This past week on the Primally Inspired Facebook page (like the page so we can keep in touch!), I told you I was obsessed with oven baked coconut chips. I first found the recipe here and have been making variations of it ever since I discovered how easy, simple, and absolutely delicious they are to make and eat. But out of all my experimental variations, my chocolate version is out of this world and hands down my favorite. I’m pretty sure you’ll agree.

I mean how could you go wrong with a combination like dark chocolate, coconut, coconut oil, honey and sea salt? It’s pretty much all my favorite things wrapped into one. Heaven on a plate, right?!

Just like regular potato chips, these things are mighty addicting and I’m willing to bet that you won’t be able to stop at one handful. But unlike chips, these have plenty of nourishing and beneficial nutrients in them.

Coconut and coconut oil are one of nature’s best sources of lauric acid. Lauric acid strengthens the immune system and protects us against pathogens in the gut. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil also give us quick energy. And then of course there’s my favorite – dark chocolate. Cacao is jam packed with antioxidants. So much so that cacao contains higher antioxidant count than the acai, pomegranate, blueberry, and cranberry! And we can’t forget about honey. Honey is a powerful immune booster and it’s even been called nature’s energy.

This is such a healthy, nourishing snack that you can feel great about eating or giving to your kids. Ditch the regular chips and grab some coconut chips!

I get my coconut chips here. 

I get my organic cacao powder here. 

I get my coconut oil here.

I’m starting to see one of my favorite things – juicy, bright red, fresh strawberries popping up all over at my local farmer’s market. Since strawberries are one of my top 3 favorite fruits, I hope you don’t mind all my latest recipe creations featuring these little red gems.

I also hope you’ll be able to find a local organic farm or a no chemical produce stand because strawberries have one of the very highest pesticide residue counts. So much so that my local organic farmer jokes that you could mash up conventionally grown strawberries and use the mash as a pesticide. He’s half joking, but the chemicals they use on these conventionally grown strawberries are no laughing matter.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) classifies one chemical they use on strawberry plants, methyl bromide, as a Toxicity Category 1 compound because it can cause poisoning, neurological damage and reproductive harm. 

I truly don’t mean to scare you. Rather, I just want to inform you of the things they are doing to our beautiful strawberries  so you can make an educated decision on what type of strawberries you buy for your family. Year after year, strawberries have been tested to exceed pesticide tolerance levels by the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program. Because strawberries are soft and porous and have no thick outer skin, it’s virtually impossible to wash off the harmful pesticide residue.

I don’t buy everything organic (I do the best I can with the resources I have), but I do always make sure to buy organic strawberries for those reasons. And if you buy conventional strawberries, do me a favor and soak them in a water/vinegar solution (add a cup of white vinegar to the water) for at least 30 minutes. This will help wash off the pesticides and bacteria and also make your strawberries last longer!

So grab yourself some organic strawberries and give this breakfast cake a try. It’s just delightful and your house will smell absolutely amazing while it’s baking. The texture and consistency is perfect and the crunch topping tastes like a coffee cake. In fact, I served it to some guests last weekend and they raved about it, never even knowing it was grain free.

My favorite way to eat this is paired with a cup of hot tea or coffee. Coconut flour baked goods tend to get better and better with time in the fridge, so this is a great recipe to make the night before and enjoy the next morning. It also freezes well.

Friday Favorites: Book Review Part 1 – The Nourished Metabolism

I kept hearing about The Nourished Metabolism book in the blogisphere world and I wanted to see what was up with all the hype. I’ll admit, I’m a total geek at heart – I love to learn new things and I read more books in one week than most people do in a year. Health and nutrition books are my current top favs and I’m currently working my way through the shelves in our local library.

So in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by this book when I first started reading through the pages. But somewhere between the 3^rd and 4^th page, I got hooked. And I mean totally hooked. I read it all in one sitting and then read it again the next day to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

To say I loved this book would be a complete understatement. Right after I was done reading it, I seriously wanted to buy it for all my friends and family. And if I had the extra money or if it was around Christmas time, I really would have. I know so many of my friends and family are struggling with metabolic issues and I know this book would help them tremendously and give them a great start and a fresh perspective on how to get back on track.

I’m going to first give you brief summary about the book and then in Part 2 of my book review, I’ll give you glimpse into my personal life and explain why it resonated so much with me.

First things first, I’ll tell you about the book!

When you hear the word metabolism what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you are like me, you probably think of burning calories. When I think of metabolism, I also think that skinny people have a naturally high metabolism and obese people have a slower metabolism.

This is such a common misconception, though! Elizabeth Walling, the author and genius behind the book, tells us exactly what metabolism is and why it’s so important for yours to be functioning at it’s best. She explains in a very easy to understand way that metabolism is how every single cell in our body processes and uses energy. Every single cell! That means our brain, liver, digestive system, thyroid, and every other function in our body needs energy to function. That also means metabolic function is at the very center of our health! So not only is metabolic function so important but if you are not nourishing your metabolism and giving it what it needs to do it’s job properly, you will experience long term health consequences.

We live in a world where it’s really hard to nourish our metabolism like we should and many of us experience symptoms of poor metabolic function like mood swings, cold feet, dull skin, insomnia, unable to handle stress well, and poor digestion just to name a few.

Elizabeth shows us simple but effective ways to nourish our metabolism and her often surprising suggestions can bring powerful, life changing results! And her ideas might seriously surprise you. Hint: real butter and less exercise – sounds good to me  

I also want to mention that there are 12 entire pages filled with scientific references in the back so if you think some of those ideas are far-fetched, think again. She backs them up with sound, concrete scientific research.

Here are some of my favorite gems that you’ll learn in this book:

Seek out and destroy the hidden causes of stress in your life. She shows us some hidden stresses that you’ve probably never even considered as stresses that are seriously damaging our health.

End digestive problems like bloating, constipation, and food intolerances. If you feel bloated or gassy after eating, this is not normal and a sign that your body is not digesting food properly. I had this problem for years and just thought it was normal! It’s NOT normal at all. She tells us why it’s happening and what we can do to fix it. When your digestive system is not working properly, this is a huge stress to your body.

Just say no to fad diets that don’t really work and seriously damage your health. This was one of my favorite parts in the book! Low calorie and low fat diets have some very serious consequences. She tells us why and what we should be doing instead. Again, her suggestions will surprise you!

Find out how to listen to your body’s biofeedback so you know what works for you. Another complete gem of a chapter in my eyes. She explains why diet dogma has got to go and that you need to start listening to what your own body is telling you – not some rules written down on a piece of paper of what you can and cannot eat from someone who doesn’t even know you. This is powerful stuff! You’ll absolutely LOVE this chapter!

I told you this book covers some amazing things Here’s a list of the chapters in the book:

One of the other major reasons I love this book so much is that Elizabeth has a very balanced perspective on health and nutrition. She does not subscribe to any one way of eating and encourages people to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods to see what foods work for us and what ones don’t. She shows us which foods reduce stress, promote healing and reduce inflammation so we can chose the foods that are best and right for us and our individual bodies.

If you want to learn more about metabolic health and how it impacts you, if you suffer from any symptoms of poor metabolic health, if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, or if you are fed up with dieting, this book can change your life!

In part 2, I’m going to get personal and tell you why this book impacted me so much

Until then, if you’d like to purchase the book (you won’t regret it – in fact, after you read it, you’ll probably want to come back and purchase one for a loved one, too!), you can do so here:  http://bit.ly/thenourishedmetabolsm 

Almost forgot to mention one more cool thing! Now until May 31st, you will also quality for 35% off this book plus you will get a free bonus guide. Sweet!

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit this recipe is kind of ridiculous.

Why?

Because it includes butter and coconut oil. Honey and maple syrup. Not just one or the other. Both.

Ridiculous, I know. Why didn’t I just pick one or the other?

Let me tell you exactly why I didn’t.

I was out to make the world’s best chocolate chip cookie…at least the best in my little world. So, I did what any crazy awesome person would do.

I made 14 different chocolate chip cookie recipes and had people vote on their favorite. In one recipe I only used honey as the sweetener, in another maple syrup. I used coconut flour in one recipe and almond flour in the other. I combined almond flour and coconut flour. I combined maple and honey….you get the point. I basically thought of every combination I could think of and tried it.

And then I shoved cookies in all my friends, neighbors and families faces and made them tell me what ones they liked.

So do you wanna be my friend? Actually, you really don’t because after I shoved cookies in their faces, I drilled them with 30 annoying questions about each cookie. “Did it have good flavor? What about the texture – did you like the texture? Are you sure? Like really, really sure? Are you 100% positive you liked this one better than the 9^th cookie? Try it again one more time. Okay, you sure?”

Yeah, I told you I was crazy awesome.

Anyway, hands down this recipe was the clear winner. And of course it had to be the complicated recipe of butter (and not just butter, but browned butter) and coconut oil and honey and maple syrup. Of course, you could just pick one or the other, but I’m telling you – if you want to experience a slammin chocolate chip cookie, just try this recipe out as written.

And let me tell you, browned butter = ahhhhhmazing. The depth of flavor it brings to the cookies is unmatched. I promise that you’re not going to regret taking the few extra seconds to make it.

Some of you regular readers probably know by now that I’m not an almond flour fan and don’t think it’s the healthiest thing to be consuming on a regular basis (read why in this post). This recipe is actually the first almond flour recipe I’ve posted and these cookies are my one almond flour exception. Try them and you’ll see why

And learn how to make this super cute gift roll cookie dough, too. It’s so simple and such a fun gift for teachers, hostess gifts, or anyone! I don’t know too many that will turn away cookies

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain Free)

Makes about 20–24 cookies or 2 gift rolls

Ingredients:

5 T butter

5 T coconut oil, melted

3 T pure raw honey

3 T pure maple syrup

1 ½ T pure vanilla extract

2 ½ cups almond flour

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chocolate pieces 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir continuously until you start to see it change color slightly and see little brown bits appear on the bottom. This will not take long – about a minute or two. As soon as you see this, remove immediately from the heat and continue stirring constantly for 30 seconds. It’s important to remove from the heat as soon as you see the little brown bits on the bottom because you can go from glorious brown butter to gross, nasty, yucky burnt butter in a matter of seconds.

Once you’ve made your brown butter, put it in a mixing bowl and add the coconut oil, honey, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until well mixed. Add in the dry ingredients and stir. Finally add in the chocolate chips and stir.

You can bake the cookies immediately. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a baking pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. But I like to place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and then bake them. I have no idea what this does (does anyone know?), but I swear it makes the cookies taste better. After they’ve been in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, I roll them into balls and then flatten them with both my palms so they form perfect little patties or slices. Then I bake them at 350 for 10-12 minutes. I can’t think of anything much better than warm cookies so enjoy!

You can also make 2 adorable gift rolls out of this recipe!

Divide your dough in half and place the halves on 2 separate sheets of parchment paper. Shape the cookie dough in a log and roll up with the parchment paper. Twist the ends and tie with ribbon. Use some cute paper and sticker labels (you can find these at craft stores) to create a gift tag, like pictured. Tape will not stick on the parchment paper, so you have to use a piece of decorative paper and wrap it around the roll (it looks cuter like that anyway!). Then you can stick the label on the decorative paper. I always like to include the recipe with the gift roll, as well. I also make sure to tell them that they can use the parchment paper to bake their cookies

I have a large amount of treat recipes that call for melted chocolate or chocolate chips or chocolate bars. Organic chocolate bars are so expensive and it’s really hard to find  good quality chocolate chips without soy lecithin or other artificial yuckies (here’s the only brand of chocolate chips without dairy or soy).

So this homemade chocolate is the perfect solution! You can use this recipe to make chocolate bars, chocolate candies or even chocolate chips.

You won’t believe how easy this is to make! And ohmigosh, it tastes so much better than any store bought chocolate. I can’t keep a batch of this in my house for over 5 minutes!

And dare I even call this a healthy chocolate recipe? Why yes, I most certainly do dare! And let me tell you why.

Chocolate is loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants. And get this: Polyphenols have recently been termed “lifespan essentials.” Eating foods with high polyphenol counts can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and help protect the body from chronic disease. And the best news? Cacao is one of nature’s richest sources of polyphenols! So much so that chocolate even trumps the acai, pomegranate, cranberry and blueberry in polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day

So I know it’s going to be really difficult, but you really need to get some more chocolate in your diet

Oh one more thing: Skip the refined cocoa powders like dutch processed. Yes, the dutch processed versions taste great, but the refining chemical process removes the healthy antioxidants. Instead opt for cocoa powders that are labeled natural or unprocessed – these are your best, healthiest option and are abundantly filled with healthy antioxidants. This organic natural cacao powder is the bomb – I love this stuff so much!

Easy, Healthy Homemade Dark Chocolate

Ingredients:

½ cup natural organic cacao powder 

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1-2 T pure raw honey or pure maple syrup*

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed and smooth. You can pour the chocolate into candy molds to make chocolate candy, you can put the chocolate into a cake decorator (or plastic bag with the edge cut off) and pipe out chocolate chips or you can pour the chocolate into wax or parchment paper and make bars. Freeze until hardened – about 30 minutes. Store the chocolate in the fridge.

*I came up with this based on my personal taste tests:

1 T honey = about 85% dark chocolate

1 1/2 T honey = about 73% dark chocolate  

2 T honey = about 60% dark chocolate

Here’s some of my very favorite recipes that you can use this dark chocolate:

Dark Chocolate Banana Pops

Homemade Cadbury Eggs

No Added Sugar, No Grains, Easy and Amazing Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Dark Chocolate Chips

Dark Chocolate Breakfast Souffle

Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites 

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

Dark Chocolate Double Dipped Blood Oranges

Energy Balls with Dark Chocolate Chips

Friday Favorites: Homemade Bath Salts (Mother’s Day Gift Idea)

I can’t think of a whole lot that’s better than a hot bath after a long day. Especially a day that started off by dropping and breaking 2 dozen farm fresh eggs all over the kitchen floor. At that moment I knew that I was going to need a long hot bath and a do not disturb sign on the door.

I’ve been making these homemade bath salts for years and I just adore making, using and giving them as gifts. I gave my grandmother a jarful a few Christmas’s ago and ever since then, she’s been asking for them at every holiday. She loves them and so do I.

The recipe down below is my standard base recipe, but I encourage you to get creative with it. I sometimes include dried herbs or flowers, lemon/orange/lime zest (using zest will also give great color to the salts!) and a mix of different essential oils.

The majority of the salts I use in this recipe are Epsom salts, which actually aren’t a salt at all, but rather a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. Magnesium and sulfate are easily absorbed by the skin so taking a bath is a wonderful way to get all those amazing health benefits!

And you will be amazed at the many health benefits of Epsom salt so let me give you quick rundown provided by the help of  our friends at SaltWorks:

• Eases stress and relaxes the body

Stress drains the body of magnesium and increases levels of adrenaline. When dissolved in warm water, Epsom salt is absorbed through the skin and replenishes the level of magnesium in the body. The magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. Research shows that magnesium also increases energy and stamina by encouraging the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy packets made in the cells. Experts believe that bathing with Epsom salt at least three times a week helps you to look better, feel better and gain more energy. Magnesium ions also relax and reduce irritability by lowering the effects of adrenaline. They lower blood pressure, create a relaxed feeling, improve sleep and concentration, and help muscles and nerves to function properly.

• Relieves pain and muscle cramps

An Epsom salt bath is known to ease pain and relieve inflammation, making it beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma and migraine headaches. In addition, it has been known to heal cuts and reduce soreness from childbirth. Epsom salt softens skin and will even neutralize foot odor.

• Helps muscles and nerves function properly

Studies show that Epsom salt can help regulate electrolytes in your body, ensuring proper functioning of the muscles, nerves and enzymes. Magnesium is also known to be critical in the proper use of calcium, which serves as a main conductor of the electric impulses in your body.

• Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots

Epsom salt is believed to improve heart health and help prevent heart disease and strokes by improving blood circulation, lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths.

• Makes insulin more effective

Proper magnesium and sulfate levels increase the effectiveness of insulin in the body, helping to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.

• Relieves constipation

Numerous studies have revealed that Epsom salt can be used to treat constipation. Taken internally, Epson salt acts as a detoxifying agent for colon cleansing. The salt acts like a laxative by increasing water in the intestines and can bring about temporary relief from constipation. However, it is strictly warned that Epsom salts should not be used to relieve constipation without the consultation of a physician.

• Eliminates toxins from the body

The sulfates in Epsom salt help flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Your skin is a highly porous membrane and adding the right minerals to your bathwater triggers a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it.

If that doesn’t make you want to take a hot bath, I don’t know what will! I like to put my salts in a cute jar and pair it with some local handmade soaps that I get at the farmer’s market (or if you make soap yourself, even better!) for a beautiful gift. You can even include in that gift basket some homemade  whipped coconut oil for the ultimate decadent moisturizer!

Homemade Bath Salts

Makes about 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

1 cup Epsom salt

½ cup sea salt

1 T baking soda

1 T oil of choice (coconut, light olive, almond, avocado, walnut, etc)

5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil

optional: dried herbs or flowers, zest from oranges, lemons or limes

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Pour into desired container.

