A green shakshuka for spring, DIY fermented veggies, and learning how to protect your light

Welcome back! This week’s newsletter includes:

• 🥑 Good Food: A green shakshuka from the brand new cookbook: Good Food Good Mood (published today!) 🍳 

• 🔄 Good Swap: The difference between pickles and fermented veggies (and how to make both)  🥒 

• 🧠 Good Thought: Boundary setting to protect your LIGHT ☀️ 

🥑 Good food - A Spring Shakshuka! 🍳 

For Easter, I am making this gorgeous, bright green shakshuka with a side of smoked salmon and basil seed pudding topped with berries and edible flowers! 🌸 I’m so excited!

To me, an ideal breakfast has the following qualities:

• ✅ Delicious (of course! 😋)

• ✅ Organic ingredients, always (Daily reminder: synthetic pesticides — which are often sprayed on non-organic foods — are linked with big increases in cancer risk and are deemed probably cancer-causing by the International Agency for Research on Cancer).

• ✅ Grain-free

• ✅ Refined sugar free

• ✅ Refined seed-oil free

• ✅ Minimal to no blood sugar spike

• ✅ Protein-packed (ideally 30g per serving)

• ✅ Bonus points if it includes all 5 elements of Good Energy meals including fiber, protein, omega-3s, antioxidant and a probiotic source

This week’s Good Food HAS IT ALL! I’m so thrilled to feature a guest recipe from the new cookbook Good Food Good Mood (on sale TODAY March 26th), from Tamara Green and Sarah Grossman of Living Kitchen Co. This is their Green Shakshuka recipe, and I can confirm it’s easy and delicious. 

Let’s break down how this savory, spring-y shakshuka aligns with my 5 principles of Good Energy meals, as well as the few modifications I made. 

🥚 Protein: One serving has 15g of protein, so I’d make this with 8-10 eggs instead of 4 eggs so each serving has 2-3 eggs.

🥬 Fiber: The green veggies like kale, swiss chard and zucchini pack in the fiber here! For more fiber, I will serve this with a side of basil seed pudding topped with berries (I adore Zen Basil seeds, use code DRCASEY for 10% off! Pudding recipes here).

🐟️ Omega-3 Fats: In addition to approximately 300 mg omega-3 fats in a single pasture-raised egg, you can get more protein and omega-3 fats by serving this recipe with some wild-caught smoked salmon on the side.

🌿 Antioxidants: In addition to the greens, the fresh herbs and dried spices give this dish some amazing antioxidants! Studies show that the natural antioxidants contained in spices and herbs help to reduce oxidative stress, so I love a recipe where I can sneak in herbs and spices. 

🥛 Probiotics: I love that Tamara and Sarah top their shakshuka with yogurt here to add in a probiotic source! As a reminder, we want to aim for 2-3 servings or probiotic-rich foods per day. 

🧑‍🍳 Green Shakshuka Recipe from Good Food, Good Mood

Serves 2-4 (For Easter, I will double this recipe!)

Ingredients

Shakshuka

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 6 cups chopped greens of choice (they suggest a combo of kale, swiss chard and diced zucchini)

• ½ tsp sea salt and a few cracks of pepper

• 4 pasture-raised eggs (you can use up to 8 eggs, if you desire) 

Toppings 

• Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, mint, dill and/or basil)

• ½ - 1 avocado, sliced

• ¼ cup crumbled feta

• A few dollops harissa paste

• A few spoonfuls of yogurt  (I love Alexandre Farms A2 yogurt)

• A few shakes of hot sauce

• A pinch za'atar 

Instructions

1. Place a large, wide skillet on medium-high heat.

2. Add extra virgin olive oil, swirl around to coat the bottom. 

3. Toss in the onions, saute until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Next, add in the garlic, saute for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin and stir. 

