Mygutmatters

03/31/2025

A recent study published in Nature Medicine suggests that a diet rich in plant-based foods, along with moderate amounts of healthy animal-based foods, can support healthy aging.Read the study here.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5This aligns with many other studies showing the benefits of incorporating more plants into your diet. For example, a meta-analysis of previous research found that consuming just 10 grams of fiber per day can lower the risk of colon cancer.Check out the research here.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3213242So, why not add more greens to your meals? Your gut microbiome will thank you, and you might just live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Do you know how much fiber you’re getting daily? Yours truly, Karina Kaplun, PhD

09/19/2024

🌺Universal Therapeutic Cream to Prevent Eczema and More🌺

I've wanted to share my favorite recipe with you for a long time. It's been working for our family for over 9 years! Nine years ago, there were no probiotic or microbiome protective skincare, so I made my own cream!

Initially, I used it as a diaper rash cream for my children as a preventive measure or when any redness appeared. It worked wonders and we saves lots of money!

Now, I use it if eczema flares up on our kids or our skin or to prevent the flare up. There hasn't been a single instance where it didn't work to improve and eliminate the issue. I’ve given this cream to many, and it really helped everyone I shared. Sounds too good to be true? But it is truth!

So, it’s time to share it with you.

This cream can also be used as a sunscreen—it works for that too!

Here’s the recipe:

I buy all the ingredients from Amazon, except for the essential oils.

- 120 g shea butter -(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D9NV2D4/?tag=mygutmatters-20)
- 60 g coconut oil - (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DS842HS/?tag=mygutmatters-20)
- 30 g beeswax -(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBGGLCL/?tag=mygutmatters-20)
- 4 tablespoons of non-nano zinc oxide (15.7%) plus a dust mask -(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I8G5WUU/?tag=mygutmatters-20) & (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00945PKRU/?tag=mygutmatters-20)

Essential Oils:
- 20 drops of lavender oil -(https://doterra.me/vjp6P4)
- 15 drops of tea tree oil -(https://doterra.me/vjp6P4)
- 20 drops of frankincense oil - (https://doterra.me/HzoETk)

All oils can be found in this cart: (https://doterra.me/yZePR9)

Shea butter and especially coconut oil have antibacterial and healing properties. For example, coconut oil inhibits the growth of *Staphylococcus aureus*, which often triggers skin infections. (Here are a few scientific articles on this:(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28327127/); (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31673647/); (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27891311/))

Beeswax and zinc oxide form a protective layer, preventing anything external from affecting vulnerable skin.

Tea tree oil is also antibacterial as you may know. Eczema flare-ups always involve harmful bacteria like *Staphylococcus aureus*, so this oil helps suppress their growth. You can read a review about it here: (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10295805/)

Lavender oil soothes and heals and I often use it on bruises (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37202896/)

Frankincense oil is a miraculous one, so I add it to most of my formulas like this.

I only trust Doterra oils which pure, sourced from farmers growing high quality plants and what is important to me they are researched! . I’ve tried other brands, but they don’t compare, both in scent (they feel impure) and effectiveness. Doterra oils are more expensive than what you’ll find in supermarkets, but trust me, they’re worth it!

You can add any other oils you like, but ever since I started making the cream with these oils, any type of eczema clears up within days. The cream's effectiveness is backed by its ingredients properties. So no wonder it actually works.

Apply 2-3 times a day, or even more! Preferably after each hand wash! Minimum application - at least twice a day, especially at night!

Here’s how I make it:

1️⃣ In a double boiler (put a smaller pot or glass container inside a larger pot of boiling water), melt the beeswax. I use this double boiler (https://amzn.to/4eeD2iM ) over a small pot

2️⃣ Add the shea butter and melt it as well. You need to be careful and stay focused when making this concoction. Overheating the oils is, to say the least, not good! So, don’t get distracted.

3️⃣ Add the coconut oil and melt it. Stir everything. Coconut oil melts the fastest, which is why we add it last.

4️⃣ Once everything has melted, take the double boiler off the pot and carefully add the zinc oxide. This type of zinc is completely harmless to our skin. It’s used in good, non-toxic sunscreen formulas. However, zinc particles are very small, so it's better not to breathe them in while measuring and handling. That’s why I highly recommend wearing a mask while doing this step. Stir the zinc oxide continuously to make sure it's evenly distributed; otherwise, it will partially settle.

