These are only some of the signs that your body does not have enough of the right kind of fats. Did you know that women should be 28% made up of fats? Men should be about 18% fat. 60% of our fat needs to be constantly replaced. This is why it is important to have fats in our diets throughout the day, every day.
Eggs are an actual superfood, packed with protein, healthy fat, numerous vitamins, zinc, magnesium and more. Not only are they full of nutrients, these nutrients are also easy to digest. Raw egg yolks in particular are often equated with breastmilk in the ease of nutrient absorption basically without any digestion needing to be done first. For people with digestive issues, a food that needs almost no digestion in order to get the benefits is a huge win!
With talk of viruses so prevalent, many people have been introduced to the concept of zinc deficiency. However, this is not a new thing - in the 1930s zinc was found to be essential for humans. In the 1960s it was found that deficiency of zinc can cause several symptoms. More recently we have been finding more and more symptoms associated with zinc deficiency as the world seems in general very zinc deficient. Some estimates show that zinc is involved in more body functions than any other mineral.
Welcome to our new, comprehensive GAPS Program designed for those who are determined to heal their minds and bodies holistically through food and professional naturopathic support. This program is based on the understanding that in order to heal your mind and body, it is necessary to address the foundations of gut health and emotional health.
Because we believe that we are all one person… physical, spiritual, and emotional beings all in one. When I (Amy) first started studying healing, I started with the physical. After all, isn’t that what needs to be healed… our physical bodies? But as I helped my body heal, and worked with more and more patients I realized that focusing on physical symptoms is not enough. That’s because we aren’t just physical beings. Our physical bodies are constantly being influenced by emotions… either our emotions and feelings, or the emotions from people around us.
Amy has been hard at work on her new course, “Getting Started on GAPS (GSOG): Practice & Prep for a Successful GAPS Experience”. GSOG is open to all who are seeking a basic, yet comprehensive virtual GAPS education with instructional support to learn how to prepare for and practice skills needed to implement the GAPS Nutritional Protocol.
There are many reasons why an electrolyte drink may be needed. You or your child is sick and is getting dehydrated. You’ve spend a lot of time outside in the hot sun. You haven’t been getting enough minerals through your diet so your cells are dehydrated. In each of these cases, you will find this electrolyte drink to be refreshing to your body and taste buds!
You probably recognize the common symptoms of dehydration, such as thirst and a headache, but did you know that fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, temperature regulation problems, poor sleep, and more are also symptoms of dehydration.
That’s because dehydration is not as simple as a deficiency in water. It also means an imbalance of water and electrolytes (minerals) in our body. To be in good health, we need to maintain a balance of minerals and water in three places: inside our cells, outside our cells, and in our blood stream. Water does not maintain this balance, minerals do!
Remember back to your days of chemistry and biology. Do you remember learning about osmotic balance across a semi-permeable membrane? That’s what’s happening all the time in our bodies. Both our cell walls, and our blood vessel walls are semi-permeable membranes. The water will naturally move to cause an even dilution of our minerals and other “stuff.” If we do not have enough minerals inside our cells, then less water is needed to make the proper ratio, and our cells will be dehydrated. This impairs their function, and leads to the metabolic symptoms listed above.
This cellular dehydration will trigger thirst. Which was helpful when we drank water from the ground that was naturally full of minerals. But most of us drink treated water, which have very few minerals left. This is why adding some type of mineral, like a tiny pinch of Celtic or Baja Gold sea salt to every glass of water we drink is a good idea.
But there are some times when we get behind, and need more concentrated electrolytes. This was always true, and is not just a modern problem (although our treated water probably makes us more prone to it in recent time). When we need concentrated electrolytes, we can get it in several different forms. Bone broth is an excellent electrolyte drink. Meat stock and other foods that contain gelatin can also be nourishing in this way, especially when you add salt to taste. But if you don’t feel like food, you can make your own electrolyte drink with citrus juice, specifically lemon or lime juice.
