Tag Archive for grass-fed

What’s Up In The Gut?

For those of you that have seen our library of Keto resources, you know that it is extensive.  We read A LOT!  Erin and I are very passionate about diet and nutrition so we literally live, eat, and breathe what we preach!  While we love our books, there is also a lot of information coming out in the news on a daily basis.  In addition to our books, we subscribe to wellness and health magazines, both through snail mail and email, and scour the internet for the latest and greatest information.  Gut health and depression has been in the headlines quite often the past few weeks.  This is an article from Paleo Plan, an online subscription I follow on occasion:

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“Did you hear the good news!? At long last…science is recognizing something that’s been known since antiquity…the interconnectedness between gut health and disease!
Recently researchers have begun to realize how depression and overall brain health are intimately connected to our microbiome (the 3-5 pounds of bacteria living inside our bodies which outnumber our own cells 10:1). Several studies are now linking depression with imbalances in our microbiome. In other words, having too much ‘bad bacteria’ and not enough ‘good bacteria’ in our guts can trigger depression (and a host of other diseases).
While scientists are rejoicing about their ‘discovery’ that the brain is indeed influenced by gut health, this is not breaking news. The father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, proclaimed over 2,000 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut”.
What is more along the lines of breaking news are recent headlines likening yogurt to Prozac for treating depression. Now before you go raid the dairy aisle of your local grocery store, let’s chat about why yogurt is being touted as an antidepressant.
Yogurt is marketed to contain probiotics, which are beneficial ‘good’ bacteria critical for immune function and overall health. These probiotics are also capable of altering our emotional state, and studies have found that supplementation with them can improve mood and act as a mild antidepressant.
There are some problems with most yogurts sold at the market (other than the dairy, sugar and other non-Paleo ingredients they commonly contain). Many commercial yogurt products have been pasteurized at high temperatures after the live bacteria cultures have been added, essentially killing all of the probiotics.
Further, we house hundreds of different species of bacteria in our guts, yet most yogurts (and probiotic pills) contain only a small handful of species. Dysbiosis (an imbalanced gut microbiome) is defined as overgrowth of any one type of bacteria. Unfortunately a ‘good’ bacteria can become ‘bad’ if taken in excess.
While yogurt may not be the best source of probiotics, there are several ways to increase your microbial diversity. Eating dietary fiber from whole, natural foods at every meal feeds the good bacteria in your gut and colon, helping them to naturally populate. Other foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir or yogurt, kombucha, live probiotic drinks, and other fermented/cultured vegetables are packed full of living probiotics. The key is to select a brand that is live or raw, meaning the bacteria haven’t been killed via pasteurization. Better yet, you can make your own raw fermented foods!
Lastly, it’s easy to overconsume any one type of bacteria if you take the same probiotic pills over and over. That’s why I urge my clients to rotate their brand of probiotic supplements and ideally get their probiotics from whole food sources.
Ok, so yogurt is probably not the”new Prozac” as news reports are so eagerly proclaiming, but the message is valid: a happy gut precedes a happy mind! It’s time for us all to quit fearing bacteria, and to embrace the reality that our bodies contain more bacterial cells than human cells…now that’s some food for thought! :)” – Paleo Plan

 

While we do not recommend yogurt for adults on a Ketogenic diet, I do allow my children to have good quality, unsweetened yogurt from grass-fed cows.  It has the quality probiotics as well as the nutrients from grass-fed cows that you can’t get from any other kind of yogurt.  This one in particular is also WHOLE milk yogurt that is almost impossible to find in this day of low-fat everything!  It is the best I have found and a great treat for the kiddos.

 

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I was listening to this same study on Good Morning America this morning and then came across it online as well, so I wanted to share it and put it in line with the Keto diet.  It is written from a Paleo perspective so it does not follow all of our rules exactly, but it does have some good tips about cleaning up your gut!  This is where Keto helps a ton!  Fat is great for the brain and Keto does a great job cleaning up the gut bacteria even alone.  The GMA segment was mainly focusing on carbs causing depression and the great probiotic foods we can use to help it.  We all know we need to cut the carbs, but not everyone knows that there are actually healing foods that can repair some of the damage we have caused.

