So here we go. Bounding into week one with a fresh sense of enthusiasm and determination to keep that wine cap screwed tightly on, the bread bin out of sight and my beloved fresh coffee firmly off the list. How hard can it really be?
I ploughed through the majority of the week, with a bit of an energy slump on day 3 (which Catherine had pre-warned me about within the notes), finding the new Reset Your Health recipes a bit of a novelty to conjure up.
Undertaking this Gut Microbiome 4-week plan has forced me to spend more time in the kitchen, something which I used to find a bit of a chore. But, if I have all the ingredients to hand, I’m discovering that it’s actually quite fun putting all the dishes together. The plan has all the essential information you’ll need, organised clearly on the website. Everything from information sheets explaining what microbiome is and general facts about it, to details summarising the importance of the digestive system and a handy personalised shopping list for the number of days you choose. It’s so much more than a recipe book, I can’t believe how much I’ve learnt in such a short space of time.
The recipes which stood out for me (and my husband as I’m not cooking a different meal for him!) as being surprisingly tasty and filling within this first week were:
Rainbow Stir-fry with Cashew Nuts
This was really quick and easy to make so instantly a hot favourite as I’m so time poor. The fact that it tasted brilliant as well was an added bonus.
Romanian Spinach Soup
Who knew a load of spinach, mixed in with onions, carrot, fresh tomatoes and seasoning, could taste so good and the colour… it was pretty impressive and a definite keeper for me. I made a huge batch and have put batches in the freezer for future use.
Ribbon Mushroom Bolognese
This was a total winner. A combination of vegetables that resulted in a bolognese sauce consistency. My photo doesn’t do it justice or reflect the tasty sauce so you’ll have to take my word for it.
But we don’t want to hear all about the good bits do we? I’ve had my fair share of disasters too, mainly due to my basic culinary skills and carefree licence when it comes to substituting ingredients. I learnt the hard way when making the RYH bread; bicarbonate of soda doesn’t make the best alternative to baking powder! And when making the fruit bowl smoothie, you CAN have too much ginger, fact! I definitely went overboard with that. The things we do to improve our gut health!
To my joy, I realised on Day 3 that I can have almond milk and decaf tea and coffee which was a welcomed discovery. All in all, I’m finding I can stick to the rules so far.