A sneak peek... and a smoothie recipe!

I am super thrilled to announce that I’ve been working on my new book, “Gut Health Made Easy for Women Over 40: Revitalize Your Body, Alleviate Menopause Symptoms, Achieve Weight Loss Goals, and Discover the Path to Vibrant Well-being with Nourishing Smoothies, Salads, and Soups”. This new cookbook will be a companion of my first book, “7 Healthy Gut Habits for Women Over 40.” I will pack it with exciting recipes of - obviously! - smoothies, salads, and soups.

You may remember from my first book that I described a big salad as my favorite meal. Well, it was not just a figure of speech. I love salads and I created lots of recipes over the years. They are not just nourishing but esthetically pleasing with all those colors and textures!

And the smoothies? I added them to my menu years ago when I bought my first blender. And I have been using it every day, blending various breakfast concoctions of fruits, veggies, and other healthy thingies.

Last but not least, the soups. Growing up in Ukraine, I ate soups every day. My Grandma wouldn’t imagine not making soups for the entire family to be healthy. Even many years ago, she always told us that soups were perfect for the gut! Of course, Ukrainian borsch was at the top of the list of everyone’s favorites, and I learned how to make it. Yes, I will include it in my book, too.

Inside this very special to me cookbook, you’ll find dozens of mouthwatering recipes created to nourish your body and designed for women over 40 like us. From delicious smoothies to refreshing salads and comforting soups, each recipe is crafted to enhance your gut health, alleviate menopause symptoms, and facilitate weight loss.

I’ve been working on this project for quite a while and I can’t seem to be satisfied with it. I decided to let you know about it because now I feel responsible for finishing the book. I can’t wait for you to dive in and enjoy the recipes. They will be easy to make because I am not a gourmet cook and I don’t enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.

To give you a sneak peek, here is one of the smoothie recipes. With the abundance of fresh fruit and berries, this is one of the smoothies my husband and I enjoy in summer. It provides a lot of hydration, but it’s also very high in sugar, so enjoy it responsibly!

Red Velvet Smoothie

1 cup mixed fresh (or frozen) pitted cherries and/or strawberries

0.5 cup fresh watermelon chunks

2 chopped dates

0.5 cup chopped beets

1 banana

1 cup of coconut water

A handful of ice cubes

Blend for 1-2 minutes on med-high speed until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth. Makes 2 portions.