Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté (nutrient-dense : grain-free : gluten-free)

Liver is a true superfood, providing abundant iron, vitamin A, all of the B vitamins (including folic acid), CoQ10, and trace elements such as copper, chromium, and zinc. Yet, when liver is unadorned, many people find its flavor to be overpowering and unpleasant. Beef liver is especially strong-flavored, but this nutritional powerhouse can still be a welcome addition to our diets with the right preparation techniques. A great example is this recipe for Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté.

I start by soaking the beef liver in kefir overnight. This mellows its flavor considerably.  Then I combine it with some great flavor additions in the form of grassfed butter, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. I also lighten the liver flavor by including ground beef in the recipe. The results are a delicious paté that can be enjoyed by many.

Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté

• 3/4 lb grassfed beef liver, sliced
• ~3/4 cup whole milk kefir or buttermilk, just enough to cover the beef liver
• one large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, preferably grassfed
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1&3/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper
• 2 Tb heavy cream
• 2 Tb sour cream
• Equipment needed: large, heavy-bottomed skillet and food processor

The day before you will make the pate:

1. Carefully trim any membrane from the beef liver. 
2. Place the liver in a glass container with a lid and add enough milk kefir or buttermilk to cover the liver. Stir as needed to ensure that all of the liver is in contact with the kefir/buttermilk. 
3. Put a lid on the container and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

The following day:

1. Melt 2 Tb butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and a tiny sprinkle of celtic sea salt.  Saute the onion for ~5-10 minutes, stirring as needed but not too often. Let the onion get a bit of browned color, which indicates that it is caramelizing and releasing its natural sweetness. In the meantime, slice the mushrooms.
2. Add 2 Tb butter to the skillet, and then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little salt and saute the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, until they have released their moisture and cooked down a bit.
3. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook ~5 minutes until it is mostly browned.  
4. Add the remaining 4 Tb butter to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the liver to the skillet and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring and flipping the liver slices occasionally. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. The liver should be browned on the outside with a slight hint of pink remaining inside.
5. Turn off heat and allow to cool for ~ 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into a food processor. Add the heavy cream and sour cream. (I have a 7-cup food processor. If you have a smaller food processor, you may need to process half of the mixture at a time with half of the heavy cream and sour cream.) Pulse the mixture a few times and then turn the processor on until all lumps are gone and everything is thoroughly mixed.
7. Scoop the paté into a storage container and refrigerate several hours.  I also like to freeze some of the paté for later use.
8. This paté is excellent when served as a dip for veggie sticks, or spread on bread or crackers with a little mayonnaise. I love to top it with coleslaw and fresh tomatoes for a superb meal. Fermented bread and butter pickles also complement the flavor of this pate nicely.

 

Does your family eat liver? What is your favorite way to eat this superfood?

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Why I Purposely Eat Both Refined and Whole Grains

There is much hype these days about eating whole grains. Breads, crackers, and cereals are covered with labels about their whole grain content. Amidst this, why do I purposely eat a combination of refined and whole grains?

Whole Grains in Traditional Diets

Weston A. Price's research into traditional diets around the globe showed that people who eat  nourishing, traditional foods have much better health than those who eat modern foods.  Rami Nagel's more recent research has increased our knowledge of traditional diets, and has uncovered the fact that, in traditional diets, much of the bran and germ from whole grains was actually discarded when the grains were ground into flour. It seems that the people knew, not from scientific research, but perhaps through experience and intuition, that there are parts of grains which are not nutritious and even act as anti-nutritients. Nowadays we have a name for the anti-nutrient in grains that is of most concern: Phytic Acid.

image from ask.com

Phytic Acid - Whole Grains' Dirty Little Secret

Whole grains are touted to be higher in nutrients than refined grains, and it is true that they do have more potential nutrients than refined grains. However, whole grains also contain phytic acid, which is an anti-nutrient because it can interfere with the absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. This is why, in some cases, eating a lot of whole grains can actually have a detrimental effect on health, and lead to increased cavities.

Yet, traditional peoples the world-'round knew to discard much of the bran and germ from whole grains, thereby reducing the phytic acid content of their food. By reducing the phytic acid content of grains, they were likely able to assimilate more of the nutrients in their food. In Rami Nagel's research, he found that "the calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium in diets made up with 92 percent flour (almost whole wheat) were less completely absorbed than the same minerals in diets made up with 69 percent flour (with a significant amount of bran and germ removed)".

Sprouting, Souring, and Soaking to Neutralize Phytic Acid

image from wildyeastblog.com

In addition to discarding much of the bran and germ from whole grains, people in traditional cultures purposely used techniques such as soaking, souring, and sprouting in the preparation of grains. Now, we have scientific research which clearly shows that soaking, souring, and sprouting whole grains reduces their phytic acid content. The bottom line is that, in ancestral diets, people purposely discarded parts of the whole grains, and they used soaking, souring, and sprouting to increase the nutrient value of the grains they consumed.

