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 I recently made pumpkin pie for my son’s 10th bday party and in true ‘Tara style’ I ended up making five different pies to experiment with a variety of recipes and ended up coming up with a couple of my own; one of which is here…
This pie is delicate with just enough richness to satisfy most any sweet tooth. As with most of my recipes, this is free of refined sugar and common allergens; except nuts. For those who practice The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.), you’ll find this to be stage 2 friendly as an occasional treat. You can find a stage 1 pumpkin pie recipe right here.
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 This savory, pancake-like treat is delicious right off the skillet or served at room temperature the next day. Eggs are the main ingredient, but the yolk is the only part being used in this recipe. This is because most people find egg whites hard-to-digest. I am all about making food easy to digest … hence my business, Happy Bellies and this recipe does just that 🙂 If you don’t have a problem with egg whites, substitute 8 whole eggs for the 12 yolks and omit the starch. …read more.
 This is for all the ladies on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) who want to help their man be on the diet. Perhaps he has a health issue that you are hoping he will address or maybe he is self-motivated to jump into stage 1 and you are the cook of the house and want to make him food that qualifies. Either way, I have listed below some ‘man food’ ideas along with my own personal account of cooking for my man 😉 …read more.
 For years I have looked for a decent pickle recipe that does not contain vinegar; especially for that time during the summer when cucumbers are abound in the garden. You know what they say, “what you are often looking for is right in your own backyard”. This recipe quite literally was just that. …read more.
Every now and then I receive a testimonial worthy of sharing with the world. This one here is just that. The lady behind the words is lovely and strong and vivacious and has taken hold of the reigns of her life and experienced a bounty-full of richness and wellness. I am so touched by her kindness.
I discovered The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) at a time in my life when I was stuck in an unhealthy relationship that didn’t feel good and I was stuck in a body that didn’t feel good. I had spent years struggling with my health and various versions of disordered eating. I was 100 pounds overweight, my joints hurt, I was sick all the time, and I had allergic reactions to everything. I was chronically exhausted and had a hopelessly weak constitution, something I feared would last the rest of my life. I was only 23 years old. …read more.
 I suppose that I could have come up with a fancier name for such a delightful dressing, but I am all about keeping things simple and this dressing is rich enough to stand on its own. Drizzled over lettuce or served as a dip; either way you will ‘get your greens on’ 😉 …read more.
 Candida, also known as Candidiasis or yeast overgrowth, is not a germ, a bug, or a disease. It is a serious immune disorder that gets its name from Candida albicans; a family of yeast that are the most common micro-flora organisms that live in human digestive tract.
A healthy bowel contains a 10:1 bacteria to yeast ratio, with good yeast outnumbering the bad bacteria to maintain ecological balance. Certain factors can throw this balance off, including excess stress, sugar, birth control pill, vaccinations, and antibiotics. All of these allow …read more.
 My husband nicknamed this one and I think it is appropriate given that the French origin of the word dandelion – dent-de-lioun – means “tooth of the lion” due to the plant’s sharply indented leaves. This fierce little smoothie contains a handful of dandelion greens, if you want more of a kick, add more leaves.
Our home resides in a community with an Earthship greenhouse and while up there yesterday, I spotted a patch of dandelion greens and thought to myself “why not?”. I love adding greens to my morning smoothies … watercress, parsley, cilantro … and given that we are in the month of April, I figure this is as good a time as any to create a delicious spring beverage for us all to enjoy.
Folk medicine claims the dandelion plant a powerful healer, used to purify the blood, clear the skin, prevent herpes, lower blood sugar, calm digestion, prevent gall stones…among other maladies. The greens of the humble dandelion provide 535% of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, which may be the most important source of any plant-based food to strengthen bones and keep Alzheimer’s at bay by limiting neuron damage in the brain.
This recipe is perfect for anyone on stage 1 of The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.). Vegetable-blended smoothies are an easy way to get your daily fix and even easier to digest; which is key when healing a digestive issue. Whether or not you follow a gut healing protocol like B.E.D., give this smoothie a spin in the blender 🙂
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 To say that I was willing to try anything to resolve my chronic health issues is not an understatement. I had tried many things, and as the years went by, I had this feeling that less and less was helping. The year I turned 40 years old, definitely did not help.
By the age of 43, I was as open-minded as they come and so when Transcendental Meditation (TM) was put in my reach. I reached for this programmed method of meditation with both hands. Yes, I had doubts but I was at my wit’s end to resolve what I was ready to kiss goodbye to…namely panic attacks and asthma … both of which hit hard when they arrived and put me under every time. …read more.
My family loves cultured butter and we make it a few times a year by culturing pastured cream into crème fraîche and churning it into yellow rounds of butter.
