Category Archives: Healthy Eating

Low Carb [Keto] Protein Bars [Fat Bomb]

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Keto. Ketones. Keto diet. Ketogenic lifestyle.

These are some of the most searched terms on the Internet today.

Ketones are produced in smaller amounts naturally by everybody. People who are adapted to fat as their primary fuel instead of carbohydrates will naturally produce and use them in higher amounts.

The goal of the ketogenic lifestyle is to adapt the body to utilize FAT as its primary fuel source instead of SUGAR. Fat can be a healthier and more sustainable source of energy

Ketones help you burn fat for energy, powerfully reduce inflammation and show promise in preventing and eradicating diabetes, cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

It was early 2016 when I first made the switch into a low-carb/high-fat way of eating. It was a long time coming; a decision I made only after doing a lot of research and reading. The one book that inspired me to finally take the plunge was Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore.

I really wish I had had access to a conference or online summit at the time to guide me through my transition into keto. Since those early days I have discovered work from other experts like David Perlmutter, Thomas Seyfried, Brian Mowll, and David Jockers, and the research these doctors have done in the value of a ketogenic diet.

The Keto Edge Summit is exactly the kind of all-inclusive package I wish I had when I was starting out. I’m glad it is now available to help other people who want to try keto. And many of the doctors doing cutting edge research in keto are featured in the summit!

One thing I needed was a source for recipes that were keto-friendly. I was glad to find at the end of Keto Clarity a small recipes to get you started.

I really liked the recipe called “Camille’s Keto Energy Bars“. I liked the convenience of having a portable snack or quick breakfast. One to keep me satisfied with plenty of healthy fats. Most energy bars you can buy are way too high in carbs to work for people in ketosis. So this homemade version filled that need.

The original recipe was made with a lot of almond butter, raw nuts and cacao nibs. But I still don’t do well with too many nuts, and although chocolate tastes great it really messes with my sleep no matter when I eat it. 🙁

So I came up with my own version of this grab-and-go bar that includes some extra protein from collagen, and swaps the nut butters and nuts for ingredients that are more digestible and make me feel so much better!

Crispy nuts are something I discovered years ago when I joined the Weston A Price Foundation. The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook has several recipes for making high enzyme, digestible and delicious crispy nuts of all kinds. You can also find a recipe here. I like to keep a big jar of crispy nuts in my pantry for quick snacks.

I like the addition of high protein hemp hearts and omega-3 rich chia seeds for a nutritional boost.

If you aren’t familiar with the term “fat bomb” – it is used a lot in the Keto world to describe a small snack that is made primarily from healthy fats like coconut oil or butter. They are used to curb cravings and help tide you over between meals.

Low Carb [Keto] Protein Bars [Fat Bombs]

1 cup coconut oil, very soft

1 cup coconut butter, softened

1/2 cup grassfed whey vanilla protein powder

1 10g packet Vital Proteins collagen powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried blueberries

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup crispy pecans or walnuts (see note above for how to do this)

1/2 cup crispy or raw pumpkin seeds (make crispy pumpkin seeds just like crispy nuts)

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a mixing bowl combine the coconut oil, coconut butter, collagen powder and protein powder until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until everything is thick like frosting. Of course the nuts and dried fruit will make it lumpy, but be sure to get it very well mixed.

Line a 8 1/2″ x 11″ pan with waxed paper. Make sure it gets all the way into the corners and up the sides. This can get really messy otherwise!

Pour the coconut mixture into the prepared pan, spreading the mixture evenly. You may need to tap the pan on the counter to settle the mixture into an even thickness. Place the pan into the freezer keeping it level. Freeze for at least an hour.

Remove the pan from the freezer and lift the entire wax paper slab out and place onto a large cutting board. Score the top of the slab into 16 equal bars, then carefully cut each individual bar from the slab.

Store the finished bars in a sealed container in the freezer. You can keep these in the refrigerator if you want them to be a little softer, but don’t leave them out on the counter or you will have pudding instead of a bar.

The macros for one bar (using blueberries) is approximately 21g fat, 4.5g protein, 2.3g net carbs.

