Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“I just don't feel good unless I have a BM.”

“I worry if it's been 2–3 days since I've gone.”

“I feel bloated if my gut is filled with stuff.”

Share CalmGut™ Substack

What is G.I. Turbulence?

This is a big topic!!

After 26 years of counseling disordered-
digestive-clients, the most common
symptoms are constipation, diarrhea,
bloating, gassy gut, nausea, vomiting,
Reflux, and brain fog.

Constipation

Every client’s definition of constipation
is different! Some clients produce a stool
2–3x daily; others, release stools every
2–3 days! All are considered ‘normal.’

Eating Factors: nuts, fruits, grains,
pulses, seeds, vegetables with soluble
and insoluble fiber, liquid timing-
consumption, daily exercise, all
affect quality and production of stools!

Subscribe now

Common Causes of Constipation

Sedentary! Walk, Swim, Kick-Box,
Run, Dance, Yoga! ‘Massage your
intestines!’ Get your tushie off that
chair, off that sofa, into the air!!

Fluid Consumption. Pace Yourself!

Water: Yes, too much, too little water,
too slow, too fast, are a perfect storm.
Every body is unique! Exercise levels,
Food choices, Stress levels, Emotions,
Lifestyle, are individualized needs.

A Dallas client: Constipation/Diarrhea
Drank 8 ounces of water right
before a 3-mile walk with her
husband. At mile 2.5, she had watery
diarrhea dripping down into her
sneakers. Who knew? Hard Lesson.
Evaluate. Find your own G.I.
fluid-balance.

IBS-Constipation, IBS-Mixed,
Crohn’s, Colitis, Hypothyroidism,
Diverticulosis, Diverticulitis,
Neurological Disorders, Diuretics,
Chemotherapy, Antidepressants,
Medications, Iron Supplements,
can cause-stimulate constipation.

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Potentially Binding Foods

Dairy milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream,
kefir, whey, cream cheese, cream
sauces, ice cream, puddings,
dairy-soups, lactose additives, mashed
potatoes, dairy-desserts

Coffee, Cafe au lait, Latte, Mocha,
London Fog, Flat Black, Corrtato,
Machito, Sugar sodas, alcohol, salt,
white flour, processed foods, meats,
chocolate

Breads White bread, bagels, pita,
Lavaash, potato chips, pretzels, corn
chips, English muffins, white flour
crackers, various commercial cookies,
white pasta, low-fiber cereals

Rice White rice, rice crackers, rice
noodles, cellophane noodles, rice
milk

Bananas, Eggs [depends on prep]

Global Rice Family Favorites Pad Thai,
Italian Arancini, Amer-Chinese Fried
Rice, Spanish Paella, Jollof in West
Africa, Korean Bibimbap, Japanese
Onigiri, Indian Lamb Biryani, Louisiana
Beans & Rice, Latin American con Pollo,
Persian Sabzi [Herbed Rice], Sushi,
Congee are beloved!

International-National families have
cooked and enjoyed rice dishes for
centuries! Moms, Dads, Aunties, Uncles,
Cousins, and Friends, have balanced-
served rice dishes with fresh vegetables,
beans, grains, fruits, and beverages to
keep G.I. intestines fine-tuned!

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Keep your G.I. Happy + Moving

High Fiber Fruits + Vegetables

Pectin Fruits Apples, Cortland, Honey
Crisp, Jona-Gold, Reinette, Spencer,
Newton-Pippin, Rome, Fuji, Gala,
no Granny Smith or Red Delicious

American and Asian Pears, peaches,
pineapple, nectarines, plums

Dried Fruits [Trader Joe’s!] Apricots,
Prunes, Nectarines, Raisins, Cherries,
Cranberries, Mangoes, Currants, Pears

Fresh Berries Organic Gooseberries,
Currants, Lingonberries [trip to
Sweden?], Cherries, Raspberries,
Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries

Cherries Bing, Sour Cherries, Queen
Anne, Rainier, Montmorency, Regina,
Lapins, Black Cherries

Citrus: Peeled Oranges, Grapefruit,
Satsuma Mandarin, Pomelo, Lemons,
Limes, Buddha's Hand, Blood oranges,
Clementines, Tangeloes, Tangerines,
Citron

Share

Avocados, Artichokes, White Potatoes,
Sweet Potatoes, Winter and Summer
Squashes, Parsnips, Pumpkins,
Cauliflower, Broccoli, Asparagus,
Yuchoy, Fennel, Celery, Carrots,
Onions

Salad Greens + Cooked Greens
Lettuce Family, Watercress, Arugula,
Chicory, Parsley, Cabbage, Swisschard,
Kale, Collards, Escarole, Endive, Broccoli
Rabe, Spinach, Beet Greens, Bok Choy,
Mustard Greens, Dandelion Greens

Brans + Grains + Seeds + Pulses

Enjoy Fresh Fruits + Vegetables, Salads,
prepare fresh or cooked: beans, lentils,
dried peas, chickpeas, quinoa, groats,
hummus, nuts, nut butters, seeds

Constipation Can Be Very Serious
See your MD, specialists, and
practitioners if constipation persists.
Symptoms should be monitored closely,
medically tested, and evaluated by your
medical professionals.

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Cucumber-Mango-Fennel Salad
with Juicy Lemon Vinaigrette

“Refreshing, Tart, and Tingling”

Great for potlucks. Stays juicy and
fresh for hours!

Clients make this bright and beautiful
salad on rapid repeat. Substitute Spring
Asian pears, peaches or nectarines later
in the season, fennel—Fresh lemon zest
vinaigrette is flavorful-flexible!

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Cucumber-Mango-Fennel Salad with Juicy Lemon Vinaigrette (GF, DF)

80.9KB ∙ PDF file

Download

A Bright and Beautiful Spring Salad with Juicy Lemon Vinaigrette

Download

Subscribe now

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

I read Kara Cutruzzula’s Brass Ring
Daily on Substack for inspiring nuggets on
writing, work, creativity, and life! Kara is
a writer, editor, playwright, and musical
theatre lyricist. She is author of three
motivational journals: Do It For Yourself,
Do It Today, and Do It (or Don’t).

Kara’s work has appeared in The New
York Times, The Daily Beast, TIME,
The Wall Street Journal, et al.

Subscribe to Brass Ring Daily on Substack

Kara Cutruzzula and Colin Macdonald, PhD.,
co-edit “The Hat” covering NYC
Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway.
Monthly issues feature essays and
interviews by journalists and theatre
artists. Brava!

Visit The Hat: An Off-Broadway Theater Publication

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

If you enjoyed this post, please hit
the ❤️ button! The Restack button
also helps a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“It takes as much energy to wish,
as it does to plan.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “My stomach is so sensitive, I don’t
  know WHAT to eat.”

• “Every time I go out to eat, I never
  know if the food will keep me up
  all night.”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“I want to eat more veggies. But, they
take so much time to prep and cook.”

“I waste veg in the fridge. I always
buy too many and never cook them.”

“I’m in a rut with 1–2 ways to make most
vegetables. Basically roast everything.
Need more ideas for herbs and spices.”

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What is Vegetarianism?

Eating a strictly non-flesh diet:
no animals, milk, eggs, fish, or animal
products. Some vegetarian clients follow
this literally; other clients eat eggs, milk,
cheese, and fish.

Pythagorus [570–490 BCE], Greek
Philosopher, mathematician, was an
early believer in a non-flesh diet. Ovid
speaks of Pythagoras: “He, too, was the
first to forbid animals to be served up
at the table...”
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg. 9]

Subscribe now

Athletes of Ancient Greece

Athletes were trained from a very tender age
in academies. “At first they had no other
nourishment but dried figs, nuts, the recent
curd of milk or new cheese, and boiled grain,
or a coarse kind of bread called maza."
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg 78]

After 26 years of counseling clients with
disordered digestions, I've worked with
vegetarians and carnivores (eat meat);
pescatarians (eat fish); occasional meat-
fish-eaters; on/off vegetarians; all arriving
with G.I. symptoms they want to resolve!

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Farmer’s Markets

Ask your farmers if they grow organically,
use chemicals, and spray pesticides. Ask if
they sell solely what they grow, or buy
from other farms.

‘Avoid Perfect Fruits and Vegetables’

My father was an Agricultural Extension
Agent in Clermont County, Ohio. He
retired Prof. Emeritus, School of Agriculture,
The Ohio State University.

Dad's mantra:
“If the insects, bees, and bugs won’t take
a bite, maybe you shouldn’t either.”

Translation: Perfect fruits and veg may be
sprayed, and not truly organic. Or, grown
hydroponically in chemically-fertilized water.
Caveat: There are some USDA organically-
approved sprays that farmers occasionally
use for insect infestations.

Moral of the Story

If fruits and vegetables have a few blemishes
it’s probably a good sign. Mother Nature’s
critters find them edible and delicious, too.

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Delicious Greens

Clients often say, “I know they're so good.
I just need more ideas.”

Fresh Greens: Varieties + Seasons
Red Russian Kale, Curly Kale, Lacinato-
Black-Dinosaur Kale, Collards, Turnip
Greens, Escarole, Beet Greens, Arugula,
Chicory-Horta, Curly Endive, Rocquette,
Radicchio, Frisée, Mache, Watercress,
Parsley, Cilantro, Fresh Mint, Chives

Appetizers-Starters

Roasted Asparagus with Mini-Kale Frittata
Curly Endive Salad and Jammy Eggs, with
Mustardy Vinaigrette

Korean Scallion Pancakes with Ginger
Dipping Sauce

Stuffed Swiss Chard Rolls with Cilantro,
Scallions, Garlic, Ginger, Rice

Turkish Dolma Stuffed Grape Leaves with
rice, onions, finely chopped veg, with lemon
slices

Bite-Size Salmon Cakes with
Watercress Salad

Hot Vegetable Side Dishes

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens
Stirred into:

• Butternut Squash Risotto

• Basmati, long or short grain rice

• GF Pasta: Penne, Orzo, Rotini, Farfalle

• Cooked Dried Beans, Cannellini,
  Garbanzos

Sauteed Greens with Olive Oil, or

• Butter

• Homemade Herb-infused oils, with

  Rosemary, Thyme, Cooked-Garlic,
  Keep in fridge!!

• Roasted Sesame Oil

• Walnut Oil

• Peanut Oil

• Safflower Oil

• Grapeseed Oil

Seed oils are cycling out of favor now.
PR campaigns are favoring Olive Oil,
Butter. Decide for yourself what is
healthy for you!

Share

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens + Leeks
stirred into mashed potatoes for Irish
Champ, Colcannon, or ‘Green Mashers.’
A 4-year old Denver client named this
‘Green Mashers,’ now his favorite
vegetable. 

