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This soup is a perfect meal for autumn and winter season, when you are looking for something light, healthy nutritious and easy to make. A velvety pumpkin soup Makes 6 portions Ingredients 1 butternut pumpkin 2 medium sized carrots 4 garlic gloves 1 onion Bone broth Goat's cheese spread Pumpkin seeds Broccoli sprouts (optional) Miso paste (optional) Salt Olive oil Pepper Cayenne pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). I have found it easier to not to peel the pumpkin, but put it in the oven with peel on, as the peeling of raw pumpkin is really not easy. So what I do, is first properly wash the butternut pumpkin, then cut it into 1.5cm slices. Then I cut each slice into four pieces. Put the butternut pumpkin pieces on the oven pan. Peel the carrots and cut similar sizes or slightly smaller as you cut the butternut pieces. Put the carrot pieces on the same pan as the butternut pumpkin pieces. Take 4 garlic cloves, keep the peel on and put them on the same oven pan. Take the onion, remove the peel and cut into 4 quarters. Add the onions to the pan. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and olive oil on the vegetables and mix. Spread the vegetables evenly on the pan and put in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile toast the pumpkin seeds in the pan. As you can see from the photo, I enjoy pumpkin seeds a lot, so adding them a tablespoon or two per serving. Take the vegetables out from the oven, cool slightly down. Then take the peel off from pumpkin pieces and put them in the blender. Add also the carrots to blender. Remove the skin from the garlic and add the garlic pieces along with the onions to the blender. Pour in 1cup of bone broth (you can use beef or chicken broth). Add in 2 tablespoons of creamed goat's cheese. If you have miso paste, add 1 tablespoon of miso paste. Miso paste is fermented soy beans, which is a good probiotic, but always add it at the very end, do not boil the food after you have added miso as otherwise it will destroy the probiotics. Blend the ingredients. If the soup is not warm enough, you can warm it slightly on the stove. Serve it in the bowls, top with pumpkin seeds. If you have sprouts, then sprinkle those to the top. Add some pepper. I like to sprinkle in addition a little bit of cayenne pepper to give that extra zing to the soup. Enjoy!

The prevalence of added sugar in modern diets has raised many concerns about its impact on overall health. In this article I cover the reasons why you may benefit from reducing your intake of added sugars, shedding light on the potential health risks associated with excessive consumption. I also give you a list of all the sweeteners (sugars and artificial sweeteners), what are good to reduce or avoid and what to use instead if you want to sweeten your food. Is added sugar bad for your health? If you are not being mindful about the foods you eat- consume many packaged foods and eat foods like cakes, cookies, candies, ice-cream or drink soft drinks like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta etc, you definitely increase your risk for various illnesses. A diet high in sugar can promote oxidative stress, which leads to cell damage. As we know glycose is paramount for the functioning of our cells, especially for the brain as it consumes around 20% of your daily energy intake. But it's important to note here, that our brain needs an average of 130g from glycose a day, while many people consuming modern western diet exceed that several times without knowing it. According to Estonian dietary recommendations, a preschool child should eat up to 2 portions a day, a teenager and an adult up to 4 portions from the food group of sweet and salty snacks. One serving is in very simple terms 100 ml of a sweet drink or 10 g of a sweet or salty snack (e.g. 2 teaspoons of sugar, half a glass of lemonade, 1 piece of candy, 2 small pieces of chocolate, a bite of cake). According to Estonian dietary recommendations, one should drink a maximum of one glass of juice per week. Below are just a few health issues, a high-sugar diet can cause over time: Diabetes Heart disease Leaky gut ( sugar changes the gut microbiota in a way that increases intestinal permeability, plus added sugar feeds yeast (leads to candida) and bad bacteria) Certain types of cancer like breast cancer, small intestine cancer, colon cancer Fatty liver Brain related illnesses Skin issues and allergies Hair loss Insomnia Dizziness Tooth decay Premature skin aging ADHD Hypertension Alzheimer's Sweeteners- the worst, not too bad and fine to consume, but sparingly When you want to limit your intake of added sugar or avoid it, you need to be smart when shopping your groceries. Always read the labels on packaged foods! I have taught my kids to follow these basic rules when checking food labels at stores: if sugar is listed as number one or two in the ingredients list, you know the product is mainly made of sugar one teaspoon of sugar is 4g. So if they want to buy morning cereal, where on the box it states 60g of sugar per 100g (and it's a 300g package), there is 45 teaspoons of sugar in the package. If they do this calculation, they likely put the box back on the shelf. if they can't recognise (or pronounce) the name of the ingredient in the list of ingredients, it's not worth putting the product in your shopping basket. if they want to know if the product contains any added sugar, one way to find out is look for hidden sugars in the ingredients list ending in "ose" (fructose, maltose, dextrose etc) Foods that commonly contain sugars include: Salad dressings Sauces (barbecue, hickory) Plant milks (coconut, soy, almond) Cereals and granola bars Mustard and ketchup Yoghurt Protein powders Deli meats (ham) Cured meats (bacon, prosciutto) Liver pate Store bought ceviche Canned soups Common forms of sugar Sugar comes in different forms: granulated sugar, syrups, sugar alcohols, -oses, -ides, natural sugars, artificial sweeteners. Sugar Brown sugar Raw sugar Cane sugar Castor sugar Confectioner's sugar White granulated sugar Icing sugar Invert sugar Beet sugar Cane syrup Carob syrup Date syrup Corn syrup Corn syrup solids High-fructose corn syrup Malt syrup Maltodextrin Maple syrup Rice syrup Refiner's syrup Buttered syrup Nectars (for example, peach or pear nectar) Corn syrup solids Fructose Glycose Glycose solids Maltose Sorbitol Sorghum syrup Sucrose Ribose Saccharose Galactose Lactose Dextrose Dextrane Anhydrous dextrose Confectioner’s powdered sugar Blackstrap molasses Molasses Disaccharide Monosaccharide Polysaccharide Agave nectar Coconut sugar Coconut nectar Fruit juice Date sugar Golden sugar Granulated sugar Evaporated cane juice Honey Rice malt Treacle Stevia What are the worst sweeteners you should try and stay away from? Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, saccharin. They change the bacterial makeup in your microbiome, which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, metabolic disorders, autoimmune problems High-fructose corn syrup- which is derived from the stalks of corn and then converted to syrup through a chemical process. It does not need to be digested and therefore goes straight into your blood, raising blood-sugar and contributing to hormonal issues like leptin resistance (leptin is your 'feeling full and satisfied' hormone). This again could cause weight-gain and weight-loss resistance. White refined sugar What sweeteners to be very mindful about when consuming? Agave nectar- though it's considered healthy alternative to sugar, it's very high in fructose. Fructose goes straight to your liver, which is turned there into fat. Too much fructose can cause fatty liver. Brown-rice syrup- it's made of brown-rice and enzymes. Using a lot of brown-rise increases your exposure to arsenic (which is a poison). Enzymes used in rice-syrup are very often from barley (which contains gluten, if you have a sensitivity to gluten or are celiac). Turbinado or raw cane sugar What sweeteners to use if you do choose to sweeten your food (use them very sparingly though)? Monk fruit or luo han guo - fermented from the pulp of monk fruit. Make sure you get pure monk fruit without any added ingredients. Same as with sugar alcohols, it can cause upset stomach, so consume sparingly. Stevia - as long as you use the raw organic stevia in it's green form, you will get the best health benefits from it. Not everyone like the taste of stevia though. Sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol) - these don't have an effect on blood-sugar, but they can have a laxative effect, so not everyone can consume them. As your body does not completely digest them, these sugar-alcohols can end up fermenting in your gut and causing gas and bloating Maple syrup - always look for 100% pure and organic maple syrup and the darker the syrup the better as it contains higher amounts of antioxidants. Honey - it's 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Honey has great benefits as long as you buy it raw, unpasteurised, unfiltered and where possible, local. It contains antioxidants and bee pollen, which help to boost your immunity. Molasses - which is made by boiling raw sugar down many times. Blackstrap molasses is the most nutrient-dense form of molasses with least amount of sugar and contains more iron than any other natural sweetener. Fruit juice - as long as it's freshly pressed and without any added sugar, it's ok to use it and also drink it- but occasionally and in moderation. Fruit juice does contain vitamins and antioxidants, but it's still fructose. When possible, rather eat the whole fruit to get the benefits of fibre present in the fruit. Dates - dates are very high in fructose, so do consume them sparingly (1-2 dates is more than enough). Dates are good for constipation. Coconut sugar/coconut nectar - derived from the blossoms of the coconut tree. Though processed, they do contain some nutrients and inulin fibre which slows down the absorption of glucose in your body. What are the best food to sweeten your food as they are naturally sweet? Coconut milk Coconut flesh Coconut oil Sweet potato Pumpkin Summer squash Cinnamon Whole fruit Berries Here is just an example of sugars in some foods and drinks sold in Estonia. I understand that giving up sugar can be a real challenge for many. As scientists say, s ugar alters brain circuitry in similar ways to cocaine, which is well known to alter the dopamine and opioid systems in the brain. But a change starts with a choice. Even if you start to be more mindful about how much sugar you consume, or what sweeteners are in your foods and opt for healthier versions of sweeteners, you do a favour to your body! If you need help and guidance, how to determine hidden sugars in foods, how to reduce added sugar intake in your day to day diet, how to eat more healthy in general, don't hesitate to reach out to me for nutrition counseling, by e-mailing me at info@katrinpeo.com .