The vast majority of "whole grain" foods sold in stores are missing these vital steps which would reduce the phytic acid. When whole grains are consumed without these special preparation techniques, it is possible that the phytic acid in the grains can actually lead to worse health, as the vital nutrients in food won't be able to be used by the body. So instead of having increased nutrition due to their whole grain content, such whole grain foods can actually lead to nutrient deficiencies!

How My Family Eats Refined and Whole Grains

Grain-based foods form a significant part of my son's and my diet.  (My husband and daughter both still do best eating little or no grains, so they only eat grains occasionally.) Given unlimited time and resources, I would do as they did in traditional cultures by grinding fresh whole grains, discarding much of the bran and germ, and then soaking or sprouting the grains prior to cooking them. But the reality is that, over the last few years whilst homeschooling and practicing homeopathy, I have chosen to spend less time in the kitchen. There are too many competing priorities for me to spend hour upon hour preparing food each day. (Been there, done that, during the GAPS Diet, and I do NOT miss spending an average of 6 hours per day in the kitchen.)

So, instead of making all of my own bread and grain-based foods, I often rely on storebought items. I still try to roughly replicate what was done in traditional cultures, though, by doing the following:

• My son and I eat a combination of refined grains and whole grains, so that the overall balance is more similar to what was consumed in traditional cultures.
• I ensure that most of the whole grains we eat have been prepared with sprouting or soaking to neutralize the phytic acid anti-nutrient.

 

Our Current Favorite Grain-Based Products

The storebought grain-based items we currently rely on are:

• a lovely sprouted bread and whole-grain sourdough made by Living Harvest Bakery (a local bakery),
• Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread, especially the 7 Sprouted Grains Cinnamon Raisin Bread, 
• Izzio Brand White Sourdough Bread,
• Field Day Crackers,
• Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds, and 
• cookies such as Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread and Newman's Own Ginger O's. 

In my home-prepared, grain-based foods, I rely on the following:

• Einkorn all-purpose flour (which is an ancient variety of wheat that has less gluten and more protein than modern wheat), 
• sprouted spelt flour,
• whole grains such as millet and quinoa which are soaked in an acidic medium of water with a splash of apple cider vinegar
• occasional white rice and white rice noodles

I feel like I have found a happy medium between the techniques used by traditional cultures and our modern-day lives. Within this framework, I don't worry much about getting things perfectly right. Stressing out over food is likely just as detrimental to health as eating poorly, so I strive for a relaxed attitude within our mostly-nutritious diets. 

Do you eat grains? Did you know about phytic acid - whole grains' "dirty little secret"? What have you found works best for you? 

 

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My Family's Spring Diet

When I blogged a few months ago about My Family's Winter Diet, I promised to share what our Spring, Summer, and Fall diets look like as well. We are still primarily eating a nutrient-dense diet, but rather than aiming for perfection, I am aiming for an unstressed, maintainable diet that my family can eat for many years to come. We do eat somewhat seasonally, so our diet changes a bit with the seasons to reflect which fruits and vegetables are in season.  

Each Saturday morning, I spend a few hours in the kitchen preparing baked goods for the coming week. Typically, this includes making one custard cake (clafoutis), one or two batches of muffins, and perhaps some cookies or waffles to freeze. By preparing these items on the weekend, our breakfasts throughout the weekdays are very quick-and-easy. Here is a snapshot of our Spring diet.

Breakfast

• Since I wake up early, I often eat two breakfasts. My first breakfast is generally simple, followed by a more substantial breakfast a couple hours later. 
• This Spring, my first breakfast is often one of the following along with a glass of raw milk: 

• Cranberry orange morning round with butter and cream cheese
• Lemon raspberry muffins
• Blueberry muffins 

• My second breakfast is most often sprouted whole wheat or white sourdough toast with eggs and frozen veggie mix sauteed in butter, usually with a glass of raw milk. I have a dose of extra-virgin cod liver oil with my second breakfast perhaps once a week (as determined by when I feel a craving for it). At this time of year, I spend so much time outside that I don't seem to crave cod liver oil as much as I do during the winter months, so I reduce how often I take it to match my desire. 

• My husband eats homemade custard cake for breakfast 6 days of the week every week. (He likes eating the same thing over and over; I can't stand doing that!) In the spring, I most often make one of the following custard cakes for him to have for breakfast each week:  
• Triple berry custard cake 
• Banana clafoutis
• Applesauce custard cake
• This Spring, my 6-year old son often eats one of the following, sometimes with an egg, and always with a glass of raw milk:

• Cranberry orange morning round with butter
• Apple cinnamon morning round with butter and honey
• 7 sprouted grains cinnamon raisin bread with butter, cream cheese, and honey
• My 9-year-old daughter often has one of the following for breakfast this Spring, sometimes with an egg, alongside a glass of raw milk. 
• Blueberry banana grain-free muffin 
• Raspberry chocolate grain-free muffins (or strawberry chocolate muffins using the same recipe with strawberries instead of raspberries)
• Whole milk yogurt with honey and/or fruit 