Main Dishes, Stove Top, Grilled +
Baked

Sauteed Greens served as a base for fish,
Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, Grilled-
Marinated Tofu, Baked Feta

Layered Sauteed Greens with mashed
potatoes, Roasted Vegetables

Vegetarian Meatballs with Feta

En Pappiotte Sauteed Chopped greens,
fish, fresh herbs, baked in Parchment
paper

Quinoa, Rice, Kasha, Lentils, Beans
baked with greens, spices, olive oil,
cherry tomatoes

Building a Veggie Recipe Base

Clients build a file of “7 Ways to Prepare”
veggies they like, and digest well.

Example: “7 Ways to Prepare Carrots”

1. Sauté Carrots in Olive oil, add
   grated fresh or dried turmeric, or
   dill, or garlic, or parsley

2. Stir-fry Carrots with ginger,
   scallions, sesame oil

3. Steamed Carrots with butter or
   olive oil

4. Roasted Carrots with Cumin,
   or Curry

5. Moroccan Carrot Salad with
   Cilantro or Parsley, Lemon Juice +
   Olive oil

6. Carrot Soup cooked with potatoes,
   celery, scallions, fennel, pureed,
   add curry, ginger, parsley

7. Simmer carrots with beans, lentils,
   dried peas, corn, quinoa, hominy,
   rice

Keep your list going with favorite carrot
recipes! Cold, Warm, and Hot Salads

Carrot-Compatible Spices and Herbs

Spices Turmeric, Curry, Cumin,
Mustard, Ground Celery seed,
Galangal (ginger root family)
Annatto, Ground Caraway,
Cinnamon, Saffron, Ground
Cardamom, Ground Cloves,
Star Anise, Nutmeg, Allspice

Herbs Dill, Parsley, Cilantro,
Chives, Chervil, Tarragon,
Borage, Lemongrass, Fennel,
Lemon Balm (easy to grow!)
Mint, Basil, Oregano, Marjoram,
Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

“French Green Bean + Potato Salad”
with Piquant Mustardy Vinaigrette
(Serve Warm!)

“Great for Picnics. Likes Sun and Fun!”

“Travels well! Easy to Pack + Go”

Clients love this salad. Bellissimo.
The piquant mustardy dressing brings
out the best in the green beans and
potatoes. Easy to make, all ingredients
available, and preparation is simple.

[Download PDF recipe below]

Calmgut Green Bean + Potato Salad with Piquant Mustardy Vinaigrette (GF, DF)

120KB ∙ PDF file

Download

The piquant mustardy dressing brings out the best in the green beans and potatoes. Serve warm!

Download

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Co-Authors Deborah L. Korn, PsyD
and Michael Baldwin

Debbie’s important work, and
co-authorship of “Every Memory
Deserves Respect,” has changed lives
worldwide. I cannot fully express how
much I admire her as a person,
professional, and human being.

Through compelling science, personal
stories, and powerful photographic
images, readers learn how trauma is
stored in the brain and body, continuing
to cause pain and suffering, and how
EMDR has the power to repattern their
thinking and emotional reactions, and
ultimately set them free.

Debbie’s goal in 2026 is to raise
$25,000 in the “Walk for Hunger”
to be held on May 3rd. This is
possible with the help of
every caring person, every donation,
whether small or large. Project
Bread’s mission is to end food
insecurity in Massachusetts.

Deborah L. Korn, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
930 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

EMDRIA Approved Consultant and
EMDR Institute Senior Faculty
Member Trauma Research
Foundation-Adjunct Teaching
Faculty

“Every Memory Deserves Respect”
Available on Amazon.com

EveryMemoryDeservesRespect.com

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

If you enjoyed this post, please hit
the ❤️ button! The Restack button
also helps a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and “3am Sleep Guide”! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“Don’t ‘what if’ your life away!”
— Juneybird R., age 96, San Diego, CA

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious. 
Nutritious. 
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes, and
Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation. 

Subscribe now

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “Why do some foods digest well
  today, and cause chaos tomorrow?”

• “How do I know this meal won’t cause diarrhea?”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based: 
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready! 

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Stress-Less

Clients often express stress and anxiety
when describing their digestive
symptoms. Clients’ frustrating
symptoms may include:

Diarrhea:

• Watery stools, ‘BM pudding’

• Urgent stools, endless wiping

• G.I. Accidents and episodes traveling

• Constant fear of a diarrhea
  ‘accident’

Constipation:

• “I always get constipated when
  I travel.”

• “If I don’t go every day, I worry.”

• “My BMs are always so hard, and
  hard to get out.”

• “My BMs are like little ‘rabbit
  pellets.’”

• “Why don’t/can’t I go every day?”

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Stabilizing the G.I. = CalmGut

Our brain is a super highway to the
gut! The Vagus Nerve connects from
the top of the head to the tip of our toes!

There are more Neuro-transmitters in
our gut than in the brain! What you
think, feel, sense, see, absorb, and
ruminate can respond in your G.I. tract.

Fight or Flight is our Sympathetic
Nervous System response to high
stress, anxiety, and some activities.
Short-term and long-term gut-nerve-
unrest can affect erratic digestion,
inflammation, pain, IBS, Acid Reflux,
Crohn’s, Colitis, Gastritis, Brain
Fog-Cognitive Function, stomach
acid levels, and more.

Calming, Resting, Restoring
stabilizing our digestive system
with delicious food, lifestyle changes,
focused habits and ‘rest and digest’
is in the Parasympathetic Nervous
System.

Small changes can make a big difference!

Client's Comment

“Susan Hamilton’s Food Awareness-
CalmGut Program is amazing. She
brings her passion for cooking and
knowledge of nutrition together
to create outstandingly delicious meals
that are fun, comforting and most
importantly healing. I can't recommend
her enough.”
— M.K.G. Newtonville, MA

Subscribe now

Stressors

Caffeine can seriously affect stress!
80% of Americans consume caffeine.
Are you caffeine-dependent? How does
it affect your stress levels, quality sleep,
daily functioning?

Sources of Caffeine

• Chocolate 72% Cacao, Candies,
  Dark chocolate, Snack bars, hot
  cocoa, drinks

• Coffee + Tea Drinks, coffee yogurt,
  bottled and Barista Beverages,
  teas (not herbal teas)

• Bottled Drinks various brands of
  kombucha, soft drinks, sodas,
  colas, energy drinks, shakes

• Prescriptions Excedrin Migraine,
  Midol Complete, Bayer Back and
  Body, Anacin

Caffeine can act for 12 hours, with a
6-hour half-life. How-when does
caffeine affect your stress level?

Share

Stress + Worry + Fear + Sleep

Is Your “Worry Meter” constantly
spinning?

Is Your “Stress Cycle” in Fight or
Flight, on auto-pilot, auto-fill, in
a 24/7 cycle?

“Real change, enduring change, happens
one step at a time.”
— Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933-2020 

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Focused on Lowering Stress?

Every client is unique. Every ‘body’
responds to food, and life, differently
depending on symptoms, diagnosis,
life-stressors, environment, career,
genetics, food habits, childhood food
experiences, marketing pitches, access
and affordability to good food, and
motivation to change.

• Identify Food allergies, intolerances,
  Provocateurs in G.I. distress. Foods
  that aggravate my digestion? What
  is easy to digest? What are my
  calming foods?

• Plan Food + Mealtimes, Easily
  prepped delicious meals, re-heat
  soups, stews, fresh marinated
  salads, roasted vegetables, fresh
  fruits, 48-hour plan, packed lunches
  with thermos of soup, stocked fridge
  and cupboard.
  Random Planning + Random Food +
  Random Meal Times = Stressful Life.

• Liquid, Water Intake Too much,
  too little, too fast, too slow. Sipping
  water? Gulping? Sensitive intestines
  need calm, well-paced liquid intake.

• Plan Morning + Night Routines
  Build and stack habits
  No screens after 9:00PM
  How can I make my mornings better?
  What will improve my sleep?

• Quality Sleep
  Wake up time? Get-Ready-For-Bed-
  Routine? Calming bath, shower, read,
  meditate, pray, de-compress.
  Random Sleep + Random Food +
  Random Energy = Maximum Stress.

• Alcohol? All alcohol = G.I. Stress
  Alcohol can seriously affect digestive
  function, G.I. health, and increase
  stress.

  Subscribe now

  

• Walk! Get in the groove to move!
  Walk 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour?
  Enjoy fresh air! Walk with a friend?
  Walk to de-compress, enjoy quiet time,
  marvel-observe Mother Nature,
  peaceful alone time.

• Fear-Filled, Stress-Filled Days + Nights
  Watch how far you open the door to
  your brain! What you scroll, read, hear,
  taste, touch, speak, and feel while
  awake, requires your brain to use it
  or lose it, sort out, file, delete,
  resolve, or form a new memory
  synapse during your sleep!

“Finish every day, and be done with it...
You have done what you could—some
blunders and absurdities no doubt crept
in, forget them as fast as you can,
tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it
well and serenely, and with too high
a spirit to be encumbered with your old
nonsense.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Juicy Watercress + Steak Salad

Bright and Beautiful Watercress!
Juicy Sliced Steak!
Fresh orange vinaigrette!
Tart, sweet, succulent, crunchy!

[Download PDF recipe below]

Juicy Watercress + Steak Salad (GF, DF)

155KB ∙ PDF file

Download

A tart, sweet, succulent, crunchy salad. Warm and juicy sliced steak atop bright and beautiful watercress is perfect to brighten the first days of Spring.

Download

Subscribe now

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Share

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and “3am Sleep Guide”! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “Why do some foods digest well
  today, and cause chaos tomorrow?”

• “How do I know this meal won't cause diarrhea?”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“I crave sugar. I mean, seriously.”

“I eat yogurt. I pretend it’s ice cream.”

“I need cookies every day.”

“I eat chips because they have less sugar.”
[Than what?]

“I keep “energy” bars in my purse—
so I don’t buy candy.”

“If cookies are in the house, they
scream at me.”

“I’m hooked on Diet Coke.”

“At 4 pm, I can’t think unless
I eat something sweet.”

“I’m good until after dinner. Around
9 pm, I want-eat a sleeve of Oreos.”

“Coffee and a bagel at 8 am.
By 11 am, I get Brain Fog, so I
snack on M&M’s until lunch time.”

“Sugar is my Dopamine. My high.”

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Sugar: Fraught and Freighted

Unlike Processed Sugars,
Plant Sugars occur naturally in whole
fruits, grains, and vegetables.
Containing carbohydrates, they digest
slowly, and provide lotsa fiber, energy,
essential minerals, and nutrients.

Share

Mother Nature knows what she
grows for the human body!
Plant sugars in fruits and vegetables
can possibly reduce the risk of chronic
inflammation, heart disease, diabetes,
fatty liver, high blood pressure, obesity,
and depression.

Many clients love processed sugar.
They also arrive with G.I. symptoms
including inflammation, diarrhea,
constipation, bloating, fatigue, and
autoimmune conditions. Sugar also
feeds viruses and bacterial infections!

Processed Foods + Alcohol + Poor Sleep =
Fatigue + Depression + G.I. Symptoms

Subscribe now

Processed Sugars
The obvious sources are refined breads,
packaged cookies, sweet yogurt, white bread,
white rice, sport drinks, diet drinks, most
”energy” bars, candy, juices, cereals, and fast food.