This is a salad I started to make two summers ago and it has become one of our family favourites. It compliments very nicely grilled meat. Grilled pear, fig and goats cheese salad For 8 persons Ingredients 1 bag or box of rucola salad 1 pot of Basil leaves 6 figs 2 medium sized pears 2 red onions 1 box of goat's cheese you can crumble A handful or two of pecan nuts 1 tsp of butter Salad dressing 4 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp of maple syrup 1/2 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of pepper Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 185C degrees. Peel and cut the pears length wise. Put the pears on the oven pan. Melt the butter on the stove and pour over the pears. Bake pears in the oven for 20min or so. Toast pecan nuts in the pan on a medium heat. Cut the red onion into thin slides and put in a water with a little bit of sea salt to soak for 15 minutes. This removes the strong flavour of the onion. Wash rucola salad and basil leaves, use salad dryer if you have it. Take a big serving plate and put the rucola leaves and basil leaves on the plate. Cut up the figs into sectors and put on top of the salad. When pears are ready, remove them from the oven, cool down and add to the salad. Drain the onions and put on top of the figs and pears. Then crumble the goats cheese on the salad. Sprinkle the pecan nuts on top of the salad To make the dressing, mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Pour the salad dressing over the salad. If you have any sprouts or microgreens, sprinkle them at the very top of the salad. Enjoy!

I took on another challenge last week to try to make for the first time fermented nut cheese. I love fermented foods, they are filled with probiotics and taste good as well. The recipe I used for fermented nut cheese, I took from one vibrant inspiring nutritionist Meghan Telpner and the macadamia nut and cashew nut bread recipe I took from another inspiring nutritionist I have followed now for years, Kelly LeVeque . I turned this combo into a yummy healthy breakfast, muffins into burgers with fermented cheese and avocado slices in between the muffins served with a green smoothie (celery, spinach, parsley, ginger, lemon, one pear, cayenne pepper, filtered water). Gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free, ketogenic meal to start the day right with no elevated blood sugar . Macadamia and cashew nut muffins Makes 12 portions ( original Kelly LeVeque recipe ) Ingredients 1/2 cup of whole raw macadamia nuts 1/2 cup of whole raw cashew nuts 5 eggs 1 tsp of baking soda 1/2 tsp of sea salt or Himalayan salt 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup of coconut oil or 1/2 cup of coconut butter (I chose to decrease the quantity as macadamia nuts are very high fat nuts) Instructions Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). In a food processor, blend the nuts till they turn into a chunky butter (I blended around 3 minutes, but it depends on the power of a blender you have). While the food processor is running, add one egg at a time through the chute. Let the egg be fully incorporated before you add another one. Add the baking soda and then stop the processor. Mix in the salt, coconut oil and the run the processor again for 5-10 seconds so all the ingredients are properly mixed. Finally add lemon juice and pulse to mix it in. Take a muffin tray, grease the wholes in the tray and add in the holes the the muffin papers. With the tablespoon put the mixture into the muffin papers. Bake in the oven 25 minutes until the muffins are lightly brown. Use a toothpick to check the readiness if needed. Take the muffins out from the oven and cool down. These muffins will store in the refrigerator for couple of days. Full on healthy fat, healthy protein and fibre. Fermented nut cheese I felt that this is one of these recipes, which you can be creative with, depending on what nuts you like and also what flavours you prefer in the cheese. Makes approximately 1 cup ( original Meghan Telpner recipe ) Ingredients For fermenting 1 cup of nuts, soaked (macadamia, cashew, almond) 1 acidopholous probiotic capsule + 3 tbsp of water (I had probiotics containing lactobacillus bacteria, so I used that) or 3tbsp of pickle brine, kombucha For flavouring 1/2 tsp of Himalayan or sea salt herbs/flavours of your choice (fresh basil and balsamic vinegar; cinnamon and organic dried cherries; cranberries; turmeric and nutritional yeast, lemon and dill, thyme and pistachio etc) Instructions Soak the nuts in water for 6-8 hours (add in the water half a tsp of sea salt, which help to make the nuts more bio-available). Rinse the nuts after soaking. In the food processor, combine nuts with probiotic (mix the powder from the capsule and discard the capsule) and water or brine. Blend until smooth. Put the mixture in the cheesecloth or nut milk bag and set on your counter for 36h or dehydrate on low for 24 hours. Once fermented, put in the bowl and mix in the preferred flavours (see above in the ingredients). I added basil and organic balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning. But bare in mind that the flavour will become stronger as the cheese ages. Put te mixture to a sheet of parchment and roll into a log shape. Put it in a seals airtight container and store in your fridge to age for 4-6 days. Once ready, transfer to a new fresh sheet of parchment and enjoy within 4-5 days. Enjoy!