 

Dr. Perlmutter’s new book entitled, Brain Maker is all about the gut, and the foods you can use to clean it up!  In fact, a large part of the article above is taken directly from his book.  This is on my bedside table at the moment, and about to move to the kitchen to try the recipes he has included in it as well.  Check it out in our Amazon Store!

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The gut and the brain are more connected than we ever thought.   What you put in your mouth can greatly effect what happens in your brain.  Even more, as ketoers, we know that the brain prefers fat as a fuel, and by replacing your carbs for fat you are already helping.  Now imagine going a step further to feed it healing foods as well!

 

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How do we cause damage?  Many ways, but a BIG one is antibiotics.  We try to limit antibiotics as much as possible.  While they were created for life-saving measures, they are highly overprescribed and frankly abused this day in age.  I only take them and give them to my family if they are absolutely necessary – and by that, I mean a raging ear infection, sinus infection or something we know, without a doubt, an antibiotic can fix.  If a virus is a possibility – I pass.  Another example; I had a severe allergic reaction to a yellow-jacket sting last week.  After two days my foot swelled so badly that I couldn’t get a flip flop on and it was turning colors.  I reluctantly went to an emergency clinic when my foot was hot to the touch.  The doctor immediately wanted to give me an antibiotic to reduce the CHANCES of infection.  I did NOT have an infection, I had a reaction!  I verified this and refused the antibiotic.  There ARE cases when an antibiotic is needed.  Just tell your doctor that if it’s not necessary you don’t want it.  So many doctors today are quick to provide a fix because they think that is what YOU want, when in reality, you may just need to wait a couple of days to shake off a virus.  If, however, an antibiotic is taken, you need to know that it not only kills the bad bacteria, but also kills the GOOD bacteria your body needs for many functions.  I know it sounds crazy, but your body NEEDS bacteria.  There is actually a purpose for it.  So what to do, if you are sick with a fever and NEED an antibiotic?  Take a great quality probiotic TWO hours after taking your antibiotic.  While there isn’t exact science, this seems to have the best results in replacing some of the good bacteria you kill with the antibiotic.  Here are a couple of probiotics we believe are GREAT ones.  I do take these daily and switch them up after I finish a bottle.

These first two need to stay in the refrigerator:

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This one below does not need to be refrigerated so it is great for travel:

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To sum it up…Take care of your gut and it will take care of you.  It kind of goes along with what we have heard for years…”You are what you eat.”  It seems now, that this saying is more accurate than we ever imagined!

Take care of you, yours, and your gut!  Happy Friday!

 

Beautiful Bells!

I had some grass-fed ground beef and bell peppers in my fridge that I needed to use.  I decided to combine the two for some fabulous stuffed bell peppers!  They turned out fabulous so I just had to share.  This was a great main course.  Save your carbs for this one because the veggies are a little higher in carbs than most of our recipes, but it is a super healthy way to combine your veggies and protein for a fairly easy meal.  I changed out the cheese in the picture for mozzarella and it was excellent.

Start with all your ingredients:

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6 Bell Peppers

1 1/2 lb Grass-Fed Ground Meat

1/2 Onion finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic minced

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

16 oz can of Organic diced tomatoes

1 can of organic tomato paste

1/2 cup sweet peppers

1 small can of diced black olives

1/2 cup cauliflower rice (recipe on site – this is a great binder)

Colby Jack cheese or Mozzarella cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown your ground meat.  Add your onion, garlic, and chopped sweet peppers to soften.

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There are a few ways to cut your peppers.  For more stuffing, you want to cut off the stemmed top and leave the rest of the pepper.  Cutting them in half also works for a smaller portion – you just don’t eat the stem.  This is what I do for my children because they just eat the meat and cheese out of the center anyway.  I did both of these with the green peppers.  You can also cut them in half lengthwise and use both halves.  This is what I did for the red peppers.

Make sure you wash well – remove the stem if you are not using both halves.  Remove the seeds and the membranes on the inside of the pepper.

In a large pot of simmering water, place your clean peppers and simmer for about 5 minutes until just barely softened.  This will take away a little of the bitterness.  Set aside.

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Back to the meat…add all your remaining ingredients except for the cheese.  Feel free to add spices and other ingredients to your liking or subtract those you don’t care for.IMG_2765 IMG_2755

Now scoop out your mixture and stuff inside your peppers.

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Top with cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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We served ours with stuffed mushrooms – I was obviously on a stuffing kick!