This recipe is rich in beneficial flora (a.k.a. probiotics) and easy-to-digest. Made this way, butter is often tolerated by those with fat or …read more.
 These fun, alternative Easter ideas are for The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D) or another gut healing protocol that you may be practicing. My own kids started B.E.D. when they were 2 and 7 yrs old, so I have had many years to perfect the holidays; Easter is by far the easiest imo. …read more.
 Everyone will experience TM differently, depending on their physiology and past ‘history’. Not everyone has a high level of sleep deprivation prior to starting TM, thus not everyone will go through a period of fatigue-release (a.k.a. sleeping lots). If you do, you will be supported by your TM teacher as you adjust the meditation technique and move forward.
Since learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) in January 2018, I’ve had many changes. One of which is my energy level. When I first took the training I was energized out of my eyeballs; unlike other people’s testimonials about TM helping them to sleep, I felt the opposite. I was abuzz with life with an incredible sense of urgency to get my life in order all at once, no time to waste. …read more.
 I want to share a bit about how life is for my husband and I in the food and intimacy department, because I think it’s a big deal to invite a man – or woman for that matter – into the most intimate parts of yourself; especially if you have been healing with The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.). …read more.
 I began Transcendental Meditation (TM) in January of 2018. I first heard about this meditation technique when a friend mentioned it might help prevent the panic attacks I was prone to. At that time I was willing to try anything … except take more medication.
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 Here’s a simple little breakfast or snack for The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). With only five ingredients, they are easy to make and freeze well so that you can make a big batch ahead of time to eat throughout the busy week.
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 A soul collage I made on this topic. This is a 10-minute streamline writing, you can check out what that is about here.
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 Raw, organic cacao powder made with a gut-friendly sugar, like stevia or lakanto, will not necessarily feed Candida, also known as Candidiasis or yeast overgrowth, but can be abrasive to the digestive tract lining.
This is because chocolate contains abrasive ingredients, such as sulfur, phytic acid, caffeine, oxalates, and alkaloids; all of which unfortunately make chocolate an acid-forming and potentially gut-irritating food. …read more.
 The first time I made this recipe was when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.). After weeks of avoiding everything sweet, this recipe was a godsend. I have made only mild quirks to the original masterpiece by Donna Gates and am eternally grateful to her, and others that share what works as they heal their bodies from mild or chronic illness.
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 Being a girl on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.), I like my chocolate sugar-free and raw. I find it hard to source this kind of quality and when I do it costs more than I want to spend. So, I got in the kitchen and tailored a recipe to suit my love for good chocolate; these nuggets have all the benefits of raw cocoa beans without the sugar. …read more.
 I have been doing colonics for many years. I did my first one in college during fasting periods, but really got into them when I was diagnosed with systemic Candida yeast overgrowth. A friend lent me a book called the Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) that lay out a healing protocol to remove excess yeast from the body.
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 Celebrating Thanksgiving on any kind of restrictive diet comes with challenges and being on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) is no different. This nutritional protocol is used by thousands of people to heal their bodies from yeast, bacterial, or viral overgrowth and as wonderful as this way of eating is, it does create a need to be attentive to what you will feast on when the holidays come around.
One trick to having a great day where you’re not slaving over the stove, or salivating over the sweet potato casserole topped with puffy golden marshmallows, is to plan ahead. By thinking ahead, the food part won’t be as big of a deal and you can relax, maybe play some football like we do in my family, and just kick back. …read more.
 This spirit writing came while I was traveling on my own up the coast of northern Maine. When I solo travel I don’t tend to have a destination nor do I know what I will find along the way. This time I stopped to sleep at Wolfe’s Neck Campground and was sitting in my tent overlooking Casco bay when the back of my head began to buzz and I heard the 1st lines of a writing. Here’s what came through…
Life is not about living in one way or another way. Life is about living life in the only way that feels good and true for you to live. To do so, you must breathe your way through each moment and listen acutely with each of your God given senses. …read more.
 The mom in this photo tested positive with group B strep* infection (GBS+) in her final trimester and received I.V. antibiotics during labor. Group b strep are a pathogenic bacterium that sporadically live in the rectum, intestines, urinary tract, and genital area of all pregnant and non-pregnant healthy people.
These bacteria don’t typically cause problems when kept in check by good flora (probiotics) that naturally live in your body, but if they can cause a mild to serious infection if they are allowed to overpopulate. …read more.
This is a 10-minute streamline writing, more about them here.
I have always taken time to be with myself. I find getting away to be therapeutic, kind of my own walkabouts if you will. Where I just go, get in my car when the weather is right and the kids are cared for. I often don’t have a destination but will drive with the adventure of moving to wherever it feels right to go. Keeps me in the moment when I return to a more predictable way of living, where days are scheduled in days ahead and every morning feels the same. …read more.