A topic that has come up with women I have done health histories with, is thyroid health- hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. And since it's something that affects many people, especially women, it's worth to look deeper into thyroid and understand what can you do to better manage your symptoms. In this post I will go through the following: About thyroid Metabolism, production and conversion of thyroid hormone Hypothyroidism Hyperthyroidism Hashimoto's thyroiditis Graves' disease Thyroid testing Other practices for thyroid health Foods to consume for healthy thyroid Foods to avoid to better support your thyroid Essential oils for thyroid health About thyroid Thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in your throat, just behind the Adam's apple. The normal size of thyroid is two thumbs held together in the shape of a V. There can be enlargements- when thyroid gland is ineffective making thyroid hormones, when it's inflamed and if there are tumours. Thyroid is your body's thermostat, regulating continuously temperature, your hunger levels, energy expenditure. Your thyroid is connected to the way every organ in your body functions- it releases and controls thyroid hormones that control your body's metabolism (a process where food you take into your body is transformed into energy). There are thyroid hormone receptor sites on every single cell in your body. If there is an imbalance in thyroid hormone production or metabolism, it's going to affect your whole body. Thyroid conditions go often unnoticed and un-diagnosed as many people experiencing symptoms of unhealthy thyroid don't actually know they have an issue with thyroid. Thyroid affects: metabolism heart rate blood pressure menstruation body temperature energy levels sleep memory digestion blood sugar How does metabolism, production and conversion of thyroid hormone work? Too often there is too much focus going on the endocrine system itself having an issue. We need to understand that everything in the body is so interconnected. The actual metabolism of thyroid hormone, the production and the conversion of it happens throughout our body. The process starts up in our brain, where our hypothalamus and our pituitary gland are in communication from our brain down to our thyroid. TSH is our thyroid stimulating hormone and it is our brain telling our thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Our brain is sensing what's going on with the rest of our body. Using a lot of different nutrients and cofactors our thyroid is then producing thyroid hormone- T3 and T4. T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone- it gets used up by the body right away. When our thyroid is releasing thyroid hormone, it's only releasing around 7% active form of T3. 93% of the thyroid hormone coming out of our thyroid is T4. T4 starts to travel around our body - where it gets converted into T3 in different parts of the body- like in your liver and in your gut. You can see that different parts of your body are involved in thyroid metabolism, so if any of these organs are sluggish- if our gut is not working optimally, if our liver is not working well- that maybe part of the issue if you are receiving too little or too much thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism- an under active thyroid Hypothyroidism is by far the most common type of thyroid problem. 90% of hypothyroid cases are undiagnosed. 1 in 8 women develop hypothyroidism in their lifetime and it's also more common amongst women than in men. With hypothyroidism, your body literally slows down and you can experience the below symptoms: Fatigue Depression Moodiness and anxiety Feeling cold Weight gain Constipation Bloating Muscle weakness or aches and pains Trouble concentrating and forgetfulness Dry skin and hair Toes and fingers feel cold Women are also much more likely than men to develop auto-immune conditions of thyroid. With hypothyroid your body is not producing enough of the thyroid hormones (T3, T4 or both). The most common reason for hypothyroidism is a condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It's when your body mistakenly attacks your thyroid, therefore affecting its function. Hashimoto's thyroiditis happens due to an autoimmune response (where your body is attacking your own tissue)- therefore interfering with normal production of hormones. What often causes Hashimoto's disease are high amount of stress, low immune function, nutrient deficiencies, toxicity as well as iodine deficiency. Hyperthyroidism- an overactive thyroid Hyperthyroidism is less common than hypothyroidism. It's when body produces too much of thyroid hormones. The most common cause for hyperthyroidism is Graves' disease, but taking too much T4 thyroid hormone in tablet form or lumps on the thyroid can also cause hyperthyroidism. Signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism: Rapid and irregular heartbeat Weight loss though you are eating the same amount Sweating Increased appetite Anxiety, irritability, nervousness Increased sensitivity to heat Tremor in your hands More frequent bowel movements Brittle hair Difficulties with sleeping Fatigue An enlarged thyroid gland (swelling at the base of your neck) Comprehensive testing of thyroid There are different tests and scans used for understanding if your thyroid is functioning as it should. Doctors use visual testing of thyroid- to see if it's enlarged or if it's palpating. Also doctors get you to do blood tests. You can also order thyroid panel test from a lab (like Synlab in Estonia). Doctors can also perform ultrasound and a radioactive iodine uptake scan. Functional medicine doesn't only look at thyroid, but also adrenal health, infections, pathogens and toxins in the body. When checking thyroid health, it's important to run a full thyroid panel: TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)- your pituitary gland in the head produces TSH, which stimulates the production of T3 and T4 Total T3 and T4 (T4 levels in your body trigger the pituitary gland either to produce more or stop producing TSH. T3 is converted from T4 by the liver and other tissues. Free T3 and free T4 (free T4 indicates how well your thyroid is functioning). Having appropriate balance between the free T3 and free T4 shows the function of thyroid as well as how good is the communication between the thyroid and pituitary gland Reverse T3 (this inactive form of T3 is produced when your body conserves energy while converting T4 to T3). If you have low levels, it could develop into hypothyroidism. If you have too much, then it can keep your cells in the body to receive the necessary amount of T3 T3 uptake- how well your body is processing T3 and putting it into various systems TPO and TGAb antibodies- if you have one or both of these present, it could indicate that you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (both of these antibodies are created, when your body sees the thyroid and its hormones as invaders and starts to attack them. TBG (Thyroid Binding Globulin)- this protein is responsible for circulating thyroid hormone through different body's systems. It shows how well your body is able to transform T4 to T3 and put it to use. A low level of T3 and a high level of TSH could indicate that you have an under-active thyroid (hypothyroid). High levels of T3 and very low levels of TSH can mean your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroid). Foods to consume for healthy thyroid Wild-caught fish to get good omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, herring, sardines) Seaweeds, for their good iodine content (dulse, nori, kelp) Selenium rich foods (seaweed, seafood, eggs, fish, Brazil nuts, liver, lima peans, turkey, chicken, yoghurt, spinach, bananas, raw cheese) Zinc rich foods (shellfish, red meat, poultry, legumes, seeds (pumpkin, hemp, flax), nuts, cheese, eggs, quinoa, rice, oats, potatoes, green beans) B-vitamin rich foods (beef, liver, dark green vegetables, cheese, fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, oysters, eggs etc) Probiotic rich foods Healthy fats Bone broth Sprouted seeds , like flax, chia and hemp seeds Fibre rich foods , like seeds, berries, vegetables, beans Tyrosine rich foods (dark poultry, wild-caught fish) Foods to be mindful of as they might not support thyroid health Gluten containing foods (gluten containing grains contain a protein called gliadin that your body can mistake for a thyroid molecule). If your gut is leaky and gliadin gets into your bloodstream, your body sees it as an intruder and starts to produce antibodies to it. And when the antibodies are formed, they can attack your thyroid gland. Gluten can disrupt also the communication between your gut, your brain and thyroid. Focus more on gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat. Dairy (conventional dairy, where animals are raised in the factory and often fed antibiotics). If your body is inflamed and you are struggling with different aches and experiencing unhealthy thyroid symptoms, it could be good to try to be without dairy to see how your body feels. You can also try and consume only fermented dairy, such as kefir, Greek yoghurt. You can consume nut milks ( almond , coconut, cashew ) instead of cow's or goat's milk. Make sure you read the labels of these nut milk products in the store that there are no unwanted ingredients such as emulsifiers, thickeners, added sugars. Remember, that leafy greens, sesame seeds and vegetables, sardines are also a good sources for calcium. Processed sugar and sweeteners - for good thyroid health it's important to keep good blood sugar levels (spikes and dips stress your body, raise your cortisol levels and cortisol slows down thyroid). Processed oils- vegetable oils- canola, safflower, sunflower, which are unstable and can cause inflammation in the body and margarine. Coffee - it is a 'drug in a mug' and could be a stress-enhancer (depending if you are a slow or fast metaboliser of caffeine), especially if your daily life is already stressful. When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol, your thyroid function is lowered by pituitary gland because it is in survival mode. Other things to do to support thyroid health Get adequate amount of quality sleep (7-9 hours per night) Practice meditation and do breathing exercises Incorporate regular exercise and movement into your day Consider also using adaptogens , like ashwagandha Review your personal care and cleaning products to make sure you are not putting unnecessary toxins on your body or inhale them in your home Drink adequate amounts of water Incorporate self-care in your daily life Essential oils for thyroid support It's also good to use essential oils to support your thyroid. You can create a below mix in a roller bottle: 5 drops of peppermint 5 drops of lavender 5 drops of myrrh 5 drops of lemongrass 5 drops of frankincense 5 drops of clove Fill the bottle with a carrier oil of your choice (fractionated coconut, jojoba) Mix it together and roll directly on your thyroid A detox bath: Fill your bathtub with water Add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar Add 1/2 cup of baking soda Add 1/2 cup of sea salt Add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt or magnesium flakes Add a 5 drops of frankincense, grapefruit essential oils and 2 drops of rosemary essential oil Soak in the bath for 20 minutes I hope the above gives you a good overview how you can better take care of your thyroid. If you need support and guidance how to reduce inflammation in your body that affects also thyroid health, don't hesitate to contact me at info@katrinpeo.com for nutrition counseling and health coaching.

We all have a different relationship with food. Some see food as a nourishment for the body and they are focused on healthy eating. Some see food as a tool to fill the emotional holes from the past or from the present. For some, they don't think of food at all as an important fuel and eat not really thinking much what they put in the body. And then there are the ones who are obsessed with food or people who eat as a result of stress. We all have our own history and our own story to share when it comes to food and our relationship with it. I listened to a lecture at my school ( IIN ) from Geneen Roth on a relationship with food. She has so many words of wisdom to share, that I had to collect the notable ones from the talk and share them below. The way we eat is the way we live When was the last time you took careful notice about what you eat and how you eat? What do you put on your plate? How much do you put on your plate? How do you eat? Where do you eat? With whom do you eat? Is there something that you notice that you like what you do? What don't you like? What could you change? Food on your plate is what you believe about nourishment, shame, deprivation, joy- it reflects also whether your can trust yourself or not. Everything you believe about life and being alive, about what you deserve, about what enough is, about what you want is possible for you- it shows up on your plate- every time you eat. Use food as a portal to the rest of your life! Try to understand what you are eating and why you are eating specific foods. If you crave certain foods, why might you have those cravings ? Are you depriving your body from specific essential nutrients (healthy fats, protein, healthy carbs, vitamins, minerals) and could your body give you clues as cravings for specific nutrients that you are lacking in your body. Or could those cravings or eating specific foods be linked to a lack of something else in your life- like close loving relationships, fulfilling career, less stressful life, better organised finances, more peaceful home environment, better acceptance of yourself as you are etc. For every diet there is an equal and opposite binge I have not been on any restricted diet nor I believe in diets. Having learnt about the nutrition for several years now, I know there are so many things that affect your body, its size (sleep, ability to manage stress, moderate exercise, genes, what you eat, your health condition, your hormonal balance etc). It's not only food and how much you exercise. Our bodies are smart, they always want us to feel at our best and try all the time to get us back to balance. So whenever you are going on restrictive diets, your body sees this as a threat, that famine is ahead- so it holds onto its reserves (fat) so it can take care of you, so you wouldn't die. When you are restricting yourself of essential nutrient for a period of time, there is bound to come moments when you feel anxious, stressed, angry, hungry etc. Your body is lacking nutrients that it needs. It's then the wisdom to notice it and to give the body what it needs to function well. Think of food as an expression of something deeper like Geneen Roth says. Could the food that you eat, be telling you something? Could it be that it's trying to get through to you and get you to listen? Know what is enough Our idea of enough keeps getting ahead of us. Rather than focusing on what we have, we focus on what we don't have. We tend to overeat and fill something with food that cannot be filled with food or filled with anything else that is physical. The more we are able to focus on what is here and now, the happier we are. Enough is a relationship to what we already have. Appreciate what you have: take in the good Don't eat for the hunger to come, but eat for the hunger that's here. When you eat, look at your plate, taste and savour the food in your mouth. Celebrate the here and how, what you have- even the little things. As Geneen Roth suggests, think of things that are not wrong right now in your life. Think what feeds your life. It's mostly not food, but relationships, spirituality. How can we live the life today so that we can look back at the end of our lives- that we truly lived, we truly cherished the moments, we showed up for life here and today. Stop self-critisism, complaining or blaming others I think this is what we are all guilty of- complaining. Depending on what's going on in our lives or around us, we often find things to complain about. How about trying not to complain, especially about the things we can't influence or change ourselves? Could we try and catch ourselves from those complaining thoughts, before we say them? Self-critisism is another area where many of us are struggling with. Its roots could run to our early childhood and we carry those criticising feelings into adulthood. But criticising does not help, it does not get us anywhere. We should rather be curious and think where those feelings are originating from, whether they are actually real or planted within us by somebody else. Try and disengage from that inner criticising voice. Let yourself stop waiting for your life to begin When we get to the end of our lives, nobody is going to care about how much we weigh, what's our body size, how accomplished we are. You are missing your life if you are not showing up by being here and now. As Francis Chan said 'Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter'. We eat the way we live; how we eat is also how we spend time, money, love and energetic resources. Eating guidelines from Geneen Roth Eat when you are hungry. Eat what your body wants. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, and intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car. Eat until you are satisfied. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others. Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure. Thank you Geneen Roth for these words of wisdom! I hope they help readers to get another perspective on food and the relationship we have with it. If you are struggling with your relationship with food, struggle with emotional eating, don't hesitate to contact me for health coaching and nutrition counselling at info@katrinpeo.com. Learn more about my health and nutrition coaching services under Services .