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Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

A Little Weekend Adventure

A couple of weekends ago, I made a trip down to our local Farmer’s Market in San Antonio at the Pearl Brewery.  I have been wanting to to go for months to pick up some fresh eggs, but something always seems to get in the way – usually the kiddo’s sports games:-).

I finally had the opportunity at the end of June, and I was not disappointed.  I grabbed my two youngest, yanking them away from their iPad screens almost kicking and screaming, strapped them into the car, and off we went!

As soon as we got there, my son looked at me and said, “Wow!  This isn’t what I expected! It is like a carnival.”

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I have to admit, he wasn’t too far off.  It was much larger than I remembered from a few years ago.  It is very nicely set up, and there were many foods and vendors from which to choose along with music, an information booth, and LOTS of dogs!

I highly recommend going (EARLY) if you have the chance.  I say early because when we arrived around 9:30 there were many options and plenty of stock.  By the time we left at noon, after seeing everything, I was scraping at the remnants of what was left.  I saw there was plenty when we arrived so I didn’t see the need to purchase anything right in the beginning just to carry it around with us.  My recommendation would be to take a cooler, buy as you go, and then stash your items in the car so you can keep shopping and grazing.

And grazing you can go!  My children tasted everything there you could possibly taste!  Look at these happy kiddos!  These do not look like the same children I tortured by pulling them away from their electronics!  These are my happy children.

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Of course, what is not to like after you have just tasted fresh Greek yogurt from grass-fed cows.  There was no more kicking and screaming.  After a bite of yogurt and some tasty cheese, they asked me if they could come back every weekend.

Like I said, I went for eggs, and there were many suppliers for eggs.  The supplier that I liked the most after talking about the hens only had 2 dozen left at noon so I cleaned him out.  Next time, that will be my first stop!

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While I was in the Wholesome Harvest Farms booth getting my eggs, I picked up some delicious yellow squash as well, to make my yummy squash casserole!

The kids favorite booths were the ones with the yogurt and the many artisan cheeses.  They were delicious.  All were made with milk from grass-fed cows.  You can’t go wrong with those nutrients.  Even though I don’t eat yogurt, I certainly let my children eat this fresh one made with all fresh ingredients.

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Right next door was the cheese lady.  Her products were amazing, and the milk was from a farm in Schulenburg, Texas.  Supposedly the best milk in the Lone Star State coming from Jersey Cows that graze the green grass of our great state!  We bought two of the four flavors and they are devine.  My favorite is the black pepper, but the other one was a cumin flavor that was also out of this world!

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We hopped across to the goat milk people and purchased some jalapeño and artichoke cheese made from goat’s milk that is just incredible!  So fresh and smooth.  I spread it on some parmesan crisps for a crunchy snack.

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Moving on, we made it around to the mushroom farmers!  This may be the best yet, but oh how hard to judge.  I bought some portobellos and white mushrooms, all of which I used for stuffing!  Amazing!

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Then on to the meat…Pork and Beef.  There were two pork ranchers, both of which were organic and grass-fed.  The one lady I spoke with seemed to know all about the different farmers and ranchers at the farmer’s market so she gave me some tips, and I purchased from her.  I ended up going with some pork belly.  I had never cooked the pork belly before, but have loved it as a delicacy in restaurants.  It fulfills our fat intake necessity, and actually turned out pretty yummy.  It is almost impossible to find except directly from those who raise pigs so this was the place to find it.

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Then, on to beef!  I found three vendors, and referred to my nice new friend at the pork booth.  She recommended one cattle ranch that has been owned by the same family for generations.  The meat was fantastic.  It was pricey, but worth it!  I purchased some steaks and some ground beef that were all devoured.

We also did buy some beef sticks and dried sausage from one other cattle rancher that the boys ate in no time for a quick snack.  Those beef sticks are one of their very favorite snacks!

When it was time to go, we still had lots of smiles, and a request to return every weekend!  If not for all the samples, just to watch the puppies tour around the market.  There were many.  This was a great outing not only for healthy food, but for family togetherness – away from those mesmerizing flat screens.  I actually got to see my children enjoy each other, nature, great food, and a little culture all mixed in together.

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If you have a chance, try to get out to your local market on a weekend.  It is quite an experience and a great haul at the same time!

