Butter vs. Margarine – The Natural Benefits of Grass-Fed Butter

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Some of the most interesting cultural (and culinary) changes in the first 16 years of this century have been overturning popular, sustaining myths. Case in point: butter.

For many years, it was considered one of the worst things to be eating on a regular basis. This largely stems from the heart disease epidemic, which began around 1930.  Heart disease is still one of the world’s leading causes of death. 

Around the 1950s, with the popularity of Ancel Keys, a nutritional researcher, came the idea that foods like butter, meat, and eggs were the problem. The problems were – supposedly – saturated fat and cholesterol. Keys gained popularity with his theory, but he also disregarded a lot of his own data, focusing instead on the data that did support his idea.

While the science is a little bit complex, one of the biggest flaws in this theory came from data that was obtained from feeding cholesterol to rabbits. Cholesterol then caused problems in the rabbits. This would be notable – except that rabbits are herbivores, and should not be able to tolerate cholesterol.

Another major flaw with the research was that Keys didn’t attempt to differentiate between heart healthy, beneficial fats and the detrimental kinds. He also didn’t take the real culprit behind many of the discovered health problems into consideration, i.e., sugar.

Both of these scientific errors would be corrected in due time – though many researchers of the day openly critiqued his poor science. In fact, there was no correlation of dietary fat and heart disease when more countries beyond Key’s original picks were added.

Unfortunately, the idea that saturated fat and cholesterol were bad was accepted wholesale. Luckily, as time (and better science) has proven, the idea of saturated fat and cholesterol causing heart disease doesn’t really hold up under basic scrutiny.

The changes that came from Keys may have done more harm than good, though. Once we stopped consuming foods like butter and replaced them with choices like margarine, our disease rates skyrocketed. 

If the problem of heart disease was simply caused by our traditional foods, we likely would have seen the lessening of disease rates, not an increase. Clearly something was off in recommending lower cholesterol and saturated fat intakes. As many in the scientific community have noted, saturated fat is simply not the problem.

Isn’t Margarine Healthier?

Another issue in our recent history has been the quality of our butter, or butter-like products, like margarine. There was a 20-year period in which margarine was thought to be a much better alternative than butter. That couldn’t have been a worse choice.

Margarine is, for starters, one of the least natural “foods” ever created. It was created entirely in a lab, and was devised just as a cheaper way to serve butter. Cheaper – not healthier.

That’s because margarine is made from poor quality oils, like sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, or rapeseed oil. These oils are pro-inflammatory and actually cause negative results for our health.

Since margarine wasn’t yellow, scientists had to further “enhance” their product by dying it yellow. Perhaps worst of all, margarine has always been made from trans fat.

Trans fat is one of the only things that all health professionals can agree on: that it is utterly useless and completely dangerous to our health. Scientific studies have shown that trans fat can cause heart disease. It also may lead to diabetes, clogged arteries, and high cholesterol.

Why Grass-Fed Butter Is Better

Why is butter so much better than margarine, and why has it been avoided for so long? For starters, the idea that saturated fat is damaging has been proven untrue.

Debunking this myth gets rid of a lot of the poor evidence presented by Keys and takes the impact out of many others who have used it to push the blame onto butter.

Saturated fats can actually help your blood lipids. That is because saturated fats not only raise your good cholesterol, but they change the type of LDL cholesterol to the less dangerous, “large and fluffy” kind.

We now know that there is much to measure in terms of cholesterol, not just total cholesterol. With advances in modern science and the widespread availability of information, we are able to much better discern the benefits of butter, and weed out poor science.

The Type of Butter Makes All the Difference

When it comes to the benefits of butter, the quality and source make all the difference. Just like the benefits of grass-fed beef are unique compared to grain-fed, grass-fed butter trumps all other kinds.

Grass-fed butter is high in vitamin K2, which is a uniquely beneficial vitamin found in hardly any other foods. With the idea of healthy eating becoming more and more mainstream by the day, it is now easy to find grass-fed butter in nearly every store.

My personal favorite that I put on everything is Kerrygold Pure Irish butter. Get the unsalted kind if you are looking for the absolute healthiest choice. Grass-fed butter is high in vitamins A and K2.

