Easy Sandwich Flatbreads
Check out these great Coconut Flour Bread Recipes by Radiant Life. I absolutely LOVE the coconut flour pumpkin bread (fabulous as a side for dinner or snack). What is fun for sandwiches is the Easy Sandwich Flatbread recipe. You can get the bovine gelatin here: Bernard Jensen’s Gelatin or Great Lake Gelatin
Note: you can also add the gelatin to your homemade bone broth for added bone and collagen support.
Yes! Okay so I need visual demonstrations. Cultures for Health has step by step videos and directions for attempting sourdough bread. Need a starter…..ask a friend or buy one from Cultures for Health.
How to make sourdough bread
How to feed a sourdough starter
Sourdough Pancakes Super easy and kid approved!! Also fun for kids to dip into soups.
Gluten Free Sourdough Bread (I haven’t attempted this one….yet that is)
Why would sourdough bread be beneficial?
Top Ten Reasons to Eat Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Bread and Sprouted Grains
Sourdough Bread Salad
A friend of mine (thank you Ann!) forwarded me this link, and so I thought I would share it. The author explains the possible dangers of synthetic vitamins namely Vitamin A and Vitamin D2 found in milk alternatives. Find article here: Coconut and Almond Milk in Cartons Not a Healthy Buy by Sarah in TheHealthyHomeEconomist. I also like that the author gives three different homemade alternatives to the alternatives: check out how to make your own rice, coconut, and almond milk here. Remember the things you eat the most of try to make the healthiest: that’s the best start to a healthier diet.
Its best to have your Vitamin A in beta carotene form and your Vitamin D in the D3 form. This is especially important for pregnant women–check your prenatals.
I have been perfecting my bone broth and its a beautiful thing. Can you see the gelatin consistency in the pictures? That is what you want it to look like. Beautiful!! All ancient cultures have some form of a bone broth whether made out of fish, beef, or chicken.
Although low in calcium, bone broth has other trace nutrients, namely the amino acids proline and glycine, that are essential to building strong bones. These amino acids are some of the key components to building collagen which is the structural component to bones, tendons, joints, skin, corneas, cartilage, the gut, and blood vessels. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up about 25%-35% of whole body content.
Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel has a well researched article called: Research Reveals Low Calcium Content in Bone Broth. A key point she brings up is that collagen is more important to bone strength and fracture resistance than calcium alone as it forms the cross links (or scaffolding/structural component) for your bones. Along with collagen supporting nutrients, it contains magnesium, phosphorus and silica–just to name a few. Bone broth is a wealth of easily absorbable and digestible minerals. So if your diet is low in calcium from milk you can benefit from bone broth for the re-mineralization and strengthening of your bones and joints. Yes, its a super food that should be incorporated into every kitchen in America.
Using a Mason jar to store broth in the refrigerator
Lets dig a little deeper into how gone broth is beneficial to joints and skin. Bone broth contains gelatin (mostly composed of the amino acids proline and glycine), glucosamine, and chondroitin which are good for your joints and skin. For example, glucosamine increases hyaluronic acid in our joints and skin. Hyaluronic acid helps lubricate your joints and improves skin moisture and smoothness (less wrinkles). Get this-Cellulite is not just too much fat collecting but a break down of the structural component of skin called collagen which keeps fat in its place.
Thought: Could adequate collagen in your diet help prevent or lessen stretch marks? Maybe.
Freezing as frozen cubes from an ice tray is a great way for adding to baby food or your own recipes
Another thought: I believe bone broth is especially good throughout a person’s lifetime to keep their skin and joints in top condition. Yes, we are a product of our genetics and what our ancestors ate, but we also can reverse predisposed genetic trends, keep the good genes working, and pass along healthy genes to our children. Find a great explanation of the benefits and nutrients found in bone broth and a recipe: click here.
