Eat More Plants. Feel Really Good.

Someone asked this during last week’s Q+A…
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…so how do you know if your gut is healthy?
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Well, first things first: if you’re pooping and eating pretty well and not experiencing annoying daily symptoms, you’re probably good.
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GIMME DETAILS?!?
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💩 HOW OFTEN should you poop? The widely quoted stat is that between 3 times a day and 3 times a week is normal. But as @dralandesmond and I chatted on @theallsortspod, research with folks eating a typical low plant diet isn’t maybe our gold standard, yes? So I say aim for daily 💩 to keep the gut moving
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💩 WHAT MAKES A GOOD POOP? The Coles notes version is well formed (not liquid, not rabbit pellets) and easy to pass. We’ll talk more about this on the pod SOON
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🤰🏻 GAS + BLOATING it’s 100% normal and healthy to pass gas. You do it up to 20 times a day. It’s also totally fine to be bloated from time to time. Like after a big feast. 🥣
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Bloating is WAY more complex than you think, so hop on over to my website for a more thorough list of root causes.

If you were to talk to a dietitian, a big part of our assessment is going to be, WHAT ARE YOU EATING?
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If the answer is plenty of plants, then, we know you’re on your way to a healthy gut. If there isn’t enough fibre, or mostly hyper-processed foods, we’re gonna offer some suggestions 💁🏻‍♀️
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The big message here is TRUST YOUR GUT NOT THE INTERNET 😜 if you feel like something isn’t right, don’t guess, don’t Google, go talk to your doc.
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And if something isn’t right, get one-on-one support from a dietitian to help make it right.
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QUESTIONS? Drop em in the comments!
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Are you a tempeh fan?!?
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Tempeh doesn’t get as much press as tofu, so I want to give the bean cake some HYPE ✨
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Tempeh has its origins on the island of Java in Indonesia where it has been consumed for centuries. To make it, cooked soybeans are fermented with mycelium (yep, fungus 🍄) into cake-like bricks.
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Tempeh has a nutty, mushroom-y flavour and is incredibly nutrient dense.
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🌱 150 grams of tempeh have a whopping 27 grams of protein! Lighter appetite? You’ll still get almost 14 grams in half that amount.
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🌱 Because it’s a fermented food, you can expect B vitamins for energy metabolism and the beneficial isoflavones daidzein + genistein in tempeh may be more bioavailable.
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🌱 There isn’t a ton of human trials on tempeh, but a few that suggest eating tempeh might be supportive of gut health, ❤️ health and even 🧠 function.
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WANNA EAT MORE TEMPEH? Try these recipes:
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🥣 hands down, my fave way to make tempeh is @plantbasedrd Dominican picadillo recipe
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🥗 I also make a mean vegan Cobb salad with tempeh bacon (recipe: www.DesireeRD.com)
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🍝 @walderwellness has a tempeh pasta sauce on her site
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🌮 how about a taco bowl? Head to @lindsaypleskot site for the recipe
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🍁 or try @thefirstmess maple mustard tempeh!
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What’s your fave way to make tempeh?!?
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PMID: 3356991 ...

