Gareth Churchill
gut healing foods
Garlic Zucchini & Tomato Pasta
Know what’s one of the BIGGEST causes of gut health issues these days?
Lack of FIBER.
Why?
Because too many of our staples have had the fiber stripped from them.
I’m talking about highly refined white bread… white pasta… and white rice…
All of them have had the fiber removed.
The result is they become basic carbs that turn straight into glucose… rocket your blood sugar… and if you can’t burn them off they turn into fat.
So you see, not ALL carbs are bad for you.
Just those that don’t come with any fiber.
Good news is you can still enjoy pasta, rice and bread of the unrefined brown variety
And my garlic zucchini and tomato pasta is a prime example.
It combines brown pasta with two medium zucchini, cherry tomatoes, smoked paprika and chilli flakes, with a drizzle of olive oil and dried parsley.
So it’s super gut healthy and it can give you a pasta powered energy boost that’s guilt free.
Curried Tofu Salad
I used to HATE tofu.
I’m not sure if it was the jelly like texture or bland taste that made me avoid it like the plague.
The good news is I found a way to spice tofu up!
My Curried Tofu Salad combines tofu with celery sticks, onion, almonds and raisins…
Then I add curry powder and dill to give it a spicy curry flavored kick.
So if you’ve been looking for a way to make tofu more interesting…
My Curried Tofu Salad is quick to make…
And packed with flavor that will delight both your taste buds and your gut.
Sugar Free Banana & Almond Muffins
Do you struggle with cravings for sugary snacks, cakes and chocolate?
You’re not alone.
Sugar is HIGHLY addictive, because it triggers the reward centers in the brain, and releases ‘dopamine’ – the brain’s reward chemical.
This is the BIGGEST reason many people find switching to a healthy diet so hard – They still crave the sweet dopamine release they get from sugar.
But here’s the thing…
Sugar addiction is only temporary.
You can wean yourself off it in as little as 2 weeks.
And when your taste buds have adjusted to enjoying more savoury snacks, you may wonder why you enjoyed such sugary tasting food at all!
There are plenty of healthy alternatives to sugar. Ingredients with a sweet taste but without the health dangers of sugar.
My Sugar Free Banana & Almond Muffins recipe is a great example.
It gets its sweetness from almond butter, maple syrup and bananas, rather than sugar. So it allows you to enjoy a sweet treat for dessert without the guilt of sugary snacks.
And it’s a heck of a lot less fattening too!
Spicy Cauliflower & Chickpea Rice Bowl
You may know already that cauliflower is a ‘cruciferous’ vegetable…
But do you know where the name ‘cruciferous’ comes from?
Cruciferous is latin for ‘cross bearer’.
And this name originates from the time of the Knights of Malta, from nearly 1,000 years ago.
The knights fought many desperate battles to protect southern Italy from invasion.
The knights’ medics would create healing broths from vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and a variety of herbs.
And their healing broths proved so potent they started calling these veggies ‘cross bearers’.
The fact their four-petaled flowers look like a cross is also a handy convenience.
Long story short, my Spicy Cauliflower and Chickpea Rice Bowl is packed with gut healing ingredients. And is perfect for warming the soul on a cold wintery day.
Carrot Pancakes with Almond Caramel
Health loving Bake Off fans rejoice!
Now you can enjoy pancakes without fattening sugar or guilt!
My Carrot Pancakes with Almond Caramel recipe relies on cinnamon, nutmeg and almond butter for its sweet taste.
And with a maple syrup and almond butter topping…
It’s a decadently, delicious treat for your taste buds…
While still being healthy for your tummy.
Tuna and Avocado Salad Pots
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large hard boiled eggs
- 2 Teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 cup avocado, mashed 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 can tuna
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons pickle relish Fresh lemon juice Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Peel eggs and mince with dinner fork.
- Peel avocado and squeeze on ½ lemon juice to prevent
discoloration. - Mash avocado in with egg.
- Drain tuna and mix into egg/avocado, adding onions, mayonnaise,
relish, salt and hot sauce. - Stir well and serve in glass jars
Pinwheel Shepherds Pie
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons onion or garlic salt 8 ounces low carb mushroom soup
- or sauce mix
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1lb. package of frozen, mixed vegetables
- 1lb Atkin’s low carb bake mix or equivalent
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375.
- Mix low carb bake mix into dough per package instructions and roll
flat into a circle roughly the same diameter as your skillet. - Cut dough into equal sized triangles and roll each triangle once from
base to tip. - Set aside. In a non stick skillet, stir in ground beef and onion salt and
cook thoroughly until browned. Stir in mushroom soup/sauce,
ketchup and mixed vegetables. - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover and simmer 8 – 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Remove skillet from heat and arrange dough triangles on top of
mixture with the tips pointing to the center. - Place skillet in oven and bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes
or until dough turns golden brown
Pumpkin and Macadamia Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon macadamia or olive oil 1/2 cup roughly chopped
- macadamias
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 cups diced or canned pumpkin
- 1 small tart apple, chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock sour cream for topping
- Whole or halved macadamias, roasted for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy stock pot and sauté macadamias, onions and
ginger for 2 – 3 minutes. - Stir in apple and pumpkin slices and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes (if
substituting canned pumpkin puree, add only the apple in the step
above and use pumpkin puree when you add chicken stock). - Pour in chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until
apples/pumpkin become soft. - Transfer to blender and blend until smooth.