Low Carb [Keto] Protein Bars [Fat Bomb]

Author:

Well Fed Family

Recipe type: keto

healthy fats and proteins in a convenient bar

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil, very soft
1 cup coconut butter, softened
½ cup grassfed whey vanilla protein powder
1 10g packet Vital Proteins collagen powder
½ cup dried cranberries or dried blueberries
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup crispy pecans or walnuts
½ cup crispy or raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup hemp hearts
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

In a mixing bowl combine the coconut oil, coconut butter, protein powder and collagen powder.
Mix on low speed until smooth and well combined.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until everything is very well combined.
Line a 8½" x 11" pan with waxed paper pushing it into the corners and letting it go all the way up the sides.
Pour the bar mixture into the prepared pan smoothing it out and tapping the pan as needed to make a smooth, even layer.
Place the pan into the freezer keeping it level.
Freeze at least one hour.
Remove from freezer and place the entire slab with the waxed paper onto a cutting board.
Score the top of the slab into 16 equal rectangles.
Carefully cut through the slab into individual bars.
Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer or refrigerator.

You can purchase the entire Keto Edge Summit for your own reference library. The summit includes more recipes and lots more tips for going keto.

Have you tried keto or low carb? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

Blueberry Lemon Paleo Muffins (grain free gluten free)

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Springtime always makes me think of the sunny flavors of lemon and blueberry. The bright, tart lemon combines so well with the rich, fruity blueberry.

This recipe uses a mixture of almond flour, coconut flour and tapioca starch to make a gluten-free and grain-free muffin that is a little higher in protein and lower in carbs than a grain-based muffin. Using honey in place of white sugar adds in more minerals so it isn’t just empty calories.

Try these muffins for an Easter Sunday brunch or a weekend family breakfast. Leftovers can go in the freezer. On busy mornings just wrap one or two in foil or parchment and reheat in a 350 oven for ten minutes for a quick breakfast. Make a batch of homemade turkey sausage and keep that in the freezer, too, and you can have a hearty breakfast in no time.

Blueberry Lemon Paleo Muffins

ingredients

4 large pasture-raised organic eggs

1/4 cup softened grassfed butter

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest and juice of one lemon

1 1/4 cups finely ground blanched almond flour

2 Tablespoons coconut flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 heaping cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with parchment liners or spray with coconut oil spray.

Mix together the eggs, softened butter, honey, vanilla and lemon zest & juice in a mixer until well combined. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking soda and salt). Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Add in the blueberries at the end and stir gently until they are evenly distributed. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 19-21 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins onto a cooling rack.

Blueberry Lemon Paleo Muffins (grain free gluten free)

Author:

Well Fed Family

Recipe type: breakfast

Bright sunny lemon and luscious blueberries flavor a grain free muffin for a healthier breakfast treat.

Ingredients

4 large pasture-raised organic eggs
¼ cup softened grassfed butter
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups finely ground blanched almond flour
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
½ cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 heaping cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 12 muffin cups with parchment or grease with butter or coconut oil.
Mix together eggs, softened butter, honey, vanilla extract, zest & juice of lemon in a mixer until well combined.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
Gently stir in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter into the muffin cups, and bake for 19-21 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Remove from the pan onto a cooling rack.

Turkey Pot Pie with gluten-free options

Christmas Dinner is over and the refrigerator is full of half-empty containers of leftovers. Hopefully you have already made a big pot of broth with the turkey carcass. Everyone is tired of turkey sandwiches, but a steaming hot Turkey Pot Pie will warm everyone up and help use up those little bits of vegetables languishing in the refrigerator.

This is comfort food folks! The good news is there are no hidden unwanted ingredients like hydrogenated fats, MSG, artificial flavors or chemical preservatives!

Turkey Pot Pie (or chicken) with gluten-free options

3 cups or more of leftover turkey cut into bite-sized chunks

2-3 cups homemade turkey broth OR leftover gravy

2 cups or more of leftover cooked vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans, broccoli, pearl onions OR if you are making this at another time of year when you don’t have Christmas leftovers you can dice up a couple carrots, a stalk of celery, and a leek or an onion and saute them in a little butter before proceeding with the recipe. Add a 1/2 cup of frozen peas if you like.