 

Lunch

• My husband takes frozen homemade leftovers to work for lunch everyday, which he re-heats in a toaster oven.  This Spring, his favorite leftover lunches are:
• Cheesy hashbrown casserole
• Shepherd pie with green beans and mushrooms (made with only beef since I don't generally have ground lamb available)
• Beef and beans

• This Spring, the lunches my children and I are eating most often are:
• Cheesy scrambled egg sandwiches, with mayonnaise, served on sprouted whole wheat bread or gluten-free waffle
• Lunchmeat rolls with cheddar cheese, homemade honey mustard, and fermented pickles, with a side of avocado oil chips or crackers (Absolutely gluten-free flatbread is a great, grain-free option that we all enjoy)
• Leftover soup (from the freezer)
• Canned sardines, served with buttered crackers or sourdough toast (or waffle for my daughter)

 

Snacks and Desserts

• The only snacks my kids are allowed between breakfast and lunch is fruits or veggies, which they have to get for themselves. That makes it where they are certain to be hungry at lunch (whereas previously when they were allowed more-filling snack options, they often didn't eat well at lunch). In the spring, their fruit and veggie snack options are:
• Fresh seasonal fruit, including strawberries and apricots
• Bubbies fermented dill pickles 
• Carrots
• Dried fruit, such as Just Bananas or Just Fruit Salad
• Dried Just Peas
• My husband typically has one of the following snacks while at work:

• Kind bars
• Granola bars
• Salted, roasted cashews
• Banana chips
• Perhaps 40-50% of the time, the kids will have a small snack after our afternoon Quiet Time, usually consisting of nuts, fruit, or cookies (such as butter shortbread or chocolate macaroons). I am always ravenous when I wake from my daily nap, so I always have an afternoon snack such as plain whole-milk yogurt, butter shortbread, apple and cheese, etc.
• The kids and my husband have a snack before bed every night; usually fruit, fried fruit, yogurt, or applesauce. About twice per week they will have dessert such as ice cream or cookies. I'm not generally hungry after dinner, so I don't usually eat anything before bed.
• Perhaps once a week, my husband and I will each have a package of Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

 

Drinks 

The drinks we consume the vast majority of the time are:

• Raw milk
• Homemade triple berry kombucha
• Fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice in sparkling spring water
• Homemade soda

 

Dinner

• I make a from-scratch dinner meal about 2-3 times per week (and I always make a large portion so there will be enough to freeze for my husband's lunches, or for us to have as leftovers). I can't stand eating the same thing two days in a row, so I plan to eat leftovers a few days later, or freeze them for a future use. This Spring, as the temperature is warming up, we move away from soup and onto other foods. The dinners I'm making most-often are:
• Parmesan fried chicken
• Parmesan fried chicken
• Parmesan fried chicken (no, this isn't a typo: my family loves this chicken recipe so much that I am making it often)
• Ground beef taco meat served as tacos or taco salad
• Side dishes I've been making most often this Spring are:
• Butter smash boiled potatoes (I haven't blogged this recipe, but I will if there is interest)
• Coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, and celery (I could blog this recipe, too)
• Roasted potatoes
• Simple buttered veggies with frozen peas or broccoli 
• Green salad with lettuce, cheese, carrots, celery, and homemade ranch dressing
• Carrot sticks with homemade ranch dressing
• On days when I don't make a from-scratch dinner, we have leftovers or dinners which include some already-prepared ingredients (which I consider to be compromise dinners). The ingredients in our compromise dinners aren't absolutely perfect, but they are pretty good, and incorporating these items into our diets allows for busy days when I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen. Our most commonly-consumed compromise dinners this  Spring are:

• Pizza made with Against the Grain crust, quick-and-easy homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sauteed mushrooms
• Nitrate-free sausages such as kielbasa or hot dogs, served with frozen sweet potato fries or chips, and fermented pickles
• Tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches, made with canned tuna or chicken, served with kettle chips and fermented pickles
• We eat out at a restaurant about 2-3 times per month. We also often eat Sunday dinner at my mom's house, and are often blessed with leftovers to often bring home which will make for an easy meal some other day of the week.

 

 

 

Do you find it helpful or interesting to see what we're eating?  What are your favorite Spring meals? 

 

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Fried Rice (nutrient-dense : gluten-free)

Looking for a side dish to complement teriyaki chicken last week, I created this recipe for fried rice. The celery and cabbage are seasonal vegetables that provide a nice bite in contrast to the soft rice. The combination of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and fish sauce gives this recipe a great Asian taste.

I use white rice in this recipe, which is considered a safe starch by quite a few diet and health authors such as Dr. Mercola, Chris Kresser (author of Paleo Cure), and Paul Jaminet (author of The Perfect Health Diet). My favorite way to prepare white rice is to cook it with butter and homemade chicken bone broth, as that makes the rice more nutritious and gives it an excellent flavor.

