hey there!
Hey, I'm ester!
Welcome to Nurture My Gut, where I share wholesome, gluten-free recipes and natural living tips to help you and your family thrive. My mission is simple: to inspire healthier, happier lives through delicious food and mindful wellness.
What You'll Find Here
Here, you'll find family-friendly recipes here that are fully tested, easy to follow, and filled with nourishing ingredients. I focus on gluten-free cooking, with plenty of Whole30, Paleo, vegan, and grain-free options-balanced with the occasional feel-good dessert, like my Gluten Free Apple Pie Bars or Grain Free Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread- a regular family favorite! I also have the occasional low-sugar options for those on a healing anti-candida diet such as my Strawberry Popsicles.
With a background in nutrition and culinary arts, I combine scientific knowledge and creativity to craft delicious, nutritious recipes that appeal to both seasoned vegans and those curious about making the switch.
How it all started
My journey began in 2011 when my kids and I embraced a gluten-free lifestyle, and at the time, gluten-free options were limited. With few products available in stores and even fewer recipes online, I decided to launch Nurture My Gut to share our favorite meals with other families navigating similar challenges. Little did I know, this blog would eventually reach nearly a million readers annually!
My Food Philosophy
- Pleasure. Food should be enjoyable and be pleasing to the palate.
- Nourishing. I like to include an element of nourishment in my cooking to nourish gut health, metabolic health and longevity.
- Simplicity. I look for ways to make a recipe easier to make or meal prep.
- Balance. Having a healthy relationship with food is always a work in progress, I take into consideration pleasuring the palate, flexibility in a recipe, family traditions, and keeping long term health in mind.
My Wellness Journey
I am a Certified Health Coach and Naturopath. Over the years, I've explored many healing protocols-including the Body Ecology Diet, GAPS, Raw Food Detox, and Whole30-all of which have shaped my approach to health and helped me create nourishing recipes that actually taste amazing.
I believe knowledge is a gift, and it's my passion to pay it forward.
My Gluten-free experience
Both myself and children were gluten-free for several years (my son for 10!), and during that time, I developed a deep passion for creating healthy, gluten-free and grain-free baked goods. Even though most of my family is no longer strictly gluten-free, I still include many gluten free recipes in our meal rotation because they are family favorites and the recipes are nourishing.
Over the years, gluten-free and grain-free baking has become a skill I've refined and truly love. My goal is to share nourishing, delicious recipes-like my Homemade Gluten Free Tortillas, Best Gluten Free Waffles, and Grain Free Everything Dough-that empower others to thrive on their own health journeys.
As of December 2025, I have returned to a gluten free lifestyle to further heal my body-focusing on what fuels my body and makes me feel good and nourished. I also include daily supplements, probiotics, and enzymes as part of my wellness routine.
Healing from Long COVID, Epstein-Barr & High Cholesterol
In November 2022, I got COVID for the second time and developed Long COVID. For months, I struggled with fatigue, tremors, and weakness. After extensive lab work, I also discovered I had Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which made recovery even more difficult.
Through naturopathic care, EBV protocols, and a lot of research, I created my own healing routine-including daily hyper-nourishing smoothies such as my KickAss Goodbye Fatigue Smoothie. I slowly rebuilt my strength, and by November 2023, I was symptom-free.
In July 2024, I got COVID again-but this time, I recovered in just two weeks thanks to the protocol I had developed. Healing my gut, supporting my mitochondria, and listening to my body have become essential parts of my lifestyle. Wellness is a lifelong journey, and I'm here to share everything I've learned along the way.
In March 2025, I was also able to lower my total cholesterol by over 50 points through diet alone, in only 4.5 months-another powerful reminder that food truly is medicine. This has inspired me to add more heart healthy recipes to the blog such as the KickAss Digestive Wellness Salad and Instant Pot Breakfast Buckwheat Porridge. I'm passionate about sharing these kinds of wins and helping others discover what works for their unique bodies.
You can find me sharing new recipe videos regularly on Youtube or Instagram.
Contact
If you'd like more info on how we can work together or if you have questions, comments, or are interested in 1 on 1 Health Coaching, please do not hesitate to reach out to me on my contact page:
Updated August 15, 2025
Sherry Machado says
Hello, I am not following the Paleo diet but am doing Keto. I was wondering if I could substitute almond or coconut flour for the baking flour and still be able to run the dough through my pasta attachment?
Ester Perez says
Hi Sherry,
Coconut flour does not substitute well in the 1 to 1 format. If you are on Keto, then I would use zucchini noodles. Those taste great with meat sauce. The pasta needs a binder so that is why it uses a starch. Almond flour alone does not work. If you choose to have a day off of keto, the Paleo Pasta is a wonderful option.
Best Regards,
Ester
ThePaleoGiant says
Hey, I've been paleo on and off for a couple years now. Your recipes have added a new wonderful breath of life to my waning love for the paleo lifestyle. I have started a blog and I have a facebook, Instagram and youtube page. I would love to add your recipes to my meals. I would definitely give you your love and respect when I do. Thank you so much! You are a breath of fresh air to the paleo community.
