-807 Ways to Optimize your Immune System Function & Defend Against Viruses

If you’re worried about Coronavirus, simply wearing a mask and gloves, and washing your hands frequently and not touching your face, are not the only, or even the most effective preventive measures you should be taking.

For sure, keep washing your hands – this is always important! But ALSO make sure you’re focusing on doing things to support your immune system so it can do its job effectively.

The army, that is our immune system, is always on the lookout for a cell that is mis-behaving.

Mis-behaving cells might be: a cancer cell, a virus, bad bacteria, a toxin, or anything that gets into the system that is foreign.

And when it comes to protecting ourselves from viruses we especially need to focus on supporting the production of our natural killer (NK) cells.

Natural killer cells are the cells in our innate immune system that destroy other cells that have been infected by VIRUSES or cancerous cells

Here’s how to support the production of natural killer cells, and our overall immune function:

1. Don’t smoke

because it seriously decreases really bad for NK cell production

2. Exercise regularly

because it’s the one practice most supported by research for really supporting NK cell production. Just move your body any way you can!

3. Focus on optimal nutrition

as the immune system (among all the body’s systems) responds most sensitively to subtle changes in our nutritional status.

Did you know that we literally make 2,000 immune cells every minute?

And the better our nutrition, the better we’re able to make those immune cells.

A diet low in processed foods and sugar, and high in plant-based whole foods I related to a healthier immune system. Enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and choose organic as much as possible.

Key immune supportive nutrients include:

• Essential fatty acids (omega 3s)
• Folate
• Iron
• Protein
• Selenium (Brazil nuts are a great source of this; eat just 2 a day)
• Vitamins A, B6, C, E, D (Note: To get Vitamin D get direct sunlight on your body for at least 15 minutes a day, or use a high quality supplement. I recommend this Vitamin D supplement)
• Magnesium (Vitamin D can’t be metabolized without sufficient magnesium, and at least 50% of Americans are deficient in Magnesium)
• Zinc (good to supplement with if you start to feel sick; I use this one)
• Curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric) + black pepper to get maximum benefit from it, as piperine enhances curcumin absorption in the body by up to 2,000% (with just 1/20 tsp or more of black pepper)
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Cardamom (which is a champion in boosting NK cells)
• Antioxidants (berries are a champion in boosting NK cells!)
• And of course, pre- and probiotics to support a healthy microbiome. This means eating fermented foods and a variety of different fiber-rich vegetables. 70-80% of our immune system resides in our gut, which is where the majority of our microbiome is. By consuming probiotic and prebiotic foods, you can stimulate the digestion of nutrients that support your immune system.

** Nutrients can (and SHOULD) come from food as much as possible.

To learn which foods are best to eat daily to support optimal immune function check of my other blog post where I talk about G-BOMBS. MUSHROOMS are one of these foods that are especially effective for fighting off viruses because they enhance natural killer cell function.

However, if you know you’re deficient, or you feel you’re not eating enough of the foods that will give you these nutrients, then be sure to choose a high quality supplement. I recently watched part of the online summit, Supplements Revealed, and it emphasized not only that you might be wasting money on cheap supplements, but they can actually be harmful. So that’s why I only use, and only recommend ones that I know are from a reputable company. Such as Thorne Research which makes the Vitamin D supplement I recommend. Other companies I recommend include:

4. Get enough sleep.

Well-rested people are less likely to catch an illness. For most this means 7-9 hours a night, but also make sure you aren’t staying up too late as the best sleep we get is between 10pm and 2am.

5. Make sure you’re pooping daily. 

Constipation (not pooping daily with ease), will increase the body’s load of toxins, and that also can impair immune system function. Gradually increasing your consumption of fiber rich plant foods will help, esp. flax and chia seeds.

6. Keep your blood sugar balanced. 

Blood sugar and insulin production can also impair the body’s immune function. And in general, sugar and processed foods impair immune system function so again, be sure to focus on eating whole unprocessed foods, esp. lots of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

7. Practice DEEP BREATHING

This will help both reduce stress and support your lymph flow.

Stress hormones suppress your immune system. And deep breathing is one of the easiest and fastest ways to quickly reduce stress.

Also, the health of our lymphatic system is closely related to the health of our immune system. It’s the place where immune cells are born!

The lymph removes the waste, debris, and disease components such as viruses, bacteria and toxic matter.

In general (meaning for all of us), and particularly for people with viruses, infection, cancer, inflammation and some autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis – it’s important to keep the lymph flowing.