Fried Rice
Serves 4-6

• 4 cups cooked white rice, cooled (I used this recipe for nutrient-dense white rice) 
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 Tb gluten-free tamari soy sauce
• 2 tsp sucanat
• 1 Tb refined coconut oil
• 1 medium-sized white onion, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced on the diagonal
• 1/2 pound green cabbage (about 1/4 of a large head of cabbage), sliced and chopped roughly
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, pressed
• 2 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1/2 Tb refined coconut oil
• celtic sea salt

1. The rice in this recipe needs to be cooked ahead of time and allowed to cool (or even refrigerated). If hot, freshly cooked rice is used, it will become rather mushy in this recipe.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sucanat. Stir occasionally while the rest of the ingredients are prepared until the sucanat is dissolved.
3. Chop the onion. I use my favorite knife to prepare the veggies for this recipe.
4. Melt 1 Tb refined coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. I use a deep 12-inch stainless steel skillet for this recipe, but cast iron should work well, too.
5. Saute the onion in the oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat. A bamboo spatula works perfectly for this. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Don't stir it too often, so that the onion can undergo some delicious caramelization (as evidenced by it browning).
6. While the onion cooks, chop the celery and cabbage.
7. Add the celery to the skillet and saute 5 minutes.
8. Add the cabbage to the skillet and saute for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more salt.
9. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Use a fork to beat the eggs lightly.
10. Use a garlic press to press the garlic and ginger. With my Pampered Chef garlic press, it is not necessary to peel either the garlic or ginger; it presses them just fine and leaves the skin behind.
11. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
12. Add the cooled rice, drizzle with the soy sauce mixture, and fold it all together to combine. Cook for a few minutes to warm the rice.
13. Push the rice and veggies to one side of the skillet. On the other side of the skillet, melt 1/2 Tb refined coconut oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, pour the eggs into the oil. Let the eggs cook until they start to set, then lightly chop and fold them while they continue to cook. Cook the eggs until they are almost done and still look a little wet. Turn off the heat.
14. Stir the eggs into the rice/veggie mixture.
15. Serve and enjoy! This fried rice makes an excellent side dish for teriyaki chicken. Egg drop soup would be another good addition to the meal.
16. Store leftovers in the fridge. Re-warmed and topped with a couple fried eggs, they make a great breakfast.  

What is your favorite homemade Asian-inspired meal?

 

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My Family's Winter Diet

I wanted to share a snapshot of what my family's diet looks like these days.  We've been following a Weston Price-inspired diet for over 10 years now, including about 18 months strictly following the GAPS Diet in 2010-2012.  I was very strict with our diets for many years, but over time I have found that approach to be unbalanced, anxious, and stressful. Being very strict with our diets also did not improve our health over the long-term (homeopathy has worked much better for that).

Over the last few years, rather than continuing to exert extreme dietary control, I have shifted to a place of finding balance. My emphasis has been to find a healthy diet that we can sustain and enjoy for many years to come. We are still eating a primarily nutrient-dense diet, but rather than aiming for perfection, I am aiming for an unstressed, maintainable diet.

Because we eat somewhat seasonally, this will be the first in a series, with more dietary snapshots to come in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Here is a snapshot of our Winter diet.

Breakfast

• Since I wake up early, I often eat two breakfasts. My first breakfast is generally simple, followed by a more substantial breakfast a couple hours later. 
• My first breakfast is often either maple brown sugar granola with plain yogurt or re-warmed homemade muffins with a glass of raw milk. In the winter months, the muffins I make most often are:
• Chocolate, orange, and molasses muffins 
• Blueberry muffins
• Carrot, coconut, and ginger muffins

• My second breakfast is most often sprouted whole wheat or white sourdough toast with eggs and frozen veggie mix sauteed in butter, usually with a glass of raw milk. I have a dose of extra-virgin cod liver oil with my second breakfast about twice a week (as determined by when I feel a craving for it).

• My husband eats homemade custard cake for breakfast 6 days of the week every week. (He likes eating the same thing over and over; I can't stand doing that!) In the winter, I most often make one of the following custard cakes for him to have for breakfast each week:  
• Gingerbread custard cake
• Applesauce custard cake
• Pumpkin pie custard cake
• My nearly-6-year old son often eats sprouted whole wheat or white sourdough toast for breakfast, always buttered, sometimes with honey or jam, sometimes with an egg, and always with a glass of raw milk. On days when he doesn't want toast, he often eats a homemade muffin with a glass of raw milk for breakfast. He chooses to have a dose of extra-virgin cod liver oil with his breakfast about 2-3 times per week.
• My 8&1/2-year-old daughter often has one of the following for breakfast, alongside a glass of raw milk. She also chooses to have a small dose of extra-virgin cod liver oil with her breakfast about once or twice a week.
• Lemon blueberry grain-free muffin
• Homemade Gluten-free waffle, sometimes with a fried egg on top
• Grain-free cinnamon raisin bread
• Apple with cheese or nut butter