Natural Electrolyte Drink Recipe
8 oz filtered water
juice of 1 lemon or lime*
1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt (Celtic or Baja Gold are best)
Directions:
Fill up a glass or jar with approximately 8 oz of water, and add desired amount of sea salt. Next roll your lemon or lime on the counter, applying pressure, until it feels more squishy inside. This means the juices have been released. (This will make juicing easier, and will also increase the amount of juice that will end up in your drink.) Cut the lemon or lime in half, then squeeze the juice into the water. Use your discretion, you may need to use 1.5-2 fruits if they are small or dry. Then stir and enjoy!
Listen to your body as you are drinking it. Sip or gulp as directed by your taste buds and intuition. I like to make mine in a pint mason jar with a lid, so I can bring it with me and sip on it throughout the day. It is great anytime, not just when you are sick or out in the sun. Minerals are necessary to health, and if you are feeling tired, run down, tense or just “off” you may need more of them. Try this drink out and see how it feels!
*Lemons and limes are different in their nutritional and electrolyte make-up. I would recommend defaulting to limes, as this seems to be more hydrating. But you can experiment with lemons as well to see which your body likes best!
It may be a difficult topic, but it’s also important, and one we believe should be discussed more than it is. That being said, more and more women are speaking out about their experiences, and it is much easier to find blogs and articles describing the process and giving directions about post-miscarriage care (especially emotional care). But it is more difficult to find information about physical recovery from a miscarriage (beyond the basics), or articles combining and acknowledging the physical and emotional connections. And that’s what this article is all about!
What is the difference between fermented garlic and honey fermented garlic? The difference is mostly sweetness, but fermented garlic uses a saltwater brine, whereas honey garlic uses the liquid from the garlic cloves combined with the live enzymes and microbes in the honey to ferment. Both are very useful to support the immune system, but honey garlic has the additional benefit of raw honey. Most children like the sweetness, so it may be easier to get garlic into the children.
How long does it take to ferment? Fermentation will be well on its way in about a week, but most prefer to ferment for about a month. Even in this thick honey the garlic did float, so make sure to turn it over every day to make sure the garlic stays coated while it ferments. Check the lid before, it may come loose from the gassings.
Where do I source local, raw honey? You want to get your honey from a local farmer. One, because they’re the best. Two, local honey can help with allergies. When you buy your honey, ask the following questions to see how aligned your beekeeper is with your priorities of healthy honey:
Where are your bees located?
How do you process your honey?
Is it cold pressed or raw?
Their answers will give you an idea how close they are to pesticide areas and will give you an idea if your beekeeper is trying to avoid pesticide areas. The process they describe should include harvesting their honey, putting it in a cold spinner, and spinning the honey while filtering out pieces of beeswax and bee parts with a mesh filter. The honey then goes into buckets and is divided into the containers that you purchase. You want to find honey that is processed with no heat, and only the basic filtering. Most people who do this process will do only small batches, which is ideal.
Ingredients for Honey Fermented Garlic:
Garlic, peeled
Raw Honey
Directions for Honey Fermented Garlic:
Peel enough garlic to fit in your jar, you want both the honey and the garlic to be raw. Do not crush garlic. The bacteria and wild yeast in the raw honey and the juice in the garlic is what is used for the fermentation.
Add enough raw honey to the jar to cover the garlic cloves.
Place a lid on the jar and find a cool place for it to rest. The mixture can bubble up, so I recommend keeping a plate underneath. Turn over every day or so. Eat anytime, but it takes a month to be finished.
A few notes:
Garlic cloves can turn blue or green while fermenting. Not to worry, this is related to the sulfur content in the garlic.
Honey Fermented Garlic can be stored for long periods of time in a cool dark place.
The longer you ferment, the milder the flavor.
To eat, you eat with the honey. Keep them together. Because it has medicinal properties. Enjoy!!