Ester Perez says
Glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes. Feel free to share the recipes with your community and a link back to the source. Thank you.
Warmly,
Ester
Lena says
I stumbled upon your website while searching for ways to juice dandelion greens. I'm just getting back on the bandwagon to juicing, enhancing my health and learning ways to improve my gut issues - which I recently found out that I had. So my goals are losing weight and eating healthier with 1 day at a time. I plan to do a 30 Day intermittent fast with just 1 meal a day.. . hopefully everything will work out. Blessings to you and thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Ester Perez says
Hi Lena,
Best of luck with your health goals! Let us know how you enjoy the dandelion juice! It is my favorite way to make it!
Glad to hear you are back to juicing. Summer is a great time to start!
My family has been juicing about 6 days a week and we love it. We just upgrade to the Nama juicer and it is great.
Keep us posted with your health goals!
Warmly,
Ester
Kimberly Theora says
Hi! My family loves your Paleo Everything Dough! It's been amazing since we really missed pizza but we have a variety of different intolerances in different people (gluten, rice, and dairy). I was wondering if you knew how to make a Paleo Sourdough Starter? I don't even know if it's possible! Thanks so much!
Ester Perez says
You are very welcome! I am so glad to hear your family has been enjoying pizza with the Grain Free Everything Dough. I have cultured many different things in the past and I am pretty confident you can culture the Grain Free Everything Dough with either a probiotic capsule, kombucha, kefir cultures or vegetable cultures from Body Ecology. I do think keeping a paleo sourdough starter is a possibility. You just need to remember to feed it daily. I will definitely try making a Paleo Sourdough Bread! I will keep you posted! Warmly, Ester
Samantha says
The Lectin Free Gourmet, Kristin Anderson Wylie (no affiliation) has done an extensive blog and ebook on Lectin Free sourdough starter.
Ush says
Do you have healthy recipes for pancreatis or inflamed pancreas? Thank you
Ester Perez says
Hi Ush,
I am not familiar, I would suggest this website: https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-information/nutrition-advice-recipes/
Best of luck.
Warmly,
Ester
maria elena riddle says
Looking forward to trying your recipes!
A Healthful Senior
Ester Perez says
Thank you! Please let us know how you like the recipes. Warmly, Ester
Jhon Ashraf says
Hi Ester, Happy to know about your experience. Your recipes are awesome and I like your website.
Ester Perez says
Thank you! Glad you stopped by.
Nayem says
Hey Ester,
Really you are the best. It's good to know about your experience.
Best of luck
https://rotkitchen.com
Ester Perez says
Thank you.
Jane says
Hi! I love gluten-free bread as well : ) thank you
Ester Perez says
You're welcome Jane. So glad you enjoy gluten free bread. I have lots of delicious recipes on my blog. A great place to start are the gluten free tortillas. Check them out here: https://nurturemygut.com/gluten-free-tortilla-recipe.html/
Felicia Fessler says
I just found your site. The pictures from your recipes look amazing. I need to avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy. I have yet to find recipes that turn out well when I substitute eggs. Do you have any suggestion for egg substitutes and quantities to equal one egg? I have tried flax, chia, Egg Replacer, bananas, and applesauce. Perhaps I need to adjust other things in a recipe if I substitute eggs?
Ester Perez says
Hi Felicia,
I have found egg substitutes challenging as well. I currently have four tortilla recipes on my site that are delicious and have no eggs, gluten, dairy or soy. You can make wraps with them, burritos, etc. They can really spruce up a meal.
Go here for the recipes: https://nurturemygut.com/category/tortillas/
Ray Dar says
What a great blog - there are some great gluten free recipes here I can't wait to try. Looking forward to reading more.
Ester Perez says
thank you!
Tamara says
Thank you for the great recipes. My kids are both gluten intolerant. Will be trying out these recipes soon.
Ester Perez says
You're welcome! So glad you like the recipes! Warmly, Ester
Dietitian Career says
hi thanks for sharing all these recipes with us. I am also a registered nutritionist from the United States that aims in improving people health by providing them diet plans
Ester Perez says
You're welcome! That's great you are helping people too!
Salome says
Thank you for sharing all these recipes they are simple to make and look delicious!
Ester Perez says
You're welcome! So glad you like them! Warmly, Ester
Christine Appleton says
I’m so happy I stumbled upon your website. I am also grain free after a cancer diagnosis & good recipes are hard to find! I’d love to make your grain free dough but I also have an egg intolerance. Could I use a “flax egg” or what do you recommend? Thanks!
Ester Perez says
HI Christine. I am glad to hear you are taking charge of your health! I have never tried a "flax egg" replacement so I do not know if it would work. I do have two wonderful tortilla recipes that are grain free and do not use eggs. If you need to stay low carb, then the Paleo Tortillas 2.0 are a great place to start! You can make breakfast burritos with them too. Here is the link: https://nurturemygut.com/paleo-tortillas-2-0-nut-freegluten-freedairy-free.html/ Warmly, Ester