Meet jicama -- a crisp, slightly sweet root vegetable that's as refreshing as an apple, as versatile as a potato and packed with nutrients your body will love! It is a prebiotic food for bacteria to make them strong and mighty. It will make those good microbes grow and multiply like crazy. Jicama has a natural source of a soluble fiber called inulin. Inulin is one of the best prebiotics, which are essentially "food" for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. When these microbes feed on inulin, they grow stronger, multiply and help maintain a healthy gut environment.
Are you ready to give these microbes something to cheer about??
Join me in slicing up jicama and start crunching our way to a happier, healthier gut!
Jicama is a fuel pull veggie on the Trim Healthy Plan, but does have some carbs, so watch your amounts when eating S or FP meals.
Uncooked jicama tastes like a slightly sweet, starchy apple, so pair it with some sea salt and almond butter!
Sprinkle some nutritional yeast on it.
Spritz or soak in lemon juice and add some Tajin.
How about trying it with Gentle Sweet and cinnamon?
Or dip it in guacamole!
Cooked jicama remains a bit crunchy, but otherwise will taste like whatever you season it with, so you can make fries with it!
Cubes and curly read for fries
Cubes and curly read for friesHave you tried jicama fries yet?
Jicama peeled, sliced, and parboiled for eight minutes. Then tossed in olive oil and spices and roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 
Jicama hash browns seasoned with a homemade creole seasoning before frying in unrefined coconut oil and then added salt after.
These would also be perfect if you needed a crispy topping for something.
Have you seen these in the store?
Did you know you can get Jicama wraps? They sell it a Trader Joe's. Did you know they are great for GF tacos? These will get slimy if not used right away.
Eggs, peppers, and jicama with real salt.Jicama takes on the flavors you pair it with, so you can cut it up, add some water to your jar or dish to keep crisp in the fridge and even add a scoop of baobab for more health benefits.
I would love to hear how you eat your jicama or if this inspired you to try it for the first time.
If you found this helpful and would like more veggie lessons, you're invited to see more in my Veggie Boost that debuts 34 veggies just like this!
Loving your gut microbiome with you,
Charity
I'm FLOORED!!
I’m 50 Years Old… and I Just Learned How to Pee Correctly 
I am FLOORED. 
I just found out that I’ve been peeing wrong my entire life—and that it actually matters. No one ever told me that how I pee could affect my pelvic floor, bladder health, and even contribute to future issues like leaking or prolapse.
I’m floored that this isn’t common knowledge for women. And I’m fired up to keep learning, sharing, and doing what I can to help others avoid the struggles that come from simply not being informed.
It’s not too late. Now that I do know, I’m excited and hopeful for what this means for my future pelvic health and beyond. One simple shift at a time. It is never too late! There is always hope, no matter where you are at.
This information is coming from --
This book has been the hardest read for me because it's so personal and uses words I have never said out loud, but as I get older, I want to be wiser and do the uncomfortable things. I feel sad that I never taught my daughter how to pee correctly. I am encouraged as I have two granddaughters that need to learn. One is two and so God's timing is perfect for her and her baby sister!I will share from the book how to pee correctly because I love you!
1: Sit down (don't squat)
2: Place your feet on the floor
3: Lean forward
4: Rest your forearms on your knees
5: Feel your pelvic floor relax
We are a week into the book and there is a lot to learn yet --
how to poop
prolapse
peeing your pants
sex
birth
postpartum
menopause
Taming the tinkler with you,
Love,
Buckwheat is BEAUTIFUL! But you have to prepare it correctly for it to be on plan.
Let's look at what it is and how you should prepare it.
Where does Buckwheat fit into the Trim Healthy plan?
How do you soak or sprout buckwheat?
Place buckwheat into a glass container. Cover with water.
After letting it sit all day or night, place it in a colander and rinse away the slimy starch water.
It's now soaked, but let's leave it in a colander to sprout it a little.
Leave in a colander after rinsing, drain the water out, and place on a plate overnight. Rinse in the morning and rinse at night. On the third day, the seeds should appear to pop and grow a tiny, tiny, tiny tail. It's ready! Don't let them grow long tails.
You can make Buckwheat oatmeal after the first soak and rinse.
Here is how I made Nested Buckwheat. I encourage adding protein when making this breakfast and don't exceed the 45g carb limit for this E meal. I suggest 1/3 cup of raw buckwheat which would give you a cup of cooked buckwheat. You'll stay in the 45g carb range if you use a few berries.
Do you love Cream of Wheat cereal?
That’s the beauty of Trim Healthy, you don't have to give up wheat. It’s not the number of carbs they're concerned about, it’s how the wheat is prepared that makes cream of wheat off-plan.
Wheat itself isn’t off-plan, but it has to be:
1. In whole grain form, meaning the outer bran should not be removed,
2. If it’s ground up it needs to be either soaked, sprouted, or soured. This lowers the GI response of your body to the wheat and makes it gentler on your blood sugar.
Cream of wheat is typically made from super refined wheat that has had the outer hull removed before being cut up into itty bitty pieces. This increases the blood sugar response to the cereal.
Let me introduce you to Cream of Buckwheat THM style which is way healthier!
Cream of Buckwheat from Trim Healthy Table page 357.
1. Made from a whole grain.
2. Typically soaked overnight to help increase it’s digestibility.
Cream of Buckwheat with berries and Earth Milk from THC to get my greens in.