Packed with tender meat and an abundance of fat along the jawbones, salmon heads are highly prized for stock and soups. They are also rich in vitamin A, Omega-3 fats, iron, zinc, and calcium.
I was apprehensive about making salmon head fish stock, though I had experience with chicken, beef, and lamb stock I had never tried fish. The idea had me wondering if the whole house would smell ‘fishy’ and deter me, and the family, from trying it out. …read more.
This is my husband’s take on making mayonnaise. Before he walked into my life I’d been making my own version of homemade mayo with little to no success. It was either too runny or bland without flavor. Into the kitchen he came and without further ado blended up the perfect concoction that you see here. …read more.
Fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) is rich in fat-soluble nutrients like Omega-3 (DHA/EPA), Vitamin A, and Vitamin D. These are nutrients that most of us lack, especially if we are older or have digestive issues. If you have ever been …read more.
When my oldest started kindergarten, he had not been exposed to all that much refined sugar or artificial food dye. We were an organic, home-cooking kind of family that avoided gluten, sugar, and pasteurized dairy and most of our friends ate the same way. If we went somewhere where there would be food we couldn’t eat, then we brought something. This was our norm.
Our “norm” changed when Ben started school and he was exposed to sugary, processed food on a daily basis. We sent him with a packed lunch and snacks full of wholesome food choices, but were overwhelmed by all the school celebrations. …read more.
 I hesitated to write up this recipe because it’s just so simple to make. But, my husband took too many awesome photo’s not to share here…plus it’s not every day you get to bring down the basket of cookie cutters! …read more.
In the palm of my hand, you are at peace.
You are still.
Moments prior stretching, back-bends, kicking so.
In my hand I explore you whom spent 15 weeks deep inside my warmth and safety.
Now you are still.
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Kefir means ‘feel good’ which is exactly how most feel after drinking young coconut kefir (yck). This probiotic food is made with raw Thai young green coconuts and high-quality kefir starter*. You simply mix them together, culture them in a warm spot, and sit back to enjoy a delicious drink …read more.
 We grow lots of basil in the garden right through to mid-September. Nothing like fresh, still warm from the sun green basil all wrapped up in sandwich roll-ups or wrapped around crispy cucumbers. I lay some out in the sun to dry for the spice jar too.
Mostly though we make pesto and whatever we don’t eat in a couple of days I’ll stick in the freezer. In the winter, the vibrant color of pesto is most welcome! …read more.
When you’re on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D) or another gut healing protocol, traveling can be a challenge. You may find it hard to be away from your kitchen; your comfort zone. The world can feel too big and the food choices too slim. Food seems to be everywhere but in your mouth, because you can’t eat any of what is available! The smell of coffee brewing, fries frying, and pizza baking can be unbearable; it is hard to say no when you’re on the go. …read more.
Cultured cream is a fancy name for sour cream, a.k.a crème fraiche. It’s easy to make…all you need is a jar, cream, and starter* to break down the milk protein (casein) and convert the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid. …read more.
 One way to decrease your chance of being diagnosed with a GBS infection during pregnancy is to build up your birth canal with good bacteria that will naturally discourage GBS overgrowth. The best way to do this is to eat the right food before and during pregnancy. …read more.
Most pregnant women are not prepared for a group B strep diagnosis. I wasn’t when I my GBS test came back positive at 38 weeks. I didn’t have time to reverse the condition and opted for i.v. antibiotics during labor. See here if your unborn baby is at risk for GBS+. …read more.
 Nori is grand, nori is sweet.
Nori wraps rice into sushi like no one can beat.
This lean green machine is seaweed no doubt.
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 Every spring, the liver organ moves into a major detoxification phase. During this brief season, you have the power of nature behind you, which makes spring is a PERFECT time to cleanse your body!
Any time is a good time to take the burden off your liver. You don’t have to wait for spring. It’s just that during spring your body will naturally go into …read more.
 As a mom, who also wears the hat of a Holistic Nutritionist, I put my foot down on man-made colors. There’s nothing about them that I feel good about don’t feed them to my kids, even on celebratory days. So what’s a mom like me to do about Easter eggs?? …read more.
This grocery list is for Stage 2 of Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). The foods listed here are best for individuals on the tail-end of bringing a yeast or bacteria overgrowth back into balance. If you haven’t been on B.E.D. for at least 3-6 months, stay with the Stage 1 Grocery List. …read more.
This spirit writing came through on Valentine’s Day 2017. I did not edit or change what I heard, you read it as I received it.