Want to increase the gelatin content? Add chicken feet to your sock. To increase the your gelatin content in your diet 100% pure gelatin can be added to just about everything. For supplementation, taking about 2 tablespoons per day for an adult is a good rule of thumb. Two good sources are: Bernard Jensen Gelatin or Great Lakes Gelatin.
Some good informational reads:
After I saw how to make oatmeal in a jar, I found this idea and thought it fun and fabulous!! Also, very healthy and convenient for those who want to bring their meals to work. Basically, you take a mason jar and fill with your favorite salad ingredients. Wait! There is a method to the concept. This site give a step by step (with pictures) and pintrest of course has tons of ideas for the process, and you can see my own brief explanation below. Remember you have the power to make the recipes healthy or not so no fear just modify if you need to. Just think simple and tasty.
1. Bottom layer: Salad dressing (otherwise it gets everything soggy ~ the reason behind the tall mason jar)
2. Second layer: Heavy veggies next ~ tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, etc…
3. Third layer: Protein (optional) ~ chopped eggs or meat, etc…
4. Fourth layer: Lettuce
5. Fifth layer: Nuts and seeds (optional)
6. Paper towel* to soak up condensation (just tear part of a paper towel to fit)
*I put a paper towel on the bottom of the container or bag that holds my lettuce to make it last longer and stay crisper in the refrigerator so here you just put the towel on top.
Click here for some recipe ideas I found: Free E-Book or Kindle Book: Salads to Go, Recipes, Recipes
There is a current debate going on about A1 versus A2 milk. Take a look.
“Epidemiological evidences claim that consumption of beta-casein A1 milk is associated as a risk factor for type-1 diabetes, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, sudden infant death syndrome, autism, schizophrenia etc. A broad range of studies from American and European investigations has shown reduction in autistic and schizophrenic symptoms with decrease in A1 milk intake. Further, animal trials have also supported the linking of type-1 diabetes to milk exposure in general and A1 beta-casein in particular.” (Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Sep-Oct; 16(5): 856.)
How did A1 beta-Casein become widespread in certain countries? At least a couple thousand years ago, natural genetic mutations in European cattle have caused the A1 beta-casein protein. Originally, all cows produced just the A2 beta-Casein protein. It is the BCM7 released from digesting A1 beta-Casein that proposed to cause the adverse health effects.
The Countries
A2: goat, sheep, and native cattle of Asia and Africa
A1: Eurpeon countries and US
The Cattle
A2: Guernsey (the highest) and Jersey breed (these breeds only have A2)
A1: Holstein and Friesian breed (these have equal proportions of A1/A2)
Other helpful links:
The A2 Milk Debate: Searching for the Evidence
EFSA Journal (European Food Safety Authority)
Polymorphism of bovine beta-casein and its potential effect on human health
First, let’s start with “What is Homogenization?” Defined: A). To reduce to particles and disperse throughout a fluid. B).To make uniform in consistency, especially to render (milk) uniform in consistency by emulsifying the fat content (www.thefreedictionary.com/homogenized). Basically, its makes your milk smooth– otherwise the fat would be dispersed, and you would be pouring out a few clumps. Sounds good, right?–not so fast……
Research has proposed. When the milk IS homogenized, substances such as hormones from the cow (and any the cow was injected with) are able to survive the digestive tract and be absorbed into your bloodstream. How? The small, broken down fat molecules can now “encapsulate” these hormones and any other possibly problematic proteins, so they can safely survive the digestive enzymes.
Another concern is the enzyme XO (xanthine oxidase). This XO is normally attached to the fat membranes and in a large NON-homogenized state is not easily absorbed into your body. However, when with homogenization, its can now be passed into the bloodstream. Possible problem with XO: hardening of arteries and inflamation. All contributing to heart disease. (view source)
What are the health benefits of homogenization? For some people, its makes the milk more digestively tolerable.
Without getting into the raw vs. pasteurized debate, what type of milk can you buy? The best choice is non-homogenized grass-fed, organic, whole milk. You choose whether you want it raw or pasteurized. Please read the post on A1 vs A2 milk.