Resolve Cravings with Better
Choices

Plan ahead with Delicious, Satisfying Foods.

Enjoy servings of: Walnuts + Pitted Dates
Sliced Apples + Almond, or Peanut Butter
Dried Apricots + Whole Almonds
Carrots + Celery Sticks + Nut Butters
Pear, Banana, Mango, Peach, Apple
Guacamole + Raw Veg + Organic
Corn Chips
Hummus + Carrots, Cucumber, Celery
Fafalel + Tahini + Pita
Leftover Roasted Vegetables
Marinated Salads with Beans
Thermos of Hot Soup. Stays hot all day!
Main Dish Leftovers from dinner!

Real Cane Sugar, Homemade Cookies,
Cooking Together, Meaningful Cakes,
Occasional Family Celebrations

People have chewed sugar cane since the 2nd Century AD. Maple syrup and honey were documented more than 2,000 years ago. Mother Nature’s sugars are here to stay. I talk with clients about eating meaningful, occasional, “shared” sugar.

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Create a Meaningful
”Sugar Moment”

10 ways to plan “Sugar Moments,” rather than
eating sugar as an everyday erratic, habitual,
act of boredom.

Share

1. Teach your child, or a neighbor’s child,
   how to bake cookies, and share with
   other neighbors.

2. Create a new Birthday Cake Tradition.

3. Learn to bake delicious gluten-free
   apple tarts with your close friend.

4. Bring Dark Chocolate Nut Bark to a
   party. [Gluten-free, Dairy-Free]

5. Make a Wedding Anniversary Cake
   for your parents, best friends, or siblings.

6. Bake macaroons for a Wedding,
   Engagement Party, or Baby Shower.

7. Learn to make Yeast Breakfast Breads,
   or Scones, for your partner’s birthday.

8. Learn to bake a Caribbean traditional
   Christmas fruit cake: "Caribbean Black
   Cake" baked + “fed” 8 weeks before
   the holidays.

9. Learn to make Homemade Caramel
   Sauce with coconut milk, not dairy cream.

10. Share your best “Signature Brownies”
    with your nearest, and dearest, friends.

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February Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

“Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Nuts”

Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Nuts
is my most requested chocolate recipe.

Subscribe now

I roast Cashews, Whole Almonds, or
Mixed Nuts to add crispness, and
freshness, to the first bite. Pre-roasted
nuts still need to be roasted again for
the best flavor. Dark chocolate with
72% cacao, combined with 54% cacao,
creates the perfect chocolate flavor profile.

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Nuts (GF, DF)

105KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Nuts is my most requested chocolate recipe. Gluten-free, Dairy-free is a universal bonus!

Download

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Community Servings

Community servings prepares freshly
cooked, lovingly prepared meals for
dietary-restricted underserved people.

Their mission is to provide medically-
tailored, nutritious, scratch-made,
fresh meals for critically ill individuals
and their families.

Donated fruits and vegetables from local
Massachusetts farms provide seasonal
support, but they also need financial help
to purchase additional food in the winter.
Please consider helping Community
Servings.

Community Servings
179 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Contact: 617-522-7777

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to "CalmGut™!"
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “Why do some foods digest well
  today, and cause chaos tomorrow?”

• “Why is my gut so sensitive?”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Subscribe now

A Client’s Conversation

"I've never seen a hyena hanging on the
fridge door wondering what to eat…
But sometimes I feel like one."

We both laughed, but she was serious.
She continued:"I buy all these good
vegetables, lotsa greens, but I just can't
get inspired to cook them."

"I go to the Farmers Market and see people
buying baskets, bunches, and bundles of
greens and always wonder how they cook
them."

Share CalmGut™ Substack

How to Cook Vegetables

Cooking ALL vegetables is a lifetime-
learning adventure! Greens offer
endless opportunities for deliciousness!
I've described varieties of greens for a
few Appetizers & Starters, Side & Main
Dishes, and Soups.

Most greens are universal, interchangeable,
providing flavor, texture, and high nutrient
value in every recipe.

Fresh Greens: Varieties, Seasons

Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Lacinato-
Black-Tuscan-Dinosaur Kale, Turnip Greens,
Escarole, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beet
Greens, Arugula and Horta.

Glorious Greens for Your Table

Appetizers-Starters

Cocktail Meatballs
Finely chopped greens, scallions, garlic,
herbs, [oat flour], eggs, with choice of
[ground beef, bison, pork, bacon,
chicken, or vegetarian].

Bite-Size Asian Pancakes
"Mini-Green Pancakes" Finely chopped
Scallions with finely Chopped Greens.
Savory Petites French Crêpes.

Salmon Balls, Crab Cakes,
Portuguese Dried Cod Cakes
Finely chopped greens with Herbs,
Shallots, [oat flour,] eggs, bread crumbs.

Mini Stuffed Cabbage, Swiss Chard Rolls,
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, and Dolmata
with Herbed rice and finely chopped
veggie fillings.

International Greens & Fresh Herbs
Frittata, Quiche, Spanakopita, and Phyllo-
Wrapped Greek-Baked Feta with Honey.

Share

Hot Vegetable Side-Dishes

Finely Chopped, Sautéed Greens with
Olive Oil, or Grapeseed Oil or Butter,
Herb-infused oils, Garlic Oil, Roasted
Sesame Oil, Walnut or Peanut Oil,
Safflower or Canola Oil.

Grains & Chopped Sautéed Greens stirred
into Basmati, long or short grain rice, sushi
or brown rice. Risotto. Pasta. Dried Beans.
Quinoa. Millet.

Fresh Vegetables Sautéed with Greens
Sweat onions, garlic in olive oil, sauté
chopped Summer Squash, Carrots, Zucchini,
Patty Pan Squash with finely chopped greens.

Share

Main Dishes

Sautéed Greens served as a base for
Roasted Chicken, Salmon, Scallops,
or Shrimp. Layered greens with
Roasted Eggplant with Marinara Sauce.
Corn Pudding & Greens baked with lobster.
Roasted Halibut with Sautéed Greens.

En Pappiotte: Enclose in Parchment Paper:
Chopped Greens, Scallions, Chopped Garlic,
Tarragon, pats of Butter on Fish. Meatloaf
with finely chopped Greens & Shredded
Carrots. Champ or Colcannon with Chopped
Greens baked-topping on Shepherd's Pie.

Subscribe now

Soups

Finely chopped greens added to: Chicken
Soup; Beans & Greens Soup; Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter, Seasonal
Vegetable Soups; Pea Soup; Lentil Soup;
Ham-Bean Soups.

Side Dishes with Greens

Warm Cannellini Beans, Black Beans, Chick
Peas, Gigantes, Berlotti, and Lentil Salads
with Vinaigrette over chopped Watercress,
or Parsley Salad.

Hot Bacon & Spinach Salad
Escarole or Frisée with Poached Egg, Bacon,
and Vinaigrette. Marinated Artichokes,
Moroccan Carrot Salad, Grated Beet &
Ginger Salad, Shrimp & Fennel Salad with
Lemon Vinaigrette.

Share

Cook’s Guide

Eat the Nutrients, Eat the Stems!

Collard Greens, Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard,
Parsley, and Cilantro stems are the conduit-
pathway from the soil to the leaf! The stems
carry Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium,
Zinc, Vitamins A & E, from the soil to
energize the leaf.

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Seasonal Recipes

[see recipe PDF below]

"Colcannon: Irish Cottage Cookery"

Irish "Colcannon" is also called "Champ!"
Many families in Ireland cherish their
generational family recipes, with sautéed
finely chopped leeks, collards, kale, or
cabbage stirred into mashed potatoes.

Colcannon is traditionally served with a
generous lump of Irish butter pooling in
the center of the mounded serving. Next
day, leftovers are baked in a casserole
until the top is crispy and unforgettable!
[One client bakes her Colcannon in
individual muffin tins so everyone
gets the “crispy tops.”]

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Colcannon: Irish Cottage Cookery

114KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Irish "Colcannon" is also called "Champ!" Many families in Ireland cherish their generational family recipes, with sautéed finely chopped leeks, collards, kale, or cabbage stirred into mashed potatoes.

Download

Subscribe now

It's Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

Send delicious CalmGut recipes and
commentary to your friends + family,
neighbors + colleagues!

Give a gift subscription

Enjoy new flavors and unforgettable
recipes in 2026! Sale ends Dec. 31st!

Thank you for supporting my
work! Wishing you a
Healthy + Happy 2026!
- M. Susan Hamilton

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “Why do some foods digest well
  today, and cause chaos tomorrow?”

• “Why is my gut so sensitive?”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Share CalmGut™ Substack

What is satiety?

Satiety is being satisfied with your
food. Finding deliciousness.
Seeking pleasure in food. Feeling,
enjoying, savoring, satisfying the
pleasure of your food. Tea and Toast
can bring satiety in the right moment.
Soup can bring comfort and satiety in
your day. You create your own satiety.

Fresh Vegetables + Fresh Soup

Savor + Enjoy Broths and Stocks
fresh veggie soups, and meat or
fish soups.
I judge not!
Cook freshly made soup in batches
and freeze it.
Do take out, order in, or
beg-barter with a friend!

The Soup Fairy

If you're waiting for the Soup Fairy
to make a house call, don't hold your
breath.
Waiting for a Grandma, Nonna, Nana,
Mimi, Mormor, Dede, Abuela, Tita,
Bubbie or Poppi to make chicken
soup might not happen today.
They're busy, too.

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Why Soup?

Soothing and Comforting Soup

“Car Food” and “Office Hours”:
Enjoy a thermos of hot soup
during office hours and
travel days. Soup can keep your
blood sugar levels steady,
help absorb a wide range
of nutrients, vitamins and minerals,
bring focus and comfort,
and help you sleep at night!

World of Broths

Bone Broth
Beef, pork, lamb marrow bones;
or bone-in chicken parts, necks
and wings. Add leeks, carrots,
celery, parsley and fresh herbs.

Veggie Broth
Onions, fennel, carrots, celery,
leeks with green tops, parsnips,
Irish turnips, parsley, kale,
collards, and fresh herbs.

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Vegetarian + Vegan Soups
Vietnamese Veg-Pho + Cilantro +
Limes
Thai Noodle + Veggies + Thai Basil
Italian Minestrone or French Pistou
Squash Soup: Butternut, Buttercup,
or Hubbard with Curry or Ginger

Tomato Soup + Garlic Croutons
County Kerry Irish Potato-Leek Soup
Roasted Beet Soup Carrots + parsnips +
Potatoes + Cinnamon Cloves +
Cardamom
Curried Cauliflower + Carrot Soup
Red Lentil Soup + Cardamom + Cumin
Barlotti-Cranberry Bean Soup, or
Italian Pasta e Fagioli, or Greek
Fassolatha
Swedish Traditional Yellow Pea Soup
with Swedish mustard

Share

Ode to Soup: A Family Soup Story

I’ll never forget a conversation I had
with Dr. S.L., a Chinese Internist. We talked
about her childhood growing up in Beijing
with traditional Chinese meals.