The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs, communicating with each other through hormones and other chemical messengers. It regulates a large variety of functions in our body, and if your endocrine system is off, there is a good chance you are experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
GAPS LEGAL stage 4 and up
I am on a quest to get more organ meats into my diet. Organ meats have been lost to our culture but they are so important to having a healthy body, healthy pregnancy and healthy children. There has been a stigma for literally hundreds of years in western cultures that organ meats are eaten only by those who can’t afford the pricier cuts of meat or are “forced” to eat the entirety of their animals and therefore should generally be avoided. In countries where that stigma doesn’t exist, organ meats are prized for their nutritional value and are the most desired cuts of meat. Because organ meats are so dense nutritionally, I encourage you to join me in finding recipes to regularly bring organ meats to your family’s table as well
I’ve done lots of liver recipes so far and now I’m branching out to other organ meats. Try liver in liver pate, liver meatballs, bacon wrapped liver, jalapeno liver poppers, and simple liver shots.
Sweetbread is the thymus gland of an animal, traditionally a young calf. They do not have a strong flavor like other organ meats, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. The thymus gland is involved in the immune regulation systems. It’s primarily connected to lymph tissue and it plays in a role in adaptive immunity, which is immunity where the body learns, grows, and retains information from alien (outside of the body) microbes.
There were quite a few butchers who sold sweetbread online. Some of those were organically raised but I was happy to find sweetbreads from a person I trust at Fields of Athenry Farm.
This recipe is based on Nourishing Traditions.
Ingredients for Preparation:
1 lb Sweetbread
Filtered Water
6 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
Directions for Preparing Sweetbreads:
Rinse your sweetbread with filtered water.
Add to a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
Allow to sit for 2 hours, changing the water once or twice and adding new vinegar.
Rinse after 2 hours. Put in a sauce pan and cover with filtered water. Add 1 tsp salt.
Parboil for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid. The liquid can be reused if you are doing more than one sweetbread.
Cool and then remove all loose skin, tissue, fat, and membranes.
Put between unbleached parchment paper. Place a weighted plate or cookie sheet on top and keep in the fridge overnight.
Cooking Sweetbread:
Multiple different recipes that you can find in the nourishing traditions cookbook and other sources of how to cook your sweetbread once it's been prepared. The most popular way to eat sweetbreads is breaded. If you are able to tolerate breading, and want to use a traditional flour, I would recommend using einkorn flour, I get mine from Jovial.
The recipe I am preparing here today is a non-floured preparation. Modification on Sally Fallon’s sweetbread with pearl onions. I always have yellow onions on-hand, so that is what I use for this recipe. Pearl onions add a lot of flavor, so they would add a lot to this dish. Next time I remember to buy pearl onions, I will try the recipe with them. The taste is unique, although not too unlike other meats. Not as strong as liver or kidney meats. I enjoy these simply fried without the breading, and serve them alongside either a main dish a portion of scrambled eggs or over top of caramelized onions. The thymus glad is an immune organ, so eating this on top of caramelized onion will give a good boost to the immune system. The thymus gland regulates a lot of functions in the immune system, and as a general principle it is good to eat the organ of the organ that is struggling. It makes sense to consume the thymus gland which would give you the vitamins, minerals and other co-factors contained in that organ and needed for that organ as well as the photomorphogenic information and support contained in the DNA of the thymus cells.
Ingredients for Cooking Sweetbreads:
1 pair of prepared sweetbreads
½ stick butter
1 lbs yellow onions, peeled, sliced and sauteed in butter
Slicing on the bias (which is diagonal to the grain). Fry the sweetbreads in butter on a stovetop and top with caramelized onions.
Find someone who is gardening the way you are able to for inspiration. Don’t follow someone with a five acre garden if you have containers.
Think about what’s the most important for you to grow. Things that you cannot get in a store or things that are your favorite. For me, this means growing lots of cabbages to preserve.
While you may be tempted to throw all the ingredients together, the taste is incredibly different when you follow the recipe step-by-step. I knew this experientially, but finally came fully onboard after reading many of my old recipe books and realizing how many recipes contain essentially the same ingredients but tasted completely different because of the preparation order. The difference between a good recipe and a great recipe is taking the time to prepare things in a specific order.
