At the recent Jemez Valley Community Wellness community education event “Gut Love: A Hands-On Feast for Digestive Wellness,” guests were invited to prepare their own multi-course meal al fresco and learn about how fresh and fermented produce and natural ingredients can improve gut health for overall vitality. The program held on September 17th was the fourth of five in the new JVCW “Food as Medicine” wellness series taking place at The Rose Center for Integrative Health.
To open the program, Dr. Juliette Sweet provided an insightful overview of how the body’s digestive system naturally helps to regulate the function of all other systems by balancing internal chemistry and the intestines’ good bacteria. She shared more about how probiotics, prebiotics, and spore-based probiotics interact with human microbes to encourage healthy digestive function. Common fermented foods like yogurt contain probiotics (usually lactobacillus), and prebiotics are soluble fibers high in inulin found in apples, oats, bananas, onion/garlic, and legumes. Dr. Sweet is the Executive Director of JVCW and specializes in Naturopathic and Ayurvedic education, prevention, and treatment.
“Hippocrates says that all disease begins in the gut,” shared Dr. Sweet. “Gut health is important for proper nutrients being delivered to the entire body. A healthy gut gives energy, repairs the body through the immune system, assists the endocrine system in producing healthy neurotransmitters, regulates blood sugar, and encourages detoxification. Common symptoms like reflux, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation can often be addressed through changes in diet and natural supplements. Through this series, we hope that people can learn more about selecting, preparing, and eating natural foods so that their bodies can work at their best which results in improved health, overall.”
The twelve participants enjoyed an intimate hands-on cooking instruction by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Fallon Bader. The recipes emphasized the role of ingredients that help to balance pH and regulate the natural microbiome. Fallon coached attendees in preparing a savory Mediterranean-style meal of crispy chickpeas, picked onions, fresh tomato cucumber salad, and two varieties of Tzatziki sauce made with traditional and dairy-free yogurts, lemon, and dill. Guests also enjoyed samples of locally blended “Soothing Sips” wellness tea with peppermint and ginger from EMTeas in Cuba.
The seasonal selections emphasized natural ingredients to help contribute to the gut’s microbiome and regulation. For example, garlic, onions, and chickpeas contain healthy amounts of prebiotics that help to detoxify and feed healthy microbes. Guests enjoyed their colorful prepared dishes outdoors with a nutritious and flavorful sampling.
“Most of the ingredients that we chose to feature in these recipes are common enough to find at the local grocery, but we are also looking for ways to encourage people to grow their own or buy from nearby producers in their own communities,” says Fallon. “Tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs are very nutritious and are generally easy to grow here in New Mexico.”
As a special feature for this session, Jemez local Dr. Cathy Taylor shared her experience with home fermentation and brought in several of her creations to include kombucha, sauerkraut, pickled carrots, and mock tomato sauce made with red peppers from the Jemez Farmer’s Market to enhance the gut-friendly meal.
“I have learned by trial and error,” Dr. Taylor explains. “I’ve been trying recipes from books like ‘The Art of Fermentation’ by Sandor Katz and ‘Fiery Ferments’ by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. I love how the cabbage transforms when salt is added to make sauerkraut. It softens as you massage the salt into the leaves and the moisture is released over time. It is an anaerobic process, so there is no need to add extra water. When I make kombucha, I can achieve different flavors depending on how long I leave it to ferment. The longer it sits, the sweeter it gets in some cases.”
The monthly “Food as Medicine” series will continue through October. Each event supports a different body system with local ingredients and communal nourishment. Fallon will return each month to feature a cooking demonstration and tasting focused on seasonal healing through food. Dr. Sweet and other invited practitioners and special guests will provide an informational session to connect natural foods to whole body health and wellness.
On October 15th, the last program in this inaugural series is “Calm & Clear: Feeding the Nervous System.” This session will feature warming and soothing recipes and more about using oils in Ayurvedic medicine to nurture a daily practice of self-care. Sarah Ayoub, MSW, E-RYT, is the special guest presenter who will share more about mindfulness and movement to help calm nerves.
The in-person events are held from 5-7pm at The Rose Center for Integrative Health at 8372 Highway 4, across from Jemez Valley High School. Attendance is limited; registration is required with a suggested donation. See more at https://www.jvcw.org/specialevents.