S.L. “My family ate a brothy, clear, home-
made soup 2 or 3 times a day, at the end
of almost every meal.”

“Soup is served after the main dishes,
which are mostly vegetables, with a
little pork, beef, chicken, fish, or tofu.
Always rice, cups of hot tea, at every
meal.”

“In China, we always have soup last.
We believe it calms our digestion. Warm
and comforting.”

“We say soup prepares your stomach
to digest food. It helps you take in and
absorb nutrients, and to sleep well.”

Discussion

Dr. S.L.'s POV is interesting, informative.
Why do you eat soup?
How do you feel when you eat it?

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What's Your Soup Tradition?

Is it time to start a new one?

Calming + Comforting
Soups + Stews

Braised Chicken + Vegetable Soup
Chicken in the Pot Soup
Matzoh Ball Soup
Chicken + Dumplings
Take-Out Roasted Chicken +
Vegetable Soup
Taiwanese Beef Noodle + Chile Soup
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Pho
Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup
Kale + Onions + Potatoes +
Linguica
New England Clam Chowder
Polish Pork + Cabbage Soup
or Smoked Kielbasa + Bean Soup
Italian Wedding Soup + Mini
Meatballs
Lamb Riblet Stew + Veg + Love
Lamb Stew + Figs + Lemon
County Tipperary Irish Beef Stew

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Cook’s Guide

After Cooking Beans, How Do You
Remove the White Residue in Pots?

When beans leave a residue, boil white
vinegar in the pot! The vinegar dissolves
the residue and film, or until you cook
beans again!!

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Roasted Vegetable Soup

“Oh, I love the color!”

“Even my kids will eat it!”

“It’s PURPLE!”

Clients love this soup! “Roasted
Vegetable Soup” is both a visual
and flavorful treat! BUT, if you
over-boil it, the purple color
turns pink!

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Roasted Veg Soup (GF, DF)

48.7KB ∙ PDF file

Download

True deliciousness. A healthy feast for your eyes and taste buds.

Download

Subscribe now

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Baer’s Best Beans

For three decades, Charley and Carol
Baer, owners of Baer's Best Beans,
have grown 20 acres of delicious
Heirloom beans in South Berwick,
Maine. I discovered them at the
Wayland Farmer's Market, MA,
years ago.

Baer’s Best Beans Varieties Include:
Black Coco Beans or Black Turtle
BumbleBee Beans
Cannellini Beans
Flageolet- French Beans
Great Northern Beans
Italian Cranberry or Borlotti Beans
Jacob's Cattle Beans
Best beans ever, year 'round!
I love all 20 varieties!

Order online, or stop by Farmer’s
Markets close to you!

Visit Baer's Best Website

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to "CalmGut™!"
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Inflammation,
Gastritis, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Clients often say:

• "All I want is a calm gut!"

• "Please, WHAT can I eat that

  doesn't cause pain?"

• "Everything I eat is a crap shoot!"

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Subscribe now

Delicious-ness

Potassium provides a strong source of
nourishing and comforting nutrients in
delicious, everyday foods. Remember:
“Variety is Satiety!”

The Avocado Saga

A client we'll call "Juliette" ate 2-3++
avocados every day. She lamented to me
that it was a hassle. On her kitchen
counter were unripe-hard, soft, spotted,
mushy avocados, but she never knew
which one was edible until it was cut.

I asked why she ate so many avocados!
"Oh, my MD said I needed Potassium,
and I should eat avocados!!"

"Yes, but there are lotsa foods with
Potassium, why only eat avocados?"

"That's the only food she/he mentioned..."
Possibly, that's the only food she heard
her MD say or, in fact, the only food
she/he did recommend!

P.S. Ripe avocados can have green or
black skins. Look at the stem end. It
may look slightly wrinkled. Ripe
avocados have firm flesh with a slight
softness, if gently pressed. Don't eat
if veins are visible in the flesh, or
darkened color around the pit.

Organic and Commercial Avocados
Both may have been sprayed. Organic
may have been sprayed with FDA
organically-approved sprays, and
commercially-grown with commercial
sprays!!

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Moral of the Story
Rotate your Potassium sources!
Enjoy all of Mother Nature's
foods in moderation!

Share

Why Eat Potassium?

Clients often talk about Potassium
if they’re worried about blood pressure
or cardiac issues or are researching
electrolytes. Your MD will advise
on your needs, if symptoms/tests
need addressing and treatment.

Why Your Body Needs Potassium
Potassium is an electrolyte, helping
to transport electrical impulses in
nerve transmission and muscle
movement, and release of energy.
Persistent diarrhea can create
Potassium issues, affecting
absorption of food nutrients in
your GI digestion.

Sources of Potassium

Leafy Greens and Beets: Cooked
Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets and
Beet Greens

Dried Unsulphured Fruits:
Dates, Raisins, Apricots, Peaches,
Nectarines

Cooked Broccoli

Winter Squash and Pumpkin:
Butternut, Buttercup, Acorn,
Delicata, Kabocha, Honeynut

Potatoes: Sweet Potatoes, White
Potatoes

Fruits: Avocados, Bananas,
Oranges, Watermelons

Assorted Nuts and Beans:
Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans,
Cashews, Peanuts, Pistachios,
Green Beans, Dried Beans,
Lentils, Legumes

Tomatoes: Garden Fresh, Sauces,
Tomato Paste

Share

Cook’s Guide

Peeling-Paring-Chopping-Slicing-
Dicing can be tedious, tiring, a
real pain! The right tool saves
lotsa time, potential wrist injuries,
and energy!

My first chef-mentor, Robert Pouget,
Chef des Cuisines, Le Chambord,
Westport, Connecticut, introduced
me to the Kuhn-Rikon, Switzerland,
vegetable peelers 40 years ago! His
original peeler is still a workhorse!

Peeling Butternut Squash is a
breeze with the right tool. The
super-sharp blade zips down
through the tough skin. Succulent
beads of juiciness will appear!

I'm not a fan of pre-peeled Butternut
Squash. I always wonder how many
weeks ago it was machine-peeled,
shipped, and stocked in produce.
Also, are there any nutrients left
in it?

Be good to yourself. Buy fresh, live
fresh, digest fresh!

Seasonal Recipes

[see recipe PDF below]

"Cubed-Roasted Butternut Squash
with Warm Spices"

Clients often ask how to prepare
winter squash! Butternut, Acorn,
Buttercup, Pumpkin, Delicata,
Kobucha—all can be chopped,
sliced, baked, and roasted with
skin on. Peeled and roasted, squash
makes great soups, curries, stews,
sheet pan dinners, veg tacos
and burritos.

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Cubed-Roasted Butternut Squash

102KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Roasted Butternut Cubes with juicy caramelized edges and lotsa Potassium!

Download

Subscribe now

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Hutchins Organic Farm

For 29 years, our family has cooked,
enjoyed and depended on the juiciest,
freshest, most flavorful vegetables and
fruits from Hutchins Organic Farm in
Concord, MA.

Mapped as farmland in 1775, Hutchins
is the oldest and most extensive organic
farm in the state, farmed organically
since the early 1970s.

It is the deliciousness, but also the
knowledge that the vegetables and fruits
are safe, grown with loving care in soil
that hasn't had pesticides, or herbicides,
on their beautiful farmland in Concord,
Massachusetts. Since 1996, most of my
vegetable photos are from their farm.

HutchinsFarm.com

It's Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Give a gift subscription

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to "CalmGut™!"
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food
Awareness Program to counsel
G.I. clients affected by Reflux,
Celiac, IBS, IBD, Inflammation,
Diarrhea and Constipation.
If you have symptoms,
you know...

Clients often say:

• "All I want is a calm gut!"

• "I want to travel without
  worrying about [diarrhea +
  constipation]."

• "Please, just tell me what I
  can eat!"

Subscribe now

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature reigns and rules.

Change your food, change your life.
Small changes can make a big difference,
even in testy and temperamental IBS-D!

IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
[aka IBS: "I've Been Slammed"] is
commonly referred to as IBS-D
[Diarrhea], IBS-C [Constipation],
or IBS-M [Mixed].

Share

Common IBS-D Triggers:

• Hot Coffee, Tea, or Beverages on
  empty stomach in the morning.
  
  Better Plan: Sip 8-10 oz. hot beverage
  slowly while eating breakfast, never
  hot beverages alone.
  

• Guzzled 12 oz. of water before
  morning walk. A Dallas client took
  3-mile walks before breakfast.
  At Mile 3, she had watery diarrhea
  down her legs into her sneakers.
  
  Better Plan: What is your water-
  tolerance before walks? 3-4 oz?
  Sip water after walk.
  

• Perfect Storm: Hot Oatmeal,
  Hot 7-Grain Cereal, plus 16-32oz.
  hot coffee or tea. Some clients can
  eat 1 cup cooked oatmeal and sip
  8 oz. of hot beverage.
  
  Better Plan: Start with small
  quantities, identify your tolerance level.

• Turbulence: Boiling Hot Soups, Spicy
  Hot Dishes Eating 16 oz. of hot soup,
  or liquid-spicy-dishes plus 16 oz.
  hot beverage can stimulate diarrhea.
  
  Better Plan: Identify liquid tolerance
  at meals. Enjoy more beverages-
  liquids between meals.

An overload of liquids at one time can
stimulate diarrhea. There are other
stimulant overloads that can cause
diarrhea: intense emotions, type
of liquids, specific foods, food
sensitivities, gluten and dairy.
More details in future posts!

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipes

[see recipe PDF below]

Bright, Crisp, Crunchy, Refreshing
Radish-Cucumber-Fennel Salad.
Delicious year-round!

"Radish-Cucumber-Fennel Salad
with Lemon Vinaigrette"

CalmGut Radish Cucumber Fennel Salad

110KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Radish-Cucumber-Fennel Salad. Bright, Crisp, Crunchy, Refreshing!

Download

Subscribe now

Don't like Radishes or Cucumbers?
Substitute two cubed mangoes!
Easy technique to cube:
Hold mango upright with the heavier
end on a towel.
Slice down each side of the mango pit.
Do not peel.
Score mango flesh deeply, cutting to
form cubes.
Bend back skin so cubes pop forward.
Cut along edge of peel to slice off cubes.

Love Fennel?
This salad is refreshing and delightful
just using fennel and lemon dressing.
Thinly slice fennel bulb and add lotsa
chopped fennel fronds. Add dressing
immediately before serving, or the
fronds will wilt.

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Cook’s Guide for Lemons
Lemons with pointed ends are
thick-skinned and yield less juice.
Lemons with rounded ends are
thinner-skinned and provide more
flesh, and more juice.

Zest is grated from the thin yellow skin.
Rind is the bitter white layer. Fragrant
lemon oil is released from the skin.
Lemons are most flavorful when freshly
cut and served.

Lemons are illusive! Capture their amazing
fragrance and flavor au moment! Dress salad
immediately before serving!