5️⃣ When the mixture isn’t too hot but still in a semi-liquid state, add the essential oils and keep stirring. Pour into containers. I highly recommend small glass jars. When it cools down, it will thicken and resemble more of a balm than a cream. It melts from the warmth of your hands and spreads easily on the skin. I use these types of jars: (https://amzn.to/4e7g257)

This cream lasts a long time! If you use it daily for diaper rash, it runs out quickly. It works wonderfully, and the cost of making it is very low! We’ve saved a lot of money this way!

I store it for about a year, although six months is the recommended storage time.

The video roughly shows the process, and you can see the double boiler and the final product. It took me about 30 minutes to make it.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle, try TruAura’s probiotic hand cream. The probiotic ingredients help control and balance the skin's microbiome: (https://mygutmatters.truaurabeauty.com)

P.S. The oils might seem expensive at first, but their quality is worth it. You can also get a 25% discount if you join the club via the link below. We’d be happy to teach you the art of using essential oils.

By purchasing a set that includes all three mentioned oils, plus seven other essential and frequently used oils, you'll get a 25% discount on all essential oils and products for a whole year. You can subscribe here: (https://doterra.me/w0JxNJ)

🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴

If you're interested in learning how to get rid of eczema and other skin problems not only from outside but also from inside, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to help: (https://mygutmatters.com)

12/08/2023

🍩Easy peazy cottage cheese doughnuts

So I volunteered to bring Jewish doughnuts yesterday for the 1st night of Hanukkah.

It’s a bit of a drive to get them. Who has that much time?

So I thought to myself, “why not to make them myself. Plenty of recipes online. I bake sourdough bread, so I should be able to make sourdough doughnuts”.

It appeared I didn’t have much time. I need three days to make them. Time again!

So I remembered that when I was growing up we had cottage cheese based doughnuts. I actually made them couple of times before but this time was different. And in facts last summer when we visited Lithuania our kids loved these doughnuts (they called them “doughnut wholes”) on the streets of Palanga.

I couldn’t find the real Eastern European cottage cheese in our HEB. Sometimes it is called farmer’s cheese. That’s unfortunate because it would have saved me a lot of time!

Not a problem though! I can make my own cottage cheese. I had enough time! The only two things I needed to make it were milk and kefir.

1️⃣So this is step 1. Since I didn’t have enough homemade kefir but I have kefir culture (which btw you can get from me) I made a big batch of overnight kefir. Yum! You can make more and save some for smoothies.

2️⃣Now during step 2 I made the most delicious cottage cheese but heating it on a very low heat for about 30 min until the cheese is formed.

3️⃣Step 3. Mixed some dough with freshly made cottage cheese. In fact that dough has more cottage cheese than flour. And very little sugar compared to the ones you get at doughnut shops. ☝️You can also substitute this sugar to inulin (prebiotic fiber) which is sweet and feeds your Bifidobacteria. Win-win! So definitely a much healthier version if you care about your health. The detailed recipe is the video (watch till the end!)

4️⃣Step 4 is your final step. Deep fry your doughnuts. I have to say it’s been a while since I deep fried anything. Not a big fan of deep fried stuff. I can’t even recall how many years ago I did that. But it’s ok to do it once in a while especially on Hanukkah! Plus these doughnuts do not absorb oil as their yeast based counterparts.

🍩So as you can see four very easy steps and we have doughnuts!

Everyone enjoyed those doughnuts by the way! My kids complained I made too few of them. This made me happy 😍

Enjoy! And Happy Hanukkah! 🕎

P.S. did I save time? 🙈 no!!! it would have been easier and faster to just go to Three Brothers Bakery and get those doughnuts! They make really good ones! But then I wouldn’t have this story to tell you.

10/11/2023

Dear FB friends, our family from Israel shared information on how we can help. I will share the link in the comments. Please share it if you can. They need our help and support. 🇺🇸🙏🇮🇱

02/14/2023

💋KISSING IS GOOD FOR YOUR MICROBIOTA

❤️Happy Valentine's Day! There is never too much love, agree?! Love is known to be very beneficial to our health! It's beneficial to receive love but also to give one!

💋Scientists from the Netherlands showed one important benefit that one can give and receive as the "fruit of love".
It turns out that a 10-second kiss contributes to the exchange of 80 million microorganisms between kissing partners. And if your partner is a carrier of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, then during the kiss he or she will pass them on to you and visa versa. And in order to regularly receive these microorganisms, it is recommended to kiss more often and more regularly 💋!

You can read more about the study here https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25408893/

☝️But this is not the only way we can get beneficial bacteria.

💄In addition to a store bought probiotics and fermented foods your can add some good bacteria through your skincare routine! Yes, you read this right! You can get probiotic bacteria by applying a microbiome-friendly lipstick in your lips.