3 Tablespoons butter

(omit if using leftover gravy) 4 Tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour OR for gluten-free use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix like Bob’s Red Mill

1 cup of organic heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

homemade pastry dough for a deep dish pie. Use the Nourishing Traditions flaky pie crust, or a gluten-free pie crust, or I like to use a keto-friendly grain free almond flour crust.

1 egg (opt.)

Butter the inside of a deep dish pie pan, or other oven-safe dish of similar size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (375 if you are using the almond flour crust).

Place the chopped turkey and the cooked vegetables in the prepared pie pan mixing together.

If you are using leftover gravy just warm it up now and skip this step. If you are using broth go ahead and continue here. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour or GF flour blend and continue cooking for about 2 minutes as it bubbles, but don’t brown it. Continue stirring as you pour in the homemade turkey broth. Then quickly whisk in the cream and continue cooking 3 or 4 more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit more. Stir in fresh pepper and 1/2 tsp of salt. Taste and adjust with more seasoning if needed.

Pour the broth mixture over the vegetables. If you are using leftover gravy pour it over the vegetables. Stir it up to mix well.

Roll out your pastry and lay it gently across the top of the turkey filling. The pastry should generously cover the filling. Press the overlapping part into the rim of the baking dish to seal.

Optional for a golden brown crust: Crack the egg in a small bowl and beat well with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg all over the entire crust.

Use a sharp knife or the tines of a fork to make small holes or slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.

Put the baking dish onto a cookie sheet to catch any spills and place the whole thing into the preheated oven.

Bake 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and hot.

Turkey Pot Pie with gluten-free options

Author:

Well Fed Family

Recipe type: Comfort Food

Cuisine: American

Comfort food at its best, this is also a frugal way to use up leftover turkey, vegetables and gravy.

Ingredients

3 or more cups of leftover turkey or chicken cut into bite-size chunks
2-3 cups homemade broth OR leftover gravy
2 or more cups of leftover cooked vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans, pearl onions, broccoli OR you can saute diced carrots, celery, leek or onion to equal 2 cups and add frozen peas if you don't have leftover vegetables
3 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour (omit if using leftover gravy) OR use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix like Bob's Red Mill
1 cup organic heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
homemade pastry dough for a deep dish pie, see links and options above in the blog text
1 egg (opt.)

Instructions

Butter the inside of a deep dish pie pan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Place the chopped turkey and leftover cooked vegetables in the prepared dish mixing together.
If you are going to use leftover gravy then skip this next step and just warm up the gravy and pour it over the turkey and vegetables.
If you are using broth then first melt the butter in a large saucepan and whisk in the flour or GF flour blend.
Cook the flour and butter 2 minutes as it gets bubbly, then whisk in the turkey broth.
Whisk in the cream and continue cooking 3 to 4 more minutes until the sauce thickens.
Stir in pepper and salt to taste.
Pour the broth mixture over the vegetables and combine it all together.
Roll out your pastry and lay it gently across the top of the turkey filling generously covering the pie.
Press the overlapping edges of the crust into the rim to seal.
Optional for a golden brown crust you can crack the egg into a small bowl, beat it well with a fork, and use a pastry brush to brush the egg all over the crust.
Use a sharp knife to make four slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.
Place the dish onto a cookie sheet to catch any spills and place the whole thing into the preheated oven.
Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and hot.

Cinco de Mayo: Real Food Recipe Round-up

Cinco de Mayo is coming soon! Perfect for a fun family dinner to celebrate all the fabulous tastes of Mexico! No need to go out; you can make it at home with real food ingredients and the recipes linked below!

Not a biggie holiday in Mexico, (and also NOT Mexican Independence Day) this day marks the Mexican army’s victory over a much bigger and more well-armed French army intent on claiming more territory for France.

In America, Cinco de Mayo has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture and food. If you can’t travel to LA, Chicago or Houston where the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations occur, you can have fun making delicious Mexican-inspired food at home with your family!

Here’s a Round UP of some of our own Well Fed Family Mexican-inspired favorites followed by several more from some other fantastic blogs!

If you start soon you can have delicious lacto-fermented salsa ready for dinner in just two days!

Make your own nourishing whole grain flour tortillas with our BREADS DVD

DIY Taco Seasoning is frugal and healthy. No more MSG!

Easy Guacamole your kids can make!

Taco Stew is a family favorite at our house.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Sauce brings a little California to your table.