5. Place greens in the pan, if there’s too many to fit, work in batches and add a few handfuls in at a time.  

6. Season with sea salt and pepper and allow the greens to cook down and wilt, this takes about 5-7 minutes.

7. After they’ve wilted, make little "wells" or holes and crack in the eggs.  We like to use 4, but you can add up to 8, if your pan is big enough. 

8. After a minute, cover the pan for 5 minutes so the eggs can cook. If you don't have a cover big enough, use an ill-fitting one, as long as the eggs are covered. 

9. If you’re a fan of runny yolks, watch the eggs closely so they don’t overcook. 

10. Scoop out your serving and serve with your toppings of choice 

Order Good Food, Good Mood here for more recipes that are blood sugar balanced, with protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

If you make it, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @drcaseyskitchen, as well as @livingkitchenco. 

🔄 Good swap - Homemade pickled and fermented veggies as a swap for store-bought

Do you know the difference between pickling and fermenting? Marketing language can be confusing, but let’s break it down. The blog “The Kitchn” sums it up best: 

“Pickling involves soaking foods in an acidic liquid to achieve a sour flavor; when foods are fermented, the sour flavor is a result of a chemical reaction between a food’s sugars and naturally present bacteria — no added acid required.” 

🫙 Pickling: Uses vinegar to preserve food.

Pickled beets, carrots, pickled red onions, etc, get their sour flavor from being submerged in vinegar rather than through natural bacterial fermentation that produces a vinegar-like solution. What you won’t get from pickled foods is live active cultures in the food (aka, probiotics). But “pickled” veggies are still great for you because of the vinegar, which has its own health benefits. Preliminary research suggests that apple cider vinegar in particular may support metabolic health on multiple fronts, from improving blood glucose control and lowering cholesterol levels to promoting modest weight loss. You can read more about vinegar in this great Levels article here. 

🦠 Lacto-Fermentation: Uses natural bacterial fermentation processes to preserve food.

Fermented foods, on the other hand (like sauerkraut and kimchi or any fermented vegetable), are sour because natural microorganisms on vegetables (usually Lactobacillus bacteria) break down the carbohydrates in the vegetable and turn them to lactic acid. To make sauerkraut, no vinegar is involved. Rather, cabbage is simply mixed with salt to allow for the natural fermentation process, meaning the natural bacteria that was living on the cabbage feeds on the carbohydrate in the cabbage to create a lactic acid. The lactic-acid acts as a natural preservative. The specific type of bacteria responsible for the fermentation are called Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, and Pediococcus pentosaceus (among others) and those bacteria are the probiotic sources. When we consume these probiotics, the live microorganisms can colonize and multiply in our gut, helping to maintain a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and supporting overall gut health.  

💪 Another benefit of fermented foods: they also have post-biotics.

Postbiotics are the products of bacterial fermentation, like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). A major benefit of fiber-rich foods is that the bacteria in your gut will ferment the fiber to by-products, like SCFAs, which serve many health benefits, from being a fuel source for colon cells to promoting metabolic health. These SCFAs can also be present in fermented foods themselves as a by-product of the live cultures doing the fermenting in that jar! 

Here is a short excerpt from my book, Good Energy, about the benefits of fermented foods:

So, how should you navigate buying sauerkraut or pickles at the store? See my guide below!

Here is a list of the products included in the chart 👇️ :

• Wildbrine Organic Green Kraut ✅ 

• Pickled Planet Organic Raw Sauerkraut ✅ 

• Whole Foods Organic Kosher Dill Pickle Spears ❌ 

• Grillo’s Pickles Pickle Spears ❌

• Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Spears ❌

Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles contain Polysorbate 80, which research suggests may "profoundly impact intestinal microbiota in a manner that promotes gut inflammation and associated disease states." DO NOT EAT THIS.

Even the Whole Foods 365 Organic Pickles have natural flavors and additives (gross!), so I recommend pickling your cucumbers, red onions, or other veggies at home, or getting them at the farmer’s market from local sources!

