By Kathleen Colburn –

I’ve been thinking about foods that work and those that don’t. –

Recently I’ve been helping a client transition to a different way of eating. Not a drastic change, but this person is keenly aware of what works and it’s got me, well, thinking.

Back in my 20s I was introduced to “health food” and began the journey of a healthy lifestyle and my work as a personal chef. Throughout the years I have encouraged people to simply pay attention to how they feel. Sometimes it helps to experiment a little too.

For me, gluten is not well tolerated these days. Sadly I’m finding that many healthy, gluten-free baked goods are also not tolerated. It could be the alternative “flours” or the type of fat or the sugar load, but I know this — the discomfort in my gut is just not worth it.

These days I’m drawn to very simple, clean, fermented foods. I’m loving the aroma changes of quinoa as it soaks and slowly ferments over a couple days. And I know that this process with my seeds, grains and veggies too, helps my body digest everything much better. I plan to experiment with making sweet treats from the fermented grains. Maybe that’ll work!

Think good thoughts!

Kathleen Colburn is a whole foods personal chef with over 30 years of experience. She is Rapid River Magazine’s Short Stories editor and a freelance editor available for a variety of literary projects. She can be reached by email: rrshortstories@gmail.com.