What if you love yourself so much so that you stop for a moment as you put on your sock. To let your finger pause just so there on your skin as if it was porcelain. As if your finger had nothing else to do but touch and move with great care, with great love for the simple beauty of skin.
What if you brush your teeth and stop mid-brush to …read more.
 A soul collage I made on the topic. I wrote this on the way to visit my son for the first time since he’d moved out. I was nervous to see him and decided to pull over and do a 10-minute writing to clear my head.
Sometimes I think he is running away, other times flying away. Either way, he’s going away. That’s it. One way is easier to think about than the other. But both are equally hard to understand.
A fledgling at 14 moving into his father’s den. Not a nest. Not cozily prepared for his entrance into …read more.
 When you were born, and in those first few days, I studied you. I listened to you. Every sound you made. You had your own language and as your mother I learned it.
I remember how my ears would strain on the insides to so finely imprint you into the corners of my brain. You of course, my 7 pound baby, wanted nothing more than to be held and fed.
Each sound …read more.
This is a 10-minute streamline writing, check out what that’s about here.
 No one wants to be a single mom. No little girl I know plays with dolls imagining what it’ll be like to be a single mom. As if there’s something glorified about the experience. No, little girls carry their baby dolls tenderly, pretending to nurse them and change their pretend little diapers. …read more.
 If you’re on stage 1 of The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) or following a ‘gluten-sugar-yeast free’ diet, then you know what it takes to pack a lunch-to-go. I’ve put together some ideas here to help make it all easier. I keep this list on our fridge so the whole family can see it. …read more.
As a PBi-Certified Placenta Encapsulator I see first-hand how new moms benefit from the capsules I make for them. This is mainly due to the hormones in the placenta. After you have a baby, you can ride the hormonal roller coaster as your body learns to regulate itself again.
If this is true in the postpartum, then what about during menopause? After doing a fair share of research, here’s what I found… …read more.
 Meat stock goes back centuries as food with medicinal properties. Whether it’s made with chicken, lamb, beef, or fish – It’s all good stuff. It’s the first thing that we think to eat when we get sick. It’s nourishing, anti-inflammatory, and healing for the digestive system and keeps our bellies happy 🙂
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We take fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) every day, twice a day, year round. My kids started taking it when they were 7 and 2 years old. My husband likes his straight-up without added flavored. I like the chocolate butter blend and my oldest likes the …read more.
 Tara, PBi-Certified Placenta Encapsulationist If you want to have a lotus birth AND encapsulate, here are 3 ways to do it…
#1 Way) Keep baby connected to umbilical cord and the placenta for up to 4 hrs. This is the easiest way to keep the placenta fit to be …read more.
 We pick a ton of blueberries every year and freeze most in bags and ice cube trays for making smoothies in the winter. I also save some out for making almond crust tarts, jello, fruit leather, and a few jars of jam.
I stopped eating regular jam few years back when I started The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). Part of this healing protocol means avoiding all forms of sugar, so that’s what I did; including jam. …read more.
Last week I woke on a hot summer morning and looked out the window ☀ at the strawberries in our garden so red and ripe and all I could think was strawberry ice cream…for breakfast!
The kids loved the idea and their response was nothing short of joyful with a splattering of kisses on my cheeks and spins of delight. …read more.
 This snack list for the Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D) gut healing protocol are gluten-sugar-yeast free and easy-to-digest. The items listed with a (*) are best reserved for Stage 2 of the diet or used as an occasional or transitional treat. …read more.
I found lakanto when I started The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) to heal my chronic yeast overgrowth. I was so happy to find something I could use as a sugar substitute to make cookies and cake. I’d gotten so used to not eating anything sweet, that tasting Lakanto was a treat! This sugar alternative does not feed harmful pathogens (i.e. GBS+, Candida) or make the blood acidic like normal sweeteners do. It is safe for diabetics.
 Seconds after birth, with cord full of blood. When a baby is born, only 2/3rd’s of his blood is actually in his body. The remaining third is still in the umbilical cord and placenta. This blood does not get into the baby’s body until the 3rd stage of labor, which is…
That period of time after baby is born until the time that the placenta is born. It’s at this stage of labor, that the cord actively pumps the remaining blood into baby. Blood that’s rich in iron, oxygen, and stem cells. …read more.
This grocery list is for the initial stage of The Body Ecology Diet or anyone looking for a natural way to address yeast, bacterial, and viral overgrowth (i.e. Candida, GBS+). These are your foods people! If you already moved through stage 1 and ready to transition into the phase of gut rebuilding, here’s a stage 2 grocery list.