👩‍🍳 Below is a quick no-sugar pickling recipe from my colleague and Head of Operations, Sonja! Watch the Instagram reel here.

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion (or you can use cucumbers, carrots etc. - you want about 2 cups of veggies)

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar - (we both love Bragg’s Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar)

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp peppercorns

• 1 tsp salt

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1 cup water (more as needed)

Instructions

1. Use a mandolin to slice a whole red onion. Use the palm of your hand to avoid cutting your fingers! 🫣

2. Pack it into a glass jar or tupperware, and press it down!

3. Add in the garlic, salt, peppercorns, 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, juice from the lemon, and then about 1 cup water. If needed, put a few more red onions on top to pack it in. Close the lid and gently shake it up. You want all of the onions to be submerged in liquid, so add a little bit more water as needed.

4. Leave in the fridge overnight and BOOM you’ll have delicious pink pickled red onions. This keeps for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. 

5. Use the leftover brine in salad dressings, sauces, or even mocktails (a sneaky way to keep getting in some vinegar!).

If you want to do some fermenting, here is an easy recipe for sauerkraut and fermented veggies.

🧠 Good thought - Become a pro-boundary setter by reflecting on your miraculous light ☀️ 

In Good Energy, I talk a lot about the importance of boundaries - both physical and emotional - for health. Boundaries are defined as a “real or imagined line that marks the limits of something.” We usually think of psychological boundaries (like saying “no”), but there are very real physical boundaries that affect our health as well, like the boundary of our gut lining!

Below is an exclusive excerpt from Good Energy that describes that gut lining as one of the most important boundaries in our lives:

It is also critical that we set psychological boundaries so that we protect what information comes through our senses into our minds, since everything we take in (i.e., what we hear, see, and experience) will directly impact our biology.

I wrote an article this week about boundary setting and why it’s so important — and why many of us may struggle to set strong boundaries with friends, family, food, work, technology, and more. Read it here. This is an important one! I believe that boundaries are part of protecting our unique and precious light, so that we can cultivate that light and shine as brightly as possible in the world (and for the world). Reply to this email to let me know how it resonates for you.

✍️ Become a pro-boundary setter by reflecting on your miraculous light

My team and I have been thinking about what these boundaries mean to us and how we’re able to implement them into our day-to-day work together. One outcome of this was the decision to shift this newsletter to bi-weekly (every-other-week) for the near future! Given this, the next Good Energy Living newsletter will be coming out April 9th.

With good energy 💓

Dr. Casey

👀 In Case You Missed It

🔔 Reminder to redeem your pre-order bonus for Good Energy!

Get an exclusive recipe, a very unique Levels discount, and more if you pre-order Good Energy now until May 13th 11:59PM PT ⏰

If you’ve already pre-ordered, share your order number here to get your exclusive bonus!

This bundle includes a PDF with a sneak preview of the book and bonus content about how to best stock your Good Energy Kitchen, an exclusive discount of 25% on a new Levels membership (this is something we almost NEVER do!), and the pre-release recipe and demo-video of this DELICIOUS metabolically healthy Lemon-Almond Cake with Jammy Strawberries 🍰🍓⁠

🎙️ Last week, I joined Allie Beth Stuckey on the Relatable Podcast.

We talked about Good Energy, the American health care system, the importance of metabolic health, and how to advocate for yourself. Check out the full interview on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and YouTube.

📰 I was also featured on Rebecca Minkoff’s newsletter You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up!

The issue talks about embracing vision, weathering criticism, and finding alignment. Read the full article here.

✏️ Sign up for my new course with Commune and get four days FREE!

This is an 8-day online video course that covers the science and philosophy of “good energy,” so you can say goodbye to fatigue and reclaim your vitality. Learn how you can align your daily choices – from nutrition and exercise to detoxification protocols – to best support your metabolism, now and for the rest of your life! Sign up here.

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