What are digestive enzymes and how do they help improve gut health? Well, first of all, let's explain digestion. Digestion is simply the process in which our bodies break down food into smaller components that can be absorbed. You can't actually absorb protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These compounds must be broken down into their most basic forms so the body can absorb and utilize them. What happens when the process of digestion is compromised?

Black rice, also called purple rice or forbidden rice, is a relatively unknown superfood. It's packed with different compounds that promote gut health, reduce inflammation, and increase longevity. Black rice can be cooked on the stove the same way (and with the same water to rice ratios) that you would cook a pot of brown rice. You can also make black rice in your Instant Pot. Try adding black rice to your weekly meals—use it as a base for grain salads, serve it with curries or bean and vegetable stews, or serve it as a side dish along with baked wild salmon and steamed broccoli.

Learn how to make the most delicious, anti-inflammatory turmeric-ginger broth—one that not only warms your body, but soothes your nervous system and stimulates healthy digestion from the inside out. I love adding chopped fresh turmeric to chicken soup, but this recipe takes the turmeric content and bioavailability to a whole new level. I’ve created a richly nourishing broth that uses both fresh turmeric and dried, powdered turmeric, layered with warming ginger, healing aromatics, and nourishing fat to support your body’s healing pathways on every level. This isn’t just soup—it’s liquid gold for your gut, immune system, and soul.

Bone broth may be trending now, but this traditional food has been a staple in ancestral kitchens for centuries. Simmering bones with vegetables, herbs, and a splash of acid yields a deeply flavorful, mineral-rich broth that nourishes from the inside out.

Spring is in the air—at least for those of us on the West Coast! With the season’s fresh produce making its way to markets, I’ve been enjoying a simple dairy-free asparagus soup that I think you’re going to love.

Your grandmother was right…chicken soup is one of the best medicines when you are sick. In fact, you might want to consider gathering ingredients for homemade chicken soup before reaching for that over-the-counter cold medicine.

Lacto-fermented vegetables are cultured vegetables. You've probably heard of sauerkraut, kim chi, and sour dill pickles, right? These are all forms of lacto-fermentation. Many people use whey as a starter but it is not necessary as long as you use enough salt. Making your own lacto-fermented vegetables is so easy that once you start you'll be hooked! Traditionally, lacto-fermentation was used to preserve the harvest and store vegetables for the winter. If you have a garden full of cabbage, cauliflower, beets, carrots, and green beans and don't know how to store them all, consider making a few batches of lacto-fermented vegetables. These veggies can be stored in your refrigerator for months....if they last that long!

Summer BBQ's, potato salad, layered jell-o salads, fireflies, and sparklers flashing through the humid July night sky....these are my 4th of July memories growing up in the Midwest.

Since layered jell-o salads just aren't in my cooking repertoire anymore I have devised something even more delicious...and good for you!