Lunch

• My husband takes frozen homemade leftovers to work for lunch everyday, which he re-heats in a toaster oven.  In the winter, his favorite leftover lunches are:

• Ham, bean, and bacon soup
• Beef and beans
• Beef and veggie soup with a side of cheesy bread 
• Bunless cheeseburgers with cheesy bread or chips
• At this time of year, the lunches my children and I eat most often are:
• Grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese
• Lunchmeat rolls with cheddar cheese, homemade honey mustard, and fermented pickles, with a side of kettle chips
• Leftover soup (from the freezer)
• Mussels or smoked oysters served with buttered crackers or sourdough toast (or waffle for my daughter)

Snacks

• The only snacks my kids are allowed between breakfast and lunch is fruits or veggies, which they have to get for themselves. That makes it where they are certain to be hungry at lunch (whereas previously when they were allowed more-filling snack options, they often didn't eat well at lunch). In the winter, their fruit and veggie snack options are:
• Apples
• Tangerines
• Bubbies fermented dill pickles 
• Carrots
• Dried fruit, such as Just Bananas or Just Fruit Salad
• Dried Just Peas
• Perhaps 40-50% of the time, the kids will have a small snack after our afternoon Quiet Time, usually consisting of nuts, fruit, or cookies (such as butter shortbread). I am always ravenous when I wake from my daily nap, so I always have an afternoon snack such as butter shortbread, plain whole milk yogurt with maple brown sugar granola, apple and cheese, etc.
• The kids have a snack before bed every night; usually fruit, yogurt, or applesauce. About twice per week they will have dessert such as ice cream or cookies. 

 

Drinks 

The drinks we consume the vast majority of the time are:

• raw milk
• homemade kombucha
• fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice in sparkling spring water
• homemade soda

 

Dinner

• I make a from-scratch dinner meal about 2-3 times per week (and I always make a large portion so there will be enough to freeze for my husband's lunches, or for us to have as leftovers). I can't stand eating the same thing two days in a row, so I plan to eat leftovers a few days later, or freeze them for a future use. In the winter months, the dinners I make most-often are:
• Beef, sweet potato, and veggie stew
• Slow-cooker roasted chicken
• Slow-cooker chili
• Beef and veggie soup 
• Bunless cheeseburgers
• Crustless quiche 
• Side dishes I commonly make in the winter months are:

• Roasted potatoes
• Baked sweet potatoes 
• Cheesy bread
• Frozen hash browns cooked in lots of butter 
• Maple butter Brussels sprouts
• Simple buttered veggies with frozen peas or broccoli 
• Green salad with lettuce, cheese, snap peas, and homemade ranch dressing
• On days when I don't make a from-scratch dinner, we have leftovers or dinners which include some already-prepared ingredients (which I consider to be compromise dinners). The ingredients in our compromise dinners aren't absolutely perfect, but they are pretty good, and incorporating these items into our diets allows for busy days when I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen. Our most commonly-consumed compromise dinners in the Winter are:

• Pizza made with Against the Grain crust, quick-and-easy homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, sauteed mushrooms, scallions, and nitrate-free pepperoni, kielbasa, or ham
• Nitrate-free sausages such as kielbasa, hot dogs, or mild italian sausage, served with hash browns or frozen sweet potato fries, and fermented pickles
• Spaghetti marinara sauce with added ground beef and veggies (onions, carrots, celery, and/or mushrooms), served over white rice noodles or bean thread noodles
• Tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches, made with canned tuna or chicken, served with kettle chips and fermented pickles
• We eat out at a restaurant about 2-3 times per month. We also often eat Sunday dinner at my mom's house, and are often blessed with leftovers to often bring home which will make for an easy meal some other day of the week.

Do you find it helpful or interesting to see what we're eating?  What are your favorite Winter meals?

Links to Amazon and Corganic are affiliate links. If you use these links, your price remains the same, but I earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this site!

My First Nutrition and Health Conference: Paleo-Primal-Price Foundation

Although I've been a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation for about 10 years (and a chapter leader for 4 years), I've never been able to attend any of the yearly WAPF conferences because of finances and having very young children. About a month ago, though, the folks from my affiliate partner Corganic invited me to attend the First Annual Conference of the Paleo-Primal-Price  Foundation, with free airfare and accommodations. Their offer took me by surprise, and I was excited to accept this invitation.

The Paleo-Primal-Price Foundation is a new organization being started by Dr. Ron Schmid, Dr. Kaayla Daniel, and David Gumpert. This new organization has the intent of bringing together the many perspectives of the real food community, including those who follow Weston Price, Primal, and Paleo diets.  One thing I found particularly exciting about this new organization is the fact that its inception is based on democratic principles, wherein the members elect the board and have a valued voice in the organization.