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Travel Foods

[see recipe PDF below]

Happy Autumn!

Traveling by Car + Bus + Train + Plane?
Hiking + Biking + Walking-in-the-Woods?

Bring “GF-Crispy-Chewy-Oatmeal
Peanut Butter Cookies” along for
the ride! [see recipe PDF]

CalmGut Gluten-free Crispy Chewy Oat Cookies

80.3KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Enjoy every bite of these Gluten-Free Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies.

Download

Lotsa protein in peanut butter.
Yummy, chewy, satisfying texture
in these powerhouse-oat-cookies.

It's Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Give a gift subscription

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this post, please
hit the ❤️ like button! It means
a lot! Thank you!

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

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Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to "CalmGut™!"
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Inflammation,
Diarrhea and Constipation.

Clients often say:

• "All I want is a calm gut!"

• "Please, tell me what to eat—food that

  won't give me a stomach ache!"

• "Everything I eat seems to cause a problem!"

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature reigns and rules.

Subscribe now

Benjie’s Story

Ben R., "Benjie," our close family friend,
lived well into 105 years, 7 months, and
11 days! At 103, he flew from L.A. to Boston
for his nephew's anniversary weekend.
Friday night, we had dinner at an Italian
bistro. Benjie ordered:

Focaccia-Flatbread + Garlic + Vegetables
Skirt Steak + Mashed Potatoes + Green Beans
Shared a few bites of Salad

The restauranteur was so amazed
that Ben was 103, that he sent over a slice
of dessert-torta-cake drizzled with
chocolate sauce. Benjie enjoyed it all!

Moral of the Story
[BTW Benjie outlived two wives, and left a
95-YO girlfriend when he passed away.]

Benjie's Life Lessons

"Always be in love!"
"Eat food you love."
"Focus on deliciousness."
"Don't 'What If' your life away!"

I have enjoyed dinners in Benjie's home
and restaurants, with his amazing wife,
Juneybird. Benjie was lean, always focused,
funny, and absolutely relished every bite
of food, and life. He savored beef, in all
forms, some pork, fish and fowl, and
loved every vegetable on earth. R.I.P.

Share

Why Eat Protein?

Clients often talk about Protein...getting
enough, absorbing it, low-energy levels,
worrying about too much, too little, what
are the 'right proteins' to eat?

Why: Proteins are the critical building
blocks in formation of blood, cells,
organs, hair, skin, nails—especially in
tissue repair, muscle formation
and contraction, wound healing and
well-being.

Proteins are available in both
plant-based and animal-based foods.
Protein is a BIG topic! We'll discuss
animal-based proteins today, with
nutrients they provide. Example: Beef
provides Vitamins A, B6, B12, Iron,
Selenium, Niacin, Zinc, Folic Acid,
and Essential Amino Acids.

My clients love chicken! I recommend
rotating a wide variety of plant and
animal proteins!

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipes

[see recipe PDF below]

“Big Fat Juicy Chicken Thighs with Maple-
Mustard-Sesame Marinade”

"Variety is Satiety!" One of my client's
favorite recipes is "Big Fat Juicy Chicken
Thighs with Maple-Mustard-Sesame
Marinade!" The chicken is delicious
hot, or cold in salads the next day!

[Download PDF recipe below]

CalmGut Big Fat Juicy Chicken Thighs with Maple-Mustard-Sesame Marinade

113KB ∙ PDF file

Download

One of my client's favorite recipes: Big Fat Juicy Chicken Thighs with Maple-Mustard-Sesame Marinade. Delicious hot, or cold in salads the next day.

Download

When eating animal-proteins, try
rotating reasonable servings of beef,
pork, lamb, goat, chicken, and turkey.
[A Denver client also eats elk
throughout the winter, and asked
for my elk recipes!]

P.S. A diet eating only chicken lacks:
some essential fats, Omega-3s, Iron,
Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin),
D3, and Niacin.

Every client's protein needs vary with
age, activity, and lifestyle!
Are you always exhausted?
Need more protein, or sleep-deprived?
Not enough protein, or sugar-overload?
Not enough protein, or Cortisol-stressed?
Or, Worry-Meter spinning?
Or, Computer-Sitting-Sedentary?

Inspiring People, Purpose, and Places

For 18 years, our family has been a
Meat CSA member of Chestnut Farms!
Kim and Rich Denney, owners,
farmers extraordinaire, grow the
most delicious-nutritious Beef,
Pork, Lamb, Goat, Chicken and Turkey!

It is the deliciousness, but also the
knowledge that all our meat is safe,
grazed solely on their beautiful
farmland, animals tended with
love, fed honest-pure feed, and
receiving constant care.

Rich grows fields of peas to spoil
the growing-hungry turkeys. He
plants, grows, and harvests fields of
"green chop," especially for the cows
to munch year round. Delicioso!

Together, Kim and Rich Denney, in
Chestnut Farm, have built the CSA
community, and the farm, that they
[we], love today.

Visit the website to learn more.

It's Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Share with your friends!

Give a gift subscription

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to "CalmGut™!"
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Inflammation,
Diarrhea and Constipation.
If you have symptoms,
you know...

Clients often say:

• "All I want is a calm gut!"

• "I want to go out with friends and

  not worry about [a gassy gut, G.I. pain,

  diarrhea, or bloating].”

• "Please, just tell me what I can eat!"

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature reigns and rules.

Why Eat Calcium?

"It's not what we eat, but what we absorb
that keeps us well."

Clients often talk about Calcium...
getting enough, absorbing it, and
keeping their bones and teeth strong.
In addition to food intake, genetics and
exercise also play a major role in our
absorption of Calcium.

Calcium is important to regulate muscular
action, heartbeats, transmission of nerve
impulses, several enzymatic responses,
and blood clotting.

A client sorta-seriously-asked:
"Why do people drink cow's breast milk,
and not pig's milk?"
[And, eat Goat and Sheep breast milk,
and their cheese?]

P.S. Clue: Pigs are smart. And, slow. They
don't corral or migrate, walk or hike, over
continents easily. Cows, goats, and sheep
can be shepherded. Pigs keep their snouts
out.

We, the people, have consumed cow's
milk for 6–8,000 years, milking and migrating
across continents with our bovines: cattle,
bison, buffalo, and antelope.

In Love with Cheese and Yogurt?
Southern Europeans were making cheese
7,200 years ago. Today, my clients still LOVE
cheese... a serious concern, if you are
lactose-intolerant, lacking sufficient lactase
enzyme to digest lactose-laden foods.

Giving up milk, cream, cheese, and yogurt
can be tough for clients. Often their
strongest tie is to yogurt, a marriage made
in heaven: creamy mouth-feel, silky texture,
sweet-notes, master-mass-marketed as a
"Super-food filled with good bacteria."
Maybe... but definitely not for every belly.

In lactose-intolerance, and milk allergies,
small changes can make a big difference.
This post is Part I of Sourcing Calcium in Foods.
More Dairy-Free deliciousness in future posts.

Yummy Tips for Lactose-Intolerant Readers

Butter is neutral, with negligible lactose.
Most G.I. clients enjoy cooking with a
little butter, along with olive oil, and
grape seed oils. A little grated Parmigiano
Reggiano, aged 2-3 years, is very low in
lactose, and delivers a whole lotta flavor!

Share

I've compiled a list of Calcium Sources in
Fruits & Vegetables.

Download the CalmGut Dairy-free List here:

Calmgut Dairy-free List

3.07MB ∙ PDF file

Download

For those with lactose-intolerance and milk allergies, small changes can make a big difference. Here's a list of calcium-rich fruits, vegetables, fish, seeds, nuts, and more.

Download

Inspiring People, Purpose, and Places

I enjoy reading Kara Cutruzzula's
"Brass Ring Daily" for inspiring nuggets on
writing, work, creativity, and life!
Kara is a writer, editor, playwright, and
musical theater lyricist. She is also the
author of three motivational journals:
Do It For Yourself, Do It Today, and
Do It (or Don't). Her work has appeared
in The New York Times, The Daily Beast,
TIME, and Vulture. Kara really helps to
move projects forward, TODAY!

Share

Seasonal Recipes

[see recipe PDF below]

“Confetti Vegetables”

Confetti Vegetables add color to
your plate, and tingle to your taste
buds. This recipe adapts to the seasons,
so go with your flow! Enjoy!

[Download PDF recipe below]

Calmgut Confetti Vegetables

113KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Confetti Vegetables add color to your plate, and tingle to your tastebuds. This recipe adapts to the seasons, so go with your flow!

Download

Cook's Guide: Stainless Steel, and
Cast Iron Non-Coated-Non-Stick Pans

My mother abhorred Teflon. ANY coating
on a pan screamed chemicals in her mind.
She was an early mouthpiece for seasoning
cast iron pans, and quality stainless cookware.

Mother's Trick for Non-Stick:
Drizzle cold oil in a hot pan.
Or, add hot oil to a cold pan!
It works!

It's Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Subscribe now

“Nothing will work unless you do.”
– Maya Angelou

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “My stomach is so sensitive, I don’t
  know WHAT to eat.”

• “Every time I go out to eat, I never
  know if the food will keep me up
  all night.”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“I want to eat more veggies. But, they
take so much time to prep and cook.”

“I waste veg in the fridge. I always
buy too many and never cook them.”

“I’m in a rut with 1–2 ways to make most
vegetables. Basically roast everything.
Need more ideas for herbs and spices.”

Share CalmGut™ Substack

What is Vegetarianism?

Eating a strictly non-flesh diet:
no animals, milk, eggs, fish, or animal
products. Some vegetarian clients follow
this literally; other clients eat eggs, milk,
cheese, and fish.

Pythagorus [570–490 BCE], Greek
Philosopher, mathematician, was an
early believer in a non-flesh diet. Ovid
speaks of Pythagoras: “He, too, was the
first to forbid animals to be served up
at the table...”
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg. 9]

Subscribe now

Athletes of Ancient Greece

Athletes were trained from a very tender age
in academies. “At first they had no other
nourishment but dried figs, nuts, the recent
curd of milk or new cheese, and boiled grain,
or a coarse kind of bread called maza."
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg 78]

After 24 years of counseling clients with
disordered digestions, I've worked with
vegetarians and carnivores (eat meat);
pescatarians (eat fish); occasional meat-
fish-eaters; on/off vegetarians; all arriving
with G.I. symptoms they want to resolve!

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Farmer’s Markets

Ask your farmers if they grow organically,
use chemicals, and spray pesticides. Ask if
they sell solely what they grow, or buy
from other farms.

‘Avoid Perfect Fruits and Vegetables’

My father was an Agricultural Extension
Agent in Clermont County, Ohio. He
retired Prof. Emeritus, School of Agriculture,
The Ohio State University.

Dad's mantra:
“If the insects, bees, and bugs won’t take
a bite, maybe you shouldn’t either.”

Translation: Perfect fruits and veg may be
sprayed, and not truly organic. Or, grown
hydroponically in water, in green houses, like
Holland peppers. Caveat: There are some
USDA organically-approved sprays that
farmers occasionally use for insect
infestations.

Moral of the Story

If fruits and vegetables have a few blemishes
it’s probably a good sign. Mother Nature’s
critters find them edible and delicious, too.

Subscribe now

Delicious Greens

Clients often say, “I know they're so good.
I just need more ideas.”

Fresh Greens: Varieties + Seasons
Red Russian Kale, Curly Kale, Lacinato-
Black-Dinosaur Kale, Collards, Turnip
Greens, Escarole, Beet Greens, Arugula,
Chicory-Horta, Curly Endive, Rocquette,
Radicchio, Frisée, Mache, Watercress,
Parsley, Cilantro, Fresh Mint, Chives

Appetizers-Starters

Roasted Asparagus with Mini-Kale Frittata
Curly Endive Salad and Jammy Eggs, with
Mustardy Vinaigrette

Korean Scallion Pancakes with Ginger
Dipping Sauce

Stuffed Swiss Chard Rolls with Cilantro,
Scallions, Garlic, Ginger, Rice

Turkish Dolma Stuffed Grape Leaves with
rice, onions, finely chopped veg, with lemon
slices

Bite-Size Salmon Cakes with
Watercress Salad

Hot Vegetable Side Dishes

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens
Stirred into:

• Butternut Squash Risotto

• Basmati, long or short grain rice

• GF Pasta: Penne, Orzo, Rotini, Farfalle

• Cooked Dried Beans, Cannellini,
  Garbanzos

Sauteed Greens with Olive Oil, or

• Butter

• Homemade Herb-infused oils, with

  Rosemary, Thyme, Cooked-Garlic,
  Keep in fridge!!

• Roasted Sesame Oil

• Walnut Oil

• Peanut Oil

• Safflower Oil

• Grapeseed Oil

Seed oils are cycling out of favor now.
PR campaigns are favoring Olive Oil,
Butter. Decide for yourself what is
healthy for you!

Share

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens + Leeks
stirred into mashed potatoes for Irish
Champ, Colcannon, or ‘Green Mashers.’
A 4-year old Denver client named this
‘Green Mashers,’ now his favorite
vegetable. 

Main Dishes, Stove Top, Grilled +
Baked

Sauteed Greens served as a base for fish,
Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, Grilled-
Marinated Tofu, Baked Feta

Layered Sauteed Greens with mashed
potatoes, Roasted Vegetables

Vegetarian Meatballs with Feta

En Pappiotte Sauteed Chopped greens,
fish, fresh herbs, baked in Parchment
paper

Quinoa, Rice, Kasha, Lentils, Beans
baked with greens, spices, olive oil,
cherry tomatoes

Building a Veggie Recipe Base

Clients build a file of “7 Ways to Prepare”
veggies they like, and digest well.

Example: “7 Ways to Prepare Carrots”

1. Sauté Carrots in Olive oil, add
   grated fresh or dried turmeric, or
   dill, or garlic, or parsley

2. Stir-fry Carrots with ginger,
   scallions, sesame oil

3. Steamed Carrots with butter or
   olive oil

4. Roasted Carrots with Cumin,
   or Curry

5. Moroccan Carrot Salad with
   Cilantro or Parsley, Lemon Juice +
   Olive oil

6. Carrot Soup cooked with potatoes,
   celery, scallions, fennel, pureed,
   add curry, ginger, parsley

7. Simmer carrots with beans, lentils,
   dried peas, corn, quinoa, hominy,
   rice

Keep your list going with favorite carrot
recipes! Cold, Warm, and Hot Salads

Carrot-Compatible Spices and Herbs

Spices Turmeric, Curry, Cumin,
Mustard, Ground Celery seed,
Galangal (ginger root family)
Annatto, Ground Caraway,
Cinnamon, Saffron, Ground
Cardamom, Ground Cloves,
Star Anise, Nutmeg, Allspice

Herbs Dill, Parsley, Cilantro,
Chives, Chervil, Tarragon,
Borage, Lemongrass, Fennel,
Lemon Balm (easy to grow!)
Mint, Basil, Oregano, Marjoram,
Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

“French Green-Bean + Potato Salad”
with Piquant Mustardy Vinaigrette
(Serve Warm!)

“Great for Picnics. Likes Sun and Fun!”

“Travels well! Easy to Pack + Go”

Clients love this salad. Bellissimo.
The piquant mustardy dressing brings
out the best in the green beans and
potatoes. Easy to make, all ingredients
available, and preparation is simple.

[Download PDF recipe below]

Calmgut French Green-Bean + Potato Salad with Piquant Mustardy Vinaigrette (GF, DF)

132KB ∙ PDF file

Download

The piquant mustardy dressing brings out the best in the green beans and potatoes. Serve warm!

Download

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Co-Authors Deborah L. Korn, PsyD
and Michael Baldwin

Debbie’s important work, and
co-authorship of “Every Memory
Deserves Respect,” has changed lives
worldwide. I cannot fully express how
much I admire her as a person,
professional, and human being.

Through compelling science, personal
stories, and powerful photographic
images, readers learn how trauma is
stored in the brain and body, continuing
to cause pain and suffering, and how
EMDR has the power to repattern their
thinking and emotional reactions, and
ultimately set them free.

Debbie was the top fundraiser for
“Boston’s 56th Walk for Hunger”
for “Project Bread,” helping to prevent
food insecurity in Massachusetts.

Deborah L. Korn, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
930 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

EMDRIA Approved Consultant and
EMDR Institute Senior Faculty
Member Trauma Research
Foundation-Adjunct Teaching
Faculty

“Every Memory Deserves Respect”
Available on Amazon.com

EveryMemoryDeservesRespect.com

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

Give a gift subscription

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“May your choices reflect your
hopes, not your fears.”
— Nelson Mandela

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious. 
Nutritious. 
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes, and
Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food
Awareness Program to counsel
G.I. clients affected by Reflux,
GERD, IBS, Crohn’s, Colitis,
Gastritis, Inflammation,
Diarrhea, and Constipation. 

Subscribe now

Client’s Comment

“Susan utilizes the most healing
foods in the most delicious ways.”
—A.K.G., Brooklyn, New York

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based: 
No Drugs. No Capsules. No Pills. No
Powders. Mother Nature Reigns & Rules,
Ripe & Ready! 

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Calm Food

Clients are often anxious, fearful,
and unsure what to eat. “I just
don’t know what to eat. I want
calm, quiet food.”

Calm Food is a personal choice!

After 24 years of working with clients,
I’ve found every person searches for
their own sense of calm. It’s a
personal quest. A daily challenge.
A lifetime goal.

Clients’ Favorite Calm Foods

• Chamomile Tea, mint tea, or green
  tea and Toast

• “Eggs + Soldiers” Popular with U.K.
  clients. Strips of toast dipped in soft
  boiled eggs nested in egg cups.

• Avocado Toast

• Banana or Apple with Peanut Butter

• Chicken Soup, Potato Leek Soup
  [no dairy], Lentil Soup, Vegetable
  Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, Pho

• Pita, Carrots, Celery with Hummus

• Oatmeal with Maple Syrup

• Turkey provides amino acid
  Trytophan which is converted to
  serotonin to encourage relaxation

• Salmon-Fennel Salad with rice
  crackers

• Israeli or California Dates Stuffed
  with Almond or Peanut Butter

• Omelet with finely chopped spinach,
  kale, roasted vegetables

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and White
  Potatoes. Cut potatoes in halves or
  quarters, rub with olive oil, roast at
  450 F. Salt after roasting! If you salt
  before cooking, potatoes will sweat
  and not roast to a crispy-browned
  texture. Use parchment paper for
  easy cleanup!

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Adequate Calcium is
Calming

Calcium functions as a major
mineral of bones and teeth, helps
the nerve functioning of normal
muscle contraction and relaxation,
helps blood pressure and clotting,
and protects immunity!

Subscribe now

Calcium & Muscle
Strength

To keep bones healthy, body calm,
include weight-bearing exercises,
including yoga, stretches, walking,
dancing, jogging, gardening,
swimming, as often as you enjoy.

Non-dairy Calcium Sources

Soups & Stews

Braised Chicken Soup with Vegetables,
“24 Karat Soup” [see download
below], Rejuvenating Green Soup,
Ruby’s Medicine Soup, Winter
Tomato Soup, Bone Broth, Root
Vegetable Soups, Vegetable Stock,
Autumn Vegetable Soup

Share

Client’s Comment

“After my PCP and Osteopath/
functional med doc said nothing
could be done about my digestion
problems but meds, supplements,
and a very limited GERD diet,
I turned to Susan and got cured—
literally 100% better to this day.”
—N.S., LICSW, EMDR Therapist,
Tamworth, NH

More Calcium-Calming
Foods

Fresh Greens

• Collards, Kale, Escarole, Beet Greens,
  Watercress, Chicory, Parsley, Cilantro,
  Swiss Chard, Spinach

• Fresh Mint, and fresh herbs,
  Rosemary, Thyme, Bay leaves,
  Chives, Lemon Balm, Dill
  

  Subscribe now

  

Fresh and Canned Fish

Wild-Caught-Sockeye Salmon or
Copper River, Canned salmon with
bones, Sardines fresh or canned,
Rainbow Trout fresh or smoked,
Cod, Halibut, Bass, Calamari,
Herring, Shellfish-Clams, Mussels,
Cockles, Lobster, Crab

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Calcium in Beans
and Pulses

Well-cooked dried, canned and
fresh beans; peas; hummus; Navy,
Great Northern, Pinto, Cannellini,
Chick Peas, Black Beans, Lima
Beans, Cranberry Beans, Gigante
Beans, Borlotti, Soldier beans;
Lentils

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

“24-Karat Soup” aka
Winter Vegetable Soup

Yes! “24-Karat Soup” has 24 Carrots!
All the goodness of Autumn
Vegetables with Warm Spices and
Comfort! Calm, Comforting,
Bellissimo Flavor!

[Download PDF recipe below]

"24-Karat Soup" (GF, DF)

65.1KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Yes! "24-Karat Soup" has 24 Carrots! All the goodness of Autumn Vegetables with Warm Spices and Comfort! Calm, Comforting, Bellissimo Flavor!

Download

Subscribe now

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Chestnut Farms

For 15 years, our family has been a
Meat CSA member of Chestnut
Farms! Kim and Rich Denney,
owners, farmers extraordinaire,
grow the most delicious-nutritious
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat, Chicken
and Turkey!

It is the deliciousness, but also the
knowledge that all our meat is safe,
grazed solely on their beautiful
farmland, animals tended with love,
fed honest-pure food, and receiving
constant care.

Rich grows fields of peas to spoil
the hungry-growing turkeys. He
plants, grows, and harvests fields
of “green chop,” especially for
the cows to munch year round.
Delicioso!

Together, Kim and Rich Denney, in
Chestnut Farms, have built the CSA
community, and the farm, that they,
[we], love today.

Visit Website

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your
support! Please share with your friends
and family!

Give a gift subscription

Share

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“Just trust yourself, then you
will know how to live.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious. 
Nutritious. 
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes, and
Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food
Awareness Program to counsel
G.I. clients affected by Reflux, GERD,
Celiac, IBS, Gastritis, Inflammation,
Diarrhea, and Constipation. 

Subscribe now

Client’s Comment

“I already feel better than I have in
years. Susan has offered me more help
and hope in this time than the medical
profession has given me in the past
15 years.”
— L.M., Palm Harbor, FL

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based: 
No Drugs. No Capsules. No Pills. No
Powders. Mother Nature Reigns & Rules,
Ripe & Ready! 

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Stress + G.I. Distress

Clients often express stress and anxiety
when describing their digestive
symptoms. Clients’ frustrating
symptoms may include:

Diarrhea:

• Watery stools, ‘BM pudding’

• Urgent stools, endless wiping

• G.I. Accidents and episodes traveling

• Constant fear of a diarrhea
  ‘accident’

Constipation:

• “I always get constipated when
  I travel.”

• “If I don’t go every day, I worry.”

• “My BMs are always so hard, and
  hard to get out.”

• “My BMs are like little ‘rabbit
  pellets.’”

• “Why don’t/can’t I go every day?”

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Stabilizing the G.I. = CalmGut

Our brain is a super highway to the
gut! The Vagus Nerve connects from
the top of the head to the tip of our toes!

There are more Neuro-transmitters in
our gut than in the brain! What you
think, feel, sense, see, absorb, and
ruminate can respond in your G.I. tract.

Fight or Flight is our Sympathetic
Nervous System response to high
stress, anxiety, and some activities.
Short-term and long-term gut-nerve-
unrest can affect erratic digestion,
inflammation, pain, IBS, Acid Reflux,
Crohn’s, Colitis, Gastritis, Brain
Fog-Cognitive Function, stomach
acid levels, and more.

Calming, Resting, Restoring
stabilizing our digestive system
with delicious food, lifestyle changes,
focused habits and ‘rest and digest’
is in the Parasympathetic Nervous
System.

Small changes can make a big difference!

Client's Comment

“Susan Hamilton’s Food Awareness-
CalmGut Program is amazing. She
brings her passion for cooking and
knowledge of nutrition together
to create outstandingly delicious meals
that are fun, comforting and most
importantly healing. I can't recommend
her enough.”
— M.K.G. Newtonville, MA

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Stressors

Caffeine can seriously affect stress!
80% of Americans consume caffeine.
Are you caffeine-dependent? How does
it affect your stress levels, quality sleep,
daily functioning?

Sources of Caffeine

• Chocolate 72% Cacao, Candies,
  Dark chocolate, Snack bars, hot
  cocoa, drinks

• Coffee + Tea Drinks, coffee yogurt,
  bottled and Barista Beverages,
  teas (not herbal teas)

• Bottled Drinks various brands of
  kombucha, soft drinks, sodas,
  colas, energy drinks, shakes

• Prescriptions Excedrin Migraine,
  Midol Complete, Bayer Back and
  Body, Anacin

Caffeine can act for 12 hours, with a
6-hour half-life. How-when does
caffeine affect your stress level?

Share

Stress + Worry + Fear + Sleep

Is Your “Worry Meter” constantly
spinning?

Is Your “Stress Cycle” in Fight or
Flight, on auto-pilot, auto-fill, in
a 24/7 cycle?

“Real change, enduring change, happens
one step at a time.”
— Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933-2020 

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Focused on Lowering Stress?

Every client is unique. Every ‘body’
responds to food, and life, differently
depending on symptoms, diagnosis,
life-stressors, environment, career,
genetics, food habits, childhood food
experiences, marketing pitches, access
and affordability to good food, and
motivation to change.

• Identify Food allergies, intolerances,
  Provocateurs in G.I. distress. Foods
  that aggravate my digestion? What
  is easy to digest? What are my
  calming foods?

• Plan Food + Mealtimes, Easily
  prepped delicious meals, re-heat
  soups, stews, fresh marinated
  salads, roasted vegetables, fresh
  fruits, 48-hour plan, packed lunches
  with thermos of soup, stocked fridge
  and cupboard.

  Random Planning + Random Food +
  Random Meal Times = Stressful Life.

• Liquid, Water Intake Too much,

  too little, too fast, too slow. Sipping
  water? Gulping? Sensitive intestines
  need calm, well-paced liquid intake.

• Plan Morning + Night Routines
  Build and stack habits
  No screens after 9:00PM
  How can I make my mornings better?
  What will improve my sleep?

• Quality Sleep
  Wake up time? Get-Ready-For-Bed-
  Routine? Calming bath, shower, read,
  meditate, pray, de-compress.
  Random Sleep + Random Food +
  Random Energy = Maximum Stress.

• Alcohol? All alcohol = G.I. Stress
  Alcohol can seriously affect digestive
  function, G.I. health, and increase
  stress.

  Subscribe now

  

• Walk! Get in the groove to move!

  Walk 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour?

  Enjoy fresh air! Walk with a friend?

  Walk to de-compress, enjoy quiet time,

  marvel-observe Mother Nature,
  peaceful alone time.

• Fear-Filled, Stress-Filled Days + Nights

  Watch how far you open the door to

  your brain! What you scroll, read, hear,

  taste, touch, speak, and feel while
  awake, requires your brain to use it
  or lose it, sort out, file, delete,
  resolve, or form a new memory
  synapse during your sleep!

“Finish every day, and be done with it...
You have done what you could—some
blunders and absurdities no doubt crept
in, forget them as fast as you can,
tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it
well and serenely, and with too high
a spirit to be encumbered with your old
nonsense.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Autumn Watercress + Steak Salad

Bright and Beautiful Watercress!
Juicy Sliced Steak!
Fresh orange vinaigrette!
Tart, sweet, succulent, crunchy!

[Download PDF recipe below]

Autumn Watercress + Steak Salad (GF, DF)

120KB ∙ PDF file

Download

A tart, sweet, succulent, crunchy salad. Warm and juicy sliced steak atop bright and beautiful watercress is perfect for the chilly days of autumn.

Download

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It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

Give a gift subscription

Share

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“Home is where we start from…”
– T. S. Eliot

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Client’s Comment

“I have learned how food can be used to
lessen symptoms...resolved them in my case.
I have let my physicians know of my success...
G.I., Cardiac, and Family Doctors.”
—L.M., Palm Harbor, FL

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

What are GERD and
Acid Reflux?

A diagnosis of GERD,
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Disease, commonly called
Acid Reflux, is serious. Very
serious. Descriptions of Acid
Reflux can cause confusion:
when stomach acids
regurgitate into the esophagus,
and cause pain, it’s
'heart-burn.' But, some clients
never experience pain, called
'Silent Reflux.'

It’s not solely stomach acid as
the primary problem. The digestive
enzyme, Pepsin, [not acid], can
cause serious esophageal damage.
Acids and Pepsin can work
together to cause esophageal
symptoms, but they are also
important in stomach digestion.

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Acid Reflux Symptoms May Include:

• Chronic Cough, Excess
  Mucus, Postnasal Drip

• Hoarseness, Constant
  Throat Clearing, Food
  Allergies

• Chronically Sore throat

• Sensing, feeling, lump
  in the throat

• Food catching in throat

• Difficulty swallowing
  pills, food, liquids

• 'Heart-burn,' Chest
  Pain, or no pain!

Ignored, Unresolved, Acid
Reflux can cause Esophageal
Cancer, Barrett’s Esophagus,
Laryngeal Cancer, and
many other serious medical
issues. See your ENT, G.I.
Specialists, MD, PCP, for
evaluation, testing, and
protocol.

I work closely with clients,
their diagnosis, symptoms,
recommendations, and
protocol.

I work solely with food, no
supplements, or infusions.
Specific techniques, nutrients,
types of food, and resolving
symptoms are specific to
each client’s needs!

Client's Comment

“D.O. told me to take useless
supplements and accept my lot.
You gave me hope! Now, I
don’t have to take medication
for my stomach because YOU
helped me HEAL for REAL!”
—N.S. Therapist, LICSW,
Tamworth, NH

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Esophageal + Acid Reflux Irritants

• Alcohol, distilled spirits,
  wine, beer

• Carbonated beverages,
  seltzers, fizzy waters,
  Diet colas-drinks

• Mint, especially Peppermint
  and Spearmint

• Peppers, Hot sauces, Black
  pepper

• Citrus Fruits, juices,
  lemons, limes, oranges,
  grapefruit

• Caffeine, Coffee and Tea,
  boiling hot

• Beverages and Spicy Soups

• Chocolate, Dark, also
  Milk Chocolate

• Citric Acid, factory
  preservative in packaged
  foods, jams, juices,
  flavored seltzers [all flavors].

Share

Client's Comment

“Susan utilizes the most healing
foods in the most delicious ways.”
—A.K.G., Brooklyn, NY

Reflux and Digestive Distress

The following foods are
complicated and problematic
for most Reflux clients.

• Green, Yellow, Red,
  Orange Peppers, raw
  or cooked, all Capsicum
  Pepper Family

• Cucumbers, Raw Onions

• Onions and Garlic in
  various amounts,
  2-3 Scallions-green
  onions are usually easier
  to digest

• Spicy Foods, Hot Sauces,
  Sriracha

• Marinara Sauce, Tomato
  sauces, hot or cold

• Fried foods

• Vinegar, Pickles,
  Vinaigrettes

  

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Cook's Guide

Freezing summer bounty for winter?
Never freeze food in aluminum
containers!

Example: Vegetarian Lasagna

Line aluminum pan with
parchment paper with 2-inch
overhang on sides.

Fill with lasagna. Freeze. Next
day, lift out lasagna, double wrap
airtight.

Ready to defrost and cook? Place
lasagna in glass or ceramic baking
dish to defrost overnight, [no
longer!], in fridge. Next day, bake.
Delicious-ness.

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Confetti Vegetables add color
to your plate, and tingle to
your taste buds. This recipe
adapts to the seasons, so go
with your flow. Fun, bright,
and beautiful!

[Download PDF recipe below]

Calmgut Confetti Vegetables (GF, DF)

11.8KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Confetti Vegetables add color to your plate, and tingle to your taste buds. This recipe adapts to the seasons, so go with your flow. Enjoy!

Download

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Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Hutchins Organic Farm

Since 1996, our family has
depended on the incredible fruits
and vegetables from Hutchins
Organic Farm in Concord,
Massachusetts. Fully flavored,
picked ripe every morning,
Hutchins only sells what they grow!

Mapped as farmland in 1775,
Charles Bemis purchased the land
in 1895. In 1973, Gordon Bemis
opened Hutchins Organic Farm.
Today, 65 acres hold Baystate
Organic Certification, and are
cultivated by Brian Cramer, farm
manager.

Gordon's daughter, Liza Bemis,
continues the family tradition and
manages the farm, farmstand, and
farmer's markets in nearby towns.
Her knowledge of fruits and
vegetables is stellar! Check the
website for “What's at the Stand?”
for daily choices!