Do you love cereal or granola?
You're in for a real treat with Crunch Alive Granola, an S Helper from Trim Healthy Mama's original book, page 235.
Let's gather your supplies. Here's an example of what I put in my granola:
In the bar pan before baking.
I put them in one cup S helper servings in glass Mason jars for quick meals where I can add protein and berries. Put in fridge.
Crunch Alive Granola as a meal served over Fage Greek yogurt, cinnamon, sweetener, berries and Earth Milk for greens. S-HelperIf you’re gluten-free and want something different for breakfast, or if you’re a purist looking to recreate cream of wheat, the Cream of Buckwheat recipe in THT makes a healthy and yummy replacement. Buckwheat isn’t an actual grain, but a seed like quinoa, and is rich in vitamins, and minerals and, like oatmeal, contains a small amount of protein, so the blood sugar spike is minimal. It’s rich in fiber which helps keep your colon healthy, and feeds the good bacteria to help keep bloating down. I find buckwheat groats in bulk at my local health food store, but it can be ordered online as well. And just so you’re aware, in order for buckwheat flour to be used with THM, it needs to be soured, think sourdough, or sprouted to be used on plan. Buckwheat contains the same antinutritive properties that wheat berries do, so sprouting the groats prior to making flour or souring the flour makes those important vitamins and minerals more absorbable in the body.
Have you ever tried buckwheat? Hit reply and tell me how you used it or if you're totally new to it.
I would love to know -- did this email help you understand buckwheat better? If you learned even one new thing, would you reply and let me know what stood out? Your feedback means the world to me.
Blessings,
What do you think about cottage cheese?
I grew up in a household that didn't have any white foods as my mother couldn't stand them. When I started Trim Healthy in 2013, I noticed cottage cheese was used a lot so I started using it and found I LOVED it. I used it often, but through the years, I now reserve it for a treat because I am very dairy light. If dairy products agree with you, lean dairy can be a great fuel pull option or full-fat dairy will give you protein and healthy fats. If you can't have dairy, don't worry, I can help you with other options. 
Low-fat cottage cheese is an excellent protein source, and it's a fuel pull. There are so many creations you can make with this dairy protein.
If you don't like the texture of cottage cheese, I suggest blending it. You can blend it with handheld blender right in the container you buy it in and then the options are limitless with what you can do with it.
Cottage Cheese Protein Content:
The protein content can vary depending on the fat percentage.
Low-fat 1-2% is around 28 grams of protein per cup.
Full-fat 4% is slightly less protein at 25 grams per cup.
It is a complete protein source and rich in casein.
You can add a protein powder into your cottage cheese, especially if you only are using a half a cup of protein.
What are the benefits?
It’s low in calories and fat, high in protein, packed with calcium, and full of nutrients. It’s also a solid source of vitamin B12, selenium, riboflavin, phosphorus, and folate. Nearly 70% of the calories in cottage cheese come from the casein protein, which includes all of the essential amino acids the body needs for muscle growth and repair.
Plus, it’s slow to digest, so it can keep you feeling full for hours after you eat.
It’s also versatile – eaten alone, with fruit and nuts as a snack, or in recipes.
Many varieties also contain gut-friendly probiotics.
What should you look for?
I look for organic brands from grass-fed cows with few added ingredients. 1-2% or low-fat cottage cheese can be found without additives in brands like Nancy's, Good Culture and Friendship. If you are in a pause season, I recommend only Nancy's or Good Culture because they have cleaner ingredients and much better and higher counts of healthy microbes. These are more sour which sour means easier on your blood sugar. However, all forms of 1% cottage cheese are on the plan if they do not contain added sugar in the ingredients. The more sour the taste, the more your muscle cells will open to it and the fewer issues you'll have with insulin remaining in your blood stream. If you cannot find a 1% cottage cheese that fits your standards, some 2% cottage cheese are on the plan if they do not contain added sugar in the ingredients. Daisy is a brand that fits this.
Here is my favorite brand:
Good Culture
Nancy's Probiotic Low-Fat Cottage Cheese is another really healthy option.
If you are not using these top two or even if you are, I suggest amping up the sour by adding in lemons. Lemon causes them to act more like kefir and pushes the protein into your muscle cells far more effectively. Lemon with probiotic cottage cheese is a wiser option especially if you're having trouble losing weight.
Daisy is the brand I used when I started my journey.
This is Aldi's brand that Serene's children eat.
Fuel Pull Ideas with low-fat cottage cheese:
Cottage cheese with lime juice or lemon juice, Essentials, and a little Gentle Sweet.
Cottage Cheese with Tajin
Cottage cheese + 1 T Vanilla whey protein powder, or 2 T Optimized protein
Gentle sweet
Cinnamon
1 tsp crushed pistachios or nut of choice
Cookbook recipes:
Beat the Cheat Pizza (FP with S Options), THT, page 283
Cottage Citrus Dip (FP with E Options), THT, page 523
Kickin Dippin Sauce, Dip, or Dressing (FP) THT, page 518
Peanut Chocolate Whip (FP), THT, page 442
Lemon Lime Burst Whip (FP) THT, page 442
Quick Rip Hearty Kale Salad (E, with FP & S options, THT, page 308
Wonderful White Blender Bread (FP) THT, page 242
Quick Tuna Medley (FP) Original book, page 306
If you would like to learn more about foods, I have lessons like these in all of my health courses here:
