Blog - Ancestral Nutrition

Beef January 25, 2013

Mini Meatloaf With Liver

“THE LOAF, MA!” Is what Scott kept screaming around the apartment last night as I was making this. That man doesn’t even eat meat (which is a story for another time, and sort of the bane of my existence). Lately I’ve been on a huge bison kick. I have had absolutely no desire for beef. I take this to mean my body intuitively knows I need something from bison so it’s turned off my taste for beef for the time being. And I trust my body’s intuition, so I made some bison meatloaf. To up the nutritional value, I added beef liver. And it was freaking awesome. Mini Meatloaf with Liver An easy meatloaf recipe that is packed with nutrients from liver and organic ground meat. 1/2 ground beef or bison1 egg1/2 cup beef or chicken liver1 egg3 tablespoons coconut flour1/2 onion1/4 green pepper1 cup spaghetti sauce3 tablespoons ketchup…

Blog December 31, 2012

Top 10 Foods for Pregnancy and Fertility

The most important thing a woman can do when she finds out she is pregnant is eat nutrient dense foods. Pregnancy is not an excuse to eat whatever you want, it’s a time to nourish yourself and your baby. Ideally, it’s best to start preparing your body (and your partner’s body!) about 6-12 months prior to conception, but obviously, this is not realistic for everyone. So whether you are planning on getting pregnant or already are, here are my top 10 foods to eat to ensure a healthy mama, healthy baby and healthy birth. To preface the top ten foods for pregnancy, it is important to recognize that these are the exact foods to heal and boost fertility. Women experiencing infertility often turn to doctors, hormonal treatments and IVF, when the first place women and men should start are their diets. Our bodies are designed to reproduce. If they are…

Baked Goods December 26, 2012

Best Paleo Snickerdoodles Recipe

The best Paleo Snickerdoodles recipe. Soft and chewy gluten-free and grain-free cinnamon sugar cookies that are easy to make and perfect for the holidays! Much to my surprise, I recently found out that Scott had no idea what a snickerdoodle is. He thought it was something involving a Snickers bar, which he was pretty stoked about due his love of Snickers. But I hate Snickers, and it was time to teach that man about the amazing holiday cookie that is the snickerdoodle. What is a snickerdoodle cookie? Snickerdoodles are probably German or Dutch in origin. They are bit like a sugar cookie, but with cinnamon. A snickerdoodle cookie has to be soft and a bit chewy. It has to be rolled twice in cinnamon-sugar until it is completely coated Why this is the best Paleo Snickerdoodles Cookie recipe ever: These Paleo Cinnamon Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, thick, chewy and…

Blog December 11, 2012

Weight Watchers is Whack

The other night while I was cooking dinner and Scott was watching Monday night football, a commercial came on. It was for Crestor, a statin drug. In print across the screen read “Endorsed by Weight Watchers magazine.” Of course. It’s important to know that statins lower cholesterol in the blood. We know that cholesterol does not cause heart disease, but rather oxidation and resulting inflammation. While I don’t support pharmaceutical drugs at all, Crestor is particularly dangerous. From this Drug Recall website, The dangers of Crestor include the potentially fatal disease rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis can start as just minor seeming muscle aches but can eventually result in death. The disease can cause severe and total muscle degeneration, which floods the blood’s minerals with other substances that can cause kidney failure. Crestor danger can occur from the resulting side effects of the drug, which can injure or even kill people. Other dangerous side effects…

Blog December 4, 2012

Grain Free Fried Eggplant Bruschetta (Paleo & Primal)

Grain-free Fried Eggplant Bruschetta This grain-free Fried Eggplant Bruschetta recipe makes for the perfect primal and paleo appetizer! 1 medium eggplant2 eggs1 cup almond flour1.5 tablespoons coconut flourSpices (I used garlic and paprika)1 pint sized container of grass-fed ricottaSeveral tablespoon of fat of choice (I used lard from the farm)Two tomatoes2 cloves of garlicSeveral leaves of basilTablespoon of olive oilAvocado (optional) Peel the eggplant and slice into rounds.In two separate bowls, mix the eggs and then the coconut and almond flours and spices in another.Make your bruschetta, dice the tomatoes, chop the garlic and basil. Add salt and pepper and olive oil, and let it sit.Heat at least two tablespoons of fat over medium-high heat.Dip the eggplant into the eggs, then the flours, then fry on either side until golden brown.Once all of them are fried, top with the ricotta and the bruschetta, and if you want (or if you…