I have been sprouting seeds for a while now, especially during spring, where our bodies need more boost of that new energy. But 10 days ago I took on a challenge, where I wasn't sure I would succeed. It did look too simple by the guidelines. I had failed sprouting certain seeds in the past when I tried- specifically watercress. Little did I know or thought of actually doing my research, that you can't sprout certain seeds like watercress, linseeds and chia seeds the same way as you would sprout broccoli, alfalfa, radish, fenugreek etc. You shouldn't soak watercress, linseeds ruccola seeds and chia seeds, when you want to sprout them or turn them into microgreens as they simply turn into jelly-like mixture and you can't rinse them 'dry' after that. Feel now, I had a blond moment, when I thought I could rinse the slime out of watercress when I first tried sprouting the seeds. For my challenge, I took the watercress, chia seeds and linseeds. I took a big plate, two pieces of kitchen paper and a water spray bottle. I put the two pieces of paper on the plate, sprinkled seeds on the paper, so that they were not laying on top of each other and then started just spraying the seeds three times a day for 10 days. Watercress showed the sprouts after just 2 days, which was exciting. But it took linseeds 4 days to show first signs of sprouts and chia seeds 5 days. I did have feelings of failure during the beginning days of this challenge, but all what was needed was patience. One of my virtuous that I clearly tried to cultivate with this experiment. But after 10 days I can say my efforts have bared fruit- I have a plate full of beautiful microgreens from watercress, linseeds and chia seeds that we are going to enjoy now in next coming days. I should have maybe timed it better to have this beautiful green plate to enjoy for Easter. What are microgreens? Microgreens are made from seeds that are harvested before maturation, 7 to 14 days after germination. They have intense flavour and high concentration of nutrients which easily help to boost the nutritional value of your meal. They can be grown anywhere a sunny windowsill is found. They can be added as a garnish on top of the food or form as a base ingredient in a salad. Microgreens can come from just about any herb, vegetable, making them great and versatile addition to your diet. There are many different microgreens available that you can grow year-around, below are just a few: Chia Linseed Watercress Sunflower Fennel Parsley Radish Mint Cilantro Basil Arugula (ruccola) Cabbage Carrots Mustard greens Beets Broccoli Chives What are the health benefits of microgreens? Microgreens are much more nutrient-dense than their fully grown counterparts. It's because they are able to have all the nutrients a fully grown plant has, but in a much smaller package. They provide a vast list of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and anything to 4 to 40 times more nutrients by weight than their fully crown counterparts. Microgreens: contain polyphenols (powerful antioxidants to reduce free radicals in the body) reduce chronic illness risk as they reduce inflammation in the body improve heart health, as they help to control your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides You can sprinkle microgreens on salad, soups, on sandwiches, wraps- they truly have a versatile use. How to grow microgreens? For my own experiment, to get microgreens from linseeds, chia seeds, watercress- all you need is a plate, kitchen paper and water spray bottle. See my guidelines above. Below are guidelines how to grow microgreens indoors. Photo: Pixabay 1. Spread about 2.5cm of potting soil in a shallow tray 2. Sprinkle seeds evenly over the soil. You can sprinkle more of the seeds than you would when you grow full plants as you will harvest them when they are small. 3. Sprinkle a little bit of soil on top of the seeds. 4. Use a water spray bottle to mist the top soil with water. 5. Put the tray close to the window with a natural light. 6. Mist the soil with clean water couple of times per day. 7. Once microgreens reach around 7cm, you can start harvesting them. The process takes anything from 7-14 days. I hope you are taking on a challenge for yourself to add more green to your life and start your mini microgreens growing and harvesting project at home.

If you are looking to bring more good bacteria into your gut and want to learn how to make an easy homemade yoghurt, try the below yoghurt recipe from goat milk. I used the non-pasteurised 3.2% organic goats milk . Homemade goat's milk yoghurt Makes 1l of yoghurt Ingredients 1l goat's milk yoghurt starter (I have used the Nordwise yoghurt starter ) Instructions Heat the milk on the stove at 90-95°C degrees for 10 minutes. Cool down the milk to 45°C Pour the milk into a glass jug Add one package of yoghurt starter Mix the starter well into the milk Cover and put it into a warm place (at 45°C) for 6-8h It should reach a thick consistency Enjoy with fresh raspberries, blueberries, some hemp seeds and linseeds. If you have you can top it off also with cocoa nibs. This yoghurt is packed with probiotics Lactobacillus plantarum .

This must be one of the quickest dessert recipes which is healthy and satisfies those sweet cravings. I got the inspiration from Max Lugavere . Tried and tested it at home- both the kids and husband loved them. Blueberries are filled with antioxidants, contain fibre so support your digestion, boost brain health, helps fight cancer, promote heart health, reduce inflammation in the body. I used cultivated blueberries in this recipe as this is what I happened to have in my fridge. But even better is to use the wild blueberries as they are packed even more with antioxidants. Dark chocolate improves heart health, improves your cholesterol levels, great for brain health and blood pressure, supports eye health and is filled with anti-oxidants. Opt for a dark chocolate that has 85% or more cocoa content. Chocolate blueberry clusters Ingredients A bar of dark chocolate (with 85% or more cocoa content) 2 cups of blueberries Instructions Put a half a litre of water to boil in a pot. When the water starts boiling, turn the heat down a bit. Take a bowl that fits on top of the pot Break the chocolate pieces into a bowl. Melt the chocolate until its liquid Take a bigger bowl, pour the washed (if store bought) blueberries in the bowl Pour the liquid into the bowl where you have blueberries. Mix through Take muffin paper holders, lay them on a plate and scoop the chocolate-blueberry mixture into the muffin paper holders. Put the chocolate blueberry clusters into the fridge for a few hours. You can also mix a little bit of melted coconut into the blueberry-chocolate mixture to give it a coconut taste before scooping and putting into the fridge. I am sure you can try this same recipe with other berries, such as raspberries, blackberries as well. Enjoy!

