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Autumn with its first chilly days, trees changing colours, the morning fog and dew call you to go inward, reach for warming foods and generally slow down with cooking in the kitchen- especially during the weekend. And since autumn for me has also been the pumpkin season, I am incorporating more dishes with pumpkin, butternut into our menu. Today I made some butternut squash and portobello mushroom risotto, which does take a little bit of time to prepare but is well worth the effort. Butternut squash and mushroom risotto For 5 people Ingredients 1 medium butternut squash 2 big garlic cloves 1.5 cup of risotto rice 1l of chicken bone broth 4 medium sized portobello mushrooms, sliced 2 tbsp of tamari sauce (this is a gluten free version of soy sauce) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 branch of rosemary finely chopped 150g of pecorino cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste Chopped parsley for garnish Instructions Heat the oven to 180C degrees (356F). I use the roasting function of the oven. Cut the butternut into 1 cm slices and then half them. I don't peel them before cooking as the peeling is rather difficult. But you can do that if you want to. I peel the butternut after cooking and remove the seeds before the cooking. Put the butternut pieces on the oven pan and also put the two gloves with the peel on. Sprinkle a little bit of olive oil and sea salt on the butternut pieces and mix with your hands. Spread the pieces out on the pan and put in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. At the same time fry the finely chopped onion with ghee or butter on the pan until golden, then add the risotto rice and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the rice and cook on a medium heat, stirring from time to time. In a separate pan add a little bit of ghee and fry the portobello mushrooms. Add tamari sauce and a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Once the butternut is ready, take it out from the oven. Cool it down and then remove the skin from the butternut pieces and chop into smaller pieces. Mix into the rice. Also, remove the garlic from the peel and mix the soft garlic pieces into the risotto. Then add the grated pecorino cheese, finely chopped rosemary and grind some fresh pepper and sea salt into the risotto. Scoop the risotto into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve. Enjoy!

I have been asked many times what is it exactly that I am doing, what is integrative nutrition health coaching. So I thought I'll bring more clarity around this to a wider audience. Photo by Portraits by Katery What does an integrative nutrition health coach do? I am a wellness guide and a supportive mentor for people looking to improve their health or wanting to achieve specific health goals. I empower clients to choose health-promoting behaviours that work for them. I am guiding people through the too many dietary guidelines and diets in the world, help them to discover the way of healthy eating that works for them and also that works with their lifestyle. It's very much a bio-individual approach towards every person as we all have different backgrounds where we come from, how we were brought up, how was our diet and how is our diet today, health challenges in the past and present, physical movement practices we engage in on a regular basis, our emotional needs etc. Health coaching is definitely NOT about one diet or one way of living. I raise awareness and offer support as clients move in their own bio-individual ways- I help to make connections, identify patterns, shift limiting beliefs using a growth mindset. I coach clients to be experts on themselves and find their own answers. Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) where I studied for a year, emphasises that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness. I am helping my clients to discover how to fuel their bodies, live a healthy lifestyle, and how to become the happiest, healthiest versions of themselves by discovering exactly what works for them. I consult clients all around the world, in English or in Estonian. What IIN also taught me to discover both about myself and my clients, was that there are things that feed us on the plate (which is what we eat and drink and what IIN calls secondary food) and off the plate (relationships, physical activity, social life, spirituality, career, finances, joy, home environment, home cooking, and what IIN calls primary food). And it's in many cases where the primary food is much more important to focus on and improve in order to heal. How do I work with clients? When a potential client reaches out to me, first I get the client to fill in a registration form, that gives me an overview of the current and past health challenges, the habits related to health (stress, sleep, exercise, alcohol, cigarettes), briefly the daily schedule and reasons the client contacted me. I also request the client to keep a food diary for 3-5 days so I get a better understanding of the current nutrition. Then we schedule a first session together either online (Zoom, Google Meet) or face to face. The first session takes anything from 60 minutes to 90 minutes . I will provide feedback to the client about their current nutrition based on their current energy needs, which is influenced by weight, exercise, age, goals etc. We focus in that session also on the goal the client has and what are the one to two activities the client can do around nutrition and health to get closer to that goal. If the client has multiple aspects in the nutrition and health they want to improve and they know they need support and guidances, they can choose to sign up for my 3-month or 6 month nutrition and health coaching program . In the 3-month and 6-month program I would meet virtually or physically twice a month with a client for 45 minutes, where the client tells me what they want to focus on around their nutrition, health and goals, what has been going well and in every session client chooses after our session 1-2 new healthy habits from our discussion to implement during the upcoming 2 weeks. I also provide supporting materials, recipes, links to read further, what's needed to support the client. Client can definitely extend the program after 3 or 6 months to another 3 or 6 month program if they feel they need further support and guidance. With the majority of my clients, they come to me with a goal to improve their nutrition, loose weight, heal their relationship with food, heal their digestion issues or hormonal issues, improve their sleep, improve their skin etc. I often recommend the client also to go and get their most important blood markers tested through their primary healthcare practitioner, family doctor or go directly to the laboratory (like Synlab in Estonia), so client knows where their current health is at and then retest after several months when they have implemented healthier eating and lifestyle habits. Depending on the client, I'll also bring in after couple of sessions the primary food areas and I get the client to evaluate where they are at in the areas of relationships, physical activity, home environment, home cooking, career, finances, social life, joy, spirituality and we'll see together how to bring more balance into these areas. If a client wants to make healthier food choices in the grocery store and wants advice on what to buy in the store, what not to buy, how to read the ingredients and nutritional information on the packages, we can make a trip to the store or the market together, where I can advise on what is important to focus on when buying food and how to make healthy choices in the grocery store. As an nutrition councelor and integrative nutrition health coach, my passion is really to be there for the client, to actively listen, to look at my client holistically, to support and to guide my client towards the best and healthiest version of themselves. If the above is something that raises interest in you, whether you want to improve nutrition, have health goals you want to reach (or know someone who could benefit from a nutrition councelor and health coach), don't hesitate to reach out to me. You can contact me via e-mail at info@katrinpeo.com or reach out to me via Facebook Messenger or Instagram . Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

I have been posting a few recipes for muffins in the past, like these autumn inspired muffins , macadamia and cashew nut muffins , or these blueberry muffins and pumpkin muffins . Muffins are an easy breakfast when you have kids and also a good snack to give kids along, when they need to have extra energy before their sports activities. One of the reasons my kids are waiting for winter is because of gingerbread cookies. So I thought I'll bring them the taste of gingerbread into autumn and baked some apple sauce and gingerbread muffins. These are gluten and sugar free, getting the sweetness from the apple sauce, a little bit of honey and maple syrup. Apple gingerbread muffins Makes 12 Ingredients 3/4 cup of millet flour 3/4 cup gluten free oats flour ( I buy these and mill them in the coffee grinder) 1/4 cup sunflower seed flour (I grind sunflower seeds in the coffee grinder) 1tsp of baking soda 1tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp of cardamon 1tsp of cinnamon 1/2 tsp of ground ginger 1/2 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp of ground glove 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds Pinch of salt 4 tbsp of almond flakes 1 cup of apple sauce (I gut 6 apples up, removed the core, gut the apple pieces into smaller pieces, put them in a pot, with a little bit of water- and boiled for 10 minutes until apples were soft. Then I blended with a high-speed blender into smooth apple sauce). 2 eggs 2 tbsp of maple syrup 1tbsp of honey 1/4 cup of blackstrap molasses (I did not add it this time, but you can add if you want your muffins sweeter and darker in colour). 1tbsp of apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup of coconut oil Instructions Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease the muffin pan with coconut oil or butter. Put the muffin liners in the holes. First start with making the apple sauce as per instructions above. I do not peel the apples if they are local and organic as peels contain several important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, C and K, calcium, potassium. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Whip the eggs and add in maple syrup, honey, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and also the apple sauce. Mix well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scoop the mixture into the muffin liners and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. You can scoop some greek yoghurt or spread some soft goat's cheese on muffins. Enjoy the taste of winter!

This is a smoothie perfect to drink during autumn and winter- it can be drank room temperature or slightly warmed up as it contains those lovely warming spices, like ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Plus it's filled with vitamins minerals, good dose of fibre and good fat- and very soothing for the gut. Pumpkin spice smoothie Ingredients 1 1/2 cup of almond milk (make sure it contains only almond paste, water and sea salt. I buy this one in Estonia .) 1/2 cup of coconut milk 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (I made a bigger batch of oven baked pumpkins the other evenings and using it for different recipes) 3 Medjool dates, pitted ( I buy these ones in Estonia ) 1/4 cup of hemp hearts (leave a little bit for serving). I buy these in Estonia . 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (leave a little bit for serving) 1/4 tsp of ginger 1/4 tsp of cardamom pinch of clove powder (I use coffee grinder to grind clove) pinch of grated nutmeg 1tsp of vanilla extract 1 tbsp of collagen powder (optional, but a good way to get protein in) Instructions Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. You can then serve it as is from the glass and topped with cinnamon and hemp seeds or warm it up to your preferred temperature. Enjoy!

