Yeast Overgrowth & Yeast Fighting Tea
So why an anti-fungal yeast/candida-fighting tea? Yeast overgrowth is fairly common but is especially common in those with underlying gastrointestinal issues. Yeast can increase glutamate and result in high glutamate-type behavior, and yeast can also utilize glutamate as an energy source to allow it to proliferate. If you have too much yeast in the gut, you can actually have symptoms of intoxication or drunkenness as sugary, starchy foods ferment in the gut to create alcohol (ethanol). Alcoholism is related to yeast [...]
Free Glutamate Search
Items are listed from highest to lowest in free glutamate (High, Moderate, Medium, Low) I have a few disclaimers to add here: Many of the listed ingredients are based on our personal experience and sensitivity to free glutamate. Specific ingredients like “strawberry flavor” will not be listed; instead, they fall into the “natural flavors” category. * glutamate levels depend on the extent of commercial processing ** some whole foods will have ingredients that reduce glutamate effect, and this varies with individuals [...]
White Chicken Chili
This White Chicken Chili might be my most favorite soup recipe of all time. I’m not even joking when I say that we have probably made the recipe over 30 times and still don’t get tired of it. However, if you do not omit the jalapeno pepper from the soup, it will pack a lot of heat. My husband and I jokingly call this “cough-soup” because those seeds can induce a little cough in response to the heat. If serving [...]
Pigs In A Blanket
Okay, throwing this all out here as I make an effort to share how we manage a lower glutamate diet as a lifestyle instead of a “temporary diet.” At the time of writing this, we’ve been on a very clean low-glutamate diet for almost 7 years. What we are eating today is different from our deepest healing days of using food as medicine. Fall is officially here, and with two “boys” in the house, we have what seems like constant [...]
Orange Sunrise Smoothie
As gross as it may sound, I love a carrot smoothie. The sweet earthy flavor of the carrot and the ginger's spice adds depth to the tropical fruits' sweetness. I understand that many families cannot tolerate so many sugary fruits, so we have also added frozen cauliflower, frozen butternut squash, and/or yellow squash with little flavor change. This, of course, depends on the ratios used. We have also omitted the orange juice and just used fresh oranges instead. Feel free to [...]
Our Favorite Cookies
I was vacationing in the mountains with a fellow low glutamate mom, and as moms do, we all packed some clean eats for us to share. Well, my friend brought the most amazing cookies I have ever had, even during my gluten-filled days. After gaining about 5lbs over the week, I begged her to share the recipe. The recipe is by the talented Laura Lea Balanced. You can check out her website and her fantastic cookbooks here. With a few [...]
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie Bowls are our go-to option for last-minute weeknight meals and tonight was the perfect example of this situation. While dealing with high temperatures on the official first day of Autumn, I attempted to create a cold autumn-inspired Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl for dinner. It was a hit! Heads up, this smoothie bowl is super sweet and is more like a dessert, hence the Pumpkin Pie name. This recipe made three large servings. Happy Fall!!! […]
Unstuffed Egg Roll
This recipe for Unstuffed Egg Rolls works for a quick and easy last-minute weeknight meal that packs a lot of veggies. In my opinion, getting vegetables in is much easier when they are #1 shredded and #2 intermixed with meat for extra flavoring. Fortunately, this recipe achieves both of these. In full disclosure, while my son and I enjoy this recipe, it has never been a favorite for my husband. However, it won’t hold him back from eating seconds and [...]
Crispy Kale Chips
Shortly after we started our journey with low glutamate foods, one of my closest friends in Charlotte had us over for dinner, and she made the most delicious oven-baked kale chips. Up until that point, I hadn’t eaten much kale, and I was delightfully surprised to see it prepared in this way. Instead of choking down the soggy bitter green, we inhaled the crispy potato-like chips, leaving only crumbs. From this dinner on, we started consuming kale chips on the [...]
French Toast
Our transition to a lower glutamate diet and working to lower glutamate didn’t mean that we had to remove all “fun foods.” We just learned how to make them healthier and consume them in moderation. This French Toast recipe has become a weekend treat in our home, especially for our little guy. Keep in mind, there are several ways in which you can adapt this recipe to fit your family’s needs best, but the most important thing is to keep [...]