Irish Nachos – just for fun, or for anyone who can’t eat corn chips!

Chipotle Spiced Meatloaf (with optional organ meats) for some major nutrient density.

Slow Cooker Mexican Corn and Potato Chowder from Don’t Waste the Crumbs is super frugal!

Nourishing Black Beans from Radiant Life

Mexican Rice from Modern Alternative Mama

Salsa Verde from Primal Praline

No-rolling Required Sourdough Tortillas from Traditional Cooking School

Homemade Corn Tortillas from The Kitch’n (only two ingredients!)

Mexican Spinach Casserole from Cave Man Keto (because even people on ketogenic diets need to celebrate!)

Plantain Tortillas from Zenbelly Catering (for you grain-free/Paleo people!)

Gluten-free tortillas from King Arthur Flour – I have made these many times, always a hit!

Slow-Cooker Carnitas from Paleo Foodie People

Paleo Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake from Bare Root Girl

And there you have it! Over a dozen real food recipes for your family’s feast!

What is your favorite Mexican food? Leave your answer in the comments!

Six Signs You May Need Magnesium

This blog is for informational purposes only. Some links may be monetized. Thank you for supporting Well Fed Family with your purchases.

Where Did the Trouble Begin?

A Senate report documented that we are growing our vegetables, grains and fruits in soils that are depleted of the necessary minerals needed to give us the correct balance of nutrients when we eat them. In fact they are so depleted that we are starving for these minerals no matter how much of these foods we eat. Laboratory tests proved the vegetables, eggs, grains and other foods we are eating are not as nutritious as they were generations ago. Scary? You haven’t heard it all….this report was written in 1936!

Six Signs You May Have a Deficiency

One of the most overlooked mineral deficiencies is magnesium. It is estimated that as many as 80% of us are deficient in magnesium. How do you know if you are deficient? There are many symptoms, but these six are some of the most common according to Liz Lipski, nutritionist and author of Digestive Wellness.

Eyelids twitching
Muscles twitching
Menstrual cramps
Muscles very tense at the end of the day
Sleep disturbances
Sensitive to Noise

What Does Magnesium Do?

Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, is probably one of the leading authorities on magnesium deficiency and nutrition. She explains that magnesium is crucial to good health. It is responsible for hundreds of important processes in our body. It activates our muscles and nerves. It creates energy in our cells. It helps digest proteins, carbs and fats. It is a building block for our DNA as well as RNA. It is even part of the process that builds our “feel good” neurotransmitters like serotonin.

What About Calcium?

Everyone has heard about calcium. Lots of people take calcium supplements thinking they are helping their bones. What you may not know is that you need to supplement with equal amounts of magnesium! The two minerals work in balance with each other. In fact they work best in a synergistic balance of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K2. When these four nutrients are in a plentiful balance you will be helping care for your bones, heart, and the rest of your body!

Where Can You Find Magnesium?

Foods plentiful in magnesium include almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, seaweed, dark green leafy vegetables, properly soaked and cooked black beans, avocado, wild caught seafood like salmon, and grassfed beef. Often people think whole grains are a good source of magnesium, but the anti-nutrients in whole grains actually deplete minerals from your body. This is why it is so important to soak, sprout or use sourdough leavening with all of your grains and breads. (For a detailed demonstration and recipes see our Breads DVD.) Juicing fresh vegetables is also a good way to get more of them into your diet.

Homemade bone broth is a great source of many important minerals and nutrients. Including broth in your meal helps you absorb even more of the nutrition from all your other foods! Find recipes here and here to make delicious bone broth at home.

What Depletes Magnesium?

Many prescription and OTC drugs deplete magnesium. The list includes, but isn’t limited to, Zantac, Nexium, Prilosec, Maalox, Tums, Alka-Seltzer, most antibiotics, blood pressure medications, Ritalin, steroid creams and inhalers, HRTs, and oral contraceptives. If you take any of these it would be wise to ask your doctor about a good magnesium supplement.

In addition to those medications, magnesium is also depleted by stress, caffeine, high amounts of calcium supplements, and very loud noises. Eating a diet high in processed foods and soft drinks, as well as having any kind of digestive disorder can also deplete your magnesium.