Hello, vegan stuffed peppers 🫑
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I don’t know why stuffing vegetables is so much fun, but I’m here for it! It’s a little extra work, but most of the cooking time is hands off so you can 💆🏻‍♀️ 🍷 💃🏻
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These little bundles of flavour have are packed with protein and are sure to be a hit at your next family get-together (or last ditch recipe idea for a friends-giving perhaps?!?)
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I’ve made these with beyond meat but you can substitute your fave veggie ground to satisfy all the omnivores around the table. There is also an option to go whole food (lentils) to boost fibre!
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Wishing all my American friends a little joy as you gather with friends and family over the next few days.
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🛍 If you plan on shopping this weekend, don’t forget to support your local and small businesses! Some of my Canadian + American faves @acidleague @fraicheliving @rainbomushrooms @woodenspoonherbs @kulakitchen @juicetruck @gatleyoncommercial @irondogbooks
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👋 Also, there are just four more days to purchase the plant-based bundle! For $50 (USD) you’ll receive over $4000 worth of amazing e-books from myself, @veggiekins @itdoesnttastelikechicken @plantyou @thevietvegan and more 🎉🎉🎉
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Link for the recipe and the bundle are both in my profile!
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But, beans make me SO gassy! 💨 💨 💨
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We talked a lot about this @plantedexpo yesterday, so I wanted to share it here: GAS is a FACT 😬
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It means you’re:
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1. Human
2. Have access to food
3. Have a microbiome
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In fact, if you’re the average human, you may be passing gas 20 times a day 🤯
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Buuuuuut…I also get not wanting to fart 24/7. And when you’re enthusiastically piling your plate with plants, things can get a bit spicy.
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What to do? Train your gut for that plant life the way you train your legs for a 10K AKA slow and steady.
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Add one high fibre food, in a small amount, every single day. Your digestive tract will adapt. Your microbiota will adapt. And when things feel comfy, you up the ante.
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If you’ve bean avoiding legumes, know that by far and away they are one of the MOST transformative plant foods you can eat.
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So if you’re nervous about including them to your diet, get some one-on-one advice from a dietitian.
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And if you’re looking for more plant-inspo, head to the link in my profile and snag the Plant-based Bundle! I’ve partnered with over 100 plant-based folks like @rabbitandwolves @itdoesnttastelikechicken @veggiekins to share $4000 worth of incredible resources for $50 🎉🎉 ...

Make these pumpkin hummus toasts with za’atar STAT

I think that this holiday season is already shaping up to be an epic one (are we trying to make up for lost time or what?!?) so I’m already planning my survival strategies...including this really easy and super tasty appetizer I made with @silverhillsbakery sprouted grain bread (AD)

Roasted pumpkin, cumin and za’atar are a fun twist on one of my all-time favourite foods: hummus. The hummus takes just 20 minutes of hands-on time, and you can make it in advance, which means if folks are coming by, you can whip up these toasts in less than 10 minutes and have more time to actually enjoy your guests!

Because we’re using sprouted grain bread, in all it’s high fibre, protein-packed glory, these toasts can also become a sneaky + satisfying light meal the next day served with a leafy salad just in case you have leftovers.

Actually come to think of it, you probably won’t have leftovers so better to make a double batch because it’s gonna keep in the fridge no problem.

What are you looking forward to most this holiday season? For me, it’s all about connection. It’s been a looooooooong couple of years. ...

So, um, how you pooping lately? 💩
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If you’re constipated, you’re not alone: roughly 1 in 4 Canadians is constipated, according to the @cdhf_
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We typically think of constipation as not going. And it’s true, going less than 3 times a week ain’t ideal.
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But you can still be constipated even if you go every day:
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💩 if you strain often during a poop
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💩 if your poops are often hard or lumpy
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💩 if your BMs often feel incomplete
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Constipation is often due to low fibre intake - but not always. You could have pelvic floor dysfunction or slow motility…and if you try to heap a ton of fibre on that kind of gut, things will get WORSE not better.
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If you’re constipated, yes, it’s totally okay every once in a while to rescue yourself with a gentle laxative…but laxatives don’t fix the underlying cause! So take it to get some relief and then get to fixing, with the help of your doc and friendly neighbourhood gut dietitian 👋
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Want a more in depth post on constipation? Head to www.DesireeRD.com ...

Thank you for coming to my @ted talk 🎤 😜

Just one more thing: dietitians spend a lot of our careers trying to convince folks that nutrition works.

But nutrition isn’t telling someone what to do one time. A handout isn’t nutrition care.

We make food decisions multiple times a day…and that requires ongoing support that addresses the psychological and emotional aspect of eating. The challenge of creating new habits. And even reassurance when one more quack tries to tell them that all will be healed if they just do (insert thing here).

Nutrition care should be available to all. It’s why I offer all of the free stuff I do. Because food really does have the power to heal 💚💚💚 ...