Leaky Gut Syndrome Diet: Heal Your Leaky Gut with these Recipes

Last Updated: September 23, 2019

Whatever gut-damaging factors you’ve unfortunately exposed yourself to, the Nutrishatives Team is here to help you heal your leaky gut syndrome with these two gut-healthy recipes you can add to your leaky gut syndrome diet!

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Sourdough Bread with Dukkah & Olive Oil

Sourdough bread may have similar amounts of calories, carbs, and fiber as a regular slice of white bread.  However, it has less sugar and more protein because it is made with no sweeteners or oils.  

More importantly, sourdough bread is fermented using yeast and Lactobacillus cultures (a probiotic bacteria that’s good for your gut that you can also find in pickles, kombucha, kefir, and sauerkraut).   

During the fermentation process, these Lactobacilli bacteria produce a molecule called lactic acid.  Lactic acid neutralizes a group of molecules found naturally in wheat flour, called phytates, which normally bind up vitamins and minerals and make it more difficult for you to absorb them.  This means that it is easier to absorb nutrients from fermented sourdough bread than traditional wheat bread.

Additionally, the fermentation process lowers sourdough’s glycemic index.  This makes it one of the best bread choices for those following a diabetes-friendly diet.

In addition to the health benefits of traditional sourdough bread, we’ve upped the ante in this sourdough recipe by adding Dukkah, an Egyption spice mix that includes two seriously gut-healthy spices: fennel and turmeric.

Fennel seeds can ease your digestion and relax the muscle lining of your digestive tract.  This makes fennel a powerful spice for easing bloating.

Turmeric contains the phytonutrient curcumin, which has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that top even those of common anti-inflammatory medications, such as Diclofenac. 

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The Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup raw almonds
• 6 tsp dried cumin seeds
• 6 tsp dried coriander seeds
• 3 tsp dried fennel seeds
• 3 tsp dried turmeric
• 4 tsp white sesame seeds
• 3 tsp black sesame seeds
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• olive oil for brushing, plus extra to serve

Directions

1. Spread the almonds in a baking tray.
2. Roast for 8-10 minutes in medium heat (350⁰).
3. Let cool.
4. Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan.  Cook over high heat until fragrant.  Make sure they’re cooked evenly on all sides by shaking the pan every so often.
5. Pour the cooked cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a coffee grinder or food processor.  You may also use mortar and pestle to crush the seeds.
6. Don’t overdo the grinding; you want your dukkah to have a little texture, so don’t grind the seeds to a powder.
7. Chop the roasted almonds and stir together with the ground seeds, turmeric, and sesame seeds.
8. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
9. Rub slices of the sourdough bread with the cut side of the garlic.
10. Brush both sides with olive oil.
11. Char-grill until brown on both sides.  If you don’t have access to a char-grill, use a heavy, cast iron pan with ridges.  Preheat and grill the bread as you would on a charcoal grill.
12. Serve with the bowl of dukkah for dipping.

Quick tip: Leftover dukkah?  Mix it into some hummus for a delicious spread!

Low-Carb Cauliflower “Nasi” Goreng

Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian fried rice dish.  It’s traditionally made using:

• margarine
• sweet soy sauce
• shrimp paste
• chili
• garlic
• spices  

The problem is that the white rice used in most Nasi Goreng recipes isn’t good for your gut. The grain-based fiber and the phytic acid have been removed when the rice was milled from brown rice into white.

Cauliflower, on the other hand, is a seriously gut-healthy food.  A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, improve gut metabolism via their high soluble fiber content.  

Additionally, all the fiber in cauliflower can help you feel fuller longer because it triggers your large intestine to produces gut hormones that signal satiety to your brain.  This is important because when you feel fuller, you don’t crave simple carbohydrates.  These are carbohydrates you should be limiting in your diet because they:

• lead to sugar addiction
• elevate blood sugar levels
• promote weight gain

Finally, in this healthier version of nasi goreng, we substituted margarine with ghee.  Ghee contains the least amount of lactose and milk protein, making it a healthier alternative to ordinary butter and a better choice for those with dairy sensitivities. 

These healthy ingredient tweaks, paired with the vibrant spices of traditional Indonesian nasi goreng, and you have a delicious dinner recipe that will make you and your gut happy.

The Recipe

Ingredients

For the garnish:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 150 g non-GMO tempeh 
• 1 tsp ghee (we recommend: Ancient Organics Organic Ghee from Grass-Fed Cows)
• a handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 6 slices fresh chili
• 1 tbsp crushed cashew nuts

For the cauliflower rice:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• chili powder (to taste)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp ground galangal
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 dried lime leaves
• 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
• sea salt (to taste)
• black pepper (t)o taste

For the sambal sauce:

• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• chili powder (to taste)
• 2 tsp mild smoked paprika
• 2 tsp onion powder
• sea salt (to taste)

Directions

1. Prepare the cauliflower rice by placing all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Pulse until you get a rice-like texture.
3. Prepare the sambal sauce by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Add a tablespoon of water to thin.  Set aside.
5. In a saucepan, heat the coconut oil.  Cook the cauliflower rice on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
6. Fry the tempeh in ghee.  If you don’t have ghee, you may substitute with coconut oil or liquid cooking oil.
7. Serve the cooked brown rice on a plate.  Top with the tempeh then spread a generous serving of sambal sauce.
8. Garnish with crushed cashews, chili slices, and coriander leaves.

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