Hutchins Organic Farm
754 Monument Street
Concord, MA 01742
978-369-5041
hutchinsfarm.com

Visit the website

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

Give a gift subscription

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“Commitment is an act, not a word.”
– Jean-Paul Sartre

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“If I get up at 2-3-4am to go to the
bathroom, it's so hard to get back to
sleep.”

“Most mornings, I drag myself out
of bed.”

“I go to bed too early, or too late.
Never a good sleeper.”

Share CalmGut™ Substack

“Awake 2-3-4am?”

After 24 years of counseling
disordered digestion clients,
the most common symptoms
are poor sleep, diarrhea,
constipation, inflammation,
gassy gut, bloating, and brain fog.

Subscribe now

Why is Sleep a Priority?

During 7 to 8 hours of sleep,
your body repairs cells, fights
diseases, and cleans out toxins.

In approximately 90-minute
cycles, we sleep through Slow-
Wave Sleep and R.E.M., 4 to
5 cycles each night.

You can encode-develop new
habits, edit, delete, and sort
through life’s issues in your
memory bank.

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Poor-Quality, Restless and Erratic
sleep are often identified with one
of the following:

A. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
B. Alcohol, Over-Eating,
Under-Eating
C. Hypothyroidism
D. Lyme Disease
E. All of the above

E. All of the above, and more!

Poor-quality Sleep can be a
symptom of many conditions,
including:

Sleep Apnea, Reflux, IBS,
Crohn’s, Colitis, Diabetes,
COPD, Parkinson’s, Kidney
and Bladder Diseases, Heart
Disease, Hyperthyroidism,
Arthritis, Vitamin B-12
Deficiency, Alzheimer’s,
Hypoglycemia, and
many more.

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How Does Eating Affect Sleep?

True or False?

“I'm so tired. I'll just skip dinner
and fall into bed.”

False!

Going to bed hungry ramps up
Grenlin, the hormone that
stimulates hunger, causing
restlessness and ‘short sleep’
[less than 7 hours].

“Chi va a letto senza cena
tutta la notte si dimena.”
– Italian Proverb

Translation: “He who goes to
bed without eating, will regret
it throughout the night.”

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Share

Recent Client's Comments:

“I had suffered from horrible
insomnia for weeks at a time
when Susan recommended that
I eat a banana or three dates at
night. I’ve been eating a banana
before bed each night...it helps
me fall asleep more quickly and
stay asleep longer. I’m so
thankful for the insight Susan
provided!”
– E.W., Watertown, MA

Every client’s sleep requirements
are unique. Crohn’s and Colitis
clients often need to eat a
snack at 9:00pm before bedtime.
Their favorites are:

Peeled and thinly sliced Honey
Crisp, Gala, or Empire apples,
or Asian, or Bosc pears, or
3 dates with smooth almond or
peanut butter

1 Cup Homemade Vegetable
Soup

Banana, or Banana with
Oatmeal

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Insomnia Client's Comments

“You made the work of getting
a good night’s sleep totally
accessible! BRAVA!”
– L.T. Author, Tamworth, N.H.

Awake at 2-3-4am?

Keep a banana, or apple, on your night table? Why?

In 24 years, I’ve counseled MDs,
Psychiatrists, Psychologists,
PhDs, Surgeons, IT, teachers,
teens, playwrights, quilters,
gardeners, plumbers,
unemployed, pro-bono
clients, etc.

Many clients have elevated
stress affecting their sleep and
G.I. Systems. This can cause
nocturnal low blood glucose
levels stimulating release of
adrenaline and cortisol to wake
them up.

I've found some clients, awake
at 2-3-4am, benefit from eating
a banana or apple. Don’t walk
into the kitchen and turn on
the light! Sit in your dark
bedroom, chew, and eat carefully.

Reflux Client's Comments

“I realized I hadn’t eaten enough
during the day. I ended up having
quite a little meal at 2:15am
after waking up not just refluxing
but hungry.”
– P.E., Sudbury, Massachusetts

We worked together to identify
her symptoms of Reflux and
Erratic Sleep: timing of meals,
food choices, metabolic burn,
“3am Burn” to achieve steady,
satisfying sleep.

Every client has unique sleep
challenges requiring solutions
specific to their needs. I've
collected tips, techniques, and
resources in “3amSleepGuide”
available on my website
CalmGut.com.

Get the "3am Sleep Guide"

Your MDs and specialists
may diagnose your insomnia
with other serious symptoms,
diseases, requiring tests, and
evaluation of your complex
profile. You may, or may not,
benefit from food and nutritional
solutions.

Subscribe now

Seasonal Recipe

[see recipe PDF below]

Summer! Friends-Family love
BBQ! Juicy, succulent, crispy
pulled pork!

Share

[Download PDF recipe below]

Calmgut Woody's BBQ Pulled Pork (GF, DF)

67.7KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Succulent, Crowd-Pleasing Pork, Summer flavor and fun, in or out of the bun!

Download

Inspiring People,
Purpose, and Places

Benson’s Homemade Ice Cream

Benson’s is an artisinal,
handmade, super-premium
ice cream made by generations
of the Benson family in
Boxford, MA!

For 92 years, the Benson
family has worked directly
with New England family
orchardists and farmers
who grow the native
strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, peaches,
blueberries, sweet corn,
apples, and pumpkins
featured in their homemade
ice cream.

In June, Benson’s prepares
handmade Native Strawberry
Ice Cream, along with many
other delicious flavors! Vegan
and dairy-free selections are
always available.

Worth a trip from anywhere!
Check their website for
available in-season flavors.

Benson’s Ice Cream
181 Washington Street
Boxford, MA 01921
Website: bensonsicecream.com
Phone: 978-352-2911

It’s Your Time.
Savor the Moment.
Cherish Life.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and
subscribing! I so appreciate your support!
Please share with your friends and family!

Give a gift subscription

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Be well.
Enjoy every bite,

Susan

Thank you, KerryAThompson.com, for your outstanding design skills developing CalmGut.com and 3AMSleepGuide! Every month, your beautiful work makes every post possible! Thank you!

“Nothing will work unless you do.”
– Maya Angelou

Hello New & Devoted Readers,

Welcome to “CalmGut™!”
Delicious.
Nutritious.
Musings on Seasonal Food,
Unforgettable Recipes,
and Calm Digestion.

In 2000, I developed the Food Awareness
Program to counsel G.I. clients affected by
Reflux, GERD, Celiac, IBS, IBD, Gastritis,
Inflammation, Diarrhea, and Constipation.

Subscribe now

Clients often say:

• “All I want is a calm gut.”

• “My stomach is so sensitive, I don’t
  know WHAT to eat.”

• “Every time I go out to eat, I never
  know if the food will keep me up
  all night.”

No one can tell you exactly what to eat.
You are a unique individual.
You alone know what is nutritious,
and divinely delicious, to you.

My nutritional POV is solely-food-based:
No drugs. No capsules. No pills. No powders.
Mother Nature Reigns & Rules, Ripe & Ready!

Share CalmGut™ Substack

Client Comments

“I want to eat more veggies. But, they
take so much time to prep and cook.”

“I waste veg in the fridge. I always
buy too many and never cook them.”

“I’m in a rut with 1–2 ways to make most
vegetables. Basically roast everything.
Need more ideas for herbs and spices.”

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What is Vegetarianism?

Eating a strictly non-flesh diet:
no animals, milk, eggs, fish, or animal
products. Some vegetarian clients follow
this literally; other clients eat eggs, milk,
cheese, and fish.

Pythagorus [570–490 BCE], Greek
Philosopher, mathematician, was an
early believer in a non-flesh diet. Ovid
speaks of Pythagoras: “He, too, was the
first to forbid animals to be served up
at the table...”
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg. 9]

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Athletes of Ancient Greece

Athletes were trained from a very tender age
in academies. “At first they had no other
nourishment but dried figs, nuts, the recent
curd of milk or new cheese, and boiled grain,
or a coarse kind of bread called maza."
[“Food of the Future,” 1904, pg 78]

After 24 years of counseling clients with
disordered digestions, I've worked with
vegetarians and carnivores (eat meat);
pescatarians (eat fish); occasional meat-
fish-eaters; on/off vegetarians; all arriving
with G.I. symptoms they want to resolve!

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Farmer’s Markets

Ask your farmers if they grow organically,
use chemicals, and spray pesticides. Ask if
they sell solely what they grow, or buy
from other farms.

‘Avoid Perfect Fruits and Vegetables’

My father was an Agricultural Extension
Agent in Clermont County, Ohio. He
retired Prof. Emeritus, School of Agriculture,
The Ohio State University.

Dad's mantra:
“If the insects, bees, and bugs won’t take
a bite, maybe you shouldn’t either.”

Translation: Perfect fruits and veg may be
sprayed, and not truly organic. Or, grown
hydroponically in water, in green houses, like
Holland peppers. Caveat: There are some
USDA organically-approved sprays that
farmers occasionally use for insect
infestations.

Moral of the Story

If fruits and vegetables have a few blemishes
it’s probably a good sign. Mother Nature’s
critters find them edible and delicious, too.

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Delicious Greens

Clients often say, “I know they're so good.
I just need more ideas.”

Fresh Greens: Varieties + Seasons
Red Russian Kale, Curly Kale, Lacinato-
Black-Dinosaur Kale, Collards, Turnip
Greens, Escarole, Beet Greens, Arugula,
Chicory-Horta, Curly Endive, Rocquette,
Radicchio, Frisée, Mache, Watercress,
Parsley, Cilantro, Fresh Mint, Chives

Appetizers-Starters

Roasted Asparagus with Mini-Kale Frittata
Curly Endive Salad and Jammy Eggs, with
Mustardy Vinaigrette

Korean Scallion Pancakes with Ginger
Dipping Sauce

Stuffed Swiss Chard Rolls with Cilantro,
Scallions, Garlic, Ginger, Rice

Turkish Dolma Stuffed Grape Leaves with
rice, onions, finely chopped veg, with lemon
slices

Bite-Size Salmon Cakes with
Watercress Salad

Hot Vegetable Side Dishes

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens
Stirred into:

• Butternut Squash Risotto

• Basmati, long or short grain rice

• GF Pasta: Penne, Orzo, Rotini, Farfalle

• Cooked Dried Beans, Cannellini,
  Garbanzos

Sauteed Greens with Olive Oil, or

• Butter

• Homemade Herb-infused oils, with

  Rosemary, Thyme, Cooked-Garlic,
  Keep in fridge!!

• Roasted Sesame Oil

• Walnut Oil

• Peanut Oil

• Safflower Oil

• Grapeseed Oil

Seed oils are cycling out of favor now.
PR campaigns are favoring Olive Oil,
Butter. Decide for yourself what is
healthy for you!

Share

Finely Chopped Sauteed Greens + Leeks
stirred into mashed potatoes for Irish
Champ, Colcannon, or ‘Green Mashers.’
A 4-year old Denver client named this
‘Green Mashers,’ now his favorite
vegetable.