There are 4 easy ways to assist your body with lymphatic drainage:

• Deep breathing
• Rebounding
• Massage and movement
• The topical application of castor oil

DEEP BREATHING is probably the easiest and most effective of these 4 practices for optimizing your immune function! The pressure variance with the lung expansion and contraction moves the lymph and also helps to open the ducts to allow the lymph to re-enter the bloodstream at the base of the neck.

Deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing for 10 minutes a day will oxygenate blood and also circulate the lymph throughout the entire body.

If you’re able to do deep breathing 10 times, 3 times a day (morning, evening and before bed) you’ll notice a huge difference in your energy, your clarity and your ability to ward off illnesses.

My instructor, Andrea Nakayama, recommends this ratio of breathing:

• Breath in for 1 count
• Hold for 4 counts
• Breath out for 2 counts
• Go ahead and do that now.

Personally, I practice Dr. Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing technique (but it should only be done for 5 breathes at a time).

• Breath in for 4 count (through your nose)
• Hold for 7 count
• Breath out for 8 count(though you mouth)

And if you want to challenge yourself, for maximum benefit, try the Wim Hof method, with this guided video.

Or, if you want an easier option, simply blow bubbles. For anyone who has a hard time breathing, blowing bubbles is recommended instead (which would be a great activity with kids!). Blowing bubbles for just a few minutes a day can be very beneficial in aiding lymphatic flow.

If you have cold or flu-like symptoms and you want to know if its coronavirus, read this article from Parsley Health.

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plate?

Roots like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips, are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them. This means more steady energy, and more food to nourish your healthy gut bacteria which in turn will boost your immune function.

Why Eat More Root Veggies?

Long roots – carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish – are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots – turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas – nourish the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs. As the weather gets cooler, eating more cooked vegetables is a good idea for generating body heat, and roasted root veggies is a great option as it’s also good to eat what’s in season!

Which root vegetables do you eat most?

If you’re like most of the world, it’s carrots and potatoes.

However, remember that variety is key to a healthy diet. Here are a few others to explore:

• Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying. They are also a great brain food.
• Jerusalem Artichokes (aka sunchokes), which I was first introduced to here in Kurdistan Iraq, are high in inulin and oligofructose, which are types of fiber that act as potent prebiotics, or food for probiotics, which are the good bacteria in your gut. Inulin is a soluble fiber that also helps to balance your blood sugar.
• Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It’s a favorite in its native Mexico and South America. This is also an excellent source of prebiotic fiber, which promote the growth of the types of bacteria that can lower your risk of chronic diseases and aid in weight loss.
• Burdock is considered a powerful blood purifier. This long, thin veggie is a staple in Asian and health food stores. This was one of my favorite vegetables while living in Japan.
• Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and with a respectable amount of antioxidants. Try adding some to the pot next time you’re making mashed potatoes.
• Onions are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, making them prized for their ability to strengthen the immune system.
• Parsnips, which look like giant white carrots, boast a sweet, earthy taste. They’ve also got plenty of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium.
• Radish is an excellent source of vitamin C. It’s also rich in calcium, molybdenum, and folic acid.
• Sweet Potatoes contain unsurpassed levels of beta-carotene and are also rich in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and fiber.

Excited to add more roots to your diet? Here’s a fun, easy recipe:

Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

1 sweet potato
2 parsnips
2 carrots
2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga
1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in other favorites, like squash)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and dice all vegetables into bite-sized cubes.

Place in a large baking dish with sides.

Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Tip: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

For a quick complete meal, serve the roasted veggies with a whole grain and protein of choice (I choose beans or tempeh) and drizzle with serve with some tahini sauce, which you can whip up quickly with 1/2 cup tahini, 2 Tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1/2 tsp of salt (if tahini is unsalted).

Check out this recipe for a roasted sunchoke and barley bowl which includes a recipe for a delicous zaatar tahini sauce. You could make this with any type of roasted veggies and whole grain.

GET EVEN HEALTHIER!

Would you like to learn how to choose and cook more nutritious foods like root vegetables? Would you like help being as healthy as you can? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary (free!) strategy session with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Message me via my Contact Me page. 

Thanks to much of what we hear in the media, detoxing has earned a reputation for being unhealthy and even unsafe. When you hear the word “detox,” do you immediately think of all-liquid diets, expensive supplements and short-term deprivation for short-term gains?

The truth is, a detox doesn’t have to involve any of the above—and if you detox in a healthy, supportive manner, you can achieve lasting results in weight loss, energy gain and overall health.