If you are someone who is or has been suffering from depression, who has cognitive issues, who has had concussions, brain surgeries and wants to support the brain better, then I have put the below article together just for you. I have been there myself. In 2001 I got from a concussion after I was literally ran over at a sports event. As an after-effect, I suffered from migraine head-aches and neck pains for months. But I recovered. Back then I did not know or think of learning how can I support my brain with recovery- instead I focused on writing my thesis as I was in my final months of graduating from the university. I managed, but there was a health cost to it. In 2018 I fell from a balancing rope straight to the back of my head on the ground, after what I was for months in pain, pressure in the head, suffering memory loss, balance issues, loss of feeling in my right arm, anxiety, depression. After MRI in spring 2019, I was diagnosed with non-communicating obstructive hydrocephalus , which required me to have a brain surgery. I decided I put my focus on learning what's out there about the brain- and what it needs to heal and function at its best. Nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress management, environmental toxins were all important factors. Below is what I did. Focus on diet and specifically on brain foods One of the best ways to improve our brain health is to improve our diet. I had been on gluten and sugar free diet since January 2017, due to Lyme disease and to lower inflammation and pain in my body. Foods that can cause inflammation in the brain are too much added sugars , trans fats (margarine), ultra-processed foods . Our gut is our second brain , what we eat directly influences how our brain functions. So I made sure I did not consume any inflammatory foods in my diet. Make sure you read the labels when you purchase packaged foods and avoid foods with long ingredient lists and any ingredient you can't recognise as food. Around 60% of our brain is made of fat, so it's crucial that we provide our brain health fats, by regularly eating foods that are rich in Omega-3. Below is what I include in my diet on a daily basis: Fatty fish (salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines) Algae Walnuts and other nuts and seeds (like Brazil nuts, pecan nuts, linseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds) Avocados Olive oil MCT oil (derived from coconut oil) and coconut oil Polyphenol rich foods (eat the rainbow of colourful vegetables, berries and fruits- green, blue, purple, red, yellow). Think blueberries, raspberries, beetroot, broccoli, paprika, lemon Eggs - make sure you eat organic pasture-raised eggs as they are higher in nutrients, especially choline which is important for brain health B-vitamin rich foods - dark green leafy vegetables Turmeric - great anti-inflammatory food for the whole body Green tea , which is calming to the brain. I consume matcha regularly, but not on a daily basis Bone broth , which is calming and healing for the gut and has a body-wide anti-inflammatory effect Dark chocolate - quality chocolate with higher than 80% cocoa content thanks to its flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties I also focus a lot on hydration- making sure I get an adequate amount of water. I have written a blog post on water, hydration, importance of electrolytes. Make sure you also filter your tap water as if they say 'if you don't filter, your body becomes the filter'. Supplements I used and some that I continue using When we are recovering from a concussion or brain surgery, it's good to incorporate additional supplements to support the healing: DHA, EPA , which you get from a good quality fish oil or krill oil B-vitamins , which help with nerve function, detoxification Magnesium (bear in mind there are different types of magnesium. You can read my article on what foods contain highest level of magnesium and what types of magnesium is good to take for what condition Vitamin D Mitochondrial supplements like CoQ10, L-carnitine- as our brains consume around 25% of the energy in our body, it's important to support the cellular energy function when your brain is healing. Medicinal mushrooms - like Lion's mane, Reishi, Cordyceps Gingko biloba - anti-inflammatory, energy and circulation boosting Make sure you get adequate amount of restorative sleep Sleep is very important to heal a broken brain. Your brain detoxifies at night, so making sure you don't eat close to bed time, don't drink alcohol, avoid blue light later in the evening- all these help with better sleep. Here is an article I go deeper into sleep and how you can improve it . Regular physical movement is a must Though I could not engage in the exercises I very much enjoyed after the head trauma and brain surgery, I did what I could. I spent and spend a lot of time walking in the nature. I also did moderate strength training and incorporated yoga on a regular basis. Avoid environmental toxins I lowered my toxic load, by using very little make-up and only on rare occasions. I also made sure I did not use any toxic cleaning products (vinegar, soda, essential oils like orange go a very long way). We used to buy bottled water, but stopped buying it and invested in water filters in our homes. Incorporate stress management activities in your daily routine Stress is something that affects our brain function at a high level- the stress often starts from the small muscles at the top of your head. There are different things you can do for self-care and stress management. Very good activities to do on a regular basis are meditation and breathing exercises , which both help to drive more oxygen to your brain, therefore also increasing nutrients delivery to brain. But also journaling and listening to relaxing music or other activities like painting, drawing, cooking, spending time with family and friends. I hope the above article gives a good start to think how you can take steps to improve your brain health, recover better from a head injury or brain surgery. If you are looking to gain more energy, have less brain fog, don't hesitate to contact me for health coaching and nutrition counselling at info@katrinpeo.com.

Our menstrual cycle can often come with stomach cramps, back pain, pain in legs, moodiness, headaches, hormonal breakouts on skin. It can be a frustrating feeling on a monthly basis. But there are a few dietary guidelines you can follow to reduce the severity of symptoms. 1. Remove highly processed foods from your daily diet This actually does not only apply to menstruating women, but really anyone. Try to observe what you eat on a daily basis, what you have in your food cupboards, fridge and freezer. How many of those foods are packaged foods, come with a long list of ingredients listed on the product label and where you can't recognise if the ingredient is actually food. Aim to eat as little as possible highly processed packaged foods and put majority of your focus on single ingredient whole-foods. Avocado does not come with an ingredient list :). 2. Choose local, organic food when possible The longer the food needs to travel to you the higher the chance the food is chemically laden and the less nutrient-tense it is. Hormones in food can lead to heavier flow, more stomach cramps, mood swings. The pesticides in food put higher burden on your liver. 3. Eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of fibre, minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients helping to reduce the symptoms of PMS. 4. Choose your proteins wisely Try and notice whether you feel better with vegetarian protein (natto, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, eggs) or animal protein (beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork). Women, who struggle with the lack of their periods might feel better incorporating good-quality animal protein in their diet. 5. Don't forget to consume adequate amounts of healthy fat If you lack high-quality fat in your diet, you might experience dry skin, hormonal imbalances, ovarian cysts, amenorrhea (lack of period), mood swings. Incorporating olive oil, avocado, walnuts, hemp seeds, coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter can all help to balance your hormones, including your female and your hunger hormones. Omega-3 are especially important and help to reduce cramping. 6. Seed cycling for better hormonal balance If you did not yet know about seed-cycling, it's also something you can try and implement into your diet to reduce pain, bloating, tender breasts, cramping etc. During the 1-14 days of your cycle (1st being the first day of your menstruation), your body needs more oestrogen. Ground pumpkin seeds and flax seeds (linseeds) are ideal for this- add them to your smoothies, salads, cooked vegetables, cooked eggs. With flax seeds, to reduce the cyanide content, it's best to boil them 5-10 minutes in the water before adding them to food. During 15-28+ days your body needs more progesterone and this is the time to consume sesame and sunflower seeds. Why do these particular seeds? Flaxseeds contain lignans, which bind to excess oestrogen in your body. They also help with hormone metabolism and hot flashes Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, which boost progesterone production, great for preparing you for the 2nd half of your cycle Sesame seeds contain lignans, which bind to excess oestrogen as well as zinc to increase progesterone production Sunflower seeds are rich in selenium to support your liver with detoxifying oestrogen If you are looking to gain better health and more balance in your life, don't hesitate to contact me for health and nutrition coaching at info@katrinpeo.com. Learn more about the health and nutrition coaching services I provide under Services .