I hardly know any woman in my age who has not had urinary tract infection (UTI) in their life. Many of us end up having them on a frequent basis. Having been there myself, I want to share my learnings over the years and what I have learnt from functional medicine doctors and other health practitioners around UTIs. I hope the below helps women to consider different ways for healing from UTIs or at least have conversation with their doctor to talk about different solutions. Types of UTIs There are different types of UTI: urethritis and cystitis. Urethritis is an infection in the urethra, which can cause nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper back and side, shaking and chills, high fever. Both bacteria like E.coli and viruses can cause urethritis. Cystitis is a bladder infection, which is a lower urinary tract infection. You may experience discomfort in your lower stomach, pelvic pain, blood in urine, painful and frequent urination. Bladder infection occurs when the bacteria is present in urine. Since your organs are all connected, bacteria can also travel up and affect the kidneys. You may experience burning sensation when urinating and discharge. What are the causes of UTIs There are several factors that increase the risk of developing UTIs. Having the knowhow what causes it, can help to prevent them in the future. Why do women get UTIs more frequently than men? Women have much shorter urethra than men, therefore the bacteria can end up in the urinary tract and blood. 90% of the infections related to bladder, kidneys, urethra are related to E. coli bacteria, which lives normally harmlessly in our intestines, both in humans and animals. The problem is when the bacteria gets from the bowels into the urinary tract. Birth control pills (because how oestrogen affects the pH) and antibiotics taken in life shift the urinary pH and the intestinal pH, which has a big impact on urinary tract and bladder, allowing the bacteria more easily to grow. Sexual intercourse and spermicidal contraceptives. Sexual activity can move bacteria from vaginal cavity into the urethral opening. After intercourse most women have a significant number of bacteria in their urine and though body tries to get rid of the bacteria via urine, some of the bacteria may remain and cause infection. Spermicides and condoms may irritate the skin and increase the growth of bacteria in surrounding tissues. Catheters- when you need to have a catheter placed, it can develop biofilm on catheter allowing for bacteria to develop and cause an infection Pregnant women are more prone to having UTIs- often women develop their first UTI during their pregnancy because of the hormonal changes and the shifts in the position of the urinary tract Having a suppressed immune system puts you at higher risk developing UTI, because your body is not able to fight off the bacteria that well People with diabetes, where body's ability to control blood sugar is impaired, also increases the risks for developing UTIs What are the symptoms of UTI? They can be extremely uncomfortable and may include: painful urination pressure or burning sensation in the bladder a need to urinate more frequently abdominal pain fatigue and weakness strong-smelling pee urine that's cloudy or appears bright pink or red How is UTI diagnosed? You can easily do a home test with urinary test strips, where you can see elevated nitrites and leukocytes with UTI. Sometimes, especially if you have had reoccurring UTIs, your doctor might order a urine test, where the lab actually analysis the different bacteria in your urine and also see the severity of the bladder infection. Treatment of UTIs Conventional treatment for UTIs Unfortunately, the most common treatment for UTIs is antibiotics. In Estonia, where I live, doctors I have been to also recommend to drink uva ursi tea, take d-mannose, drink more water or recommend some other over the counter supplements, like Soluro Duo . But often women end up being prescribed antibiotics. The down-side of antibiotics is that, it might help you in the short-term, but the more frequently you have UTIs, the harder it is to have the infection cured with antibiotics and often you are being prescribed different antibiotics as the one that you took before, might not work. And over time you can start to experience antibiotics resistance, which means the bacteria (E.coli, the primary bacteria responsible for the UTIs), is able to defeat the drug designed to kill them. Every time you go on antibiotics, you damage your gut microbiome (reducing the good flora in your intestinal tract), your mitochondria (your body's cells powerhouses) and the microbiota in your vaginal cavity. Antibiotics can also cause yeast infections as when good bacteria is wiped out, it's harder to keep the yeast under control. So then doctor might prescribe you anti-fungal after an antibiotic. And you end up on this reoccurring UTI rollercoaster ride. How to treat UTIs naturally? There are several home remedies for UTIs you can try to stop the invasion of bacteria becoming a reoccurring problem and things you can do to avoid UTIs in the first place. I am going to list here different things you can try. And based on experience, I would really recommend you try the natural remedies first before deciding together with the doctor whether you need antibiotics. Sometimes the infection is so severe, that going on a course of antibiotics is necessary, but definitely worth to try other non-invasive remedies first. And if you have gut issues as well and you are aware of your diet not being clean, where you eat sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, processed foods on a regular basis- it's best to work together with a functional doctor, nutritionist, health coach to improve with you diet and lifestyle. Drinking adequate amount of water , herbal tea, which helps to flush the bacteria out from your body Urinating often and when the urge rises Urinating after sexual intercourse Wiping properly from front to back when going to toilet- this is a good tip to teach to young girls from an early age Wear loose-fitting clothes, allowing the area around urethra to stay dry (tight jeans, nylon underwear can be problematic. Also don't use perfumed pantyliners if using any) Avoid using spermicides and use lubricated condoms that don't contain spermicides Taking D-mannose Consuming probiotic food and/or taking good quality probiotic Using vaginal probiotics to improve the microflora and avoiding bubble baths and irritating soaps in the genital area. Drinking uva ursi tea or taking uva ursi tincture Drinking parsley tea Eating cranberries Eating garlic as it's antimicromial and anti-inflammatory Consuming ginger in your drink or food Eating parsley Drinking non-sweetened pure cranberry juice, diluted with water Taking Echinacea or Pau D'arco to improve the immune system Eating regularly foods high in vitamin C or taking Vitamin C supplement (makes urine more acidic) Making sure you avoid sugary processed foods and drinks, high carbs in your diet, alcohol Avoid getting cold on your feet, lower back and stomach area Reducing stress Improving sleep Always discuss the birth control options with your gynaecologist, as birth control pills which are often prescribed can cause issues and imbalances in the gut, causing bloating, diarrhoea, constipation etc. Using antibacterial essential oils diluted with carrier oil, topically- oregano, clove, myrrh, rosemary, basil Foods that help healing from UTIs- bone-broth , chicken, cranberries, wild-caught salmon, coconut, blueberries, dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, celery, radishes, pumpkin, parsley, beans, lentils, seaweed, rice etc. Gut connection with UTIs If you have bacteria or yeast imbalances in the urinary tract or vaginal tract, you probably have issues in the digestive tract. You might want to look deeper into intestinal tract, if you have any underlying issues there. By fixing the gut, you help to improve the immune system in the vaginal area as well. Best is to find a functional medicine doctor in your area, who can help to dial in deeper into the underlying causes of the UTI, by also doing stool test, organic acid test etc. Uncomplicated UTIs usually resolves within days, especially if you follow the above recommendations. However, if you are experiencing severe symptoms or have reoccurring UTI, it's best to talk to your healthcare provider. If you need help and guidance on how to improve your diet and lifestyle, don't hesitate to reach out to me for personalised nutrition counselling and health coaching at info@katrinpeo.com .

I am struggling to find good quality bars on the market, that I can buy for my kids, that are a good source of protein and energy at the same time- and which are a good healthy snack between their school and daily sports activities. So I am experimenting now creating my own bars. It will take some practice, especially if kids have different preferences for ingredients and flavours. And of course these can be used by grownups as well as a snack before and after exercise. The inspiration for these bars came from a lovely woman named Michelle from my IIN coaching circle group. Almond butter protein and energy bars Makes 15 square bars Ingredients 1 cup of chopped dates ( I have bought these ones in Estonia)- remove the pits 1/2 cup of oats ( I buy these in Estonia) 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/2 tsp of sea salt 1/2 cup of almond butter ( I bought this one - yes you can make almond butter with a good quality high-speed food processor yourself) 1/4 cup of protein powder (you can use clean pea protein, hemp protein, I used this time Sunwarrior Vanilla protein ). If you use unflavoured protein, you can taste the mixture and see if you would want to add a 1 tbsp of honey. Instructions First blend the pitted dates in the food processor until smooth. Add finely chopped nuts, coconut, cinnamon, salt, almond butter and protein powder. Blend until all ingredients are properly mixed together. Line a square or rectangular baking dish or a bowl with parchment paper. Spread mixture into dish and press down to even layer. Let the mixture cool in fridge 1-2 hours till its firm. Take it out from the fridge, take the mixture together with parchment out from the dish and cut into square or rectangular bars. I wrapped them in smaller parchment paper for kids to be able to easily take them with to school. I store the bars in fridge.

I am always looking for options to broaden the healthy nutritious breakfast options for my family. And since pears are still in season and I happened to pick quite a few of them from our garden couple of days, I thought I'd try and make a pear bread using one of my banana bread recipe as a basis but making modifications to the recipe where needed. I do have times when my creativity around baking does not end with the result I expected, but this time I did not fail. Pears have high amounts of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, copper, potassium, boron. They also contain antioxidants, especially in the skin- therefore I do not peel the pears when using them in food. If you have constipation, struggle with high cholesterol, you want to strengthen your heart health and nourish the skin.- then pears are a good addition to your diet. Healthy gluten-free pear bread Makes 10 thick slices Ingredients 6 medium sized pears (use local organic or home grown if possible) 1/2 cup of butter 2 eggs 1 tbsp of honey (melt it in a very low temperature, (don't boil it)- to turn it into a liquid 1 cup of almond flour 1 cup of millet flour 1tsp of baking powder 1/4 tsp of baking soda 3/4 tsp of sea salt 1/2 cup of buttermilk Squeeze of lemon 1/3 cup of mulberries (you can also use raisins) Handful of pecan nuts, chopped 1tbsp of cocoa nibs (you can also omit if you don't like chocolate) Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 180C degrees (350F). Wash and grate the pears with skin on, discarding the inner part with seeds. If you don't have access to organic local pears, peel the pears. Save 2 pear for the top. Squeeze a little bit of lemon, to avoid the browning of the pears. Mix well. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the melted honey. Then add in 2 eggs and mix thoroughly together. In a separate bowl mix together almond flour, millet flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Then pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Add in the buttermilk and finally chopped mulberries, chopped pecan nuts and cocoa nibs. Grease your bread mold or pan and pour the mixture in there. Gut the one pear you left for decoration into pieces and lay them on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 1h. Remove from the oven, cool down, slice and enjoy on its own or top it with a tablespoon of greek yoghurt, coconut yoghurt. You can also add some berries, like raspberries, blueberries.