B.E.D. was created by Donna Gates and is a way of eating designed to give the gut a chance to rest ‘n repair. The foods listed below are for stage 1. They are nutrient-dense, probiotic-rich, easy-to-digest, and ‘gluten/sugar/yeast’ free. If you practice food combining when you eat these foods, you’ll give your gut an even bigger break and often more quickly recover …read more.
This recipe uses mostly buckwheat, an energizing grain that warms the body and works well at regulating blood sugar and thyroid issues. It’s also alkaline-forming and increases the circulation to the hands and feet.
I created this recipe while healing my systemic yeast overgrowth with Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). The diet recommended not to eat gluten, yeast, sugar, or flour products and yet I missed waffles! So I set out to make something that I could eat and that my kids would like too.
We loved them so much and friends who didn’t have any food issues loved them too. So, I made this a ‘cookbook recipe’ for all!
You can use this batter to make …read more.
These cookies are perfect for anyone on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). My kids love them. I like that the dough doesn’t make a sticky mess on my kitchen counter when they roll it out. Not bad for a cookie without eggs, dairy, or grain 😉 …read more.
Chicken stock (or another kind of stock) is rich in minerals, gelatin, and collagen. It keeps bones and teeth strong, joints supple, hair soft. I’ve got experience with the last. My hair was dry with grey coming in. I started drinking stock and my hair softened up with less grey. The collagen in the stock had a lot to do with that.
When I was a kid, my mom made chicken soup a bunch. There was always a pot of it on the back-burner. Then I grew up and turned vegan for a spell where the idea of cooking a chicken this way wasn’t …read more.
I got this recipe from Holistic Squid and tweaked it here and there to suit my dietary needs. The kids ask for them in their lunchboxes and we think that they taste better than the frozen kind at the store.
I like them because they don’t contain …read more.
 Traveling – whether by car, plane or train – can mess with our digestive system. Not only are we in a flurry of organizing and packing for our trip, but then we sit for long periods of time as we’re whisked away at unnatural speeds!
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Is Bragg’s Liquid Aminos a healthy version of soy sauce? It appears so, with a label that boasts a wide range of amino acids. Must be a good thing, right??
I’ve always thought there was something not right about Bragg’s. After many years of the bottle gracing our dining table I did some research. As a nutritionist, it’s what I do. Then I put all that I discovered into something that you can hopefully understand.
Here’s what I found… …read more.
 Sunflower, sunflower, yellow, and tall you were the prettiest sunflower of all. THIS POST CONTAINS PHOTOS THAT MAY BE DISTURBING – VIEW AT OWN DISCRETION.
On July 27th 2006, I lost a baby girl so tiny she could fit in my hand. She was 15 weeks old and absolutely perfect; her features delicate and complete, simply needing to plump up. She had fingernails and a cleft in her chin.
The day before I miscarried she had fluttered inside of me for the first time and the severe morning sickness that I had experienced throughout my early weeks of pregnancy had lifted. I was happy to finally look pregnant and feel slightly normal. I welcomed the next phase of my pregnancy. …read more.
Many pregnant moms are in distress when they find out their baby is transverse or breech – often just weeks before their estimated due date (EDD). This puts a spin on things because if the baby doesn’t turn “in time” many care providers recommend a cesarean birth. …read more.
 9 months pregnant in 2002 I love my red yoga mat that is full of stains. Like a loved teddy bear, my mat will have to be in pieces before I let it go. My mat has been with me through thick ‘n thin since my early 20’s when I taught myself step by step how to do each yoga posture with a little book written by Richard Hittleman.
This was all back before my children were born and my career had taken off. Back when the days were seamless and I went wherever the wind seemed to blow. One of those places was Esalen in Big Sur; where my love for yoga deepened into the easy practice that I continue to this day. …read more.
Feeding your baby is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. Breast milk from a nourished mother is the best option, but what if that’s not possible?
A next best alternative is to make your own formula with high quality ingredients – especially fat – to mimic breast milk’s natural fatty acid profile. …read more.
 I learned of ASEA while encapsulating for a mom whose placenta was so vital that I inquired if she had done anything differently during her pregnancy. The one unique thing this mom had done on a regular basis was supplement with ASEA; a bio-active solution containing Redox Signaling molecules that are safe and support the immune system. This natural supplement can be helpful for women in the childbearing years when the body is in a constant state of building itself. …read more.
Green Pastures ™ fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) has a bunch of benefits. Most of us know this, but they don’t know how much oil to take. Or give their kids. So, I asked Dave Wetzel, the owner of this family-owned company for his thoughts on the matter.
“The oil can be medicinal, but it’s not a drug with “one size fits all” dosage. It’s up to each person to decide the …read more.
 I don’t struggle so much anymore with digestive issues (i.e. gas, constipation, brain fog) but I did a few years ago when I had a yeast overgrowth issue (systemic candida). After years of cleansing with Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) and making big lifestyle and diet changes I feel a lot better now.
