Tonight's Dinner: LIVER

Lana's holistic MD did a full body examination and told me that Lana has white spots or lines on her finger nails, indicating a zinc deficiency. She also told me that when you have children close together and you breastfeed, it is not uncommon for the third or fourth child to have health issues/nutritional deficiencies. Reason being is that the mother is probably deficient as a result of multiple close pregnancies and breast-feeding. Chances are all of my children are genetically prone to febrile seizures but Lana may be more susceptible due to a nutritional deficiency. Interestingly enough, she is the only one in our family that has the spots on her nails...and we all eat the same foods. It really makes sense.

I wanted to share her advice regarding her zinc deficiency. Please know that I love sharing my findings along my journey but I probably don't always explain things well, due to my lack of education on the topic. I try to do my best because I assume the rest of the world is as interested in this stuff as me... :) Probably not, but hopefully there are a few people who may also benefit from some of this information.

Back to her advice....she told me to cook liver once a week for the family. She said liver has more nutritional value than any vegetable you could consume. Here is some information on liver:

"Function of Liver: One of the function of the liver is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons); but the liver does not store toxins. The liver is not a storage organ for toxins but it is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins. Poisonous compounds that the body cannot neutralize and eliminate are likely to be deposited in the fatty tissues and the nervous system.

Health Benefits:

• Liver is an excellent source of high-quality protein. Protein is important for muscles growth and for repair of body tissues.
• Liver is one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to promote healthy vision, promote fertility in males and females, and allow for proper embryonic development.
• Liver contain CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• Liver as cure for Anemia. For those who want to prevent pernicious anemia from ever occurring, the best course of action is to eat liver once a week.

chicken liver pate

• Liver help boost energy. In a study liver was found to greatly boost swimming endurance in rats.
• Liver is a rich source of vitamin B12 and folic acid.
• Liver has a highly usable form of iron.
• Liver also contains trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium."

On a side note, the cook book Nourishing Traditions recommends you soak your liver in lemon juice before cooking, to clean the organ of any impurities.

So we will see if the kids dig liver on their first try. I am 33 and have never once had liver and can honestly say it scares me. I am going to try to be a good role model and eat it up with a smile on my face. If the recipe is a success, I will post it. Wish me luck! :)

PS) That picture above does NOT look appetizing...