Beets are filled with phytonutrients called betalains that support liver detoxification. They contain fibre and vitamins and minerals like folate, manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and iron- all important for heart health, bone health, brain health, energy production etc. Beet kvass is a probiotic drink, similar to kombucha or coconut water kefir - a perfect blood tonic and an excellent liver cleanser. Probiotics are important for our gut health, to increase the quantity of good bacteria. Beet kvass is made similarly to making sauerkraut , pickles, where you ferment beets in slightly salted brine for a few days. The taste is similar to fermented vegetables- lightly sour, a little bit sweet and salty. Easy beet kvass recipe Makes approx 500ml Ingredients 2 cups of cubed beets 2 tbsp of juice from your sauerkraut or other fermented vegetable. You can also add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (make sure you use the one with 'mother' in it) 1/2 tbsp of sea salt or Himalayan salt 2 cups of filtered water I like to add boosters like grated fresh ginger and fresh turmeric when making the beet kvass. Instructions Wash the beets and place them in a 1l (1 quart) glass jar. Add the fermented vegetable juice or apple cider vinegar, together with the salt. If you like ginger and turmeric, add these grated in in there as well (a thumb size grated or so). Cover with a cheesecloth or with a coffee paper filter an an elastic band. Leave on the counter or in a warm place at room temperature for 2 days. Consume 1/4 cup or so daily as a blood tonic and to support your liver health. Stores in the fridge for 6-8 weeks. You can also mix some raisins or strawberries in there, or add some mint leaves for additional flavour. Don't discard the beets, you can use them as a nice garnish together with steamed greens to add some tangy flavour.

Food is information for our body cells, it either helps to fight inflammation or feed inflammation in the body. We need to know that not all food sold in the grocery store is food- edible and nutritious. As a consumer it's important to have the knowhow how to shop for your groceries, how to make the best choices for your own health and your family's health. Here are a few guidelines, if you want to shop mindfully in the grocery store: a simple first tip to follow is to purchase single ingredient food products: vegetables, fruits, plain fish, plain meat, eggs, raw nuts and seeds, legumes (beans, lentils), extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil etc. Avocado does not come with a food label. a second good rule to follow is to always read the product label: if the label has ingredients you don't recognise as food, don't buy it- your body does not know either what to do with it, how to digest it and will do what it can to protect you (cause inflammatory response to the foods). Ingredients to avoid: shortening, sodium nitrates, sodium nitrites (in processed meats- bacon, sausages, ham), MSG (monosodium glutamate), artificial colours (red 40, blue 1, yellow 5 etc), guar gum (in ice creams, salad dressings, non-dairy milk products, sauces, soups), carrageenan (in almond milk, ice cream, vegan cheese), sodium benzoate (in pickles, fruit juice, salad dressings, condiments), xanthan gum (in sauces, salad dressings, soups, syrups), artificial flavours, yeast extract etc. foods are listed in the ingredients list based on their amounts in that produced food, so if the sugar is listed first, that product contains the most sugar etc. check the sugar content in the packaged food. On the product label, first check the grams of sugar. Then if there is any fibre listed, subtract the fibre amount from the sugar amount. Only then you get the sugar amount in that food. And remember 4g of sugar equals 1tsp of sugar. A tub (for example 370g of wild strawberry Greek yoghurt can have 11g of sugar per 100g, which makes it around 33g of sugar for the tub, which is 8 tsp of sugar per the yoghurt tub, if you ate the whole tub at once). the longer the ingredients list, the better to put that food back to the shelf, especially if majority of the ingredients listed are unrecognisable. Inflammation is at the root cause of every chronic degenerative disease, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis etc. We all have some level of inflammation, important is that we keep our inflammatory levels in the body under control. Keeping inflammation in check, helps to make sure, our pathogens load is low and chances to get infections is low. Chronic inflammation does not happen over night, but is developing over months or years of practicing inflammatory lifestyle. When inflammation gets out of control from the food we eat, from stress, environmental toxins- then we drive up inflammation in the body where we affect different parts of our body systems, including: the digestive tract (digestive problems, constipation, bloating, diarrhoea, heartburn) the brain and nervous system (brain fog, anxiety, depression, poor memory) the immune system (causing in the long-run autoimmunity- IBS, Multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, skin conditions) the detoxification system (including kidneys, liver, gallbladder, lymphatic system)- causing waste buildup in the system, swelling, frequent rashes the endocrine system (affecting thyroid, adrenal glands, sex glands- thinning of hair, dry skin, weak nails, mood swings, low sex drive, irregular periods the blood sugar/insulin system (managed by pancreas, liver and cellular insulin receptor sites. Inflammation here can cause unstable blood sugar, which could lead to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, weight gain) the structural and musculoskeletal system (joins, muscles, connective tissue)- inflammation can cause joint pain, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, joint stiffness. Apart from the ingredients to avoid listed above, below are foods you want to avoid in your diet in order to keep the inflammation at bay: Sugar, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup You are really supposed to have not more than a teaspoon of sugar in your blood stream at all times. When your sugar goes up too high in your blood- it starts to damage tissues and cause oxidative stress. Sugar is rusting you from the inside out, accelerating the ageing process. High blood sugar also throws out a lot of insulin, which is a fat storage hormone- so it stops fat burning process in your body. You can read more about the sugar and different forms of sugar from this post , also what natural sweeteners can you use instead to bring sweetness to your diet. Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, suclarose, acesulfame K, saccharin etc, are all disruptive to your microbiome, killing good bacteria in your gut. They are very often added to protein powders, protein bars, sugar-free candies, chocolates etc. High-fructose corn syrup increases the risk for fatty liver disease. Fructose does not cause the insulin increase in the blood, but goes straight to the liver, where liver needs to metabolise it- it increases your LDL cholesterol level, your triglycerides, uric acid levels, blood pressure. Trans fats Avoid also trans fats, processed /hydrogenated vegetable oil or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (these are artificially made fats), which promote inflammation. All fats we consume they get into our cell membranes, which are important for our hormonal health. Poor fats lower our resistance against viruses and also cause insulin resistance. Trans fats can be found in baked goods (cookies, pies, doughnuts, potato chips, frozen pizza, refrigerated dough, french fries etc.).   You can read my post about healthy fats here . Processed meat Processed meat is any meat that's smoked, salted, cured, canned, dried in order to enhance its flavour and extend shelf life. This includes bacon, salami, cured ham, beef jerky, ham, sausage etc. Refined carbohydrates Refined carbohydrates, which are carbs with fibre not present, like white flour, white pasta, white rice, white bread, pastries are stripped from vital vitamins and minerals, therefore opt of wholegrain where possible. Focus on consuming whole foods, with some examples below, to help lower inflammation in your body: Vegetables: broccoli, beets, cabbage, asparagus, bell peppers, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, garlic, cucumber, onions, ginger, etc. Fruits: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, limes, lemons, oranges, pears, apples, pomegranates, watermelon, etc. Legumes: white beans, black beans, kidney beans, Azuki beans, pinto beans, lima beans, chickpeas, lentils Mushrooms: shiitake, porcini, medicinal mushrooms etc. Nuts: walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecan nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts Seeds: hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds Whole grains: quinoa, buckwheat, millet, brown rice, black rice, amaranth Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, MCT oil, grass-fed butter (if lactose is tolerated). Note that fats have different smoking points, so best to enjoy extra-virgin oils (extra-virgin olive oil, extra-virgin coconut oil, extra-virgin avocado oil) raw and use avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee for cooking Dairy: kefir, goat milk, goat cheese, Greek yogurt, raw milk (if you are not lactose or casein intolerant). Better to focus on goat's milk products as it's better tolerated. Fish: wild-caught salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, herring Meat: grass-fed beef, lamb, venison, wild game Poultry: organic chicken, turkey, duck, goose Eggs: cage free organic Herbs and spices: basil, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, black pepper, oregano, clove, thyme etc. Natural sweeteners: stevia, raw honey, dates, monk fruit, maple syrup Condiments: apple cider vinegar , mustard, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos Beverages: water, green tea , kombucha , bone broth , kvass Of course, it depends on your health, where your body is with inflammation at the moment. If you are suffering from bloating, gas, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhoea, sinus, skin issues, seasonal allergies, dust allergy- you might want to consider doing an elimination diet for 3 weeks to really calm the body down and then re-introduce different food groups at a time to understand how your body reacts and what foods cause reaction. If you feel stuck with your digestive issues, skin issues, joint pain and want support from a health and nutrition coach, who can help and guide you through the elimination diet and uncover other lifestyle factors that could influence your health, don't hesitate to reach out to me for nutrition counselling and health coaching.

I tried another recipe for a bread since I wanted to make some chicken-liver p âté for this week. Quinoa and millet are better grain options as they are gliadin free (one of the main gluten proteins in wheat, barley and rye). Quinoa supports heart health, may help with weight loss due to its protein and fibre content, may help fight cancer due to its antioxidants and is also a good source for bone health. Quinoa contains a lot of nutrients, including manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, copper, iron, thiamine, zinc, riboflavin, B6, potassium, selenium, vitamin E, niacin and calcium. Millet , apart from being a great food for birds in winter, it's are very good food for humans too. Packed with fibre, high in protein, containing also antioxidants, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and folate- it's a great grain for those with digestive issues. Liver is nature's superfood, as its high in essential nutrients, in some cases higher than the plants and berries. Liver is packed protein, iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, selenium, vitamin C, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese. Not everyone enjoys liver, but you can try liver p âté if eating liver is not your thing. Organ meats, also called offal, have been part of the traditional diets for centuries and they are far nutrient tense than the muscle meats we are used to consuming. For example, beef liver contains 50 times more vitamin B12 than a steak and by far more B vitamins and folate than other foods on the planet. It's recommended to consume different organ means from animals to support the same organs in human body. Animal organ means have also highest amounts of CoQ10 per 100 grams, which is an essential element required by every single cell in our bodies. Lack of CoQ10 in the body is thought to be linked with heart disease, cognitive decline, diabetes, cancer, fibromyalgia. Quinoa and millet bread ( I used this recipe from Botanical Kitchen for inspiration ) 12 slices Ingredients 1 cup of quinoa flour ( I buy this one in Estonia ) 1 cup of millet flour ( I buy this one in Estonia ) 1/2 tsp of baking soda 1 tsp of fine sea salt 4 tbsp of psyllium husk ( I used this one ) with a 1 cup of water 3 tbsp of olive oil 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup of water You can add dried rosemary, small chopped pieces of olives, small chopped pieces of sun-dried tomatoes to add additional flavour to the bread Mix of seeds to sprinkle at the top ( I used these ones + I added some hemp seeds) Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 165C (325F). Use a silicone loaf pan (grease inside). Or you can use a standard loaf pan, where you put the parchment paper inside and grease well. Soak the psyllium husk in water for 10 minutes. Mix together dry ingredients. Then add in the dry ingredients soaked psyllium husk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and finally some dried rosemary or olives or sun-dried tomatoes. Pour the mixture in the pan and sprinkle the seeds to the top. Press the seeds gently, so they stick better to the batter when baking. Score 4 diagonal / / / / lines with a knife on top of the bread to allow the steam to escape while baking. Bake for 45 minutes. The score again 4 diagonal / / / / lines on the top of the bread (it is very important). Bake another 45-60 minutes in the oven- try if the skewer or a match stick inserted comes out clean. Take the bread out from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan, cool down and cut for serving. Enjoy with the below chicken liver p âté . ***** Chicken liver p âté Makes 2x250g jars Ingredients 400g of chicken liver (if you have access to organic, the better) 1 cup of chicken broth 3 portobello mushrooms 1 medium sized onion 2 garlic cloves 150g of butter 1 tsp of dried thyme 1 tsp of dried rosemary 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Melt 100g of butter in the pan. Fry the chopped onions and garlic. Add in there roughly chopped portobello mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, balsamic vinegar. Sautee for 6 minutes or so then set the mixture aside in a bowl. Put the rest of the butter in the pan, and fry the chicken livers for 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to the chicken liver. Then mix the mushrooms and chicken liver together and add the chicken broth. Fry another 2 minutes and leave it in the pan to cool down. Then take a hand blender, pour the mixture from the pan into a bigger bowl or glass jar and blend the mixture until smooth. It's ok to look like a thick, a bit runny batter as when you put it to set in the fridge, it will get thicker. Enjoy with the above quinoa and millet bread.

