-containing compounds that increases GSH production. Sulfur is a chemical element found in many amino acids, which includes those needed to increase and synthesize GSH. Sulfur is found naturally in many plant and protein foods.
Cruciferous vegetables are also named sulfur-rich foods. Asparagus is an excellent sulfur-rich food.
Cruciferous vegetables are also named sulfur-rich foods. Asparagus is an excellent sulfur-rich food.
Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
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Dairy-Free Roasted "Cheesy" Asparagus + Tomatoes
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Vegan Pumpkin Curry Soup
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Vegan "Cheesy" Garlic Herbed Cauliflower Crown + Potatoes
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Herbs - Rosemary + Turmeric
The 2019 A Review of Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support (4) states, "While there is a lack in human clinical trial data, there are several animal studies which would indicate that certain herbs and roots, such as rosemary [144,145,146], turmeric/curcumin [147], milk thistle [148], and Gingko biloba [149], may influence glutathione levels. Rosemary extract in the diet of female rats at concentrations of 0.25% to 1.0% by weight resulted in a 3.5- to 4.5-fold increase in hepatic GST. An increase was seen when injected intraperitoneally but to a lesser extent [145]. In an animal study, a turmeric extract and curcumin were shown to increase hepatic glutathione content [150]."
Tuscan Farro Kale Soup
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Orange Turmeric Ginger Wellness Shot
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Orange Carrot Turmeric Immunity Juice
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Vitamin C Foods - Citrus Fruits, Melons, Berries, Peppers, Broccoli, Potatoes, Broccoli Microgreens
One of the biggest scams during COVID was that natural health advocates were quacks for telling people with COVID to increase Vitamin C levels. Although it was peer-reviewed in Asia, the American health system saw Vitamin C as a threat, which is the very basic vitamin to help colds.
Vitamin C is a power antioxidant and increases GSH within red and white blood cells. Some research has shown that Vitamin C attacks free radical first, thereby preserving GSH. Vitamin C helps reprocess glutathione by converting oxidized glutathione back to its active form (5). In the study noted below, adults took 500–1,000 mg of vitamin C daily for 13 weeks, leading to an 18% increase of glutathione in white blood cells (5).
Microgreens are known for its powerful nutrient density; however, many claim broccoli micro greens are the best of all, packed with Vitamin A,B, C, E, K.
Vitamin C is often found in many freshly-made juices. "For those for whom eating fruits and vegetables is challenging, drinking juice derived from these foods may provide another healthful option, although some health professionals might be concerned with their simple sugar content. Generally, clinical studies would suggest that drinking fruit and/or vegetable juices confer health benefits, such as improving antioxidant status [136,137,138,139]. (4)."
Vitamin C is a power antioxidant and increases GSH within red and white blood cells. Some research has shown that Vitamin C attacks free radical first, thereby preserving GSH. Vitamin C helps reprocess glutathione by converting oxidized glutathione back to its active form (5). In the study noted below, adults took 500–1,000 mg of vitamin C daily for 13 weeks, leading to an 18% increase of glutathione in white blood cells (5).
Microgreens are known for its powerful nutrient density; however, many claim broccoli micro greens are the best of all, packed with Vitamin A,B, C, E, K.
Vitamin C is often found in many freshly-made juices. "For those for whom eating fruits and vegetables is challenging, drinking juice derived from these foods may provide another healthful option, although some health professionals might be concerned with their simple sugar content. Generally, clinical studies would suggest that drinking fruit and/or vegetable juices confer health benefits, such as improving antioxidant status [136,137,138,139]. (4)."
7 Easy & Affordable Detox Juices: A ROYGBIV Inspiration
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Dr Fuhrman's No Oil Walnut Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper + Carrot Soup
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Research Conclusions
Eating a glutathione-supported diet could involve the inclusion of these foods daily, especially the green foods, asparagus, avocado, cucumber, green beans, and spinach (4).
Protein-rich foods have known to also be helpful with GSH levels. The three amino acids associated with GSH are not considered essential because the the body naturally produces it. However, cysteine and glycine are VERY necessary to consume especially when the body is over-stressed, injured or ill because the body because it needs more of these amino acids to fight off toxins or heal/repair from injury.
Other research has shown the the reduction of alcohol, getting enough sleep, and increasing physical activity helps glutathione levels. Glutathione depletion occurs from many factors, such as aging, a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Whole grains have all three amino acids and plant-based sources like sunflower seeds and lentils (cysteine), tempeh and organic tofu (glycine) and Kombu (glutamic acid) (6). Walnuts have been noted to have higher amounts of GSH.