Also remember that foods treated with herbicides, especially glyphosate (RoundUP), will further deplete the minerals in the soil and in the food. So stick to organic whenever possible, or follow the Dirty Dozen guide when choosing fresh vegetables and fruits to find the ones with the least amount of toxic chemicals.

What About Supplements?

Magnesium glycinate is an easily absorbed form of magnesium that’s good for supplementing a deficiency. Be aware that magnesium has a laxative effect when you first begin taking supplements, so start slowly and work up to the most effective dose for you.

Mix up Natural Calm powder if you want to drink your magnesium. Take a bath with epsom salts, or use a high quality high mineral sea salt

Using magnesium oil spray or making a magnesium body butter are two more ways to add magnesium to your daily routine.

What are your favorite ways to get magnesium? Tell us about it in the comments or visit our Facebook page to share your thoughts.

Turkey Broth Instructions and Free Recipe to Share

The big feast is over, the turkey is eaten, but there is still one more thing to do….Make Broth!! Here is a free printable and shareable set of instructions plus an easy recipe for Turkey and Rice soup.

turkey broth and recipe card

What will you make with your broth? Who will you share this recipe with? Tell us about it in the comments!

This blog is for informational purposes only. Some links may be monetized. Thank you for supporting us with your purchases.

5 Ways to Bless Your Family, Your Budget and Your Community

This blog is for informational purposes. Some links may be monetized. Thank you for supporting Well Fed Family with your purchases.

Take This Short Quiz

What is the number one thing you can do as a family to improve your general health?

What is a good way to connect with your teenagers?

What is the most important thing the average person can do to make the American food system healthier and more sustainable?

Name one thing can an individual do to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on a fluctuating, unstable economy?

What activity can you do with young children to engage them in learning concepts in math and science even when they don’t usually enjoy those subjects?

The answers:

cook 2. cook 3. cook 4. cook 5. cook

Cooking vs Watching Cooking

Two people (both grandmothers!) in the last week have told me “I don’t cook!” Way too many people in my classes over the years have admitted they rarely or never cook. In fact Americans spend less time on average cooking each day than people in any other country! The average time spent cooking per day (not per meal, per DAY!) is 27 minutes – less time than it takes to watch The Next Food Network Star (what is up with this fascination of watching people cook? More people watch cooking than are actually doing cooking, and then when the show is over they still don’t have anything to eat!)

It’s Healthier

Cooking at home is healthier. When you don’t cook you make yourself vulnerable to the big corporations who make all the ready-to-eat food you have to buy. Unless you spend big bucks to buy your meals from a local restaurant where the chef grows his own organic vegetables and carefully sources his ingredients from local farms, you are most likely eating a lot more refined sugar, industrial oils, and highly processed salt than you normally would if you cooked your own food. Corporations also use all kinds of chemical ingredients not available to the home cook. These chemical ingredients make their food last longer and look fresher than it actually is.

Teens Like It

Cooking (and eating) together connects you as a family. Teens are social creatures, and they are also usually hungry creatures. 🙂 Bringing them into the kitchen to prepare a meal is a way to get them to interact and be social with everyone who is involved in the meal preparation process. The shared experiences can build family bonds. Eating together a meal you have prepared gives a safe place for conversation, listening and sharing together.

It Connects Us

Cooking connects you with your food and its origins. We were making homemade pizza as part of a Sunday school lesson and I had brought fresh oregano, parsley, and basil from my garden to use. One young 5^th grade girl, already surprised that you could actually make a pizza, freaked out saying “why do you have weeds? How do you know those are safe to eat?” I said, “I grew these. They came from my garden. Where do you think food comes from?” and she replied, “I don’t know. The store has it.”

When we cook at home from fresh ingredients we are connecting in a small way to the rest of the community that grows and raises our food. We gain a new perspective on food when we see a list of raw ingredients get transformed into a meal. Growing something that you eat, or buying directly from a farmer, can bring even stronger connections. Real food doesn’t come in neat boxes, shrink wrapped for microwaving. Buying pre-prepared, pre-wrapped meals separates us from the reality of real food. Cooking at home from fresh ingredients creates more demand for real food while reducing the waste and high cost inherent in the processed food system.