The following are four myths you may have heard about detoxing. Understandably, these myths may cause you to be hesitant to try a detox.

Keep reading to find out the truth behind these myths and why detoxing might be just what your body is craving.

Myth # 1: You won’t enjoy anything you’re eating while on a detox.

While you might have to eliminate certain foods that you enjoy, detoxing isn’t all about eating lettuce with a drizzle of olive oil. There are many delicious recipes that can be prepared using healthy ingredients that not only taste amazing, but nourish and detox your body.

The best part is, many of them don’t involve any fancy ingredients and can be prepared even by a cooking novice.

Myth #2:  You’ll constantly be hungry while detoxing.

While you might end up consuming fewer calories while following a detox, you shouldn’t feel deprived or hungry. Going on an extremely low-calorie diet can actually disrupt your hormones and metabolism, making your body less efficient in the long run.

Everyone’s caloric needs are different, so a detox should never dictate how many calories you consume. By consuming whole foods that provide you with the right nutrients, you help detox your body while feeling satisfied.

Myth #3:  You need to do an all-liquid detox to remove toxins from your body.

Liquid-only detoxes have had more than their fair share of popularity. These types of detoxes can backfire: people often go back to their old habits as soon as the detox end and gain the weight backor see their energy plummet again. An effective detox will focus more on the reduction of toxins and include a variety of whole foods to help nourish your body and produce long-term results.

Myth #4: Detoxes are just a way for people to make money on expensive supplements.

Supplements involved in a detox should be just that, a supplementary part of the program, not the primary source of your nutrition.  While on a detox, you get most of your vitamins and minerals from whole-food sources.

Supplements may be recommended to help your body make the most of the nutrients it receives from these foods.  For example, by including probiotics in your diet, you help your body produce vitamins, absorb minerals and remove toxins from the body.

Aside from the benefits discussed above, detoxing is an incredibly effective way to identify if you have any food sensitivities, balance your hormones, and establish healthy habits for the long term.

I’ve heard stories from detox participants who not only have lost weight and kept it off, but who have also seen their energy level skyrocket, their skin clear up and even their allergies disappear.

Are you ready to discover the benefits of healthy detoxing for yourself?

Click here to learn more about my upcoming 7-Day Fall Detox Cleanse. It starts on November 10th. Register by November 3rd to save $50.

What questions or concerns do you have about doing a detox?

Email me at larissa@larissapopp.com. I read every email that comes into my inbox and I promise to email you back personally.

Many people are eating seemingly healthy foods, exercising, and still facing health issues that they can’t figure out.

Like why their skin is a mess, or why their joints hurt, why they’re tired all the time, or why they have digestive distress.

One of the missing pieces to the puzzle that many overlook – often because they don’t even know it could be connected — is chemicals.

Chemicals we are exposed to in our everyday lives.

There are roughly 80,000 known toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis, just within our homes.

However, it is extremely important that we address these seemingly insignificant daily exposures to toxins in our daily lives.

But what to do about it?

Should you do a detox? How often? How do you do a detox anyways?

Detoxing can be a confusing subject.

I know it confused me for a long time with so many different detox protocols out there.

It wasn’t until I heard environmental toxins expert, Lara Adler, speak about the 5 steps to detoxing that something really important clicked.

She shared the 5 steps to detoxing, as follows:

Step 1. Reduce toxic exposure

Step 2. Reduce toxic exposure

Step 3. Reduce toxic exposure

Steps 4 and 5. Follow a detox protocol for cleansing the body, and take specific supplements to support your body’s ability to flush out toxins.

The point is that if you do steps 4 and 5, without reducing your toxic burden, you’ll need to be undertaking a detox protocol much more often!

It’s true that we cannot completely eliminate our exposure to toxins, but there are many small and simple changes that we can make to significantly reduce our toxic burden.

It’s also true that our body has detoxification processes to flush out those toxins naturally. However, over time our liver and other detox support organs start to become less efficient because we’ve been overworking them.

The goal is to focus on the small, proactive things you can do to gradually decrease your toxic load.

Bottom Line:

Shifting to toxin-free foods, personal care products and household cleaners is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

And luckily, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) makes it very easy to do this.

Your Action Step:

If you don’t already use this amazing free resource, definitely check out the EWG’s Skin Deep database here (or download the app). Then look up a few of the personal care or cleaning products that you use every day to check their toxicity score. If you find some with a high score, choose at least one product that you’ll swap out for a safer brand. For example, body soap is a great place to start because there are so many wonderful handmade soaps being sold these days with natural fragrance from essential oils (which not only means a lesser toxic burden, but also you’ll be getting added benefits from those essential oils).