One thing I did during that time was to take …read more.
If you are new to cultured vegetables, a.k.a. “cv’s”, this is a good place to begin. I have laid things out step-by-step with just 3 ingredients; cabbage, carrots, and culture starter. A simple, colorful mixture to light up the taste buds.
Don’t let their simplicity fool you. Cv’s are potent and can kick-start your gut engine to have you digesting like a rock star ✨ …read more.
I food combine most every meal and every day. It’s the one food secret I wish somebody had told me about way earlier. Before I met ‘food combining’ I wore stretchy pants because I was so bloated that people thought I was pregnant. Now, I fit into jeans I wore in college and feel more slender with curves I thought were long gone. Always a nice thing… …read more.
Wondering what all the rave is about these little red ‘pills’? These no-fuss, flavorless, real-food multi-vitamins are easy to make and easier to take. It is very important to source pasture-raised liver for this recipe. Even better, raise the animal yourself or buy from a local farmer who freezes the liver immediately after butchering. Do NOT use conventional supermarket liver when consuming raw; it can’t be trusted nor is it worth the health risk. …read more.
 Just like earth, the human body has an inner ecosystem that is located inside of the digestive tract. This living world teems with a variety of micro-flora that work day and night to keep the body healthy and in homeostasis.
The inner ecosystem stretches from mouth to rectum and is approximately 30 feet long. Neatly packed in there are millions of micro-flora organisms, both good (a.k.a. probiotics) and bad (a.k.a. pathogens) that intermingle and live in a delicate balance of harmony with one another. …read more.
Sugar cravings are a real issue for many of us and strike at familiar times each day…esp. the late afternoon! Their are many reasons why we experience energy dips yet we’re not getting into that here. Instead I’m going to mention a healthy and doable way to get a handle on sugar cravings ? …read more.
 Photo Credit: Prentice Hall Good digestion is the corner stone of well-being and is involved in so many processes that if not working at top speed order, your immune and nervous system can become compromised.
For example, poor digestion can lead to …read more.
 Seasonal, Organic, Unadulterated, Local The other day I prepared breakfast for my family…lettuce from our garden; eggs from our chickens; bacon from farmer down the road; shiitake mushrooms grown on logs in our woods; scapes from garlic patch; nasturtiums from herb garden; and cultured vegetables made using a neighbor’s cabbage.
Breakfast is served…from our backyard!
As I served everyone it dawned on me that …read more.
 Photo Credit: www.lotuscentre.com Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™ is a traditional Maya healing technique developed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo to restore the position and health of pelvic and abdominal organs.
This external, noninvasive abdominal massage is best known for correcting a prolapsed, fallen, or tilted uterus (wandering womb).
Sudden falls, whiplash and bouncing (i.e. running), even just wearing heels can swing the …read more.
 Thomas’ Placenta! When my youngest turned 5, I gave myself a gift for bringing this fine boy into our world by encapsulating his placenta. Yes it was 5 years old and its hormone and nutrient levels might be nil, but what do I have to lose?
A colleague encapsulated her 2 year-old’s frozen placenta …read more.
This nutrient-dense pumpkin seed butter contains no sugar or poor-quality oil. It’s also a safe alternative for those schools and kids who are “nut-free”. My family likes it spread on flax crackers, roasted nori sheets, green apple slices, waffles, and celery sticks 😊
Pumpkin Seed Butter
Makes about 1 1/4 cup …read more.
 Group B strep (GBS) is a transient pathogenic bacterium sporadically present in the gastrointestinal tract and reproductive system. Typically, these microscopic life forms do not cause any harm, yet have the potential to present problems for pregnant women and their growing babies.
If you test positive for GBS infection it may mean you’re a group B strep carrier rather than a definitive indication that your baby will become ill. Often, it’s the babies born to moms with large amounts of GBS that are at the greatest risk of becoming infected.
…read more.
 This is a perfect breakfast treat for a hot summer morning. It is also a sneaky way to get gelatin into you or the kids. I created this jello when I was on stage 1 of the Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D) to heal a chronic case of yeast overgrowth. My kids were on board too and so this mom had to get creative in all the food departments.
This is especially true with fruit for B.E.D. protocol avoids all fruit unless it is acidic like lemon, lime, acai, sour green apple, black currant, cranberry, or pomegranate. You can substitute most any unsweetened juice for the pomegranate used here. …read more.
 High quality, unsalted cultured foods can help eczema (dermatitis) and a variety of other skin disorders for at the root of such conditions is often a gut flora imbalance and damaged intestinal lining.