I tried a new recipe inspired by one of my favourite nutritionists Meghan Telpner , just modified the ingredients slightly to make it less sweet and to add some sourness with berries. If you are looking to make a quick healthier dessert, which is gluten free, sugar free, dairy-free, egg-free, but still helps to satisfy your sweet tooth, give the below recipe a try. You've got to love nuts though. Creamy nutty chocolate cake Ingredients Crust 1 cup of dates (buy the soft ones) 1/2 cup of pecans 1/2 of cup of almonds 1/4 of unsweetened shredded coconut 1 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil pinch of salt Filling 1/2 of water 3/4 cup of coconut milk 2 cups of cashew nuts 1/3 cup of maple syrup 1/3 cup of coconut oil 1tsp of vanilla extract 1/2 cup of cacao powder Instructions To make the crust, coarsely chop almonds and pecan nuts. Pour them in the food processor. Add in dates (pitted), coconut, coconut oil, salt. Process until the mixture is crumbly and sticks together between your fingers. Transfer to a 22cm round pie dish (I used silicone) and press the mixture down with your fingers around the bottom and up the sides. Put aside and make the filling. To make the filling, put water, coconut milk, cashew nuts, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and cacao powder in a high speed blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie dish over the crust. Transfer to freezer to set for couple of hours. To serve, remove from the freezer, decorate with raspberries and black currants. Let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes, before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Our hormones are chemical messengers, that have a great impact on our physical, emotional and mental health. Amongst other things, they control your weight, appetite and mood. When your body is in balance, it produces the exact amount of needed hormones for various processed in your body. But when we push our bodies out of balance by eating unhealthy food, by not moving our bodies, by not getting adequate amount of quality sleep- our hormones get affected which then start to affect our bodily functions. Also, certain hormones naturally decrease as we age, making it even more important to take care of our health. But if you practice healthy lifestyle habits, including eat nutritious food, you can help your hormonal health allowing therefore you to feel and perform better on a daily basis. Signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance Hormonal imbalances can be caused by oestrogen dominance or low oestrogen, low testosterone, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, adrenal fatigue, polycystic ovarian syndrome. And as a result you can experience any of the below: Weight gain or weight loss Digestion issues Changes in appetite Depression and anxiety Fatigue Insomnia Irregular periods and infertility Hair loss and thinning of hair Low libido etc Hormone balancing habits Below I would like to share what are the natural things you can do to balance your hormones. 1. Take care of your gut and liver I have covered the importance of gut health in my various posts in the past, including about leaky gut , about our gut and brain connection etc. We have trillions of bacteria in our gut that can affect our hormone health both positively and negatively. Your gut microbiome regulates hormones by indicating to the body, whether you are full and satiated and also regulate the hormone insulin. By eating whole foods , avoiding processed foods, incorporating lots of fibre and fermented foods in your diet, consuming adequate amounts of water, keeping your stress levels down and focusing on getting enough rest and sleep- you are helping to balance your hormones. Here is my post about liver and how you can support your liver with foods to help body create and detoxify hormones from the body. Some of the foods to include in your diet on a daily basis: green leafy vegetables cruciferous vegetables, like arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, maca, cabbage avocado wild caught salmon berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries) Brazil nuts squash (like zucchini and acorn squash) fresh herbs (rosemary, cilantro, dill, basil, mint) grass-fed meat dark chocolate 2. Decrease the amount of added sugar in your diet Lowering the intake of sugar may be just what you need to do to feel better and avoid obesity, diabetes and other illnesses. Diets that are high in sugar, disrupt your gut microbiome, promote insulin resistance, reduce the hormone leptin production (which is your satiety hormone). Here is a full article on why to consider quitting added sugar for better health . 3. Eat adequate amounts of protein with your every meal Protein provides essential amino acids that our bodies can't make on our own. But your body also needs protein to produce protein-derived hormones- peptide hormones. Our endocrine glands make these hormones from amino-acids and they are important for metabolism, appetite, growth, reproduction and stress. Protein consumption affects hormones that control your appetite and food intake, communicating to your brain about the energy status in your body. Protein helps to decrease our hunger hormone- ghrelin. Here is an article of the foods that contain the highest amounts of protein . Aim to eat around 20-30g of protein at every meal. 4. Eat healthy fats Consuming healthy fats can help to reduce the appetite, lower your cortisol levels as well insulin resistance. Omega-3 fatty acids for example help to prevent your cortisol level rising during the times of stress. Here is an article to learn more about good healthy fats . 5. Get good-quality sleep You can be very healthy with your food, do lots of exercise, but if you don't get good amount of restorative sleep at night- you will set yourself up for imbalances hormones. Sleep influences insulin sensitivity, increases your cortisol levels, increases your hunger hormones and decreases your satiety hormones. Also our brain needs the different stages of sleep cycle to release growth hormone (which happens at night). Aim at least for 7 hours of sleep at night. Read more about the importance of sleep and how you can improve it from here . 6. Engage in regular physical exercise How much we move, strongly influences our hormonal health. Exercising improves the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals as well as improves our insulin sensitivity. As you know, insulin is a hormone that allows your cells to take up sugar from the bloodstream, transport to cells and to use it for energy. With insulin resistance, your body's cells stop reacting to insulin. Exercise helps to improve insulin resistance and boost levels of testosterone (our muscle-maintaining hormone) and human growth hormone. Strength training, cardio (like HIIT), walking, any physical activity that you enjoy doing and what you can be consistent with are important to add to your daily schedule. 7. Try and reduce your levels of stress Cortisol is our stress hormone, which helps our bodies to cope with stress. But when you have chronic stress, your cortisol is elevated all the time, stimulating your appetite (especially intake of high sugar and high fat foods)- which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Learn more about stress and what you can do to lower it from the following post . 8. Reduce your exposure to toxins This includes reducing the consumption of excessive alcohol and quitting smoking as well as exposure to chemicals in cosmetics, household products, pesticides sprayed on vegetables and fruits, use of plastic because of toxins like BPA, use of medications that disrupt your hormones. Opt for organic and local food where possible, read your cosmetics labels to avoid chemicals like parabens, phthalates, sodium laureth sulfate, DEA, propylene glycol etc. 9. Incorporate hormone balancing essential oils in your life Essential oils are derived from plants , are great to replace toxic body care and cleaning products in your house. Some of the hormone balancing essential oils include: clary sage, lavender, fennel, sandalwood, thyme. If you are looking to gain more balance in your life in different areas that influence our healths, don't hesitate to contact me for health coaching and nutrition counselling at info@katrinpeo.com.

The ones who are living in Estonia are probably wondering, when on earth is the warmth coming. We are in the middle on May, there is sunshine, but we have +8C to +14C outside. I am still wearing my winter clothes, just have been removing layers underneath the jacket. And I have been looking forward starting to experiment with more salads, but for some reason I am struggling to put the cold food into my body, when it's still chilly outside. So this week I have been experimenting salad soups. It's simply putting together ingredients that I would normally put into my salad and then boil some broth, boil a few vegetables in that broth, that require boiling for better digestion and finally pour the broth together with boiled vegetables on top of the salad ingredients. If you are someone who has digestive problems then raw salads might not be the best option for you. And a salad soup might just be the quick, easy, nutritious meal you need to give that warm and caring feeling to your stomach. I have made this week 3 different types of salad soups and share with you how I put together one of them (you can very easily remove or add ingredients). I just wanted to create myself a true super bowl of goodness and went all in. Salad Soup- create your own super bowl Ingredients Peeled and chopped carrot Chopped asparagus Halved Brussel sprouts Bone broth (chicken, beef, fish or vegetable depending what salad soup you want to create) Baby spinach leaves Arugula leaves Chopped Paprika Pitted olives Salmon (I did not have fresh salmon at home, so I used canned salmon in brine) Squeeze of lemon juice 1 tbsp of sauerkraut 1 tbsp of kimchi 1 tsp of umeboshi plum paste 1 tsp of tahini Sprouts (I used my own alfalfa and radish sprouts from my last sprouting) Chopped parsley and cilantro Sesame seeds Seaweed flakes Instructions See the above ingredients as an inspiration. Don't worry if you don't have some of the condiments. Put the bone broth to boil. Add in there chopped carrots, Brussel sprouts and asparagus. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Meantime put spinach, arugula, chopped paprika, olives, fish to the soup bowl. Add on top sauerkraut, kimchi, umeboshi plum paste, tahini and lemon juice. Pour the hot broth together with carrots, asparagus and Brussel sprouts on top of the salad ingredients. Sprinkle on top some sprouts, parsley, cilantro and sesame seeds. I also topped the salad soup with some seaweed flakes to add additional vitamins and minerals to my meal. A quick, easy, delicious, healthy and warming meal for our chilly windy spring days.