While this is a delicious soup for anyone, it can be very healing for anyone with a short term or long term illness. Each ingredient in this soup contains its own nourishing and healing properties. Onions are high in sulfur, read more here. Sauerkraut is predigested cabbage, link to recipe. Stock is high in easily accessible amino acids and meat contains proteins, minerals, fiber and other vitamins. Make sure to salt to taste using a good quality sea salt, adding minerals to complete this healing food. It also naturally contains copious amounts of animal fat which your body will use to heal and repair your cells as well as feed the immune system. The probiotics in the sauerkraut will be killed in the cooking process however, you still will get the benefits of predigested cabbage. There is also some evidence that even killed bacterial bodies from fermented foods has an immune benefit to your body. The lamb stock I used in the soup made for a delicious flavor. But all my taste senses were focused on the sauerkraut. Which brought a richness and layered complexity.
Ingredients for Beef and Sauerkraut Soup:
Chuck Roast
½ Stick Butter
Chopped Onions
Salt
6 Cups Meat Stock (beef or lamb)
Sauerkraut
Cube by slicing perpendicular to the grain into half inch slices, then cubing from there. In this recipe, I use a chuck roast, but any cut of meat would be fine. You could also start with stew meat, but be sure to cube it down to bite-sized pieces. Stew meat is often very expensive cuts of meat that did not end up in a pretty cut, so I recommend purchasing and using stew meat to get quality, affordable meat. I often purchase stew meat to get tender cuts at affordable prices.
Melt ½ stick butter, add chopped onions, salt and cook 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to soften.
When the onions are becoming soft, add beef and brown the outside of the meat cubes to trap the flavors. Sauté for 5-7 minutes to brown the outside of the cubes to trap the flavor and moisture inside. Medium High Heat.
Drain the sauerkraut and set aside the juice. When most sides are brown-ish, add drained sauerkraut and stock. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.
This recipe is not as boring as it looks, it is actually complex and rich. Feel free to add more sauerkraut and enjoy!!
This is my favorite pudding of all time & I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for years! Finally, I got around to it. Be prepared for multiple steps to make tapioca pudding. I can see why most people choose the instant food version. The real food version is absolutely worth the effort!
This recipe needs to be started the night beforehand. So, make sure to plan ahead! This also can be done days ahead of time, as it is served well chilled. So, if you are planning on serving this delicious dessert, prepare at your convenience up to a week beforehand.
Ingredients for Tapioca Pudding
1 cup pearl tapioca
4 cups raw milk
3 eggs
½ teaspoon sea salt + pinch
¾ cup date sugar
1 lemon, grated
Soak tapioca overnight in 4 cups of raw milk.
At least 8 hours later, add to a double broiler. Cook about 45 minutes or until thick. Keep stirring it every few minutes as it cooks to prevent it from clumping. Stir constantly near the end to prevent boiling. This is a great recipe to make with your children, as the tapioca will need to be stirred almost constantly near the end. It may be a job that’s best suited for an older child. When you think the mixture is thick and done enough, test your tapioca pearl to make sure they are cooked.
In a separate bowl, blend the egg yolks, ½ tsp of sea salt, date sugar and lemon rind.
When the tapioca is thick, temper the egg mixture by adding a spoonful of the hot mixture to the eggs. Then add the warmed egg yolk to the tapioca. Cook for 5-10 minutes over the double boiler or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Beat egg whites with sea salt until softly stiff and fold gently into the mixture.
Chill and enjoy.
The original recipe from nourishing traditions is to use rapadura. I find my body does better with fruit as a sweetener so I prefer to use date sugar. I find it to be a 1 to 1 substitution. If you choose rapadura or date sugar the end result will be off-white.
*Eating uncooked or raw eggs or feeding raw eggs to your pets can pose a risk to your health.
A huge percentage of Americans have had their gallbladders removed, and almost all of us have experienced the nausea, pain, cramping or even vomiting that goes along with gallbladder stress. Surgery is becoming the treatment of choice, but is that your only option? Of course not! Gallbladder health can be achieved simply, when you know what to do!
The topic of anxiety and depression in children has been highlighted in the news recently. We have all been under extra stress for the last several months, this includes our children. Our children need to be supported emotionally whether they are showing signs of stress or not. We all feel emotions and our body gives us signals that we need to listen to.