Cultured foods, naturally rich in probiotics, deliver loads of beneficial bacteria to the gut where they quickly colonize – crowding out the pathogenic bacteria, yeast, etc. living there. Not only do friendly flora keep bad guys “in check”, but also maintain a balanced …read more.
 I recently returned from a trip to my sister’s home on the coast of MA. I drove 6 hours each way, and was away for 10 days. In all of those days and nights I did not have one belly-ache. Not even the slightest dull ache. In the past, the traveling alone would have been enough to put me under for days. This is a BIG deal for someone in my shoes! Since healing myself from systemic Candida almost 5 years ago …read more.
Placenta is recognized by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as having strong Qi (life force energy), scientific research also shows placenta to be incredibly nutritious, containing iron, B12 and protein.
Placenta also contains the new mom’s very own hormones. Hormones that are uniquely bio-available to her. A perfect lock ‘n key fit where her body recognizes these hormones and quickly puts them to use.
In fact, many of my clients feel a positive effect within minutes of drinking Mother’s Broth or taking a couple doses of placenta capsules.
When reintroduced to the body, like we do with placenta capsules, these beneficial nutrients have …read more.
 Women who give birth at home have the luxury of being in complete control over the care and handling of their baby’s placenta. A woman who births in a hospital has to adhere to the guidelines and policies in place at their facility of choice. In some cases, there is no written policy, and mothers are then subjected to the whim of …read more.
Nama Shoyu is a traditional soy sauce that is unpasteurized. Nama means “raw” and Shoyu means “soy”. This soy sauce is made by fermenting non-GMO soybeans with a probiotic fungi called Aspergillus oryzae with the addition of water, wheat, and sea salt.
This mixture is left to ferment in cedar kegs for 6 to 8 months; sometimes as long as 4 years. …read more.
 These crackers are full of flax seeds which are full of fiber and omega-3’s. They’re crispy, easy-to-digest and are known to relieve constipation – one of Nature’s digestive cleansers!
I decided to add in onions because they have antibacterial properties which stimulate gastric juices and get things moving. Sound yummy?! The good thing is that they are and happen to make your belly happy too ?
This recipe was created while I was in the early stages of …read more.
 Ben’s Breakfast! My son awoke on a recent Saturday morning and offered to prepare breakfast. With the typical rush of our daily grind coming to a halt on this relaxing weekend morning, I happily accepted his offer.
I busied myself chopping vegetables for a dinner casserole, watching from the corner of my eye as this boy of mine moved about the kitchen with grace and ease. Speaking aloud, yet to himself, he busily went to work pulling assorted dishes and food from the refrigerator.
Other than my help turning on the gas burners, he did it all – even deciding the menu; cleaning the pots and pans he needed; and cutting a head of cabbage with my cleaver! At one point I asked if I could …read more.
Bone marrow is fatty and nourishing and one of the best remedies for the gut lining and immune system. This once known super-food was a primal brain food that our ancestors relied on for a healthy fat that came with protein and minerals. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside of bones, such as the hip and thigh bones, and contain several valuable bone-building cells that can revitalize the body and promote bone growth.
…read more.
This is the question that I get asked the most in my cultured food workshops. People are always stumped as to how cultured vegetables will stay fresh and safe if they don’t contain salt. The short answer is that they do.
The cultured vegetables that I refer to are fairly new to our modern day culture. Yet, they’re really a long lost food that we’re bringing back to the dining room table! Everyone knows what sauerkraut is and many people eat it to get their daily dose of probiotics.
Here’s the thing…’sauerkraut’ (German for ‘sour cabbage’) didn’t originally contain salt. It was only when natives of Poland, Germany, and Russia began to travel to America by ship and added salt to preserve the kraut for the long travels. Somehow this way of doing it stuck.
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 This is a delicious spread for waffles, pancakes, or crackers. I created this recipe during my early days on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) while healing a systemic yeast infection with digestion that was way off track. One of the principles of this gut healing protocol is to practice food combining; which I did (and continue to do) to a “T”.
I had two young boys at the time who both loved waffles and pancakes, and I was stumped as to what to top them with that would be a good food combination and taste good. Enter creamy carrot butter; simple ‘n delicious all at once.
Take things a step further and add a chunk of cultured butter, a dollop of pesto, and sprinkle the whole thing with hemp seeds … YUM.
Creamy Carrot Butter
Serves 4
Ingredients
5 cups carrots, cut in 1″ chunks
1 cup water …read more.
 I love this picture. I think it really shows my boy’s inner joy and health!! This child of mine who once upon a time had a bloated belly, a face full of rashes, runny nose and mini seizures from his 1st week of life.
Look at him now!!