The People

Attending this conference was a fantastic opportunity for me to finally meet many whom I previously only "knew" through email and phone conversations, including Archie Welch and Kaayla Daniel. I also met many new people, including David Gumpert, Dr. Ron, Steve Tallent, and quite a few WAPF chapter leaders. It was amazing to see how quickly I could feel right at home with all of these new friends because of our common interests in real food and health. There were great conversations and ideas being shared about everything ranging from feeding our families to raw milk to the recent fermented cod liver oil controversy. With all of the people I met at the conference, there was a common thread of sincerity and dedication to truth which shined through and illuminated our conversations.    

 

The Food

Attendees at the conference were afforded three fantastic meals. My favorite dishes were:

• pastured chicken braised in coconut oil
• butternut squash soup made with pastured chicken broth
• king salmon, which was the best salmon I have ever had
• roasted parsnips and beets
• flourless chocolate cake

Day 1

The first day of the conference was filled with interesting presentations about a variety of real food and health topics.  Given my background in implementing a Weston Price-based diet in my own family for many years and having previously strictly followed the GAPS Diet (which is very similar to Primal/Paleo) for over 18 months, there was not a lot of "new" information for me regarding nutrition. Nonetheless the presentations served as a nice review of information for me.

Two of the presentations, in particular, gave me some new perspectives to consider. Joan Grinzi, Executive Director of the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, presented "Gleanings: What Weston Price Really Said". It was interesting to dive deep into how Weston Price actually used cod liver oil in his nutritional therapies, and to know what he really said about cod liver oil.  Price did find that cod liver oil had superb health effects, but he also acknowledged that caution needed to be taken to ensure that too much cod liver oil was not being taken.  During Price's day, cod liver oils were generally rancid, and so Price new that taking it in large quantities could actually have negative health consequences. (I am so glad that now, because of modern technologies including natural antioxidants and nitrogen-flushing of bottles to prevent oxidation, my family can take cod liver oil that is actually fresh, raw, and not rancid.) Price also recommended that cod liver oil not be forced upon children, as their own instincts were a good guide as to how much to give them. Some more of the information Joan presented is included in this article.

I was also very interested to hear Randy Hartnell's presentation about "Seafood in Paleo/Primal/Weston Price Diets". Randy, the founder of Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics, presented very interesting information about how the consumption of abundant omega 3's (from ocean animals and plants) may have been an important factor in the evolution of the human brain. Randy also presented an excellent video about omega 3's and health, including the importance of proper omega 3/omega 6 balance. It was heartening to see the data Randy presented showing that many fisheries are becoming more sustainable; how we spend our food dollars really does make a difference!

Day 2

The first day of the conference was valuable, however I thought the second day was truly amazing. The democratic principles of the Paleo-Primal-Price Foundation were put into practice through small-group discussions whose intent was to crystallize the ideas and wisdom of all of the conference attendees. We worked diligently to review, critique, and brainstorm on the following:

• the Mission Statement and overall purpose for the organization
• membership rights and responsibilities, which include voting privileges and communications with the Board
• by-laws for the new organization, which include democratic governance and transparency  

Following the small-group work, there were elections for the Board of the new foundation. I was moved by all of this, with the realization that the new Foundation really does value the input of its members and is stepping out with true dedication to democratic principles. I was gratified to be able to work so closely with such an intelligent, genuine, and passionate group of people.

My Take-Aways From the Conference

I came away from the conference with a few new goals and insights:

• Eat more seafood: My son and I both love seafood, but since my husband and daughter are not very keen on it, I only cook seafood about once every few weeks. After hearing Randy's presentation on the importance of proper omega 3/omega 6 balance, I have the intention to incorporate more seafood into our diets. This will likely happen primarily at lunchtime, when I can try to positively influence my daughter's palate without her seeing that her father isn't wild about seafood. I'm looking forward to trying some new seafood recipes.
• Attend more conferences: I am immensely thankful that I was given the opportunity to attend this conference. I returned home with fresh ideas and perspectives, and having made many new friends. This was the first time I have ever been away from my children for more than a few hours, and it ended up being a wonderful bonding time for my husband and children while I was gone. With all of these benefits, we will be budgeting in the future to allow me to attend more conferences such as this one.
• Keep spreading the word about real food: Although my passion about health was sparked by learning about nutrition over 10 years ago, in the last few years my focus has shifted more towards homeopathy (which has worked better than dietary changes for healing chronic health issues in my family). Nonetheless, my family does eat a nutrient-dense diet, and I know that nutrition is a vital aspect of health. This conference has rekindled some of my old flame for sharing information about nutrient-dense diets.  

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Shocking Test Results for Fermented Cod Liver Oil

One of the most controversial posts on this blog has been the one about Why My Family Stopped Taking Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO). I've been thanked for that post, I've been attacked for that

post; it definitely seemed to hit some nerves. However, that will be nothing compared to the stir that will be created by some shocking new test data for FCLO.

