One of my most popular blog post was about biome micro feeding. I teach this concept in the Brain, Body, Biome project, how to use and dose specific biome boosting foods to slowly and strategically reshape the biome without reaction.
A slow, low and steady consistency is what makes it work and while in theory it’s simple, it doesn’t make it easy.
For those with anxiety or a dysregulated nervous system, the tendency is to go fast, big and push hard into the extremes. Restriction, protocols, detoxes and the desire for quick, dramatic results are the norm
When shifting the biome, this approach is stressful, slow and gentle creates sustainable change and prevents the kinds of reactions that stop people in their healing tracks.
Because patience, free time and energy are low for many of us, I’m sharing a micro feeding tool to increase diversity even when you don’t have time to clean, chop and prep veggies. It’s a one pot deal so there’s also minimum clean up.
When doing the GAPS diet I came up with this idea to save time and energy. You have to cook a lot on GAPS. You can customize this idea for your sensitivities. Besides getting diverse plant fiber to feed your biome, it makes food easier to digest as well as easier to make.
The reason we want to feed a variety of bacteria is to create a diverse and resilient biome, which is your best internal protection for lowering inflammation and balancing pathogens.
Veggie Mash soup
I call this concept veggie mash soup.
Here is how to save time and energy making it…
Using an electric pressure cooker, like an instant pot, makes it fast and easy. But you can also use a slow cooker. The trick is to use frozen veggies. Frozen veggies retain their vitamins, minerals and fiber through the freezing process. They are usually frozen fresh so can have more nutrients that older veggies.
Frozen veggies are cleaned, chopped and ready to go. You don’t have to defrost them, just put them into the pressure cooker or pot frozen.
Another bonus with frozen veggies is that you don’t have to worry about forgotten, rotting or moldy veggies in the back of the fridge.
If you want an exact recipe, my advice is to mix it up. Thrown in as many different things as you can.
You need to put in at least one cup of liquid and I use homemade oxtail or chicken broth. More if you like more liquid in your soup.
Then dump in whatever frozen veggies are in the freezer. I salt afterwards. I press the stew button and walk away.
In under an hour the soup is done and the veggies are incredibly soft, which makes them easier to digest. I use a hand blending to puree them.
You can leave the instant pot on for the whole day if you make this in the morning and go to work. After it is done it will release the steam and switch to warm mode.
Put in any veggies that you tolerate and if you want to build up your tolerance to other veggies, add in tiny amounts in the soup to get your body used to them. A tablespoon or two. Or more if you are adventurous but make it a small amount.
This gets your body used to creating enzymes for that food and your immune system greets it in tiny amounts which are less likely to alarm it. This is a way to start building oral tolerance to food.
You can put protein in with the soup, it does a great job of cooking meats of all kinds, breaking them down so they are easier to digest.
The purreeing process also helps break down everything so your body has to do less work.
This soup is not easy only your schedule but also on your digestion.
Poor digestion and low stomach acid is why many people have bacteria, fungal or parasitic overgrowth in the first place. This soup puts food in the easiest form to digest.
Make it your own
Veggie mash soup is highly customizable. Use any veggies that you tolerate, but the ones I suggest at first are the low fermentable veggies like zucchini, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot, spinach or greens.
But, I suggest challenging your tolerance one floret at a time. It’s easy when it’s frozen.
Instant potato mash
I have another time saving, gut supporting tip for making resistant starch mash potatoes effortlessly.
I make it from organic potato powder. Make sure you get a brand that has only organic powdered potatoes and nothing else.
After cooling, mashed potatoes turn into resistant starch, which escapes digestion in the small intestine and feeds anti-inflammatory microbes in the large intestine.
Mashed potatoes are usually labor intensive to make with the peeling, boiling and mashing. Instead just follow the instructions on the packaging for liquid to powdered potato ratio. Heat the liquid on the stove, add the potato powder and mix. I also use broth as my liquid, infusing the potatoes with more gut healing superpowers and LOTS of flavor.
I add bone broth and salted butter, stir and get perfect mashed potatoes. Add rosemary or thyme for polyphenols.
Let the potatoes cool in the fridge for 24 hours and then gently reheat to turn them into biome feeding, inflammation lowering resistant starch. And if you can’t tolerate potatoes you can micro feed that too, by freezing it in ice cube trays and using it as a tasty resistant starch supplement.
A fun potato recipe
Potato muffins are a tasty way to have a resistant starch meal on the go.
You make them by mixing 1 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes with two eggs and a can or two of tuna or some chicken sausage. You bake it in muffin tins for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 F or 180 C.
Pretty yummy way to make mashed potatoes into a blood sugar balancing, on the go meal or snack.
I hope you enjoy two of my time saving suggestions to support your biome on a tight schedule or low energy. Customize them for yourself.
If you found this useful, I offer more ways to micro feed your biome to reshape your gut and lower inflammation in a customized way in my Brain, Body, Biome program.
The idea of micro feeding is to make progress on your gut health while minimizing food reactions and lowering food fear. Would love to see you inside.