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 Gelatinous Gelatin Gelatin gets a bad rap. Yet, the benefits of traditionally made gelatin are HUGE. Many of us simply have no idea. Suffer from leaky gut, allergies, tooth/bone decay or joint pain? Check out the many gifts of this healing food. …read more.
The following home remedies are simple and can help relieve both Athlete’s Foot and Nail Fungus: …read more.
Where I live in the valley of Vermont, spring is a combination of muddy roads and loads of snow melting into the rivers from the mountains above.
Cooking takes on a whole new feel when spring rolls around. All I want to do is be outside and when I do venture in the kitchen, I simplify the menu and change up my cooking styles to reflect the coming warm winds and new growth and cool rains 🌦 …read more.
 Bone stock has been used for centuries as a folk remedy with many healing properties. It’s made by simmering animal skin and marrow bones. The result is stock which provides a basis for countless recipes. Or, on its own in a big mug with a pinch of salt added ?
Stock contains collagen, gelatin, omega-3 fats, essential minerals (calcium, magnesium), amino acids and electrolytes. …read more.
Vaginal yeast infections are often the result of a type of micro-flora called Candida albicans that have grown out of control. This type of flora typically lives in harmony with other types of flora in the digestive tract; from the mouth down and out the genitals.
Problems occur when this delicate balance gets out of whack. When that happens, the Candida breed quickly and overtake the good flora living in the body; including the birth canal.
…read more.
 This traditional form of milk kefir contains milk and starter … that’s it … simple, good stuff. I was first introduced to this way of making kefir when I started practicing The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D) to heal a chronic case of yeast overgrowth. The kefir ended up also reducing my cravings and acne and endless bloating.
My husband, who is from Czech Republic, says that he drank milk kefir all the time growing up and this traditional food is still all the rage in Europe, along with cultured butter and creme fraiche. …read more.
 As a Holistic Nutritionist for those on The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.), this is by far the most common question I get asked, “will chocolate feed my candida?”. Most people that I meet are women and most do not want to consider letting go of chocolate, no matter what kind of health they are in. I can understand that. I am a woman myself and big time lover of chocolate.
Here is what I tell people…when other biggies are eliminated (i.e. gluten, pasteurized dairy, sugar, etc.) and you actively put the B.E.D. principles into place you transform your health with habits that tend to be enough for “most” people. Habits that tend to reduce the trigger load on the immune/digestive system and make you feel a lot better. If you are one of these people then eating a piece of chocolate, sweetened with stevia or lakanto (sugars that do not feed excess yeast, bacteria, or viruses), should be fine on a special occasion.
That said, if you have a deeper and more chronic health issue going on and feel debilitated in any way, then you might want to stay on stage 1 for a minimum of 3 months and hit the bulls-eye every day; without eating chocolate. This is an example of finding your own unique balance in the choices that you make each day.
Are you sensitive to coffee?
Like coffee, chocolate contains caffeine and that is something worth mentioning…many people on B.E.D. have a weak digestive tract and as a result have a tough time breaking down (metabolizing) caffeine. Many of these people would describe themselves as having a “caffeine sensitivity”. If caffeine is not broken down properly it can over-stimulate the adrenals and cause them to burn-out. To give you a sense about the caffeine content in chocolate; 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder contains 12mg of caffeine in comparison to one cup of green tea, which has about 35 mg.
How about gluten?
Gluten intolerance is another thing…people with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease sometimes react to chocolate. One reason why is due to a reaction caused by cross-reactivity which is because chocolate contains a protein that is similar in structure. This means that the immune system sometimes mistakes chocolate for gluten.
A word about oxalates…
Oxalates are naturally produced chemicals in many plant foods, including cacao, spinach, broccoli, and almonds. Donna Gates, founder of Body Ecology, likes to say that she “counts oxalates, not calories”. Though they are typically excreted through the urine, when a person has oxalate sensitivity, then the oxalates can accumulate in the body and form sharp crystals that result in joint pain, kidney stones, and brain issues to name a few.
Strengthening the gut with a probiotic supplement or unsalted, probiotic food (cultured vegetables, young coconut kefir) is one of the best ways to reduce oxalate buildup; along with reducing how many oxalate-rich foods you eat.
What I did…
Only you know what is right for you. Personally, when I started the diet I was in such a bad place physically that I didn’t eat chocolate for almost 3 years. For me, that is what worked. I remember smelling a piece of chocolate and knowing that I was not ready for that. Once I felt better, you bet your booty that I created a raw chocolate recipe!
May all bellies be happy!
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I recently made pumpkin pie for my son’s 10th bday party and in true ‘Tara style’ I ended up making five different pies to experiment with a variety of recipes and ended up coming up with a couple of my own; one of which is here…