Blog November 20, 2012

Grain Free English Muffins

When I was a kid I loved English muffins. I would slather them in margarine and top it with sugar. I’m not sure I can think of a less healthy meal (or gross, I was such a weird kid!). But now that I’m older, I’m not sure English muffins should even be considered food. See what I mean: This is not an item I consider food, it’s loaded with processed ingredients and preservatives. But, they do taste good. So I decided to make my own grain-free, soy-free, weird-ingredient-I-can’t-pronounce-free. With only three ingredients! I’m a big fan of easy baking. I cut mine in half and and added a pastured egg, pastured bacon and sliced tomato. All from local farms! Shared at: Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday Grain-free English Muffins Regular English Muffins are not an item I consider food, they are loaded with processed ingredients and preservatives. But, they do…

Blog November 9, 2012

Avocado Margarita

Realistically, no matter how much I care about my health, by no means do I eat or drink 100% clean. And I don’t want to, because that would be boring. While I’ve come a long way with my health and eating habits, I still have a long way to go. And the in-between stuff, I just try to make healthier. Like booze. Truth be told: I drink. I am always surprised when I see bloggers around my age talk about how they don’t drink (like, at all). I mean, if you’re Mormon, I get it. Or if you have kids. That makes sense. But I have yet to find someone openly state that they drink. I do! And usually, I drink red wine because I like the way it tastes and it’s high in resveratol, an antioxidant. I buy organic and sulfite-free from my local organic grocer, and it’s awesome.…

Blog November 1, 2012

Do Plant Based Diets Cause Infertility?

I am not currently trying to get pregnant but it is definitely something that is on my future agenda. Both Scott and I want kids, and when the time comes to have them I plan to prepare with a preconception diet (Scott will do this also, it’s equally as important for dudes). But this got me thinking: the levels of infertility are higher than they’ve ever been. I have two girlfriends (that I know of) that are both infertile, both are young (under 33) and both are vegetarian. While this could just be a coincidence, I don’t think it is. With all the propaganda about plant-based diets, I think most people are just unaware of the shortcomings of this nutrient deficient diet. And it’s blatantly obvious to me that a plant-based diet is not the optimal diet to prepare the body for pregnancy. Cholesterol As I explained in this post, cholesterol is the precursor to the steroid hormones,…

Blog October 31, 2012

Liver, Lime and Cilantro Chicken

I can’t emphasize how amazing liver is. Gram for gram it is the most nutritious food. It is a multivitamin, really. Traditional cultures around the world consider liver a sacred food due to its high nutrient density. It’s high in vita A, E, D and K, B12, B6, zinc, folate, choline and iron. This is why it’s so great for pregnant women and young children. Unfortunately, a lot of people dislike the taste of liver. I am really into pate, but I understand that most people are a little grossed out by eating liver. So what I like to do is mix it into things. I’ll blend up a pound of chicken livers from the farm and freeze a little bit in individual packages. I then add it to whatever I’m cooking for dinner, soup, stir fry, chili, anything really. It disguises the taste wonderfully. I did this with…

Blog October 30, 2012

Paleo Banana Caramel Upside Down Cake (Sugar and Grain Free)

Sometimes, I make really good food. And this spin on an upside down cake is one of my favorites. I made this for a Halloween party and my friends really liked it. If you’re wondering if it got good reviews because my friends are polite, I assure you that is not the case. Happy Halloween! I don’t know if there’s such a thing as ‘Halloween food.’ But I know ‘party food’ exists, and this is definitely a recipe that qualifies as that! Shared at: Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Real Foods Wednesday, Keep It Real Thursday, Make Your Own Mondays Paleo Banana Caramel Upside Down Cake (Sugar and Grain Free) Sometimes, I make really good food. And this healthy sugar and grain-free spin on a banana upside down cake is one of my favorites. 2 bananas2 pastured eggs1/4 cup honey1/4 cup raw or coconut milk (optional)1 tablespoon vanilla extract2.5…