What's on YOUR grocery list? You may want to double check that these nutrient dense organic foods are included, so that you can sure that your body is getting what it needs. If you just add one of these items to your grocery list every week, at the end of 9 weeks you'll be on your way to optimal nutrition!
1) Red meat
Red meat is one of the richest food sources of zinc, a very important mineral. It's also a great source or protein and the amino acid taurine, which support detoxification and liver health.
2) Butter, ghee or coconut oil
Since butter is rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K2, saturated fat, lauric acid, and cholesterol (antioxidant), there is no reason not to love it and enjoy it!
Coconut oil on the other hand is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, stimulating to the metabolism, easy to digest, and full of antioxidants. The refined coconut oil (flavorless) is great for cooking because it is stable at high temperatures. I like to use virgin coconut oil for baking, making popcorn and skin care. Ideally, you want to have both kinds of coconut oil around.
#3) Animal bones
Take your pick with this one! You could choose any protein that is bone-in, or you could choose my favorite, which is whole chickens and chicken feet. The purpose of buying the bones themselves or with proteins is to use them to make bone broth and give your body the protein balance of "eating the whole animal." You can easily make this at home (in the form of bone broth/soup) by throwing chicken parts, bones, wings, feet, head, etc. into a crock pot with water and 2-4 tablespoons of vinegar left to stew for 12-48 hours. The vinegar pulls the nutrients out of the tissues, particularly glycine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.
4) Collagen and gelatin
Why gelatin? Gelatin has a unique and very non-inflammatory amino acid profile, primarily consisting of glycine, glutamic acid, proline and alanine. These particular amino acids are lacking in the Standard American Diet, due to our heavy consumption of muscle meats and exclusion of the other 50% of the animal. Over time, this greater consumption can produce more inflammation when it is not balanced by non-inflammatory proteins like gelatin. Although gelatin is primarily made up of non-essential amino acids (meaning your body CAN make them), many over-stressed livers are not able to manufacture all the non-essential amino acids in the amounts demanded by the body. The liver needs an abundance of these proteins to keep the liver functioning optimally and allow your body to "take out the trash" in our toxic world! Read more here about the different types of gelatin you can buy.
5) Potassium-rich seasonal ripe fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit is a staple for any healthy diet. Rich in nutrients and antioxidants, fruit is also very easy to digest (particularly ripe fruit).
6) Root vegetables and tubers
Roots and tubers are incredibly nutrient dense and easy to digest. In addition, they contain beneficial fibers that act as a digestive "helper" and can help detoxify excess estrogen and endotoxin in the colon.
Excess estrogen (caused by protein malnutrition in the liver to allow proper detoxification of estrogen, or by a progesterone deficiency) mimics the effects of aging (accelerating aging), increases cancer risk, and decreases the body's ability to use oxygen.
7) Pastured/organic meats and wild seafood
Do you support factory farms with your wallet at the grocery store or do you support small, local and sustainable farms? Vote with your fork for animal products and seafood that are raised humanely and without growth hormones, antibiotics, and GMO feed.
8) Pastured/organic eggs
Eggs are like nature's multivitamins, because they contain everything needed to create life! Each egg contains about 6 grams of protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, B2, B5, B12, choline and cholesterol. Eating eggs every day is probably not evolutionarily consistent, but a few times per week can benefit most people that don't have a liver or biliary condition.
9) Beans
Beans can be a real superfood. Loaded with soluble fiber to aid in the biding and excretion of toxins and to feed your beneficial gut bacteria, beans support your gut-liver axis in incredible ways. Beans are also rich in the minerals potassium and molybdenum, making them a great addition to any diet.
What do you think? What's on your grocery shopping list?
Lindsay
Great article, and I LOVE your blog. Thanks for all the good info. I've been hearing a lot about the super foods Chlorella and Spirulina lately. Do you use these?
Uddin
Catherine is the best, I Like This
Carrie
Can you give me some tips on buying fish and seafood. I live smack in the middle of the USA, so buying local seafood isn't an option. However, my family loves seafood and some fish like salmon, halibut, and mahi mahi. What do I need to know to make sure I'm buy safe/healthy fish?
Karen
Every one of them except the organ meats and bones! I can't even LOOK at liver without getting nauseous! 🙂
Alesea
Thank you for the list.
However I wonder how can you be sure when you buy coconut oil that it's pure coconut in it and not some other trans fat oils?
Thank you.
Emilia
High quality virgin coconut oil is snow white colour when it’s solid and water clear when liquid. Also, pure coconut oil is colourless. Virgin coconut oils always smell like a coconut. If not, they have been highly refined.
Megan
What a great list! My most recent obsession is with bone broth and collagen - so glad to see it highlighted here too! Thank you!
Jenny
Hi there! If I'm making a rich, gelatinous bone broth twice a week, and drinking it daily, do I still need to buy gelatin/collagen supplements?
isabel
How do you get your bone broth to gel?
Julia
Whole animal meat may be good but when you're eating commercial meats the benefits may be outweighed by the downside. Try for grass fed beef or free range chickens. Store bought. No! I've seen chicken farms and I've seen chicken processing facilities. No go!
Adrienne
As for dairy...we raise our own dairy goats and enjoy the milk and cheese from them.
Because raw milk comes from cows or goats grazing on grass, research studies have shown that it contains a higher level of heart-healthy, cancer-killing, fat-soluble vitamins than milk that comes from factory-farm cows. (8) Studies have shown that one of the most common deficiencies in children is a lack of fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins support the brain and nervous system and are crucial for development, focus and brain function. Fat-soluble vitamins also support bone density and help naturally balance hormones, however they’re significantly decreased following pasteurization.
Cammi
Bone broth is actually NOT a good source of calcium however long you cook it or even if you add acid when you cook. It's actually LOW in calcium! You can look this up! It has been studies about it and bone broth queen herself Kaayla Daniel mention that in an Ancesteal health speach on Youtube. BUT! Powdered eggshell is a great source of calcium though! 1 tsp= roughly 400 mg calcium.
Diane
Its all on my grocery list. We found out about 9 years ago my husband does NOT tolerate any glutens or grains. Its been a long hard battle to get to the point that we are, but we did it. We tried gluten free grains but discovered we don't like the taste or after taste of some grains. So about 3 years ago we went grain free. My husband hasn't felt this good in years and I'm reaping the rewards as well. We eat mainly paleo foods. I am currently working on taking to the next level of the Ketogentic diet. I'm down 10 pounds so far, but have hit a plateau.
Lukas
Yeah, Like dead animal(s) and their secretions are healthy food .... Smh. Common sense but hey, eat what you like but don't call it healthy..
Edelweiss
I like to make cucumber or carrot or beetroot jelly salads