Halloween is not far and I am all for it to try and consume the whole pumpkin that's left from pumpkin carving (the flesh and seeds), whether to make a nice pumpkin soup , pumpkin muffins , pumpkin spice smoothie or make pumpkin puree to use in coming weeks and months in various recipes. I had still a bit less than half of pumpkin left from my 10kg sized pumpkin, so I decided to gut it into pieces, bake them all at once in the oven and then make pumpkin puree. Majority of it I put in the freezer and some of it I kept outside to make this spicy pumpkin fudge, where the pumpkin spice gives such a nice and gut-soothing feeling. A perfect petite sweet taste to savour slowly in your mouth. You can also check out another fudge recipe in my blog- a fat fudge from tahini, cacao, turmeric and spices. Spicy pumpkin fudge Makes 24 small fudge pieces Ingredients 2 cups of nut butter, like almond or cashew (unsweetened and unsalted) 1/4 cup of maple syrup 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree 1/2 cup of coconut oil 1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice 1 tsp of cacao powder A pinch of cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract Topping: pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, hemp seeds, goij berries for garnish Instructions Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl except the garnish. Put the batter in the silicone moulds, or in a square dish lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the toppings and put in the freezer for minimum 25 minutes. If you used a square dish with lined parchment paper, you can then cut desired fudge pieces out from it and store in the freezer in the container.

I have been sharing in my several posts in the past about the health benefits of bone broth, as well as an easy recipe if you want to make bone broth at home . But what is a meat stock and what's the difference between the bone broth and meat stock? I will cover this below and share a recipe for making your own meat stock. Bone broth is made using bones with little or no meat and cooked for 12 to 24 hours or even longer depending on the bones. Longer cooking time extracts more nutrients from the bones and tissues. Bone broth is known to be a great gut healing food as well as supportive for the immune health, skin health and more. Bone broth is richer in minerals in addition to the amino acids found in meat stock. But bone broth is high in histamine and glutamates due to long cooking time- therefore could affect people with histamine intolerance. High concentration of glutamic acid may be problematic for some people- like people with ADHD, autism, MS or other neurological diseases. Meat stock is made using meaty bones, different parts of the animal and cooked for 1.5 hours to 3.5 hours depending on the meat. Meat stock is considered even better for healing gut lining and ulcerations in the gut. It contains a good amount of gelatine and two very important amino acids, glycine and proline, which are part of all the connective tissues in our bodies and are like the glue that holds our bodies together. The gelatinous protein from the meat and these amino acids are particularly beneficial in healing and strengthening connective tissue such as found in the lining of the gut, respiratory tract and blood/brain barrier. Making meat stock is very easy. You can make it from beef, lamb, chicken, fish etc. With the below recipe I used different parts of beef, but you can take for example a whole chicken and make a meat stock out of that. This will also give you a lot of cooked chicken to use in other meals. When you have access to organic meat, pasteurised meat- the better the nutrition of the meat stock. To make the meat stock as nutritious as possible, it's good to use different parts from the animal. Like with chicken meat stock, also add chicken feet, chicken neck. Bones that contain bone marrow, cartilage, and connective tissues are best- important is to use meat that is close to a joint as this meat is very gelatinous, which is the most healing property of the stock. You can also add vegetables like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, ginger, parsley or cook the meat on its own. To help to draw the nutrients from the bones, add apple cider vinegar and salt. When you are done cooking your meat stock, you can take the bones and cook your bone broth from those. Meat stock recipe 5L of meat stock Ingredients Different parts of meat, with bones, including tailbones, bone marrow Filtered water 1tbsp of sea salt 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar If you want to add vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, garlic) to the meat stock, add those coarsely chopped in as well Parsley Instructions Rinse the meat pieces, dry them and cut into the joints with a knife. Put in a 5L pot. Add the sea salt and apple cider vinegar and fill the pot with filtered water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and cook meat for 3-3.5 hours. Remove the foam from time to time when it forms at the top of the liquid. If you want to add vegetables, add them into the water in the last half an hour of cooking. Add parsley at the very end, 10 minutes before you are done cooking the meat stock. Cook chicken stock around 2 hours and fish stock 1.5 hours. If you want extra flavour, you can also roast the meaty bones at 190C (375F) in the oven until browned before starting to make the meat stock. After boiling, cool the meat stock down, remove the meat from the bones, including the connective tissue and marrow if you used bone marrow and strain the liquid into mason jars. The meat you removed from the bones, you can use the same or next day in the soups, sauces, salads, pies etc. You can store the meat stock in the fridge for 1 week to 1.5 weeks or 3 months in the freezer. Don't remove the fat that forms at the top of the liquid, it keeps the stock fresh and is very healing to the body. Add the meat stock to any recipes that call for stock, including soups, sauces, roasts, curries, boil grains like quinoa, buckwheat, oats in them or warm it and drink as it is. Enjoy!

Borscht soup has been one of our family favourite soups, so I try and make it at least once a month during the colder seasons. In the past I used to make bone broth or purchase bone broth liquid from the store and use that as a base for the borscht. But the last two times I made my own meat stock and used that as a base. And it really makes a difference- meat stock makes the soup so much heartier and nourishing. I have shared a meat stock recipe also in my blog . I normally make the soup in a 5l pot as it saves time in the kitchen and can be eaten the next day as well. Borscht soup For 8 people Ingredients 2 bigger carrots 1 small white cabbage 4 beetroots 1 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar Ghee for frying Meat stock 500g carton of tomato puree 3 bay leaves Meat from the meat stock (you can also omit meat if you want) Salt and pepper to taste Parsley and sour cream to serve Instructions Peel all the vegetables. Finely chop the cabbage, grate the carrots and beetroot. Chop the onion and garlic. Fry the onion and garlic in the pot with ghee. Add carrots, beetroot and apple cider vinegar. Fry for a few minutes. Then add cabbage and pour meat stock into the pot. Add the bay leaves. Boil until the vegetables are almost soft. Add in the meat from the meat stock, tomato puree and season with salt and pepper. Boil another couple of minutes. Serve the borscht in a bowl with parsley and sour cream. Enjoy!