This new test data comes from multiple independent laboratories, and is the result of efforts by nutritionist Kaayla Daniel, who is the Vice President of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF). Over the last year or two, people started expressing doubts about FCLO, including how it is produced, its vitamin content, and its efficacy. The Board of the WAPF voted against testing FCLO (as they felt like the testing they had already performed was sufficient), but Kaayla wanted to investigate further to find out if there was any validity to the doubts about FCLO.

Because there have been questions raised about the accuracy of the FCLO test results that Green Pasture posts on their website, Kaayla sent unopened bottles of FCLO to multiple laboratories in the United States as well as abroad, who were known to be experts in testing marine oils.  Kaayla wanted to find out if there were any issues with rancidity, and find out how FCLO's nutrient-profile looked.

As the test results came in, she was surprised to find that, in addition to rancidity and nutrient issues, FCLO actually appeared to be made from something other than the liver oil of Arctic codfish.  This led to DNA testing of the Green Pasture Cattle Lick product, which is said to be made from the livers leftover from making FCLO. And the DNA tests showed that the source of the liver was actually Alaskan pollock, NOT cod!

In short, the test results showed the following:

• FCLO appears to not actually be a fermented product, as its pH is too basic and it does not contain significant levels of lactic acid bacteria. 
• At least one of the bottles of FCLO that was tested showed significant rancidity issues. (Note: there is not a consensus in the scientific community about what constitutes rancidity, so this conclusion is widely debated.)
• The bottles of FCLO that were tested had extremely low levels of Vitamin D, nearly nonexistent Vitamin K, and less Vitamin A than claimed by Green Pastures.
• The EPA to DHA ratio of the bottles of FCLO that were tested is not consistent with what it should be if it is really made from the liver oil of codfish.  
• DNA testing of a product claimed to be liver leftover after making FCLO showed it to actually be liver from Alaskan pollock, NOT cod liver! Pollock is a member of the cod family, but it has a very different nutrient profile than codfish.

If you want to dig into the nitty-gritty details of the testing and data analysis, Kaayla has written a detailed report on the matter, which you can see here.

I am relieved that I trusted my gut instincts and stopped giving my family fermented cod liver oil a few years ago. And I am so glad that we can boost our nutrition instead with extra virgin cod liver oil!  The color, odor, and flavor of EVCLO are wonderful indicators of its freshness and purity; Rosita's transparency in describing and showing their processes for harvesting the oil is refreshing and gives me confidence that this really is a well-produced product.

Update:  
Here are some links for those who want to read more analysis of Kaayla's FCLO report and the controversy surrounding it:

• Weighing In on Fermented Cod Liver Oil by Chris Masterjohn
• A Summary of Dr. Kaayla Daniel's New Report on Green Pasture's Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil by Ron Schmid
• Questions and Answers about Fermented Cod Liver Oil by Sally Fallon Morrell 
• Green Pasture's Response to Questions on Fermented Cod Liver Oil
• Important Update on Cod Liver Oil by Chris Kresser 
• Can You Ferment Cod Liver Oil? by Firelight Heritage Farm
• My Take on the FCLO Scandal by Cheeseslave 
• What Would Dr. Price Do About the FCLO Mess? by David Gumpert 

What has been your experience with FCLO?  Have you tried EVCLO? 

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My Food Diary for a Tuesday in July

People often seem to have the mistaken impression that I only eat homemade food or that my diet is perfect. While I do try to eat high-quality food most of the time, I also choose not to spend inordinate amounts of time in the kitchen every day, so I do make some compromises.  Here is a snapshot of my diet from a random weekday:

Tuesday July 7th

• 6:30am - First Breakfast* 
• two homemade lemon raspberry muffins
• a glass of raw milk

•  9am -  Second Breakfast

• two homegrown eggs, fried in butter 
• ~3/4 cup of frozen Chinese stir fry veggie mix, sauteed in butter and caramelized over med-high heat
• one slice of sprouted whole grain toast, buttered with strawberry jam on half
• dose of extra virgin cod liver oil
• half of a glass of raw milk

• 12:30pm - Lunch
• simple salad - one large ripe garden tomato**,  fresh basil leaves, two scoops of full-fat organic cottage cheese, dressed with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of lime juice
• a few crackers***
• a handful of fresh local cherries

• 2:45 - Snack****
• ~1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• ~1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms (which were being prepped for dinner)

• 4pm - Snack
• 3 small Classic Butter shortbread cookies
• glass of raw milk

•  6pm - Dinner
• 2 slices of homemade pizza - Against the Grain pizza crust***** topped with Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce, Applegate Farms Black Forest Ham, sauteed mushrooms, and organic mozzarella cheese
• side salad - lettuce topped with fresh garden tomato, chopped red bell pepper, and Homemade Ranch Dressing
• more Homemade Ranch Dressing, as a dip for the pizza
• Glass of fizzy spring water with fresh lime juice