Pumpkin is a super nutrient dense, energy boosting and weight-loss-friendly food. It’s also delicious, versatile in cooking, and cheap!

 This ¼ of a pumpkin cost me less than a dollar (here in Iraq) for 3.5 kilos — that’s about 8 pounds of pumpkin! It sure beats canned pumpkin both in price and quality!

I am so excited that we’re entering into fall because winter squash and pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables! My favorite is actually the Japanese kabocha squash (which I got introduced to when living in Japan and would simply roast it and then dig in with a spoon — it’s naturally sweet and super yummy!). Luckily kabocha is now commonly available in the U.S. so if you haven’t yet tried it, please do — you can sub for any recipe calling for butternut squash.

Unfortunately, no kabocha here in Iraq, but what they grow here in Northern Iraq seems similar to the Cinderella pumpkin, also known as a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (which I just learned from Google), and it’s quite delicious and versatile as well!

Health Benefits of Pumpkin:

Pumpkins are a super nutrient dense food, meaning they are low in calories (less than 50 calories in one cup) while being high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (esp. Vitamin A and beta-carotene). It’s also a good source of fiber. And since it’s 94% water you’ll also be keeping your body hydrated!

You get 245% of the RDI for Vitamin A in just 1 cup of pumpkin!

“Vitamin-A is a powerful natural antioxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucosa. It is also an essential vitamin for good eyesight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin-A may help the human body protect against lung and oral cavity cancers.” (1)

Pumpkins are good for (2)…

• Boosting your immune system…due to its high vitamins A and C content, which helps boost your immune system, as well as vitamin E, iron and folate.
• Promoting weight loss…due to it’s high nutrient content while having under 50 calories per cup, and being a good source of fiber which can also help suppress appetite.
• Protecting your eyesight…due to high vitamin A content, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin contents, it can protect your eyes against sight loss as you age.
• Lowering your risk of certain cancers…due to carotenoids, which function as antioxidants, and are linked to lower risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers.
• Promoting heart health…due to its rich potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidant content.
• Promoting skin health…due to beta-carotene which acts as a natural sunblock, and vitamins C and E, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help keep your skin strong and healthy.

Roasted Pumpkin

I find the easiest way to cook pumpkin, or winter squash, it to simply cut in in half (or quarters, depending on size) and roast it in the oven. Once it’s cooked it will be super simple to scoop out the flesh (or you can eat the skin of some varieties, like kabocha).

Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 400. Cut pumpkin in half or quarters and remove seeds, and brush inside with coconut oil, avocado oil, or EVOO.

Step 2. Place cut side down on baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up)

Step3. Bake about 35 minutes or until very soft (just try piercing the flesh with a fork or knife to test) — mine almost looked like I over roasted it because the skin was turning brown, but actuallly the inside flesh was perfectly cooked!

Step 4. Let cool then scoop out flesh and store in a glass container for later use in any of the recipes below. It will last about a week in the fridge or you can freeze portions (a great alternative to canned pumpkin). If you’re trying kabocha I highly recommend eating the skin for extra fiber, vitamins and minerals — and I also just read that you can do the same for cinderella pumpkins so I’ll have to try it next time.

Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup by Cookie and Kate

This soup is soooo good! I was honestly skeptical about the combination of onions and garlic with the sweet spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) but trust me, it’s really good! And don’t skip the toasted pumpkin seeds on top when serving — they add nice texture and they are a rich source of Magnesium (a mineral most of us are deficient in without knowing it)

I just made the following alterations to the recipe:

• I used water instead of veggie broth
• I used homemade coconut, cashew, oat milk instead of canned coconut milk (because I already had some in my fridge). Get the recipe here.
• I added a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg (freshly grated nutmeg). I also served it with additional freshly grated nutmeg on top which kicks it up a notch, if you enjoy nutmeg, as you should!

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding, recipe from my detox program (coming soon this fall!)

INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings):

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk (in a carton, not canned)
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup roasted pumpkin, or ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg (I just freshly grate the nutmeg into the blender and don’t measure; actually for all the spices you can just add without measuring and adjust to your taste preference. Depending what spices you like or don’t like you can adjust, or just use a pumpkin pie spice blend if you like clove as well.)
• Dates or maple syrup (optional, to taste) → I’ve made this without any sweetner and the pumpkin and spices are enough to give it some sweetness, but for more of a dessert treat I recommend about 2 large dates or 1 Tbsp maple syrup.

