As humans, we sometimes act from our higher self, and sometimes it’s our injured parts that are running the show. Our microbiome is no different; it's a microcosm of our human tendencies. 

 

We tend to think of our food cravings as absolute truths, or for some of us, more like a monster that is holding us hostage & calling the shots. 

 

Who is driving your hunger signals in any given moment?

 

Is the devil in your digestion? Dips in blood sugar can mimic hunger cravings. Eating more carbohydrates than our body can properly store begets more carb cravings. Yeast imbalance asks us for more yeasty foods. Alcohol intake can set up a cycle of needing more to “right” brain chemistry.

 

When we are in a good groove, it’s easy to nourish ourselves well because that’s what’s being asked for, or to feel good cravings let us know when we've gone astray. Travel to Spain for a couple of weeks and not see many vegetables? You might start fantasizing about eating salad. This is a reflection of our good habits waving the white flag: Hey! Send some of those vegetables you used to eat over!

Before midlife, it's our job to explore, to try on different lives, personas, jobs. At midlife, we've done our research, we know who we are. It is at this point of life that our habits become most important, a reflection of who we are and what we value. Aging well requires real discipline. 

 

In order to know what intuition we want to foster (is it the monster or the carb addict, or our best self?), we have to lead with our heads a bit. What that looks like is, emulating the habit we want to adopt until our body catches up and starts to ask for it. Here are three examples: 

 

#1. For most of us, fermented foods greatly improve our beneficial bacteria. Maybe you think you don't like sauerkraut, or you don't reach for it? The trick is to eat a little bit at each meal, and slowly increase it each day until you are up to around ¼ cup per meal. Make it fun! Use different colored and flavored krauts, have a bunch in your fridge and choose the one that best matches the flavor of your meal (kimchee for Asian foods, one with turmeric and ginger for Indian, etc). Also, if you are ordering take-out, adding some sauerkraut on the side is a big win. Over time, our body notices the positive impact, and our taste buds start to ask for kraut, or at least look towards it with less disdain and more desire. 

 

#2. Most of us lose the thread with our thirst as we get older. Dehydration is the easiest way to damage your gut. Without ample hydration, the body doesn't produce enough stomach acid, which impacts all your digestion downstream, giving rise to opportunistic bacteria. If you don't feel adequate thirst, you have to practice drinking enough water and then notice the difference it makes on your mood, your sleep and your overall energy. And then continue to practice hydrating (3 liters/day minimum), even if it means using a water tracking app or getting fun things to put in your water. Learning to tune into the cues of dehydration means noticing the signs that it's slipping. 

 

Lastly, the best way to foster a robust microbiome is to practice filling half of each plate with non-starchy vegetables. After you eat this way for a while, you start to notice big changes: Energetic lightness, ease of digestion, overall vibrancy. Again, as the habit slips, which happens, be on the lookout for more lethargy & digestive disruptions like trending towards constipation. 

 

The cues asking us to practice these behaviors are subtle. They might not come in the form of strong cravings, but rather small signals we've gone astray. This is where the mind and body can work together in a new way. It's not the mind driving & deciding, but the mind leading and observing. 

 

 

16 oz tomatoes- canned, fresh, frozen- they all work. Tomatillos too

1 yellow onion, cut into thick slices

2 cloves garlic

1 oaxacan pasilla or any chile you like (fresh or frozen). See source below

juice of 1 lime

1/2 bunch cilantro

sea salt

honey

 

1) Heat a dry cast iron skillet. Add the onion slices and garlic cloves (skin on) to the skillet. Once they have a nice color on one side flip and sear the other side. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

2) In the meantime boil some hot water and submerge the chile in it, if you are using a dried chile.

3) Once the chile is soft, take the seeds out and put it in the bottom of a blender. Add ingredients to the blender in this order: chile, garlic, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, and salt.

4) Pulse the blender until the salsa is a consistency you like- anywhere from chunky to pureed.

5) Now taste- very important! What’s missing? Salt? Is it a bit tart- add a tiny bit of honey. Maybe it needs more lime. Pulse a couple more times and taste again. On average it takes me 3-4 adjustments to get the balance right. Taste testing on a tortilla chip can help you discern what’s needed.

Here’s a source for Pasillas Oaxaquenas. It’s a small bag. If you fall in love with them as I have, there are other sources online for larger quantities that are more affordable.

 

This doesn't mean get lost in the self, but rather to see our own lives and work and relationships as a place we can practice alignment with each other and the planet.

As I mentioned last week, I've begun writing a monthly newsletter over at Substack. June's theme is Intuition, and I'll be breaking it down & exploring Intuition through June these weekly newsletters. Click below to read the original article.