The darker season is here and I thought to share something several of my clients have had struggles with- the cravings- whether it’s for sugary foods, salty foods, specific foods, specific liquids. So what can we do about our cravings? Photo source: Unsplash Deconstruct your cravings Cravings indicate imbalance in the body or mind. They can be incredibly helpful in guiding you to better health if you choose to try and understand why you crave what you crave, what does the body need. Be curious about your cravings Rather than diving in and eating that box of chocolates, a bag of chips, half a loaf of bread- try and understand what’s the emotional feeling behind it and what could be the trigger for the craving? Is there a feeling you are trying to fill and fix with food and could you approach it another way- like talking to someone about your feelings and concerns, going for a walk and getting some fresh air, making yourself a cup of calming tea, going and doing some physical exercise. Rather than seeing cravings as something you need to conquer, suppress- see them as important messages from your body to try and get you back to balance. Sugar craving is your body asking for energy When you get that afternoon slump and feel you need to have the extra energy to get through the rest of the day- and you reach for that bowl of candies at the office, or that chocolate bar, know that you have a choice. You either reach for simple carbohydrates that give you the sugar rush or you reach for complex carbohydrates that are wrapped in fibre and result in not so steep blood sugar rise. Cravings for sugary foods can be caused by any of the below deficiencies as well. You can learn more about the sugar and what are the healthier alternatives to satisfy your sweet cravings from one of my past blog posts. You might be lacking enough protein in your diet Protein helps to balance blood sugar, which really helps to reduce cravings. Make sure you include adequate amounts of following proteins in your meals: fish (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna), grass-fed beef, lamb, organic chicken, free-range eggs, lentils, beans, kefir, yoghurt, cottage cheese, natto, good quality protein powder. You might be lacking enough healthy fats in your diet Your body burns either sugar or fat for energy. If you increase the consumption of good quality fats in your meals and don’t fear it, you naturally have less cravings. Good fats include extra virgin olive oil, MCT oil, ghee, avocado, raw nuts and seeds, coconut oil, camelina oil, linseed oil. Several protein rich foods also contain good fats. Consume more fibre in your meals Fibre helps you to feel fuller longer as well as supports detoxification in the body. Make sure you consume an adequate amount of high-fibre foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Consume more sour foods and probiotic rich foods Probiotic foods like fermented vegetables, apple cider vinegar in salad dressings, kefir, yoghurt help to curb cravings as well as drinking water with a little bit of lemon juice throughout the day. Make sure you stay hydrated We often confuse hunger with thirst and sometimes all that’s needed is to drink a glass of water and the craving goes away. It's also important that we get enough electrolytes as electrolyte imbalance can also cause cravings. Lower your stress levels Our thoughts and emotions affect our health. When we are chronically stressed we weaken our body’s ability to function optimally. When we are stressed we tend to gravitate towards foods or drinks that don’t necessarily serve us. We also tend to reward ourselves with food or drinks, when we had a stressful day. Focus on getting quality sleep If we are sleep deprived, or we have had a night where we didn't get enough sleep, we gravitate towards higher carbohydrate foods the next stay. Learn more here how can you improve the quality of your sleep and why sleep is so crucial for your overall wellness. Cravings could be linked to specific nutrient deficiencies Sometimes we also misunderstand what our cravings actually mean, where our body could be lacking important minerals, vitamins or fatty acids. Your body is smart- it will tell you if you are not feeding it properly, by consuming too much sugar, processed foods, processed oils. Below are some common cravings and what deficiency could be behind it: Chocolate - body lacks magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies. Other good sources for magnesium are leafy greens, avocado, wild-caught fish, pumpkin seeds, raw dairy products, and sprouts. Salty snacks - body could be suffering from adrenal fatigue and possibly lack trace minerals ( iron , copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, cobalt, zinc). Good sources for trace minerals are bone broth, meat stock, pink salt, sea vegetables Sweet snacks - body’s blood sugar is out of balance often because of consuming high glycemic carbs and simple sugars, which are addictive. But craving sweet foods could also be linked to chromium deficiency, which regulates metabolism. Make sure you consume foods like broccoli, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, Romaine lettuce, cinnamon, beef, apples. Red meat - body lacks iron and/or B12 vitamin. Women who are pregnant or who are menstruating often need more nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin B12. Besides grass-fed beef you can also get these nutrients from lamb, wild-caught fish, organ meats like liver, but also from spinach, Swiss chard and blue-green algae. Dairy and cheese - craving for these foods could be a sign that body lacks essential fatty acids like EPA, DHA, ALA, GLA, which are important for nervous system and brain development. Consume foods like wild-caught fish, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, grass-fed beef, lamb, pasture raised eggs. You can find a comprehensive list of vitamins and minerals and how to get them from which foods from my recent blog post . How to get to the source of your cravings? An exercise you could do is keep a journal of the foods and liquids you crave, also to notice if there is a specific day or time you crave a certain food and do it for a week. Write down your thoughts and feelings around that craving, what triggered it and what you think you actually needed. Other things to try to reduce or eliminate cravings In order to reduce cravings, it's important to eat right for your blood sugar balance. I have covered the topic of blood sugar in one of my blog articles , it's effect on overall wellness as well as how to eat to avoid blood sugar spikes as this is another factor that influences cravings. It’s important to consume a balanced diet as well as be curious about the different areas in your life that influence health , like sleep, physical activity, career, relationships, social life, spirituality and see which of these areas are out of balance and how you can bring more balance into them. If we acknowledge and accept our cravings, they will guide us towards the foods and lifestyle changes we really need. Working to understand your cravings is the best place to start to build a loving relationship with your body. Do you want support from someone who can help to deconstruct your cravings and guide you to more balanced health and life, don't hesitate to reach out to me for nutrition counselling and health coaching at info@katrinpeo.com .

I attended a full day Pharma Nord seminar on health and beauty last weekend, where dr. Hiie Wipf , who is an endocrinologist as well as the owner of the anti-aging aesthetic clinic in Estonia, gave a very thorough overview of how our health and wellness affects our skin and vice versa. As skin is our largest organ (a side note, that our largest internal organ is our liver and the largest immune-organ is our gut ), it's vital to take care of it, both inside and outside. In the below post I share what I learnt in the seminar. Photo: Unsplash What influences skin ageing? There are multiple things that can speed up your skin ageing- it's good to evaluate in your own life, which area needs attention- where could you bring more health and balance: Nutrition Smoking Stress Lack of sleep Environment Sun radiation Pollution Extreme temperatures Our genes determine the type of our skin, whether it's normal, dry, oily or mixed and the colour of our skin. You can influence a lot how fast your skin ages with your lifestyle. What shorten the telomeres and how can you preserve them? Telomeres are segments of DNA at the end of our chromosomes, that control ageing. For better understanding, they are often compared to the plastic tips at the end of our shoe laces, that keep the laces together. Telomeres also help similarly preventing chromosomes from tangling with each other or fraying. If that happens, it can cause genetic information to get mixed up or destroyed, causing cell malfunction and therefore leading to disease or shorter lifespan. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres get shorter. If telomeres get too short, cell becomes inactive or dies. This is how our body ages, but this is also what causes cancer and higher risk of death. Things that shorten telomeres: Age Stress Smoking Alcohol Environment toxins Viruses Chronic infection Hormonal dysbiosis Hormones regulate our body's activity, keeping glycose, electrolytes, water, calcium and functions (sleep, cell regeneration, mood, motivation, libido, growth, appetite, satiety, etc in their normal borders and in balance). We have over 40 different hormones, produced by different organs in our body. You might know thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4), stress hormones (cortisol), sleep hormone (melatonin), a feel good hormone (dopamine), a love hormone (oxytocin), hunger hormone (ghrelin), satiety hormone (leptine) etc. As we age, several of our hormones decline, including testosterone, oestrogen, melatonin, growth hormone, pregnenolone, which affect our health, like for example: poor sleep (supplemental melatonin affects our sleep, but it's not a sleep medicine, it's more a sleep rhythm regulator) increased blood sugar slower digestion lower bone density body fat percentage increase But there are also hormones that increase as we age, like TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), LH (Luteinizing Hormone), norepihephrin, epinephrin, parathyroid hormone. How can you preserve telomeres so you can stay healthier, feel and look younger when you age: Eat a variety of foods for vitamin and antioxidant benefits, including healthy fats Regular physical activity Get quality sleep Control and reduce stress, practice yoga and meditation Get fresh air, walk in nature Practice intermittent fasting Consume collagen rich foods and take small doses of supplemental collagen D-vitamin (from sun, foods and through supplementation) E-vitamin Astralagus What are the important nutrients for the healthy looking body and skin? Our skin is the protection barrier, immune system frontline, sensing organ and vitamin factory. Below is a list of nutrients that's needed for healthy looking skin. Though I always recommend food first approach to get your vitamins, minerals, essential fats from whole foods , supplementation might be necessary to get to a good level for a specific person. Omega 3 Regulates skin oil production Improves balanced hydration Slows ageing May help to slow down or prevent acne Best source is animal source by consuming oily fish (salmon, sardine, mackerel, herring, anchovies) and other fish as they contain both the EPA an DHA. Plant sources like walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds also contain omega-3, but they contain ALA, which take a lot of energy from your body to convert to DHA and EPA. Vitamin C Antioxidant Helps with collagen and elastin production Strengthens skin immune system Oxidises fast, so don't add to creams. Only use in single-size doses if wanted. Found in camu camu berries, amla berries, Acerola cherries, black currants, red pepper, kiwi, guava, orange, green bell peppers, strawberries, papaya, broccoli, kale, parsley, pineapple, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, mango, lemon, grapefruit, tomatoes etc. Selenium Antioxidant Protects from infections Reduces DNA damage Lengthens the telomeres People who smoke, drink too much coffee or alcohol, eat a lot of white rice tend to be deficient in selenium. Also people living in certain areas or countries are suffering more from selenium deficiency (like in many parts of Estonia). But it's also important to note that you should not take selenium supplement in high doses or for a long period of time- it is a micro-mineral, which means our body needs it in small quantities. Found in Brazil nuts, salmon, turkey, tuna, cottage cheese, mushrooms, chicken, eggs, sardines, sunflower seeds, grass-fed beef, beef liver, oats. Collagen Collagen contains all essential amino acids, except tryptophan. There are 28 different types of collagen (I, II, III type collagen- these we have the most in the skin). How long does it take for collagen to work on the body: skin (1-3 months) hair (unknown) nails (6 months) ligaments (4-6 months) muscles (3 months) bone density (12 months) tendons (3-6 months) You need on a daily basis the following amounts of collagen: muscles (15-20g) skin (2.5-10g) bone density (5g) ligaments (2.5-5g) It's important to note that if you take too much collagen, it reduces tryptophan in the body, which can cause depression. Also, when you purchase collagen, make sure it's clean and check who is the producer and its background (should be a credible source). It's better to take small doses of collagen. Found in beef, chicken, fish, egg shell membranes. It's great to also consume bone broth , and if you have access to bone broth protein, like the one from Ancient Nutrition . Making a soup using meat stock also helps to make sure you get the necessary collagen into your body. Beta-carotene Powerful antioxidant Helps with collagen production Helps with skin cells reproduction May help to protect the skin from sunburn Found in orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, but also in greens (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, apricots, mango, cantaloupe, spinach, kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens). CoQ10 Provides energy to skin for healing and recovery Reduces sun damage Supports collagen production Helps to reduce thin lines and wrinkles Helps with brighter complexion Found in grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, herring, trout, sesame seeds, pistachio nuts, cauliflower, broccoli, oranges, strawberries, eggs, sardines, mackerel, liver. Biotin (vitamin H (B7)) Calms the skin Anti-inflammatory Enhances energy production Evens out skin tone Found in organ meats (liver), fish, eggs, nutritional yeast, avocado, cauliflower, berries, mushrooms, legumes, feta cheese, goat cheese, sweet potatoes, bananas, oatmeal, almonds, sunflower seeds. Zinc Reduces excess oil and acne Prevents clogging of pores Protects against UV-rays Supports skin healing Reduces hyperpigmentation Keeps the skin hydrated Found in oysters, lamb, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, chickpeas, lentils, cashew nuts, cocoa powder, yoghurt, kefir, ricotta cheese, spinach, mushrooms, avocado, chicken, almonds, eggs. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) Protects against infections Evens out skin tone Lengthens telomeres Regulates sebaceous glands Not to be confused with niacin, which is a different type of vitamin B3. Can be naturally obtained from meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, beans, mushrooms. Hyaluronic acid Our bodies produce, consume and synthesise hyaluronic acid on a continuous basis. It's mainly found in skin tissues. In our 30s the natural production and synthesis of hyaluronic acid starts to slow down, which reduces the skins ability to maintain its hydration levels. Hyaluronic acid production is supported by vitamin-C rich foods (citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, paprika); zinc (almonds, chickpeas, red meat, poultry, oysters) magnesium (green leafy vegetables, almonds, lentils, milk products), flavonoids (citrus fruits, tomato), phytoestrogens (tofu, soy products, linseeds). Vitamin E Anti-inflammatory, repairs damaged skin Antioxidant Strengthens skin immune system You can add it to creams. Found in sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, mango, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, spinach, kiwi, tomato. Vitamin D Helps with regeneration of skin cells Helps with skin metabolism Helps to decrease apoptosis (cell death) Strengthens skin immune system Helps to destroy free radicals Helps to heal damage from acne The best source is sun, but we don't have access to it 365 days a year. If you are living in a country, where you have more sun, try and get 10-15 minutes of sun exposure in the morning or in the afternoon. In foods, vitamin D is in two different forms (D3- in animal-based foods, like fish; D2 is found in mushrooms). Vitamin D3 is the more active form and also added to supplements. Food sources are cod liver oil, wild-caught salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, beef liver, eggs, caviar, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, fortified milk products and orange juice. As a supplement take with vitamin K2- helps with skin elasticity. Glutathione A master antioxidant that is produced by the liver and the central nervous system nerve-cells. Glutathione contains 3 amino-acids: glycine, cysteine and glutamate. It is involved in both liver phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification process, mitochondrial health, healthy cell growth, mercury detoxification, antioxidant function. You can get glutathione from sulfur rich foods like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, vitamin C rich foods, selenium rich foods, milk thistle, avocado, spinach, whey protein, curcumin extract. You can also take cysteine as a supplement to help body to produce glutathione. Cysteine is also an anti-dote to paracetamol. Glutathione helps to even out skin complexion. If you have an active cancer-growth, then glutathione is not recommended. I hope the above gives you a few things to try or change in your lifestyle and diet to support healthy skin. I you are looking for guidance and help how to implement the dietary and lifestyle changes, don't hesitate to reach out to me for health and nutrition coaching at info@katrinpeo.com.