Blend the pumpkin with milk, spices and sweetener of choice (I use 2 dates), then add to a glass jar with the chia seeds, screw on the lid and shake well. If you’re using canned pumpkin puree you can skip the blending and just put everything in the jar directly and shake. Then refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight. If you’re in a hurry you could enjoy in as little as 30 minutes but it’s best when you give time for the chia seeds to fully expand and it then turns into more of a pudding consistency. 

Pumpkin Protein Smoothie, another super satisfying breakfast recipe from my detox program

INGREDIENTS (for 1 serving):

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp almond butter (I make my own; Cookie & Kate has a great tutorial on how to make homemade nut butter)
• 1 scoop vanilla plant protein powder (or sub 2-3 Tbsp hemp seeds plus ½ tsp pure vanilla extract)
• ½ banana (preferably frozen)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 cup roasted pumpkin (or could sub canned pumpkin puree) → Note: the actual recipe in my detox program uses 3 grated carrots, but I was looking for ways to use up all my roasted pumpkin and it was the perfect substitute, but just know that you could also use carrots if you prefer more of a carrot cake taste.

Blend and enjoy! Note: If it’s quick thick I like to serve in a bowl, with some some freshly grated nutmeg on top, but you can also just add extra almond milk as needed to thin it out.

Turkish Pumpkin Dessert (with much less sugar!) — Note: The photo was taken after I had already started eating it, whoops!

This is my healthy take on this Turkish recipe of candied pumpkin with ground walnuts or pistachios served on top. → Check out my video demo of this recipe on IGTV (my first time posting to IGTV, yah!). It’s super simple though and really doesn’t need a demo (smile). 

Step 1. Using the same roasted pumpkin that I’ve been using for all these recipes, scoop some of that into a small dessert bowl. 

Step 2. Mix ~1 tsp raw honey with about 1-2 tsps of hot water (more or less honey to taste, depending how sweet your pumpkin is or how sweet you like things, but erring toward the less sweet side to keep this dessert healthy). 

Step 3. Then, simply mix the honey with water and pour over your pumpkin. 

Step 4. Grind some walnuts in a spice grinder, use a mortar and pestle or just chop finely, then sprinkle on top of your pumpkin.

Step 5. If you like, add a dash of cinnamon (which is always good to add to desserts because studies have shown that cinnamon can decrease the amount of glucose that enter your bloodstream after a meal and may help reverse insulin resistance which leads to diabetes; for more check out my blog on the health benefits of cinnamon).

Step 6. Enjoy!

Thai Pumpkin in Coconut Milk Dessert, by Thaitable

This recipe is super simple — even simplier than the Turkish dessert! The only variation I recommend is using coconut sugar if you don’t have the palm sugar called for in the recipe and start with much less than called for in the recipe and sweeten to taste (trying not to add too much). I also recommend garnishing with some toasted sesame seeds.

Sources:

1. https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
2. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2601/2

5 Healthy Plant-based Gluten-Free Snack Ideas

I recommend that everyone try a gluten-free diet for at least 30 days to find out if they could have a gluten sensitivity (immune response to gluten) or gluten intolerance (difficulty digesting gluten). That’s what I have my dad doing now to see if gluten might be responsible (at least in part) for his increased joint inflammation and pain, especially since learning that he has Hashimoto’s.

While there are tests to learn if you have a gluten allergy (celiac disease), you would need to have genetic testing done to be sure whether you have a gluten sensitivity. If you’re interested in, you can order the test by mail at glutenfreesociety.org.

However, the alternative to costly testing is to do an elimination diet. Simply remove gluten for 30 days, then reintroduce it (without changing other variables in your diet/lifestyle) and see how you feel. 

So here are some healthy gluten-free snacks to help you out. But you can also enjoy then any time of course, whether you’re doing a gluten-free diet or not.

How do I define a “healthy” snack? 