It’s Budget Friendly

Knowing how to cook gives you power over your budget. The illusion of the “value meal” keeps many people trapped eating expensive yet unhealthy food. Being able to cook for yourself means you can eat higher quality ingredients for less money. It means you can cook a little extra to freeze for later or to eat the next day for lunch instead of eating out. Knowing how to cook helps you be more frugal like when you use the bones for broth, leftover vegetables for soup, or freeze over ripe fruit for smoothies.

It’s Educational

Teaching your children to cook opens up a new world for them. Measuring and counting, doubling a recipe, figuring out what makes bread rise, what makes pickles sour, seeing liquid cream transform into solid butter, comparing the taste of salt vs. sugar – all of this can bring math and science alive. Tactile experiences like kneading bread, cracking eggs, tearing lettuce, stirring batter, or chopping vegetables can be rewarding for busy little hands. And as your children grow and develop new skills in the kitchen you are giving them the gift of self-sufficiency for when they become adults.

Tell us your reasons for cooking! Leave a comment here or on our Facebook page!

Compound Butter {Butter Gets Dressed Up}

This blog is part of my contributions at Traditional Cooking School

As a young married couple without kids, we moved to a new city eight hours from home. There, we met Mr. and Mrs. Samuels at church.

We loved getting invitations to eat dinner at their house. Sam, retired from the Navy, had filled their home with beautiful things from around the world. Helen was a pearls-go-with-everything, warm and friendly lady who knew how to make her guests feel welcome.

But what I remember most about the first evening we spent with them was the butter. Read more…

Mythbusting Ideas About Fat and Cholesterol and Wellness Wednesday

This blog is for informational purposes. Some links may be monetized. Thank you for supporting Well Fed Family with your purchases.

I’ve started reading Grain Brain by neurologist David Perlmutter. The focus of the book is brain health. Have you ever heard that there’s a connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease? This book shows you that connection as well as many other lifestyle causes of neurological disease and dementia.

Grain Brain also lays out just what lifestyle choices people are making that can lead to developing Alzheimer’s disease. These include living with chronic high blood sugar levels (those in the “high normal” range) even without diabetes, eating too many carbohydrates (especially refined ones), trying to eat a low fat and low cholesterol diet, and having an undiagnosed sensitivity to gluten. Dr. Perlmutter says up to 40% of all people can’t properly process gluten.

Even if you have a family history of brain disease and Alzheimer’s or dementia you can turn the train around. But he says you have to bust a few myths first. The biggest myths you have to wrap your head around? 1- a low-fat/high-carb diet is good and 2- cholesterol is bad. According to the results of the Framingham Heart Study report from 2005 “people who had the highest cholesterol levels scored higher on cognitive tests than those with lower levels. Evidently there is a protective factor when it comes to cholesterol and the brain.” What most people don’t realize is that cholesterol is a building block for cell membranes and a critical brain nutrient necessary to fuel your neurons.

For more great information on cholesterol you can also read Jimmy Moore’s recent book, Cholesterol Clarity. I reviewed that book here.

Do you avoid fat? What have you always heard about cholesterol? How hard is it going to be to change your habits? Leave us a comment with your thoughts, and then check out the other posts here at Wellness Wednesday.

Wellness Wednesday starts here

Healthy Pregnancies: Looking at Epigenetics and the Difference a Healthy Lifestyle Makes

This is a guest post done for Kimi Harris of The Nourishing Gourmet who is taking some time off for maternity leave. Congratulations to the Harris family!

What if it were possible to press a genetic reset button? To wipe away something that has been plaguing generations of your family. To give your children and grandchildren a fresh new future. The key to finding this genetic reset button lies within the science of epigenetics, and then the application of some timeless wisdom.

This article is possibly one of the most exciting for me to write because this topic melds two fields about which I am passionate; these fields intrigue me and make me want to learn more and more and more. The first is the cutting edge field of science called epigenetics, and the second is the historically significant field of ancestral diets. “Cutting edge science combined with dusty old diet studies from 100 years ago or more? How can this possibly excite?” you ask. Well because when you link the new information with the old you have the ability to radically change families, to help parents give their children AND grandchildren the best health possible, in some cases to even save lives.

To read the rest of this article please go here….

This blog is for informational purposes only. Some links may be monetized. Thank you for supporting Well Fed Family with your purchases.