I love making salads and try out new recipes. For this Christmas, to accompany the the usual roasted pork, roasted potatoes, sauerkraut, I decided to try a recipe from Max Lugavere from his Genius Kitchen cookbook. But as I did not have all the ingredients and I did not want to make the salad as acidic, I modified the recipe a little bit. Also, as not everyone loves the taste of fennel (I happen to love it), I topped half of the salad with fennel and left the other half without it. But everyone said, it was a lovely salad. Citrus salad with avocado, fennel and pomegranate Serves 8 people Ingredients Salad dressing 2 shallots, finely minced juice and zest of 1 lemon (buy organic if possible) 1/5 of a cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp of Dijon mustard 4 cups of rucola, rinsed and dried (I used the salad spinner) 1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into matchsticks 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into smaller pieces (best if you also remove the inner skin between the slices) 4 oranges, peeled and cut into smaller pieces (recipe called for blood oranges, but could not find them in the store, so used normal oranges) 8 kumquats, peeled and thinly sliced 4 avocados, peeled and thinly sliced Arils (seeds) of one ripe pomegranate 1 cup of chopped fresh mint Instructions Mix in a bowl together all the salad dressing ingredients and leave to stand. I used a large salad plate, laid the rucola salad on the plate. Then added then apples, oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, avocados and topped with pomegranate arils and chopped mint. Finally I spread the salad dressing with a tablespoon evenly over the salad.

Our brain is the most complex organ in the body. This 1.3kg control and command centre contains more than 80 billion neurones, which facilitate every action, every feeling and every thought in our bodies. Brain contains also blood vessels and capillaries, which provide brain cells with the oxygenated and rich blood they need in order to thrive. There are also hormones, neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin etc) that help pass neural messages from cell to cell. Photo source: Unsplash Our brains consume 20 percent of everything we eat and the foods we consume provide the nutrients and energy to produce and support each element that makes up our brains. For example B vitamins help with conducting nerve impulses; selenium, magnesium, zinc provide building blocks to form cells and brain tissue, but also help with synthesising neurotransmitters. If our bodies are deprived of any of the below brain-healthy nutrients- our mood, cognition, overall function will ultimately suffer. If we don't consume enough B12, iron and folate containing foods, our bodies can't make the adequate levels of serotonin, which is important mood-enhancing chemical. People who have experienced depression, anxiety, brain trauma know how brain has the influence to affect your overall wellbeing dramatically. I have experienced it first-hand and know the importance of food as one of the several pillars important for healing from brain injuries, brain surgeries, reduce anxiety and depression. In the below article I will cover the 14 nutrients that are important for better brain health, why they are needed and how to get them from foods. Vitamin A Carotenoids, like lycopene, serve as an antioxidant and protect the brain; lutein and zeaxanthin protect your vision. Found in chicken liver, beef liver, sweet potato, mustard greens, carrot, pumpkin, butternut squash, kale, broccoli, spinach, red bell pepper, green peas, tomato, butter, egg yolk, cod liver oil, raw whole milk, cheese, mango, papaya, peach, cantaloupe melon, dried apricots, oatmeal, basil. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Thiamine helps to turn glucose for usable energy. Low thiamine will contribute to low energy, apathy, brain fog and irritability. Found in nutritional yeast, spirulina and other seaweeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, black beans, lentils, organic soybeans, navy beans, white beans, pinto beans, mung beans, peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beef liver, pork, trout. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Important for tryptophan production (mood enhancing hormone and precursor for serotonin), helps to fights inflammation, reduces homocysteine (build up of this amino acid causes inflammation), lowering depression. Found in turkey breast, wild salmon, grass-fed beef, chicken, pistachios, tuna, pinto beans, avocado, blackstrap molasses, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas, bananas, potatoes. Vitamin B9 (folate) Folate regulates mood, sense of pleasure and clarity of thinking. Also, folate processes homocysteine. Found in chickpeas, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, lentils, black-eyed peas, chicken liver, beef liver, spinach (cooked), Romaine lettuce, avocado, broccoli Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) Protects your brain cells, needed for making serotonin and dopamine, reduces inflammation (homocysteine) Found in beef liver, sardines, Atlantic mackerel, lamb, wild-caught salmon, nutritional yeast, feta cheese, grass-fed beef, cottage cheese, eggs, oysters, mussels, clams. Vitamin C It’s highly concentrated in the cerebral spinal fluid that surrounds your brain and is important for cognitive performance Found in black currant, red pepper, green bell pepper kiwi, guava, orange, strawberries, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsley, pineapple, mango, lemon, grapefruit, honeydew melon, peas, tomatoes. Choline Needed for brain development, function, learning and memory. Found in beef liver, salmon, chickpeas, navy beans, eggs, grass-fed beef, turkey, chicken, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, scallops, goat milk Iron You need iron in the form of hemoglobin to transport oxygen to the brain. Iron helps to make serotonin, dopamine (feel good hormones). Found in spirulina, beef and chicken liver, grass-fed beef, lentils, dark chocolate (85% cocoa), spinach, sardines, black beans, pistachios, raisins, pumpkin seeds, eggs, chickpeas, kale, chicken, sesame seeds, oysters. Here I have a full article on the importance of iron and iron rich foods. Magnesium Important for the proper function of the nerve cells and brain cells; stimulates brain growth, helps to control blood sugar. Found in seaweed, amaranth, cooked spinach, kale, chard, sunflower seeds, black beans, mung beans, soybeans, mackerel, cashews, flaxseeds, almonds, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, avocado, banana, broccoli, Brussels sprouts. Here is my detailed article on magnesium and magnesium rich foods. Monounsaturated fats Both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are important for brain health, helping lowering depression. Found in olive oil, beef, fish, almonds, salmon, flaxseed oil, hemp seeds, mustard, grass-fed meat Omega- 3 fats DHA especially (in fish) in Omega-3 helps to build brain cells, fight inflammation in the brain. Found in wild salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring, cod liver oil, tuna, caviar, oysters, walnuts, leafy greens, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, soybeans, natto, egg yolks. Potassium Every nerve impulse and each of your heart beats depends on potassium. Caffeine can negatively affect potassium absorption. Found in avocado, lima beans, Swiss chard, beet greens, acorn squash, kale, spinach, sweet potato, wild-caught salmon, dried apricots, pomegranate, coconut water, white beans, banana, broccoli, sardines, peas, beets, grapefruit. Selenium Selenium helps with the production of glutathione (an important antioxidant in your brain), improves blood flow. Offers protection from oxidative damage. Found in Brazil nuts, salmon, tuna, halibut, shrimp, lobster, turkey, cottage cheese, chicken, mushrooms, eggs, navy beans, sardines, sunflower seeds, grass-fed beef, oats, beef liver. Excess selenium can be toxic, therefore supplement only short period of time. Zinc Zinc is key to your immune function, which protects you from infections, excess inflammation, and cancer. Found in oysters, lamb, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, grass-fed beef, chickpeas, lentils, cocoa, cashews, kefir, yoghurt, ricotta cheese, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, chicken, almonds, eggs. Food has the power to improve mental health, preventing conditions like anxiety and depression or helping to alleviate these symptoms. It's our choice how we want to feed our brain. If you have health goals you want to reach, health challenges you are trying to conquer and are looking for a health and nutrition coach to support you on your wellness journey, don't hesitate to reach out to me at info@katrinpeo.com .