• 8:15pm - After-Dinner Snack
• ~1cup plain whole-milk yogurt

*I tend to be very hungry in the first half of the day. I've always been that way. As soon as I wake up, I HAVE to eat something.  Since I tend to wake up 1-2 hours before my children, I usually eat something very simple when I first wake up, and then have a more substantial breakfast later on.
**My mom grows the BEST tomatoes. They have me so spoiled that they are the only tomatoes I want to eat. Thanks Mom!
***These crackers are one of my compromise foods. Yes, homemade crackers would be better. But these will do in a pinch, and I like that they are made with palm oil.
****I don't usually have a snack at this time of day, but on this particular day I had been very active working a lot, so I was unusually hungry.
*****We are currently loving Against the Grain Gourmet brand pizza crust, which is sold in the freezer case at our local healthfood store.  It is composed primarily of cheese, milk, eggs, and tapioca starch. My only complaint with the ingredients is that there is a small amount of canola oil in these crusts, but since the amount is small I have decided not to worry about it.  I know some of my blog readers have reported that my Cheesy Bread recipe also works well as a pizza crust, but I haven't tried that yet since my family just devours the cheesy bread every time I make it.

Do you want to know more about my daily diet? What are your favorite compromise foods?

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The Importance of High-Vitamin Butter Alongside Cod Liver Oil

Nutrients in Butter and Cod Liver Oil Work Synergistically

Photo from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

In Weston Price's research into Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, he found that the diets of traditional people contained much higher nutrient-content than modern diets.  For instance, traditional diets contained ten times the amounts of Vitamin A and D present in modern diets.  The higher nutrient-content led to people with robust health and virtually no cavities, heart disease, or cancer. One easy way to boost the amount of nutrients in our diets is through the use of superfoods such as extra-virgin cod liver oil, which is a nutritional powerhouse providing Vitamins A and D, plus Omega 3's, DHA, and EPA.

Weston Price found that cod liver oil worked synergistically with high-vitamin butter. Price wrote of controlling and preventing cavities through the following:

"The program that I have found most efficient has been one which includes the use of small quantities of very high vitamin butter mixed in equal parts with a very high vitamin cod liver oil... When this butter oil is mixed in equal parts with a very high-vitamin cod liver oil, it produces a product that is more efficient than either alone...The quantity of the mixture of butter oil and cod liver oil required is quite small, half a teaspoonful three times a day with meals is sufficient to control wide-spread tooth decay when used with a diet that is low in sugar and starches and high in foods providing the minerals, particularly phosphorus. A teaspoonful a day divided between two or three meals is usually adequate to prevent dental caries and maintain a high immunity; it will also maintain freedom from colds and a high level of health in general. This reinforcement of the fat-soluble vitamins to a menu that is low in starches and sugars, together with the use of bread and cereal grains freshly ground to retain the full content of the embryo or germ, and with milk for growing children and for many adults, and the liberal use of sea foods and organs of animals, produced the result described."

It is clear that, to get the most benefit from taking cod liver oil, the nutrients in high-vitamin butter should be consumed alongside cod liver oil.

My Family's Experience with Butter Oil

My family stopped taking fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) years ago because of digestive and flavor issues. Back when we were still using FCLO, my family tried taking high-vitamin butter oil along with our cod liver oil, but we had a hard time with the flavor.  The butter oil had a very strong smell and flavor that I found to be unpleasant; my toddler daughter did like the butter oil, but my husband and I could never get ourselves to take it with any regularity.  At that time, I gave up on the idea of having butter oil, and just focused on liberally using high-vitamin butter (usually on toast or waffle) whenever we took our dose of cod liver oil.

For nearly a year now, we have been using extra-virgin cod liver oil (EVCLO), which we aim to take a couple times a week. EVCLO has such a light, pleasant taste that it is no chore to take it regularly. Thus far, I have been continuing to rely on high-vitamin butter to enhance the benefits of the cod liver oil.  However, recently Corganics sent me a complimentary bottle of their extra-virgin butter oil to try.

I opened the extra-virgin butter oil with the expectation that it would have the same strong and somewhat offensive smell and taste as the butter oil I tried years ago, but I was in for a surprise. Extra-virgin butter oil has a pleasant smell that reminds me of the smell of homemade popcorn, and it tastes like unsalted butter.  I like to add a tiny pinch of salt or dab of raw honey to the butter oil and that makes the taste truly fantastic. Both of my children enjoy the flavor of extra-virgin butter oil and like taking it along with their EVCLO.

We will still be using high-vitamin butter liberally, but especially for those times of year when the butter from the store is on the pale side, it will be a pleasure to supplement with extra-virgin butter oil to make sure we are getting the most benefit from our extra virgin cod liver oil.

 

What are your experiences with butter oil? Do you take cod liver oil and butter oil together?

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