To use for a bath: pour a few spoonfuls (about 3-4 Tablespoons) into a hot bath and enjoy!

To me, there’s nothing quite like the flavors of strawberry and lime together. They belong together. It’s kind of like PB and J, Mickey and Minnie, salt and pepper. Or my belly and bacon. Yes, definitely my belly and bacon.

Just like my belly and bacon make me happy, so does this strawberry lime cake. It’s refreshing and summery and you’re going to just love it.

The best part is that it’s completely grain, dairy, nut, and refined sugar free, but I promise you that you would never know it. Annnnnd, it’s also been kid-approved by my picky kid taste testers! High fives all around!

Strawberry Lime Cake

Serves 9 or more

Ingredients:

For the cake:

4 eggs

2 limes, zested and juiced

½ cup milk of choice (coconut, almond, dairy, etc.)

¼ cup coconut oil or butter

1/3 cup pure raw honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

For the whipped “cream” icing:

1 can (14 oz) full fat coconut milk

2 T pure raw honey

1 lime, zested

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

For the topping:

1 ½ cup diced strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, lime juice and zest, coconut oil, honey, milk and vanilla together. Mix well. Add in the coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8 baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done in the center. Check the top at the 15 and 20 minute mark and make sure it’s not over-browning. If it is, place some foil over the top until it’s finished cooking. Let cool. Once cooled, frost your cake with the whipped “cream.” Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Top with diced strawberries. Slice and serve. Enjoy! Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

For the whipped icing:

Refrigerate your can of coconut milk overnight for best whipped results. Use just the coconut cream that has risen to the top from your can of coconut milk. You can use the leftover coconut water for smoothies or save it for another use. Place just the coconut cream in bowl or stand mixer. Whip until peaks form. Once it’s whipped, add in your lime zest, honey, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Whip once more until it’s thoroughly incorporated. 

I decided to venture out to the Lancaster Central Farmer’s Market last week on a breathtaking spring day. The day really couldn’t have been more perfect. It was about 70 degrees, not a cloud in the bright blue sky and the sun kissing my skin – my kinda day!

On my drive to the farmer’s market, I was captivated by the magnificent views of the beautiful farm land of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I love living so close to Lancaster County because there’s rolling hills of farmland as far as the eye can see. The best part is that many of these farms believe in all natural, organic farming practices. There’s cows happily grazing on grass, chickens running around the fields, and raw milk and fresh brown egg homemade signs staked in the yards on every street. It really is a picture perfect site and I consider myself very blessed to live so close to this area and to all these wonderful farms that provide me with such rich sources of nutrition.

As I was strolling around the farmer’s market, I spotted a bright, cheerful salad. The little sign said it was the special of the day and made with fresh local produce. Colorful food always gets my attention and this salad was definitely an eye catcher. The crisp green asparagus, bright red strawberries and sunny bits of yellow lemon zest drew me in and I knew I just had to have a taste. And I was so glad I decided to purchase this salad because it tasted as refreshing as it looked! There were even candied walnuts in the salad – yum  

The salad reminded me of a gorgeous spring day – light and refreshing. I knew I wanted to recreate it when I got home so I left the farmer’s market with plenty of fresh asparagus and strawberries in hand. I think this would be a perfect salad to make for a Mother’s Day brunch and spring bridal and baby showers!

Strawberry Asparagus Spring Salad

Serves 6+

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1 pint of strawberries (about 2 cups), sliced

For the candied walnuts:

½ cup walnuts

2 tsp butter (vegans can substitute coconut oil)

1 T honey (vegans can substitute maple syrup or sweetener of choice)

pinch of sea salt

For the dressing:

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 T honey (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. I do this by gently bending the asparagus and they will naturally snap off where they are supposed to. After the tough ends are off, slice the asparagus on an angle into 1 inch pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the asparagus for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the asparagus with the sliced strawberries in a large bowl. Add the dressing to the bowl. Next stir in your candied walnuts. Add some fresh pepper and sea salt to the top. I like to add some additional fresh lemon zest/spirals to the top of the salad, too. Enjoy!

For the candied walnuts:

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and the honey. Add in the walnuts and stir until the walnuts are sticky and well coated. Add a dash of sea salt to them. Set aside to cool.

For the dressing:

Combine the vinegar, oil, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper and stir until well mixed.

