Lately I’ve felt the urge to improve my diet and have been doing lots of research into food and epigenetics. Good food habits can actually change a persons “junk” DNA or what I Iike to call DNA that’s been switched off during the human evolutionary process.
Junk DNA is not really useless it just needs the switch flipped back to the “on” position. Poor nutrition or even ancient ancestral Genetics probably played a part in your DNA becoming less then optimal.
As I was researching I discovered some nutrient rich foods which aid in healing the body and mind. It can even over time assist in reactivating DNA that is flipped to the off position.
Butter or Indian Ghee
Eggs, pate, liver, and caviar
Soak your grains, make sprouts
Sourdough bread is more digestible then refined white bread
Your body needs salt use unrefined or pink Himalayan salt
Seaweed, not just the ones that wrap sushi
Sauerkraut, Kimchi and other lacto-fermented foods keep your gut healthy
Drink healthy soft drinks like kombucha, switchel and home brewed ginger ale
White Tea
Make fish soup, bone broth or eat Miso soup
Eat these nutrient-dense foods as often as possible to enhance your body, hormones, and brain.
Salmon and Sardines
Kale
Seaweed
Garlic (Black is my absolute favorite)
Shellfish
Potatoes
Liver (I hate this)
Blueberries
Eggs, especially the yokes
Dark Chocolate 70% min
Bone broth for maximum nutrition, delicious in soups and sauces. A Dixie cup a day keeps the doctor away.
The most unheard brainfood in America is the Lion’s Mane mushroom. I’ve tried to find these locally to no avail. These mushrooms are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane as they grow. You can also order the Black Garlic online if it’s not locally available.
How to Make Bone Broth
- Obtain several pounds of grass fed Beef Soup Bones (use 5-8 lbs), find a butcher in the organic stores or someone who can provide you with grass fed beef bones.
- A freezer size bag of vegetables, like carrots, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery to flavor.
- Don’t use beets or cabbages they can cause your broth to taste bitter.
- Fresh, filtered water
- 2 Tbsp organic Apple Cider Vinegar, such as Braggs
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- Rinse and clean the bones under clean water. Pat them dry.
- Roast the bones at 400 degrees F for about an hour until the bones are well-browned. Roasting the bones ensures a rich flavor.
- Once the bones are browned, drain off excess fat.
- Add the bones to a big pot along with the vegetables.
- Add filtered water covering the mixture and bring to a boil. Once you’ve brought the water to a boil, add the vinegar and bay leaves.
- Turn down the heat and continue to simmer for several hours. Some people advise simmering for a total of 24 hours. I did mine over a 3-4 day period when I was at home. Maybe a crock pot would work.
- Throughout the cooking process, skim off any foam and add water as needed.
- When stock is finished simmering, filter it through a fine mesh seive and bottle in mason jars. The stock should set just like gelatin, and the fat should rise to the top.
- Remove the fat and reserve it for cooking, then scoop out the gelled stock and reheat to serve as soup. Be sure to serve this stock very hot it may gel again once it cools. You can also microwave a cup.
Make Some Fish Soup
- Get a large bag of fish bones obtained from a fishmonger or seafood store. We use Grouper. Mine came frozen in a gallon sized bag from a local seafood shop.
- Add Vegetables (use organic if possible)
- Fresh kale and spinach
- White beans
- Crushed tomatoes
- Celery
- Leeks
- Corn
- Fresh green onions
Cook until boiling, then simmer for 1 hour.
Be certain to remove all the tiny bones before eating
It’s very gelatinous until heated and I added Andouille sausage to mine. It was delicious with sourdough bread!