Glutathione as well as the other nutrients and vitamins in all of these foods is another reason to switch to a healthier diet because of its immune function boosting capabilities.
Protein-rich foods have known to also be helpful with GSH levels. The three amino acids associated with GSH are not considered essential because the the body naturally produces it. However, cysteine and glycine are VERY necessary to consume especially when the body is over-stressed, injured or ill because the body because it needs more of these amino acids to fight off toxins or heal/repair from injury.
Other research has shown the the reduction of alcohol, getting enough sleep, and increasing physical activity helps glutathione levels. Glutathione depletion occurs from many factors, such as aging, a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Whole grains have all three amino acids and plant-based sources like sunflower seeds and lentils (cysteine), tempeh and organic tofu (glycine) and Kombu (glutamic acid) (6). Walnuts have been noted to have higher amounts of GSH.
Glutathione as well as the other nutrients and vitamins in all of these foods is another reason to switch to a healthier diet because of its immune function boosting capabilities.
Homemade Slow Cooker Umami Broth w. Kombu
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Roman White Beans + Wilted Greens
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Vegan Indian-Spiced French Lentils with Spinach and Naan
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Vegan French Lentil, Kale + Farro Soup
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770193/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29888232/
3. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066407
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770193/?fbclid=IwAR33087Txv0JIX9GMNc173Vv7HSJd1Sm3y8a9G3XJQZ9CW2UuJp3c6r4hr4
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12499341/
6. https://www.sommerwhitemd.com/eat-these-foods-to-increase-glutathione/
Let's Connect!
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770193/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29888232/
3. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066407
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770193/?fbclid=IwAR33087Txv0JIX9GMNc173Vv7HSJd1Sm3y8a9G3XJQZ9CW2UuJp3c6r4hr4
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12499341/
6. https://www.sommerwhitemd.com/eat-these-foods-to-increase-glutathione/
Let's Connect!
I found this beautiful hand-painted tulip Dutch/Scandinavian wooden plate that looked almost like a vintage bread board. With so many leftover bananas and coconut milk after hosting a Guided Fitness Smoothie and Yoga workshop, I decided to focus on altering a banana bread recipe to taste the best of summer flavors.
What makes this recipe unique that it does not have any refined sugar and uses coconut milk instead of any oil, which both sugar and oil is common in banana bread.
Please note I do not make my breads overly sweet so you may need to increase the maple syrup if you want this extra-sweet. I prefer the naturally-sweet version, so hope you enjoy!
Please note I do not make my breads overly sweet so you may need to increase the maple syrup if you want this extra-sweet. I prefer the naturally-sweet version, so hope you enjoy!
This wooden hand-painted plate and many other vintage items available for purchase on my Etsy shop, The Elizabethan Closet. For more vintage items, let's connect above on the Instagram account!
Vegan Coconut Banana Bread
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 40-45 minutes
Makes 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups of pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut milk (recommend thick milk like Arroy D)
1 tsp vanilla
topping: 1/4 cup coconut shreds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mash the bananas and then add the vanilla, coconut milk and maple syrup. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl (or at least in a sifter). Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until a dough forms.
Grease a 9x5 bread pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pan, and use a spatula to smooth the top. Add the coconut shreds, pressing down slightly so it sticks to the dough.
Bake for around 45 minutes or until fragrant and using the "poke test" by piercing the center of the dough with a fork or knife. When it comes out clean, the banana bread is done.
Let's Connect! Enjoy my other banana recipes below!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 40-45 minutes
Makes 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups of pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut milk (recommend thick milk like Arroy D)
1 tsp vanilla
topping: 1/4 cup coconut shreds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mash the bananas and then add the vanilla, coconut milk and maple syrup. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl (or at least in a sifter). Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until a dough forms.
Grease a 9x5 bread pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pan, and use a spatula to smooth the top. Add the coconut shreds, pressing down slightly so it sticks to the dough.
Bake for around 45 minutes or until fragrant and using the "poke test" by piercing the center of the dough with a fork or knife. When it comes out clean, the banana bread is done.
Let's Connect! Enjoy my other banana recipes below!
Old Fashion Nut Cake - Made Vegan
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Vegan Banana Date Cake/Bread
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No Sugar Vegan "Salted Date Caramel" Banana Bread
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Author
Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is Author of her memoir, Finding Om and is a Fitness Trainer, Yogi, Reiki Master, Presenter and Lover of Life. To view her portfolio please visit www.elizabethkovar.com
Follow her travels at: lemontreetravel.com
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