A topic that I covered in two of my last health and nutrition presentations, one to an international school secondary class students and the other one to professional business people club, is how to read nutrition labels. What came to me as a surprise is that from the children hardly anyone read the product labels in the shop when buying a food items like chocolate, chips, candy, ice-cream, protein bars etc. So I thought to write a broader article how can you shop your groceries for better health, how to be more mindful as a consumer as at the end of the day it's us voting with our money for what products we create a demand for. Photo source: Unsplash 1. Purchase whole foods Whole foods are foods which are minimally processed and free of artificial substances. These include fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, legumes (beans, lentils), meat, fish, eggs and whole grains. With whole grains, it's recommended to consume gluten-free and if possible lectin free (defensive mechanisms of plants) grains- opt for millet, sorghum, teff and fonio. Though buckwheat and quinoa don't contain gluten, they do contain lectins - so it's important to soak them properly and pressure-cook them. You can read more about lectins from Dr. Stephen Gundry, what foods contains them, how to reduce lectin content in the foods . 2. Purchase local, organic food where possible I know it's not always possible depending where you live to purchase locally grown food, but do the best you can (even if it's for example focusing buying locally grown food during the summer months in Northern Europe). The more food needs to travel, the more nutrients it looses. When you purchase eggs , it's better for you and for the environment to buy eggs from chicken who are able to forage freely, eat omnivorous diet with worms, organic grain. Eggs from these chicken contain more vitamin A, more Omega-3 fatty-acids, less saturated fat, more vitamin E etc. Look for the marking on the egg. The first number on the egg indicates how it was produced: 0- organic egg production; 1- free-range eggs; 2- deep litter indoor housing; 3- cage farming. When you purchase meat , ideally look for meat that is grass-fed, grass-finished for the beef; free-range chicken, chicken grown without antibiotics; grass-fed lamb. But if you find or can't purchase organic, grass-fed beef, know that it's still better to eat conventional meat than eating processed meat products, like hot dogs. When you purchase fruits and vegetables , it's good to follow on a regular basis the Dirty dozen list to understand which fruits and vegetables are highly recommended to purchase organic to avoid the heavy pesticides load on your body and which ones are ok to buy non-organic. Here is Environmental Working Group 2022 list for Dirty Dozen . And here is the 2022 list for clean fifteen fruits and vegetables from the Environmental Working Group - these have the least pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables. If you want to learn about the safety of one of the most commonly sprayed commercial and residential weed killer Roundup, click here . When you purchase dairy , opt for as clean as possible and as much as possible in its natural state. Fermented dairy products are better for you, like kefir, ricotta cheese, natural Greek yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese. From cheese, better options are for example mozzarella, parmesan, Swiss, Pecorino Romano, feta cheese from goat or sheep milk. 3. Read the product labels Whole foods, like vegetables and fruits don't come with a label, as well as when you buy fresh meat, fresh fish, seafood, raw nuts and seeds, eggs, fresh herbs. But when you buy any packaged product for the first time, read the product label. You can use the following simple guidelines: Check the order of ingredients (they are listed in the descending order, the ingredient you have the most in the product is listed first and what there is the least, is listed last The longer the ingredient list, the more processed the product is . As a general guideline, avoid products that have more than 5 ingredients listed. Check the sugar content . Take the total carbohydrate number and subtract any fibre that's shown on the label. Then you get the actual sugar amount. Then divide the number by 4 (there is an average of 4g of sugar in 1tsp) and you get how many teaspoons of sugar is in the product. Know that sugar comes in different forms. Here is my blog post on sugar and a list of sweeteners what is best to avoid . Check for thickeners and emulsifiers (soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin, guar gum, carrageenan, pectin, gelatin, polysorbates, monoglycerides. Though emulsifiers can be derived from natural sources (animal and plant products), they can also be man-made chemically. The more natural emulsifiers are for example lecithin and guar gum and are associated with few health risks if consumed in small quantities. But if you consume too much of them, they can cause diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain. Highly processed food additives can be more difficult to break down and can affect negatively your microbiota. Check for preservatives and additives . Ideally you should avoid products with preservatives and additives and buy organic packages foods where possible. Here are the most common food additives and preservatives to avoid: trans fats (hydrogenated oil, margarine, shortening), sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial food colours (Yellow 5, Blue 1, Blue 2, Red 3, Yellow 6 etc), high fructose corn syrup, BHA, BHT, sulfites, sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, benzene. 4. Choose the oils and fats you buy wisely The best oils, fats for health and cooking are extra-virgin olive oil, ghee, extra-virgin coconut oil, avocado oil, camelina oil, hemp seed oil, walnut oil, MCT oil, sesame oil, butter. You can read more about healthy fats, what oils and fats to use with different cooking methods from the following blog post . 5. Opt for whole fruit, instead of juices, nectars, smoothies If you have been used to purchasing juices, nectars, smoothies from the store you might want to consider making a shift. As with other packaged goods, check the ingredients list, nutritional value. Very often fruit juices (especially the ones without the pulp) have a high sugar content (fructose is a sugar), low in fibre and therefore affecting your blood sugar negatively. It's better for your health to buy whole fruits, eat them as whole or make a smoothie at home, where you can control how much fruit you add into your smoothie. Here is a guide how to make smoothies, smoothie bowls so that they keep you satiated and don't spike your blood sugar. 6. 'Gluten-free' doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy You will find in bigger grocery stores, supermarkets shelves or an isle with products labeled gluten-free. If you are someone who has celiac, non-celiac gluten sensitivity , or you simply choose to stay away from gluten containing foods, you might be especially drawn to these shelves in the shop. But same like with any packaged foods, please do read the product labels. These products often contain sugar, corn, soy, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, preservatives or are high in other lectin containing foods. 7. Don't be afraid of frozen foods Buying vegetables, berries and fruits that are frozen, can save money as well as since they are frozen at the point of picking, their nutrients are locked in making them more nutritious than fresh fruits and vegetables that need to travel long distances to get to your local grocery store. With fish, other seafood- check the ingredient list and where possible opt for wild-caught rather than farmed. 8. If it's in your shopping trolley, it's in your stomach Consider your shopping trolley as your extended stomach. If you buy that carton of ice cream, bag of chips, bag of candy, box of chocolate- it's often that people are not able to eat these in moderation, having just a few bites. They tend to eat the whole thing. Try and be mindful what you put into your trolley as it will end up in your stomach. If it helps, try and visualise that whole bag of chips in your stomach, causing inflammatory response. 9. Make a shopping list before you go shopping or shop your groceries online This is probably self-explanatory, but if you create a list of products you need, you save time in the shop as well as money, as you won't be deviating from your path of your intent and really get what you need. Another option for making sure you stick to what you really need, is to buy your groceries online. It can be overwhelming to consider all the above steps if you are someone who has not been used to paying attention to these areas. But even taking one of the above steps at a time will help you to become more mindful as a consumer, making better choices for your own and for your family's health. Also, do the best that you can considering your income, your lifestyle. If you are someone who is truly confused about what you have in your cupboards, fridge at home, what's healthy, what's good for you, how to make the best choices for your health at the store, don't hesitate to reach out to me for nutrition counselling and health coaching at info@katrinpeo.com . I have helped my clients by going grocery shopping together with them, explaining what's good, what's not, how to read the product labels etc.

I have covered bone broth topic in the past , but feel it's such a great addition to a health-promoting diet, I wanted to cover it again and share some different ways you can make it at home and how to use bone broth in your daily cooking. Bone broth is one of the top health foods for human body. It heals and supports gut health, it's easy to digest, nutrient-dense and rich in flavour. Bones, skin, feet, tendons, marrow, ligaments, that we can't eat are boiled and simmered over a period of time to help to release healing compounds like collagen, glycine, proline, glutamine. Bone broth contains minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, silicon, sulphur. It also contains chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine which are know to help reduce joint pain, arthritis and inflammation. Bone broth helps with: metabolism immune function by helping healing leaky gut maintaining healthy skin (contains also hyaluronic acid) the growth of good bacteria in the gut fighting food sensitivities expelling waste, supporting liver's function with detoxification supporting bone and cartilage health due to being a natural source of gelatine and collagen The best way to get the best bone broth is to make it yourself at home. You can make it from chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, fish and more. I tend to either buy a whole chicken, first make couple of dishes from roast chicken and the use the bones from the chicken to make the bone broth. Or I go to the market and buy some different bones, bone marrow, etc. I use a 5 litre slow-cooker pot for making the broth and glass jars to store them. But you can use a 3l or 5l stainless steel pot and simmer it on the stove as well. I typically put one third of of the broth in the fridge to use during the week and the rest in the freezer to use during the following week or two (remember to leave 1.5cm free space at the top of the glass jar and also put the lid on loosely- I also put the jars in a leak proof plastic bag to avoid any accidents in the freezer but so far haven't had them). With all of the below recipes peel and chop the vegetables coarsely. I cook bone broth anything from 8h to 10h, but you can also go longer. A good time to use to cook the broth is during the weekend when you are at home. Asian broth (filtered water, chicken bones, 2 onions with skin, 1 head of garlic, 2.5cm of fresh ginger root, 3 celery stalks, 3 carrots, 3 cups of shiitake mushrooms, 1 lemongrass stalk, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1.5 tsp sea salt) Beef broth (filtered water, beef bones (ideally grass-fed), 6 celery stalks, 2 carrots, 1 tbsp of black peppercorns, 1tbsp of sea salt, 2tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar , 3 bay leaves, 3 parsley stems). You can boost your broth with 1/2tsp of ground turmeric, dry basil. You can also roast the bones a bit in the oven to get deeper flavour to the broth. Chicken broth (filtered water, chicken bones, 1 red onion with skin, 1 yellow onion with skin, 3 carrots, one bunch of celery with leaves, 1 head of garlic, 1 branch of fresh rosemary, 2tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar, 3 bay leaves) Fish broth (filtered water, fish bones, shrimp shells, 1 onion skin on, 1 head of garlic, 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 2.5cm fresh ginger root, 2tbsp raw apple cider vinegar, 1tsp of turmeric or 2.5cm fresh turmeric root, 1tbsp of fresh parsley stems, 1tsp of sea salt Galangal broth - for people who are vegetarian, vegan, histamine sensitive, this is a good recipe to try. Use filtered water, 2 carrots, 6 celery stalks including greens, 3 bay leaves, 3 green onions, 1 garlic head, 2.5cm of galangal (if fresh root) or a 5 slices of dried galangal, 2 stalks of lemongrass, 4 kaffir leaves, 1tsp of black pepper, 1tsp of sea salt. Use fresh cilantro springs for serving. You can also omit galangal and add for example dried thyme, dried basil, ground turmeric. Ways to use bone broth in cooking: as a liquid base for soups (you can also use meat stock as a base) sip hot bone broth on its own to sooth a sore throat or aching stomach use in stews and casseroles for more flavour make your savoury porridge with bone broth (oat, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet in gravies and sauces make cauliflower rice with bone broth in mashed celery root or sweet potato when steaming and sautéing vegetables with scrambled eggs (add also some turmeric, cilantro add it to a homemade beef liver or chicken liver pate If you are struggling to make your own broth, there are companies who produce them as well for convenience (always check the ingredients). In Estonia Food Studio makes good broths. I have also heard of the following companies being recommended outside of Estonia: Kettle and Fire , Fond . If you know of any other good ones, please do add them to the comments below. I have also used bone broth protein in my morning smoothies- I love the airy consistency it gives to the smoothie besides it's health benefits. Ancient Nutrition and Paleo Valley are two I know who produce bone broth protein. If you want to improve your cooking skills at home for better health, better gut and liver support, better skin health, contact me for health and nutrition coaching at info@katrinpeo.com .

Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 301 million people worldwide, making it the most common mental health issue globally (source: WHO, 2023 ). In the past, I have written about stress and ways to manage it as well as provided stress management tips . In this article I am delving deeper into the topic of anxiety and overwhelm as they can create imbalances in the hormones, cause digestive issues and weight gain or weight loss, driving infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome in women, affecting also our immune system function. I am providing you with foods, supplements and lifestyle practices that help you to find natural anxiety relief. Many people tend to turn to medications, alcohol, drugs, cigarette to find a solution to calm the body and mind. But these are temporary fixes, most of them unhealthy and don't focus on fixing the underlying issues. It's good to practice different natural body and mind healing remedies on a regular basis so that if and when we get into these anxious periods of our lives, where we might feel we are loosing control, that we have tips to pull from our sleeves and help ourselves and people around us. Photo source: Unsplash Symptoms of anxiety and overwhelm Do you experience any of the below: tension in the shoulders raising thoughts and struggles with concentration teeth grinding at night digestive issues on a frequent basis, like bloating, cramping, constipation, diarrhoea loss of appetite or over-eating higher heart-rate muscle tremors, twitching in the eye, shakiness in the hands fluctuations in energy poor sleep- challenges falling asleep and staying asleep Anxiety can lead to mental exhaustion and chronic fatigue. If we are not managing our levels of anxiety and stress, it can throw off our neurotransmitters, creating alarm bells in the brain, which then stimulates more cortisol production in our adrenals. This tells the body to store more fat around your waist, driving weight gain, elevated blood sugar, insulin resistance. As brain and gut are connected through neural pathways, anxiety and stress can do quite a bit of damage in the gut, causing yeast and bacterial overgrowth and affecting the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are primarily produced in our gut. Issues in the gut and heightened stress response affect also the inflammation in the body and can contribute to auto-immune diseases, where body sees itself as an invader and starts to attack its own cells (Hashimoto's, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis etc). Root Causes of Anxiety While improving your diet and lifestyle can significantly help manage anxiety and overwhelm, it’s equally essential to address the root causes. Start by asking yourself: What is truly triggering these feelings?  Is it related to work, relationships, health, or something unresolved from the past? Identifying the source is the first step to gaining clarity. Once you understand the cause, consider what actions you’ve already taken to address it. If none, think about one small, manageable step you can take this week to begin alleviating the pressure. For example, if it’s work-related stress, could you delegate tasks or set boundaries? Write down a list of actionable steps to resolve the core issue, no matter how small they seem. When the process feels overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek support—whether from trusted friends, family, or professionals. Remember, addressing the root cause is not about perfection but progress toward reclaiming your sense of calm and balance. How can you support your over-anxious body to help to accelerate mind-body balance and promote optimal health? It's important to fuel the body with anti-inflammatory diet for mental health, with the right types of minerals, vitamins and amino acids that are building blocks for neurotransmitters- to manage moods, resolve anxiety and also help with food cravings. Depending on your level of anxiety, how long it has been going on, you might want to consider finding a good functional medicine practitioner , who can help to order necessary tests to determine the levels of vitamins and minerals, to get an understanding of your gut health, your hormone levels, whether you have any underlying infections, parasites or mould toxicity as all these influence your body's anxiety levels. Foods and Drinks to Avoid for Better Mental Health Studies show that diets rich in processed foods can increase the risk of mental health issues by up to 58% ( source: PubMed ) There are certain foods that drive inflammation in the body , but this can vary a bit from person to person. When you remove or reduce the irritants, it helps the digestive tract to heal and cool down, which in turn does not require your immune system to over-react all the time. Below foods affect anxiety negatively: sugar and artificial sweeteners refined grains (white bread, white flour) processed carbohydrates (bagels, pastries, crisps, cereal, fruit juice, pizza, soda etc) alcohol caffeinated drinks (coffee, energy drinks) The Gut-Brain Connection and Its Role in Anxiety Help your body to reset your gut microbiome Our bodies have billions of bacteria and yeast in our mouth, gut and skin. When you focus on helping to grow good bugs in your digestive tract and starve the bad bacteria, you will help with healthy neurotransmitter production in the body. If you are consuming too many carbohydrates, foods high in refined sugar and yeast, you drive bacterial and yeast overgrowth in the body. When we are anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, our bodies produce less saliva. Stress also slows down food breakdown in the digestive organs, which can cause the fermentation in the gut, leading to bacterial overgrowth and bloating. Stress also reduces the production of stomach acid and also production of good bacteria. Here are some of the drivers for gut dysbiosis: high sugar and refined carbohydrate foods; excessive alcohol; antibiotics; oral contraceptive use, steroid use; use of antacids or proton pump inhibitors; also how you were born and fed when baby (born through c-section and formula fed) and stress. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet with probiotic and prebiotic foods stimulates the growth of beneficial bugs in your gut. Make sure you also drink adequate amount of clean water on a daily basis. Learn more about the importance of water and electrolytes here . Help your body to repair the gut lining I have written about the leaky gut and the importance of having an intact gut lining, so that body is able to absorb the nutrients and not allowing food particles and toxins get into the bloodstream. Excess toxins and waste in the body can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, chronic fatigue etc. Here are some foods and supplements that help with gut healing: bone broth , meat stock , omega-3 fats (from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring), turmeric, ginger, pineapple, papaya, digestive enzymes, L-glutamine, liquorice root, aloe etc. Nutrients and Supplements for Anxiety Relief Provide your body with the right nutrients that support adrenals and contribute to production and regulation of neurotransmitters. Ageing, healing from injuries, trauma, pregnancy, breastfeeding and even exercising can increase demands on nutrients. When we have anxiety, stress, our body needs more B- vitamins (B6, B9, B12), C-vitamin, D-vitamin, magnesium, chromium, selenium, zinc, calcium, glutamine. Learn from here from which foods you get what vitamins and minerals . Here are some of the foods that help heal anxiety: leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce, beet greens etc) wild-caught fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel) grass-fed beef eggs walnuts coconut oil fermented foods (kefir, plain yoghurt etc) olives carrots and beets pumpkin A diet rich in anti-oxidants is also seen to help with anxiety and stress . Consume foods like: berries cacao herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, cilantro, cumin, cinnamon, rosemary) ginger turmeric maca matcha rooibos. If you are someone who does not break down food properly, have hard time to digest fats, you might need to support your body with digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid with pepsin, ox bile etc. The acidity in your stomach is needed in order to absorb nutrients like amino acids, iron, calcium and B12. It's important to note here that there could be also genetic predispositions that can drive higher susceptibility to anxiety, but focusing on the healthy diet and lifestyle will reduce the chances for those genes to be expressed. You might also want to try some ancient remedies as well as supplements: Chamomile and Valerian Lemon balm Kava kava Dong quai Astralagus Ashwagandha and other adaptogenic herbs CBD L-theanine Magnesium Methylated B-vitamin complex Vitamin D Omega-3 Lifestyle Practices to Reduce Anxiety Below you can find lifestyle support action list to incorporate in your day to day life to reduce anxiety: Engage in gentle movement: walking in nature, yoga, pilates, stretching Acupuncture Body brushing and cold/hot showers Tongue scraping and oil pulling Using sauna and Epsom salt baths with essential oils that calm the body Getting a whole body massage Meditation Doing breathing exercises- here are a few to try Focusing on getting quality sleep Digital detox (from devices, social media, news) Summary Anxiety and overwhelm can significantly impact physical and mental health, contributing to issues like hormonal imbalances, digestive problems, and chronic stress-related conditions. Recognising symptoms such as muscle tension, poor sleep, digestive distress, and heightened heart rate is the first step toward managing these challenges. Key strategies to relieve anxiety include addressing root causes, supporting gut health, and nourishing the body with nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. Reducing triggers like sugar, caffeine, and processed foods while incorporating probiotics, omega-3s, and essential vitamins can restore balance. Lifestyle interventions such as gentle exercise, meditation, and quality sleep are equally important for calming the mind and body. Finally, consider professional guidance for personalised solutions, such as nutritional counseling, seeing a functional medicine practitioner, or reaching out to a psychologist if needed. Building healthy habits and tools for stress management ensures a long-term approach to achieving mental clarity and emotional resilience. For personalised support on reducing anxiety through diet and lifestyle, contact me at info@katrinpeo.com .