Halupki (Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls) PALEO, SCD, UMass IBD-AID is a family favorite comfort food recipe. Interestingly, it is also one of the recipes I provided last year to our Ukrainian nutrition support effort. We were providing recipes in war torn regions having limited ingredients that resembled traditional foods and which would help with digestion. In the Ukraine, nutritionists/dieticians must be MDs thus all were no longer available to the public as they were involved with the war effort. I mention that and note the contrast to U.S. MDs, who have negligble nutrition education.
This recipe has been in my mother’s family forever. Her roots were nearby with a birth certificate reading Austria-Hungary, though she always mentioned Czechoslovakia.
My mother would place a whole head of cabbage for a few minutes in simmering water to soften its outer leaves. Those were used to roll up the meat mixture. This recipe greatly modifies this tedious step and uses an oven, crockpot, OR Instant pot for baking. It is so dang simple to make and it is loaded with incredible nutrition including the spice load, antioxidant rich vegetables used, and lean protein.
Tag Archives: UMassIBD-AID
Luke’s Healthy Poptart PALEO, SCD (and its versions PRODUCE, UMass IBD-AID)
SUMMARY: This recipe, Luke’s Healthy Poptart, is particularly healthy because it uses blueberries, nuts, flaxseed, and Ceylon cinnamon. We’re talking brain health, microbiome supportive fiber, phytochemicals, and blood sugar regulating spices! The recipe is so satiating that nugget sizes are the serving size! This recipe came about because Luke was reminiscing and belly aching about not having the snack bag which included Poptarts, that we use to pack for the long 11 hour trip to the beach. It was easy to redo that food into a whole clean food, bursting with gut microbiome supportive ingredients and minus those that evidence shows can cause harm. Enjoy this recipe with redic delic pleasure! Happy New Year, Happy New Decade!
Melody TRIAL- Can Maternal Diet Reduce Disease Transmission to the Newborn?
SUMMARY: I am beyond excited to begin 2019 with the announcement of a groundbreaking microbiome study that I’ve been asked to help spread the word on! The study, called the MELODY trial, peels back the layers of microbiome influence further than any study I’ve seen to date because it moves the needle for microbiome manipulation PAST the immediate host to hopefully influence and alter the health of the newborn! HOW? The MELODY Trial will recruit childbearing aged women to investigate if changing the maternal diet can reduce transmission of disease to the newborn! The Melody Trial will focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) because children born to mothers with IBD have increased risk of IBD. Participant recruitment is targeted to begin mid-January, 2019. Its website is coming soon, and I’ll post that info ASAP! However, to start this discussion and catch all up to speed, this post explains another study called the MECONIUM Study (see the link here) and its EIGHT publications are below! MECONIUM stands for Exploring MEChanisms Of disease trasmission IUtero through the Microbiome. I’m starting here because the MELODY trial is based on the preliminary findings of the MECONIUM Study! The primary investigating lab for both studies is Peter Lab, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The MECONIUM Study was a prospective study that explored the role IBD plays in the composition of the maternal and infant microbiome. The MECONIUM Study found that the dysbiotic microbiome seen in infants born to mothers with IBD can be improved when ENVIRONMENTAL factors known to have a negative effect on the microbiome are ABSENT in early life. In particular, the sub-optimal microbiome of babies born to IBD mothers were MITIGATED in early life when the baby was born vaginally, was not exposed to antibiotics, and was exclusively or partially breastfed.  Because of these findings, and since DIET is also considered an environmental factor that can change the  gut microbiome, the MELODY Trial investigates if IBD mothers consuming the UMass IBD-AID diet (a diet shown to change the gut microbiome to anti-inflammatory, aid in repair of the gut, and help restore balance to the immune system to help induce remission for IBD), also alters the  vaginal microbiome and reduces the risk of transmitting the dysbiotic disease-prone microbiome to the newborn.  Guys, if the MELODY Trial works for IBD, will this strategy work for other diseases?!? Please, do your part and share this info with your friends, daughters, gynecologists, GI docs, doulas… Lets load this cohort quickly and move the needle to make the future better for our next generation! We’ve messed so many things up microbiome-wise, WE OWE OUR CHILDREN THIS!