For me, “healthy” means that it meets the following criteria:

– Mostly (if not 100%) whole foods, high in fiber (any packaged foods/beverages should be minimimally processed and without harmful additives),

– Mostly (if not 100%) plant based,

– Organic if possible (esp. if on the EWG’s dirty dozen list),

– Non-GMO if containing corn or soy (note: anything certified organic will also be non-GMO),

– Limited amount of refined oils, esp. oils with high omega-6 content (canola, soybean, corn and sunflower oil are the common ones). It’s best to get your fat from whole food sources such as avocados, nuts and seeds, but a high quality extra virgin olive oil is also healthy, or small amounts of avocado oil, coconut oil or ghee from grass-fed animals (not vegetable ghee). See my post on how to buy good olive oil. And che

Here are 5 delicious and healthy gluten-free snack ideas for you, taste-approved by my dad (smile):

1. Peanut butter and jelly on puffed red rice and quinoa thins. I use this organic peanut butter (which has no oil or sugar added, and tastes great; unlike Jif which contains fully hydrogenated oils, sugar, and 3 times more salt!), and organic strawberry jam with less sugar (and organic because strawberries are #1 on the EWG’s dirty dozen list). This is the version I made for my dad (to replace his usual PB&J), but I would make mine even healthier by using almond butter (which has a better fatty acid profile and a little stronger nutritional profile), and chia seed jam (with a tad of maple sryup or pureed dates added depending on sweetness of the berries).

2. Avocado “toast” on non-GMO puffed corn thins or rice cakes, topped with a drizzle of high quality olive oil (from this olive oil club; get your first bottle for $1), black pepper (a generous amount — really goes well with avocado!), homemade spicy slow roasted tomatoes (recipe on the top of Teeny Tiny Spice Company’s Perfection Spice Rub, which goes great on so many things!), and some sunflower microgreens (my favorite!). 

3. Black bean hummus with veggie sticks and Mary’s Gone Crackers. I make my own black bean hummus without following a recipe. I blend the following ingredients in a food processor, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed: one can of black beans (BPA-free), about 2 Tbsps tahini, a drizzle of EVOO, a squeeze of lemon juice, a few dashes of sea salt (depending if your beans were already salted), a dash or two of smoked paprika, and a generous amount of cumin (because I love it and it’s so good for you!). Cumin is a great addition to hummus as it helps with digestion, among other health benefits.

4. Refried pinto beans (oil free) mixed with Trader Joe’s Pepita Salsa, and served with Mary’s Gone Crackers (the seaweed and black sesame are my favorite, because I love Japanese food). I simply mix about equal parts of each, and it kind of reminds me of cream cheese mixed with salsa (which I used to love as a kid).

5. Fresh fruit. Fruit is always a great snack option (or dried fruit in moderation as long as it doesn’t have added sugar and oil). Some people these days have fruit fear because it contains high amounts of sugar, but as long as you’re eating the fruit whole and fresh it also contains a lot of water (great for hydration!) and fiber. Here’s a few of the way I love to enjoy fruit:

• an apple or banana with almond butter,
• a bowl of berries with non-dairy “milk” and some chia seeds (soaked for at least 15 minutes) or homemade granola (using gluten-free oats; oats are naturally gluten-free but often processed in the same facility used for wheat), 
• sliced peaches or apple with melted coconut butter (not to be confused with coconut oil; coconut butter is the coconut flesh ground into a spreadable paste like peanut butter so it contains fiber and other nutrients; I like this organic creamed coconut which is the same as coconut butter and much cheaper than other brands, but just the same). Regarding non-dairy “milk” — I recently tried Ripple’s pea protein “milk” (unsweetened of course) and loved it as a high-protein milk alternative. However, I don’t have it (or other milk alternatives, such as non-GMO soy milk, almond or cashew milk) every day because it’s still a processed food. Just make sure to always buy unsweetened milk alternatives (better to control the sweetness yourself), and avoid any with carrageenan as an ingredient.
• stewed apples –> great for the microbiome (check out my blog: 3 Tips for a Healthy Microbiome to learn more and get my recipe),
• or just plain fruit (always an easy, healthy and delicious snack option!)

While you could enjoy most of these snacks (minus the PB&J maybe) with corn chips (which are gluten-free), I didn’t include those in my snack list because they are cooked with refined oils high in omega 6 content. The crackers have no added oil. However, I do love corn chips with guacamole from time to time! I just always buy non-GMO stone ground blue corn tortilla chips (Trader Joe’s makes ones with sprouted amaranth and chia seeds added).

Bottom line: If you’re on a gluten-free diet don’t rely on processed/packaged gluten-free snacks. There are so many healthy, cheap and easy to make options available! And these snacks are great even if you aren’t on a gluten-free diet. If you haven’t yet tried it, I recommend at least experimenting with a gluten-free diet for 30 days to learn if you have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance, but noticing whether you feel better without gluten in your diet. Just make sure to check labels.