I, like many people I know, have been struggling with periods of anxiety and stress. And when we are stressed or anxious , we tend to forget about breathing. Yes, it's something that happens any way, but the way we breath changes when we are in a fight or flight mode. In the below article I would like to highlight the importance of deep breathing for health and give 4 easy to practice breathing exercises throughout the day. I start my mornings with these four exercises and be kind to myself. If I can manage to do 20 minutes, great. If I manage to do only 5 minutes, also good. A good tip to enhance the breathing practice further is to diffuse or apply essential oils, that ground you and reduce the feelings of anxiety - like frankincense, cedarwood, sandalwood, rosemary, vetiver, juniper berry. This is me 6am in the morning doing my breathing exercises outside. I remind myself during the day to take those deep breaths or practice the deep breathing when: I am driving (with eyes open :)) I am taking our dog out for a walk I boil water for my tea I exercise etc Why is deep breathing necessary? Breathing occurs without you having to give really thought to it. When you breath in, your blood cells get oxygen and release carbon dioxide. It's carried through your body and exhaled. When we are anxious we breath shallow and faster and often breath from the chest. Chest breathing causes an imbalance in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your body, resulting in an increased heart rate, anxiety, dizziness, tensed muscles and other physical sensations. When we breath deeply, using our belly (which is also called diaphragmatic breathing), we put our bodies in rest and digest mode, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Notice next time when you see a baby sleeping, how she/he breaths. Focused deep breathing: reduces anxiety lowers blood pressure lowers stress improves sleep promotes calmness improves concentration and focus supports a strong immune system reduces muscle tension, therefore may help with pain management helps to make it easier to fall asleep can improve your mood Belly Breathing A good starting point to put more focus on deep breathing is to practice belly breathing. We hopefully do that at night when we are in deep relaxed state of sleep. It's good to determine first whether you are using your belly or chest for breathing. Put one hand on your upper abdomen, near your waist. And put your other hand in the middle of your chest. Now take a few breaths and notice which hand raises the most. To breath properly with your belly, your abdomen should expand when you breath it and contract when you breath out. Breath in through your nose and out through your nose This breathing can be practiced anywhere and is very good to practice during the moments of stress and anxiety. It's also a good way to bring focus to the present and ground yourself here and now. Alternate-Nostril Breathing (nadi shodhana) I feel this breathing practice brings that extra needed air into my body and both hemispheres of my brain, bringing me into balance. This breathing technique involves breathing in through one nostril at a time, while blocking the other one and alternating between the nostrils. Position your index and middle finger together gently on your forehead just above your eyebrows. With your thumb close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through your left nostril. Close with your ring finger your left nostril and release your thumb from the right nostril as you breath out (you could also keep both of your nostrils closed and hold your breath for couple of seconds before you breath out). Then as you have your ring finger closing the left nostril, breath in from the right nostril, then close your right nostril with thumb, release your left nostril and breath out. Repeat 5-10 times. If you do feel a little bit lightheaded, take a break and breath normally through both nostrils. 4-7-8 breathing I learnt about this breathing technique from Dr. Andrew Weil lecture at IIN school, where I study. This is a deep breath that I have practiced in the mornings as well as when I am driving. Dr. Andrew Weil prescribes it as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Put the tip of your tongue gently behind your upper teeth against the ridge of the tissue for the duration of the breathing practice. Exhale deeply through your mouth, making a whooshing sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose while counting to 4 in your head. Then hold your breath for a count of 7. And then exhale completely through your mouth to a count of 8, making a whooshing sound. You can repeat this 5-10 times and also throughout the day (you can set yourself reminders on your phone if that helps). Dr. Joe Dispenza breathing technique I don't know if there is a specific name of this breathing technique, but I started practicing it when I wanted to find ways to support my healing from a brain surgery. I typically end my breathing practice with 5 or so below breaths. Here is a video how Dr. Joe Dispenza explains this breathing technique . Sit comfortably on the chair, on the floor, or on the meditation pillow with your back straight. You start breathing in long and slowly, tug in your perineum, then your lower abdomen, then your upper abdomen. You move your attention while still keeping your lower body pulled in and tight, to your lungs, to your throat, to your head and then above your head. You can imagine, that you are pulling the energy through your spinal fluid from your sacrum slowly up to the top of your head, while you are taking a breath in. Remember, where you put your focus is where you put your energy. And then you release and breath out. Repeat 5 times or so. If you feel dizzy, take a break and breath normally. You might want to lie down after this breathing on the floor and sense how your body is feeling and whether you notice any change in energy. There are of course many more deep breathing techniques to practice, but if you haven't put your focus on deep breathing exercises in the past, above is a good start. If you are looking to reduce stress, anxiety in your life, wanting to understand how to better support your body during stressful life, don't hesitate to contact me at info@katrinpeo.com for health coaching.

This recipe an inspiration from Julie Daniluk . I decided to add in banana, some cardamom, vanilla extract and reduce the amount of honey. You can actually omit honey altogether as the banana gives enough sweetness to the cookies. My daughter, who is often fussy with my healthy dessert recipes, says 'Mom, this tastes actually really nice!'. These cookies are gluten free, nut free, dairy-free, egg-free and refined sugar free. Hemp and banana cookies Ingredients Makes 12 cookies 2 tbsp of filtered water 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds (if you can ground them freshly, the better) 1 smaller banana, finely grated 1 cup of shredded coconut 1 cup of hemp hearts 1 tsp of ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp of cardamom 1 tsp of ground ginger 1tsp of vanilla extract 1/4 pink salt 2 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil You can add raw liquid honey as well a tablespoon if you want your cookies a bit sweeter Instructions Heat the oven to 175C degrees (350F) Mix together water and ground flax seeds and let it sit for 10 minutes. In a larger bowl mix together shredded coconut, hemp seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and salt. Mix the banana and coconut oil (plus honey if you use it) into the flax with a hand mixer and beat until smooth. Fold the above wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Take a tablespoon and scoop it on the pan on the baking sheet. You should get around 10-12 cookies from the batter. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. You can keep them also in fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. But you'll like them most probably so they won't have to stand on the counter more than couple of days and especially if you have a husband with a sweet tooth and kids. Enjoy!

Inflammation is an immune response in the body. We need it in small amounts to heal, as it helps to heal wounds, fend off bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. But if inflammation is running wild and for a long period of time, it can really cause damage to the body, leading to inflammation-related health issues, including autoimmune diseases. The challenge is that inflammation can start slowly brewing in the body without us noticing it for a while until we start to develop symptoms and will actually be diagnosed by our doctor. I have covered inflammation in one of my previous posts , how to diagnose it, what causes inflammation in the body, what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. Below I want to highlight how inflammation can affect different parts of our bodies and how it's the root cause of many health conditions. I also highlight how you might feel when you are developing inflammation and what are the things you can do to lower inflammation in the body. Cardiovascular (heart, arteries, veins) When you have inflammation in your heart, arteries or veins, it can contribute to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, anemia. Lungs Inflammation in the lungs can result in allergies and asthma. Brain Inflammation in the brain can lead to poor memory, depression, Alzheimer's, autism, multiple sclerosis. Liver Inflammation in the liver leads to an enlarged liver or fatty liver disease, which also causes an increased toxic load in your body. Kidneys Inflammation restricts blood flow to the kidneys, which can result into kidney failure, hypertension, edema, nephritis Gastrointestinal tract Inflammation damages the gut lining, leading to leaky gut , GERD, celiac disease, Chrohn's disease Thyroid Inflammation disrupts thyroid hormone function and reduces thyroid receptor count, leading to hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's. Bones Inflammation increases the bone fractures and leads to conditions like osteoporosis Skin Chronic inflammation affects both our liver and kidneys, which result in skin issues like eczema, acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea, dermatitis, wrinkles and fine lines. Learn more about how you can support your skin healing from here. How do you know you have inflammation in the body? We all have experienced acute inflammation in our bodies, if we have fallen, hit our body part against something, have burnt ourselves with heat, steam etc. We experience pain, redness, swelling in the area. But with chronic inflammation, we could experience any of the below and for a longer period of time: Fatigue- chronic inflammation messes with our hormones, specifically with cortisol and other stress hormones. It can result in constantly feeling tired, having muscle weakness, trouble falling asleep, low blood pressure. Pain- inflammation created pain in our bodies to indicate to us that there is a problem that we need to address. If you are experiencing joint pain and stiffness, that's one of the signs that inflammation in your body is high. Depression and anxiety- inflammation creates an inflammatory-autoimmune response against your brain and nervous system. This can result into brain-fog, concentration issues, attention issues. How can you decrease inflammation in the body? 1. Eat wholefoods Food can be a major contributor to inflammation. It's important to avoid the most common inflammatory foods like too much added sugar , gluten, if you are celiac or have gluten sensitivity and ultra-processed foods and consume whole foods in your diet (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, cultured dairy, wholegrains, meat and seafood). But as we are all different, foods that could be healthy for me, could be causing inflammation in your body (eggs, nuts, nightshades etc). 2. Focus on good quality sleep Read from my blog post about the importance of sleep and what can you do to improve it. 3. Practice deep breath and meditation Both of these put your body in a rest and digest mode, allowing your body to heal itself by itself. Learn more about deep breathing exercises here . 4. Reduce stress When our body is constantly in a fight or flight mode, our bodily organs are in overdrive. We don't sleep well, we don't digest our food well. Learn ways you can reduce stress from my blog how stress affects our bodies . 5. Incorporate different types of exercise Though vigorous exercise can actually trigger inflammation in the short-term, it helps to reduce it in the long-term. Choose different exercises to keep your heart racing, your muscles and joints flexible (cycling, swimming, walking, roller-blading, badminton, yoga, golf, pilates etc). If you need support and guidance how to reduce inflammation in your body with nutrition and lifestyle modifications, contact me for health and nutrition coaching at info@katrinpeo.com .