Friday Favorites – Frozen Raw Liver Pills

Ummmmm, say what?! Before you think I’ve completely lost my mind, promise me you’ll at least hear me out on this.

And just for the record, liver used to give me a major case of the heebie jeebies. Now I’m completely singing it’s praises. Literally. I’ve been telling everyone and anyone how much of a dramatic difference consuming liver has made in my life. I haven’t gone coo-coo, I promise. I can’t wait to tell you why I love this so much.

I’ve heard throughout the years that liver is so good for you, but truthfully, it’s always been pretty disgusting to me. I don’t like the taste or texture one bit. So taking these raw frozen liver pills is the only way I can get some liver in my life. If I can do these raw liver pills, anyone can.

But first let me tell you why you should be eating liver and then I’ll tell you my experience since making and taking the “pills.”

Liver from healthy animals (pastured, grass-fed, etc) is, gram for gram, the most nutrient dense food humans can eat. Because liver is kind of like a filter to filter out, clean and neutralize toxins, it’s equipped with mega doses of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to do it’s job properly. And just to clear a common misconception: liver does not store toxins – instead it stores a multitude of vitamins to do it’s super important job of cleaning the toxins from the blood so they can be expelled in the body.

I consider my liver pills my real food multi-vitamin. Here’s a little summary of some more reasons liver is so awesome, taken from the Weston A. Price Foundation:

• An excellent source of high quality protein.

• Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A.

• All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12.

• One of our best sources of folic acid.

• A highly usable form of iron.

• Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper.

• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor.

• CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function.

• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

I have been taking my liver pills for a little over 3 months now. I noticed some pretty dramatic results, but I wanted to make sure I was 100% positive it was the liver doing these wonderful things and not some other factor(s). After 3 months, I’m convinced it’s the liver. I’m even going to go as far to say that taking these liver pills has given me the most dramatic difference diet-wise to date than anything in my life before. I know that’s a pretty heavy statement, but it’s 100% true.

Here’s the major differences I have noticed:

No more mood swings or PMS

My daily mood swings pretty much became extinct after following a Paleo/Real Food diet because I wasn’t on a blood sugar roller coaster anymore (hallelujah – read more of my story here). But, I would always know when “that time of the month” was coming because about 3 days before that time, I would get very irritable and moody. It was like clockwork. I didn’t even have to track my period because the day I got irritable I knew that time was coming 3 days later. But since I’ve been taking the liver pills, I have no more PMS symptoms. In fact, the first month that I was taking the pills, my period crept up on me and totally surprised me. I chalked it up to I had so much stuff going on in my life that maybe I just didn’t notice that I wasn’t irritable. But then it happened the next month and the month after that, too. I realized that this was no coincidence anymore. My painful cramps and ovarian cysts that I had every month disappeared, as well. After researching some more on liver, I found out that the abundant doses of bio available vitamin A,D and K were all contributing to optimum hormone production. It made sense to me now – my hormones were benefiting dramatically from these liver pills! And healthy hormones mean better sleep, less weight gain, better response to stress, and on and on the list goes.

Dramatic increase in energy

I’ve always been a fairly energetic person. Except in the winter. I suck in the winter. I thrive on sunshine and Vitamin D from the sun. I wrote a post back in the dead of winter about needing to supplement with vitamin D pills during the cold months. I get tired, sluggish, and an obvious lack of energy in the winter. My vitamin D pills do help, but nothing like the liver pills. These liver pills are like drinking a Red Bull energy drink. And I mean that in a good way (no shakes or sugar rush, obviously). I noticed a dramatic increase in energy after taking these pills for one week. I ditched my Vitamin D pills and use solely these liver pills. I seriously can’t believe the difference!

Crazy increase in cardiovascular stamina

All you athletes and competitors better listen up for this one. You won’t believe this! I told my husband that I think the liver pills are giving me crazy energy – like superhero energy. We love to go on long mountain bike rides together, but I had a hard time keeping up with him the whole time. Not speed wise, but cardiovascular wise. Long distance cardio is and always has been a challenge for me. I like to tease and say my muscles are all made up of fast twitch muscle fibers because I excel in sprinting and high intensity interval fitness. However, long distance running or biking? Forget about it. I’m not very good at long distance stuff at all. But ever since I’ve been taking these liver pills, I can seriously just go and go. I feel like the energizer bunny and I’m not even kidding. I can more than keep up on our long mountain bike rides now. I also take cardio kickboxing once a week. It always kicks my butt, gets my heart rate pretty high, makes me sweat a lot and I just love pushing my body like this. But ever since the liver pills, my cardio kickboxing class is like a walk in park. I barely break a sweat anymore. And my lifting? Let’s just say I had to go out and buy bigger kettlebells because my other ones are too easy now (so serious!).