Cocktail sauce can be used on any seafood. Traditionally it is used for shrimp, but can be eaten with other shellfish such as crab, lobster or different varieties of fish. It is is a great opportunity to add a ferment to your seafood dinner. This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.
*When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.
Ingredients for Fermented Cocktail Sauce
1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
½ Cup Fermented Ketchup
2 ½ Tbsp. Horseradish
Pinch of salt
Mix the fermented ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice and salt.
Defrost shrimp by running them under room temperature water.
Play with the flavors until you like the combination. If you like it to be more spicy, you may want to add extra horseradish. The fermented ketchup includes salt, so you may want to use less salt.
Once you have the ingredients already in your fridge, this recipe takes a quick three minutes to mix together. I am not sure how it stores, due to the how the lemon juice may interact with the other ingredients, but if you end up successfully keeping some in your fridge for a period of time, let us know.
I recommend making this delicious fermented cocktail sauce fresh with your meal.
We have all been under extra stress for the last several months. Whether you have felt stressed, or if you have felt fairly even-keeled, I can almost guarantee that your body has experienced stress. Why? Because stress is not just an emotional experience, but is a word used to describe things that make the body work harder to maintain homeostasis.
While not everyone’s favorite, Shrimp Fajitas are enjoyed by many. You don’t have to go to a restaurant to enjoy this delicious meal. In fact, you can make it so quickly, this is part of our 15 Minute Meal Series. The cooking process actually takes 15 minutes itself, so be sure to leave yourself a little more time. This meal can still be thrown together when you are short on time.
When you purchase seafood, it should always be wild caught and sourced from a location that is not off the coast of China. When seafood is fresh, it tastes very mild. As it ages, it will become more and more “fishy.” Flash frozen seafood is often the best because was preserved in the freshest state possible.
Ingredients for Shrimp Fajitas
1 Yellow Onion
2 Bell Peppers (preferably two different colors)
Garlic
1 lb. Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Sourdough Tortillas
Lime Wedges and Cilantro for garnish
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add butter to sheet pan, and melt in the oven. While waiting, slice the peppers and onions fajita-style.
Defrost the shrimp by running them under room temperature water.
Spread your sliced peppers, onions, and defrosted shrimp on the cookie sheet or cast iron skillet with melted butter. Add seasonings and place in oven.
Stir at 15 minutes, and check for doneness. If needed, cook until shrimp are turning translucent. Garnish with lime and cilantro, and serve with fermented sourdough tortillas. Enjoy!!
Liver and onions are what most people think of when they think about eating liver. It seems that for decades this was the most popular modality of eating liver. Probably because it could be cooked up and served as a meal in contrast to things like liver pate which is a side to another main course.
If you are an older adult, liver and onions may be why you think you dislike liver. If that’s the case, we encourage you to try again. There is a good chance that the person cooking this dish overcooked the liver.
Liver and onions is traditionally made with cow’s liver. If you choose to use cow’s liver I recommend reading our blog on read our blog on “calming the flavor of beef liver”, before cooking, you do not necessarily need to use this preparation for more mild tasting livers such as chicken, and domesticated fowl.
Ingredients for Liver and Onions
2/3 Lbs Liver
1 Yellow Onion
Butter
Salt
Cut the liver into slices, making sure to cut off any membrane pieces that are some people's major objection to eating liver.
Add butter to your cast iron pan and turn the heat on low to melt the butter. While the butter is melting, slice onions and add the onions to the pan. Cook over low until your onions start to soften. The key to liver and onions is the timing. You want to add the liver when the onions only need to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Once the onions are softish, add salt to the onions. Add sliced liver to the pan and add salt to the liver as well. Turn your heat to medium-high just before adding the livers, and sauté until you have reached the desired doneness. A liver is cooked perfectly when it is still pink in the middle but not bloody.
To cover the liver flavor, you could also experiment with spices. Try adding your favorite spice and see what you think.
Liver is important for us to be eating everyday, but it can be difficult to prepare daily. Is this is the way you like liver, consider making a large batch and freezing so you can defrost and enjoy some everyday.
Do you actually love liver and onions? If so, tell us your tips and tricks!!
