Nutrition Expert Advises How to Take Care of Your Microbiome During Easter
Easter is traditionally associated with treats that certainly cannot be called healthy. But is it possible to enjoy the holidays without compromising your health? Nutrition specialist Michaela Birkusová shows that you can.
Michaela Birkus is a certified nutritionist who specializes in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Her own illness led her to take a keen interest in IBS.
She has furthered her specialisation by attending courses in the Czech Republic, Australia and is currently studying at the Slovak University of Health Sciences. She has her own consultancy practice, but you can also arrange a consultation with her via iProbio as part of her comprehensive bowel health care.
What Easter foods did you like as a child?
Drunken Isidore and mince pies :-) I'm such a typical woman about this and always have been. I love cakes, so my favourite Easter meal was just my mum's mince pies.
What Easter treats are most detrimental to our health?
The problem is usually not so much the food itself, but rather just the amount we are sometimes able to eat in one serving.
If I had to single out one food to avoid over the holidays, it's the smoked pork roll. Replace it with turkey rolls with root vegetables, for example, and you'll be taking a big step towards health.
What should people with irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive tract conditions watch out for during Easter?
With IBS, it's especially important to get to know my symptom triggers, so it's important to have an orderly understanding of what my problem is. And then just follow that and feel free to indulge in your favourite holiday recipes too, maybe with just a little tweaking of the ingredients.
Are you baking a cookie? Always cut the amount of sugar by at least half, use some whole wheat flour. If butter goes into the recipe, don't use solidified fats, just butter. The taste of the cake is the same as you remember it from your childhood, you just make an "improved" version of it.
Oh, and be clear that you're only having the scone as a dessert with your coffee, don't eat it instead of lunch or dinner. Again, I remind you that usually the problem is not the food itself, but the amount eaten.
What should we look out for in our Easter diet?
If you eat rationally all year round, move enough and treat your body with respect, you can safely blow your load over the holidays and nothing will happen.
Ideally, you want to keep enough vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains in your diet. Stick to your own diet and don't overeat. And I definitely recommend moving around. You don't have to run to the gym, just go for a walk in the countryside with family and friends on your days off.
Share with us your favourite Easter recipes that are beneficial for a healthy gut and digestion.
From my favourite recipes, I've chosen ones that are partly reminiscent of traditional Easter recipes, but are healthier and suitable for people with IBS.
The procedure is usually simple and the result will delight you.
What would Easter be without Easter lumps? And what if you replaced the lump with egg muffins? Everyone will have their portion, or you can put the whole mixture in a baking dish and make a baked lump.
Caserole zucchini and carrots is a great substitute for the traditional roll filling. Increase your vegetable intake and replace plain rolls with rice.
And what sweet can you bake with no regrets? Use carrot cake batter for a traditional lamb.
All recipes can be accessed by clicking on their title.
And above all, don't forget to eat the healthy options in moderation too.
Happy Easter to you and your intestines
Michaela Birkus