❤️This is a completely new and improved way of caring for your self or people you love!

If you would like to know what specific lipstick I recommend please comment below 👇

Send a message to learn more

01/19/2023

Let me share with you one of the case studies I recently had.

Last month I had a client who had alopecia. That’s not the first case in my practice, I had a few people reaching out for help during the recent years.

According to the recent research there is a link between alopecia, skin and gut microbiome. Patients with alopecia had different microbiome composition than healthy counterparts. It is too early to draw conclusions but there are some bacteria that are more prelevant in patients with Alopecia. And I saw one of these bacteria in the microbiome of my client. I also saw that the diversity of beneficial bacteria was low. However, the overall microbial diversity was pretty good. I am sure that microbiome is not the only reason for the development of alopecia but I am really glad my clients decided to look into that. Because it can definitely be improved.

What we also learned from this case that some bacteriocins (antimicrobial peptides that can sometimes work better thank antibiotics) produced by specific Lactobacillus kunkeei may reduce alopecia in clinical studies. (Here is the overview that also talks about the study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9601531 )

What does this mean? It means that skin microbiome maybe important in the development of the disease. Therefore instead of waiting for the disease you can potentially prevent it by caring for your skin microbiome. Or at least minimize the risk.

I recommended to this client of mine to use microbiome friendly skincare that has different lysates from probiotic bacteria and safe ingredients, use kombucha as a hair rinse and conditioner; and use fermented milk products.

Microbiome skincare from TruAura was designed to not harm microbiome and thanks to lysates from different Lactobacilli (bingo! They produce antibacterial peptides - bacteriocins) they can actually improve the skin microbiome and prevent the growth of some pathogens! And guess what a few of their skincare products are on sale right now for up to 40% OFF. The link is in the comments.

Kombucha is a fermented tea drink, which also contains a bunch of antimicrobials, that’s why I think it is a good idea for anyone to do such hair treatments. Of course it’s better to use your own home made kombucha. And you can learn how to do it from the recipe I shared before (see comments). You can also purchase the kombucha culture from me to start making your own kombucha. I will share the link in the comment too.

One of the most popular fermented milk products are kefir and yogurts. You can use both as facial masks. Just spread kefir or yogurt on your face skin and keep it until it’s dry! That’s it! Your skin will say “thank you” to you. If you want to learn how to make kefir use one of my recipes and get the kefir grains from me. It’s the most popular culture I have so it sells out quickly. The link is in the comments.

And of course if you ever want to test your microbiome do an in home test from Viome. I understand that the results maybe confusing. Not everyone has an PhD in Microbiology. In this particular area. But I am always here and I will be happy to help you interpreting the results and helping you to get on the right track. All you need to do is book your consultation with me (link is in the comment).

Let’s make our health a priority this year.

01/07/2023

Well, the New Year is here!

Everyone summarizes the past year's results and sets goals for the following year. I am glad that last year is over, and praying to God that the new one is better!

I want to help as many people as possible understand the importance of caring for their health and microbiome in particular.

Just imagine, if one plant in pot A is taken good care of, and the other in pot B is not, then in the event of an infection, which plant will be better off? Of course, A! A plant in pot B may not survive in such a situation.

Our organism is the same way. It needs a healthy microbiota, healthy nutrition, clean water & air, good sleep & rest, timely tests and doctor checkups, and a positive mood since mood also plays an essential role in our health! It is much easier to take care of yourself regularly than to treat a severe illness later! But you probably know that symptoms begin to appear when it may already be too late.

So do not put off taking care of yourself and your loved ones until tomorrow! Start taking care of your microbiome today!

I wish you find the strength and ways to care for yourself and your loved ones. Let taking care of your health be your priority in the new 2023.

Many coaches and nutritionists are now writing about how to diet. Some recommend fasting, while others recommend taking care of your hormones and not fasting by any means. Some experts recommend getting rid of parasites and pathogens. Someone recommends oregano oil, and someone recommends entire antiparasitic programs. Someone recommends forgetting the diet and working out instead or meditating. Everyone wants to help!

Me too! I am thinking about offering a webinar on how you can reboot your microbiome to:

🟢optimize the work of your hormones and immune system.
🟢To make your metabolism work as efficiently as possible.
🟢 So that you have energy for sports and other activities you like.
🟢And also, your brain and nervous system will work like a clock!

If you are interested in participating, write in the comments "interested," and I will send you the details as soon as possible.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones! Happy New Year!