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Happy Friday!

ABC’s Are Not Just for Children!

This is what we call an ABC Burger!

A=Avocado

B=Bacon

C=Cheddar Cheese

Put it all together, and what do you get…delicious, filling, and crowd pleasing!

No need for a bun.

Every Sunday, I make sheets of bacon to munch on during the week!  This allows us to have bacon every morning, even in a pinch.  I used to make it in the skillet every morning the old fashioned way, but this way allows me to make much more at a time, save all the bacon drippings, and have more time in the morning.


Cookie Sheet Bacon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan) with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Lay your bacon out without the sides touching.  I can usually get 10 to 12 pieces on a sheet.IMG_0777The cooking time really depends on how thick your bacon is, how you are going to use it, and how cooked you like it!  If you are going to keep cooking it in another dish, I do it par-baked which just means I remove it before it is thoroughly cooked through.

I use pretty thick bacon and usually cook it about 20 minutes.  For thinner bacon, start checking it at about 12 to 14 minutes.

This is about 20 minutes for thick bacon:
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Remove your bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain and crisp.

Do not discard your drippings.  I almost always try to make a dish using the bacon drippings the day I make bacon such as the Bacon Brussels or Bacon Green Beans.  If I am not cooking a dish, I save the drippings in a mason jar.  (Yes, just like Grandma used to save hers!)  Make sure you strain the bits out if you are using a jar – I use bits and all when preparing a dish the same night.

I reuse the tray over and over until I have enough bacon (and drippings) for my immediate and future bacon needs!  Then, when you are finished, drain your drippings and toss the foil!

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This evening, we made ABC Burgers AND Bacon Green Beans (post to come) with all of that delicious bacon.

It is super simple, and your family will love you.

ABC Burger

I used 2 lbs of grass-fed 80/20 ground beef, and hand mixed with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce (and any other herbs and spices you like in a normal burger).

Form the meat into patties the size you like.  My husband grilled them out back as usual, but about 5 minutes before removing them, adds the bacon and tops with sliced cheddar cheese.  After the cheese melts, remove them from the grill.

We place them on a bed of lettuce with mayo (you can use mustard too) and top with sliced avocado. You will realize you never need a bun again!

This is a super easy weeknight meal or a fun weekend meal!

Here is your tip for the week if you need it even easier…Order Up, in San Antonio, makes their own version of an ABC Burger made with grass-fed beef that is delicious!  They serve theirs in a lettuce wrap, on request, and serve their delicious Chipotle Mayo on the side.  It is fantastic, perfectly Keto, and we love the people there as well.IMG_0785Enjoy!

A Better Choice for Yogurt!

Today is for the kiddos…

I know our children love yogurt, especially those fun, brightly colored, cartoon character covered, sugary yogurt drinks!  It is the first thing they go for in the dairy section!  Why?  They are loaded with sugar!  Even the “all natural” or organic yogurt drinks, squeezes and smoothies have added sugar usually listed as the second ingredient.  Yogurt and milk already have a lot of sugar naturally from the lactose, but then you add the fructose from the added fruit, and the sucrose from the added sugar, and you have a sugar trifecta!

Here is a better option…

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Maple Hill offers GRASS-FED WHOLE MILK yogurt and yogurt drinks!  I found these at Central Market.  Milk from Grass-Fed cows is hard to come by, and yogurt from Grass-Fed cows is especially hard to come by!  Whole milk yogurt? – This is the only one I have found without added sugar!  Sooo…if you are looking for a better option for your kids this is it!

Maple Hill Creamery PLAIN Drinkable Yogurt

It is a whopping 12 oz serving which usually lasts at least a couple of days.  Write their name with a Sharpie on the container and store in the fridge with the resealable cap.

Total Fat: 17g, Total Carb 17g, and Total Sugar (all from lactose – no added sugar) is 17g

When you compare this to the tubes and squeezes (the healthier ones listed below) it is half the sugar and triple the healthy fat needed for brain development!

Note, that they do have flavors but they are loaded with sugar too, so pick the Plain and add any multitude of flavors with Stevia drops.  Just a few drops (5-6 drops is sufficient for my children) and shake.  You can get these at Central Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts or any other nutrition store.  My kids love the lemon and orange flavors in this yogurt!