I know you are probably reading this and thinking I’m full of you-know-what right now and saying this is too good to be true (hey, I probably would be, too). But I’m 100% serious. This was such a dramatic difference that I went online to see if anyone else had this type of experience because I almost couldn’t believe it myself. Could these little liver pills really do this? Low and behold, what I was experiencing is valid and many others experienced this same type of thing! In fact, there’s even a name for it. Liver contains something scientists call the “anti-fatigue factor” and it’s still a mystery to them.

Check this crazy research experiment out and it will all make sense (at least it did to me):

The experiment divided laboratory rats into three groups. The first ate a basic diet, fortified with 11 vitamins. The second ate the same diet, along with an additional supply of vitamin B complex. The third ate the original diet, but instead of vitamin B complex received 10 percent of rations as powdered liver.

After several weeks, the animals were placed one by one into a drum of cold water from which they could not climb out. They literally were forced to sink or swim. Rats in the first group swam for an average 13.3 minutes before giving up. The second group, which had the added fortifications of B vitamins, swam for an average of 13.4 minutes. Of the last group of rats, the ones receiving liver, three swam for 63, 83 and 87 minutes. The other nine rats in this group were still swimming vigorously at the end of two hours when the test was terminated. Something in the liver had prevented them from becoming exhausted. To this day scientists have not been able to pin a label on this anti-fatigue factor.

I am totally like one of those little rats in the last experiment swimming away in water without getting tired! Isn’t that so crazy?

So now I’m hoping you can see why I am so excited about these liver pills! And I noticed all these differences before doing the research that confirmed my same results – it’s not just “in my head.”

Okay, so now you may be wondering how to make these liver pills. The most important thing is to get some good quality liver. The cool part is that liver is so inexpensive because most Americans don’t eat it. I got my pastured, completely grass-fed beef liver for $2 a pound!

How to make your own liver pills:

If your liver is frozen, thaw it slightly, but don’t thaw it completely. If it’s not frozen, place it in the freezer until it hardens a little. This will make the cutting process so much easier. Next you want to cut it into little pea-size pieces – about the size of a regular pill. This is very tedious and time consuming, but it will make a ton of little pills, so you’ll be set for awhile! Once you have all the pills cut, you want to flash freeze them so they don’t all clump together and make it close to impossible to break apart. You flash freeze them by placing them in a single layer (make sure they are not touching each other) and freeze them for 15 minutes. Once they are flash frozen, you can store them in an airtight container or bag. Keep them in the freezer. Easy peasy.

I take 3 or 4 of my raw frozen liver pills every day. I swallow them frozen and down them with liquid just like I would any other pill.

If you are scared about consuming raw meat, know this: Parasites and other pathogens are eliminated after being frozen for 14 days.

If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer them!

This is my absolute favorite way to eat a steak and I look for any excuse to make it. It’s so flavorful and so tender and juicy. Cinco De Mayo gives me the perfect reason to heat up my broiler, throw on my sombrero and make carne asada

Pair this steak with the Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and you’ll have a ridiculously slammin meal!

I like to make the marinade the night before and then it only takes minutes to cook the steak when you need it. I also like to saute a bunch of veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms and zucchini) in a hot, oil filled skillet while the steak is broiling to round out the meal. And of course, I pour the Tomatillo Avocado Salsa all over the whole plate

Broiling a flank steak gives me consistent perfect results with a nice sear on the outside and a medium pink color on the inside. It’s my go-to way to cook this, but feel free to cook the steak any way you wish. If you are a grill master, go for the grill!

Buen Provecho!

Carne Asada

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2-3 lb flank or skirt steak, 1 inch thick

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil or oil of choice

2 limes, juiced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the white vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, garlic and spices together in a bowl. Mix well. Pour the marinade over the steak and turn to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours.

After it’s finished marinating, turn the oven to broil and set the rack to the top position. Broil the steak for 6 minutes, flip, broil 5 more minutes for medium. Cook longer for more well done steak, but keep in mind that flank steak will get tough the more you cook it. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut the steak into slices and serve with Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Enjoy!