12/25/2022

🕎Today is the last day of Hanukkah and it's not too late to make beetroot latkes instead of traditional potato ones.

Okay, potatoes are still part of the recipe, but by replacing some of the potatoes with beets, these latkes make for a great healthy alternative. I found this recipe in the wonderful cookbook of Israeli cuisine Shuk by and . There are tons of great recipes in this book that will take you on a culinary journey through Israel while enriching your gut microbiome. Therefore, I highly recommend it! (You can find it here https://amzn.to/3BT01ys)

So we need:

🥔270g peeled potatoes (russet is probably the best)
🥔1 big beetroot
🥔1 Medium Sweet Onion
🥔 1/4 cup flour (you can use cassava (https://amzn.to/3YR95xC ) or banana (https://amzn.to/3I5AAO7) flour)
🥔1 egg
🥔1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
🥔1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
🥔Freshly ground black pepper to taste
🥔Olive oil (https://amzn.to/3WGn1Jc)
🥔0.5 tablespoon French mediterranean salt (https://amzn.to/3jvaoSF)
🥔 Sour cream or yogurt to serve with

Cooking method:

1️⃣ grate potatoes, onions and beets in different bowls.
2️⃣ Squeeze out all the juice with cheesecloth or kitchen towel from the veggies and then combine then together
3️⃣ Add all other ingredients except salt and mix everything. The mixture will be slightly moist.
4️⃣ Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.
5️⃣as soon as the oil warms up, add salt to taste to the vegetables and stir it well
6️⃣ Then form pancakes with wet hands and bake them in the open pan for about 3 minutes on each side

These latkes can be served with fermented sour cream or fresh yogurt, which adds even more flavor and goodness to this dish.

Happy Holidays!

12/17/2022

Getting ready for holidays 🎄

12/17/2022

Be honest, what kind of chocolate are you buying?

Recently, a report was published on the content of cadmium and lead in common chocolate brands.

Just 30 grams of chocolate (that is, 1/3 of a medium-sized chocolate bar), rich in a beneficial polyphenols, can contain more lead than is considered acceptable for an adult!

The most interesting thing is that cadmium gets to chocolate from the soil, but the lead is mainly found on the surface of chocolate beans after processing.

Now you need to decide for yourself: what do you choose:

1️⃣chocolate with sugar and lead,
2️⃣chocolate without sugar, but with lead
3️⃣chocolate with sugar but no lead
4️⃣or you won’t eat chocolate at all

Which option do you choose?

Those chocolates that contain the least amounts of lead and cadmium according to the study, I added in the attached photo.

Please share with your lived one. After all, the holidays are around the corner, and many of you will have chocolate.

If you don't live in the US and have a different kind of chocolate, you can reduce your intake of chocolate and products with cocoa in general. Another options if to choose chocolate with reduced cocoa content (choose milk chocolate instead of 80% chocolate bar), as you will get less lead in such chocolate.

Read the details here in the report here👇

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/?fbclid=IwAR02-KNk1n5uTSNONl-cLHWe8c5InYponheDJ_OwEZ3DjZrV_ySbg_6p_CY&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

12/16/2022

🌿 Sprouting microgreens! Day six! Well, in less than six full days, the microgreens are ready!

🌿 If I have not yet convinced you why you need to introduce microgreens into your diet, then here are a few reasons:

✅ very simple, but the result is a superfood
✅ it's fast! No need to wait for months to get a "harvest"
✅Cheap! Microgreens are very expensive in the store. But by growing them home, you will reduce the cost by at least 10 times!
✅ it will be a local product grown in your own home compared to the store bought produce. You will control the entire process. What could be better?
✅ These are the plants that we need in our diet, and their benefits are sometimes 50 times higher than those of an adult plant. And, like all plants, they have a positive effect on the microbiome. Win! Win!
✅ This is an interesting activity that the whole family can do, as well as fermentation.
✅ Microgreens have a ton of health benefits, and most importantly, they have anti-cancer properties. I will write more about it soon

🌿 I could list even more reasons. Let me know in the comments if I convinced you? Are you already growing microgreens?

12/15/2022

Today is day 3 of growing your own microgreens.

🍀 Discard water
🍀 Add cold clean tap water into the jar
🍀 Rinse the seeds a little by rotating the jar
🍀 Discard water again
🍀 Turn the jar upside down and leave it like that till the evening
🍀 Repeat morning routine in the evening 💚

Watch previous reels to see the process from the beginning. And follow me to see the rest of the process.

I will share the link to this system in the comments and the stories.