 

There are two others that I used to buy:

1. Lifeway Organic PROBUGS because it is a Whole Milk Kefir, but sugar is the second ingredient.  For a 4 oz serving, it contained 4g of fat, 10g of Carbs, and 10g of Sugar.

2.  Siggis Tubes because it claims to have less added sugar.  This one is worse because it uses low fat milk and still has sugar as the second ingredient.  For a 2 oz serving, it contains 1g of fat, 7g of Carbs, and 6g of Sugar.  This is a whole teaspoon of sugar in a measly 2 ounces, and it is one of the lower sugar options!

Between the two above, the PROBUGS would actually be the better option because of the whole milk, and ounce for ounce it actually has less sugar.

And…these were the BEST options I could find BEFORE Maple Hill!  The others are FAR, FAR worse!

 

Why Whole Milk?

The closer to zero-fat milk you go, “the more you eliminate fatty acid benefits,”. You also eliminate naturally occurring Vitamins A and D, which are then added synthetically. And you add powdered milk, which contains artery-hardening oxidized cholesterol, for “mouth feel.”

This makes skim milk a highly processed, additive-laden, synthetic, vitamin-laced beverage that – oh, yeah – has protein. Skim milk increases weight because “once you take out the fat from milk, all you have left is sugar.”  And…Your growing child needs fat for a healthy growing brain!  Fat is a far superior fuel for the brain than glucose!

To read more:  http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/05/23/in-defense-whole-milk/100%

 

Why Grass Fed?

Grass-fed cow’s milk comes from cows who have grazed in pasture year-round rather than being fed a processed diet for much of their life. Grass feeding improves the quality of cow’s milk, and makes the milk richer in omega-3 fats, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and CLA (a beneficial fatty acid named conjugated linoleic acid).  All of this is better for the brain!

Click on this link to read more about the benefits of milk from Grass-Fed cows: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=130

 

 

My HEB Grocery Run on Monday

Monday is usually my HEB run for standard groceries.  I thought I would share what I bought for the next few days, and explain how I am going to use everything!

1.  Apple Cider Vinegar –IMG_0638 I ran out yesterday experimenting with my Keto Bar-B-Que sauce I hope to share soon.  It is always in the pantry!

2.  Coconut Oil Spray – I noticed today there are two different versions on the shelf.  The new one I purchased today is for high-heat cooking which is mainly what it is used for, so I am going to give it a try!

3.  Broccolini and Kerry Gold- This is one of our favorite veggies to have on the side!  Pile on some of the Kerry Gold to make it even better!

4.  Grass Fed Ground Meat – I plan to make cheese stuffed “Spaghetti” and Meatballs!  Yum!

5.  Heavy Whipping Cream – Always in the house for coffee, tea, eggs, sauces, and whipped cream mixed with Swerve!  Double yum!

6.  Organic tomato sauce – Also used up yesterday for my Bar-B-Que sauce.  I keep it stocked in the pantry.

7.  Coconut Milk – Used for a yummy curry Indian dish this week – make sure you buy the full fat!  Another pantry staple!

8.  Cauliflower – I am ricing the cauliflower to serve with my Indian Curry dish.

9.  Spaghetti Sauce – I bet you can figure this one out…It’s for the meatballs!  I couldn’t decide which one to use though..The one in the back is a new Vodka Cream sauce that was super low in sugar and carbs.  I will have to report back on the consensus.

10. Romaine lettuce – A staple for the fridge.  We love Blue Cheese and Caesar dressing topped with bacon, and salad pretty much goes with everything, right?

11.  Pickles (Dill) – There are a few brands we like, but these are the kid’s favorite, and they don’t have the artificial yellow food coloring that so many others have that can contribute to hyperactivity in children.

12. Pasture-Raised Eggs – These are in the basket on every trip!  We eat a lot of eggs!

13. La Croix – My sister-in-law introduced me to this flavor of sparkling water, and I’m hooked.  Sometimes you just need a little zing to your water, and this fits the bill!

14.  Zucchini – ON SALE at HEB right now!  Run and get some!  We use so much of this stuff because it is so versatile!  I bought two full bags of this yummy and healthy squash.  This will be used for the “Spaghetti”.  I’m so excited to share it with you later this week!

As I use some of these ingredients I will post “after” pictures to show you the end result!

Happy Monday!!!