You don't need to look at the cycle of life as inevitable, that it's all doom and gloom at the end. We don't only want to add years or our life, but also add life to our years. And while our genes load the gun, the environment we create for ourselves, pulls the trigger. It's estimated that around 80% of your health and how long you live, is not genetic. You can change the rate at how you are ageing, how fast, by focusing on doing the right things. And on a high level, it's important to: Eat healthy foods Drink enough water Incorporate regular physical movement Actively manage your stress levels Get adequate amount of quality sleep Make sure you stay social and foster good friendships throughout your life How can you support longevity and slow down ageing? Intermittent fasting, time restricted eating, fasting Fasting turns on longevity pathways. Practising intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating, fasting can all support the cell regeneration. You can learn more about intermittent fasting from this post . Women should take their hormones into consideration when fasting- read more here . I typically tell my clients, that everyone benefit from going without food 12h a night, for example from 7pm till 7am next morning. Physical movement As we age, we start to loose muscle and gain fat. It's important to do regular exercise to keep muscles engaged. The choices are wide and it's important to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Prioritise sleep When we sleep, our body and mind, detoxifies and regenerates itself. Learning ways to improve your sleep, if you are struggling with it, is paramount for health, strong immune system. Learn more about the tools for better sleep here . Keep your blood sugar levels balanced Any food we eat raises our blood sugar, but some foods like sugar, starches affect our blood sugar much more than other foods. An easy way to help to keep your blood sugar in balance and avoid steep blood sugar spikes is to eat your foods during your meals in the right order: 1. vegetables 2. protein 3. fats 4. starches and sugars Learn more about blood sugar balance and why it's important for your health and lowered inflammation levels in your body . Focus on lowering your stress levels Whether it's by practicing deep breathing , meditation, spending more time with your family and friends, spending more time in the nature, incorporating fun and revitalising activities in your life. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. Expose yourself to a extreme temperatures- hot and cold One of the activities to include in your daily or weekly regimen is to either have cold showers, do ice-baths, practice cold-water swimming, go to sauna and jump into snow or ice-hole etc. Exposing your body to extreme temperatures creates hormesis, where body feels uncomfortable, so it needs to fight back, making it more resilient. Eat the right foods Certain food groups are inflammatory for the body, such as sugar, processed carbohydrates, processed cooking oils, gluten. Focus on eating the fresh whole foods, specifically vegetables, berries, fruits, beans, lentils, fish, nuts and seeds. Below are some of the more specific foods and drinks that are studied to support cardiovascular health, bone health, gut health, skin health and cognitive function, which you can incorporate into your diet to improve health and longevity: Blueberries (for their cognitive benefits and reducing cellular damage) Bone broth - important for digestion, bone health Turmeric Dark chocolate - rich is flavonoids and polyphenols Avocado - contains phytochemicals, keeping your arteries healthy and young Figs Nuts (slow cognitive decline and great for improved heart health and reduction of type 2 diabetes) Medicinal mushrooms Salmon - helps to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease triglycerides Maca (balances hormones like testosterone, oestrogen, progesterone) Green tea (like matcha ) Below is a list of anti-aging supplements, which you can also get either from food, from herbs, through exercising, through fasting: CoQ10 (organ meats, fatty fish (herring, sardine, mackerel, trout), sesame seeds, pistachios, strawberries, oranges, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, beef, chicken, lentils) Omega 3 Fatty Acids (fish and seafood, nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds) Resveratrol (found in grape skins, red wine, cocoa, berries (blueberries, cranberries) Quercetin (citrus fruits, apples, onions, sage, parsley, red wine, tea, grapes, dark cherries, blueberries, blackberries) Vitamin D (salmon, trout, mushrooms, egg yolk, canned tuna, sardines, Swiss cheese, cod liver oil) Vitamin K2 (egg yolk, beef liver, butter, sauerkraut, hard cheese, eel, natto, chicken, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, Swiss chard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, prunes, kiwi) Vitamin C (Acerola cherries, Camu camu berries, Amla berries, rose hip, chili peppers, , sweet yellow peppers, blackcurrants, cantaloupe, parsley, kale, kiwis, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lemons, papayas, strawberries etc) Magnesium (spinach, kale, chard, black beans, almonds, cashews, potatoes, pumpkin seeds, avocados, bananas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dark chocolate, tofu, salmon, mackerel etc) Selenium (Brazil nuts, fish, pork, beef, turkey, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, baked beans, mushrooms, oatmeal, spinach, lentils, bananas etc) Zinc (oysters, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, red meat, legumes, cashews, cheese, eggs, quinoa, oats, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, dark chocolate etc) Vitamin B12 (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, liver, kidneys etc) Curcumin (turmeric) Berberine (goldenseal, barberry, Oregon grape) Sulforaphane (broccoli, pak choy, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower) Astralagus NAD+ (also through exercise and fasting) Though we can't outrun the time, as you have learnt above, there are things we can do to support our longevity and slow down our ageing. If you are looking to achieve a better health and nutrition and need a coach who can be your support and guide on the side, don't hesitate to reach out to me at info@katrinpeo.com.

This fudge recipe is from Mary Shenouda , who calls it a phat fudge. It helps to provide instant and sustained energy, focus, memory, fight inflammation and is a natural fat burner. Plus it satisfies your sweet tooth, though there is very little sweetener in there. I used the ingredients from the original recipe, but chose to add some cocoa nibs, walnuts, goji berries and hemp seeds for decoration. I also believe you can replace tahini with sunflower seeds butter, cashew butter, almond butter- if you don't like sesame seeds. Though there is a reason why Mary Shenouda used tahini in this recipe- it has protein, fat, carbs, fibre, thiamine, vitamin B6, manganese, phosphorus (last two are important for bone health). Thiamine and B6 are important for energy production. 50% of the fat in tahini comes from monounsaturated fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory. Tahini is also rich in antioxidants (lignans), helping to fight with inflammation and may offer anticancer effect. Maca is rich in antioxidants, improves memory, enhances energy and mood, improves sexual health, boosts fertility and balances oestrogen levels. It contains protein, carbs, fat, fibre, vitamin C, copper, iron, potassium, vitamin B6, manganese, niacin, calcium, riboflavin. Fat fudge Makes 25 or so fudge pieces depending on the silicone mould you use. Ingredients 1 cup of tahini 1 cup of butter or ghee 1/4 cup of cacao 1tbsp of turmeric 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon 1/2 tbsp of maca powder 3 tbsp of raw honey 1tsp of vanilla 1/8 of cayenne pepper Instructions Melt the butter in a pot in a low heat, add more tahini, then honey and then rest of the ingredients. Mix well and pour with a spoon into the moulds. Freeze for 2 hours. You can keep them in the freezer or fridge and just take out a piece, when you need just something to get your energy going before exercise or if you want to have that little something after your meal. My teenager son approved the fat fudge and asked for more. Let me know in the comments below what you thought of it after you tried making it.

Spruce tips are one of my childhood memories as our grandparents farmhouse was surrounded by tall spruces, so in spring, early summer we were munching away on sour spruce tips. Little did we know, that they had so many health benefits. So my father asked me this weekend if I wanted to pick some spruce tips as they have a spruce hedge next to their house. They had themselves made some spruce tips syrup and apparently it was very good. So, I thought why not explore and try the different ways how to use them in food. What are spruce tips and why to eat them? The spruce buds are the tips of the spruce branches that emerge in Estonia spring, early summer and they have this beautiful fresh green colour. Spruce tips have several health benefits, they: are high in Vitamin C (fresh or dried) are rich in magnesium and potassium contain carotenoids, which enhance your immune system contain chlorophyll, which is good for healing and growing tissue, healing wounds they help to relieve sore throat and cough transport oxygen to cells, therefore boosting energy help with weight loss as help to control blood sugar balance help to control cravings relieve constipation and gas bonds poisonous metals in your body What are the ways to consume spruce tips? You can eat them raw as they are or freeze them for winter to add into food. You can add them into smoothies- a little goes a long way. I created a smoothie from avocado, banana, kiwi and added couple of spruce tips. You can add them into salad You can make a pesto out of them (I used basil leaves, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, spruce tips (little goes a long way), olive oil, salt, pepper). You can use them as a flavour for your water You can use dried spruce tips for the tea You can make syrup out of the spruce tips and use it as a sweetener in tea, drizzle it on pancakes, in a greek yoghurt, drizzle over soft cheese (like goat cheese), use as a glaze on meats. I tried and made syrup ready to be used immediately. And I also tried something different- where I mixed the spruce tips and coconut sugar together and letting it now to stand and mature in the sun for a month- let's see whether and what comes out. It's said, that you get a very flavoursome syrup out of spruce tips giving it time to do it's job. I hope you'll get inspiration from this post and give the spruce tips a try.