Grass-fed butter is also high in vitamin A, which is another overlooked nutrient we need. In addition, grass-fed butter can help build muscle and burn fat because it is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Grass-fed butter also has a near-perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The specific type of acid found in grass-fed butter can help with cognitive function, your skin health, and even prostaglandin balance.

Grass-Fed Butter Is Anti-Inflammatory

Once upon a time, heart disease was thought to be caused by too much cholesterol.

However, as time moved on, we have come to realize that inflammation is the real culprit behind many diseases. In fact, it is now known that excess inflammation in the endothelium is a critical part of plaque formation and – eventually – heart attacks.

One important nutrient in grass-fed butter that is particularly beneficial is butyrate (or butyric acid). Scientific studies have shown that this particular fatty acid is a potent anti-inflammatory substance.

This means that grass-fed butter – long thought to worsen your odds for disease, is – instead – likely lowering your odds for developing disease. Cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease. Inflammation does.

Remember – quality is what counts. No matter what you are eating, the nutrient density and health effects of many dairy products can vary greatly, depending on the diet of the cows.

Since grass is the natural, normal food for cows, dairy products from these cows is much healthier, specifically being much higher in omega-3s and vitamin K2.

By contrast, grain-fed cows produce food with lower levels of beneficial nutrients.

The positive effects of grass-fed butter are not just anecdotal – studies show that in areas where cows are grass-fed, individuals who ate the most high-fat dairy products had a 70% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Those are some pretty strong numbers.

Is Butter Paleo?

This topic is a bit tricky, and the truthful answer is no, as butter was not around during the Paleolithic time period. However, it is important to note that if one were to limit oneself to truly Paleolithic foods, they would not be able to eat most meat or vegetables, either.

Another issue is that butter is a form of dairy. However, butter is usually the least problematic dairy food to be consumed since it’s largely fat and low in problematic compounds like casein and lactose. If you’re still worried about butter being hard to tolerate, you can clarify it to get ghee. Ghee can be a tasty alternative if you’re sensitive to butter.

What Is the Science Behind Grass-Fed Butter?

While you might look at grass-fed butter and think it only consists of a block of yellow flubber, there are actually 400 different fatty acids at play inside the yellow exterior.

There are also a large quantity of fat soluble vitamins as well as the aforementioned beneficial omega-3s. Remember, the science behind the “Lipid Hypothesis” has proven to be bunk.

This poor science perpetuated dangerous health myths for many years, and we are only now beginning to understand just how damaging this misinformation has been to our collective health.

Watch these 3 videos below to learn more about the natural benefits of grass-fed butter –

How Is Margarine Made? (And Why I Stopped Eating It)

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTER IN 3 MINUTES RECIPE

Why Can Eating Butter Make You Skinny? – Dr.Berg On Weight Loss & Benefits Of Butter

The Bottom Line

Grass-fed butter is one of the healthiest forms of fat you can include in your diet – full stop. Though it is hard to unlearn years of poor misinformation, it will benefit your health to understand why the recommendations of the past were actually harmful.

However, remember that just because grass-fed butter is healthy, that doesn’t mean you can skip on all other elements of a healthy diet – namely eating plenty of vegetables and nutrient-rich foods.

The main takeaway is to skip the margarine, use grass-fed butter instead (in moderation), and enjoy the taste of good health!

Written by Casey Thaler

Author Bio:

Casey Thaler, B.A., NASM-CPT, FNS is an NASM® certified personal trainer and NASM® certified fitness nutrition specialist. He writes for Paleo Magazine®, The Paleo Diet® and Greatist®. He is also an advisor for Kettle and Fire and runs his own nutrition and fitness consulting company, Eat Clean, Train Clean®.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

How to Strengthen Your Immune System and Avoid Falling Sick?

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

No diet, workout, supplement, herb, or medicine holds the key to health – we do.

A big part of that is making sure we’re creating a nourishing environment that lets our immune system protect and keep our body in balance.

Here’s how to make daily choices that will strengthen your immune system and avoid falling sick.

1. Eat an Antioxidant-Rich Diet

The most primitive way to keep the immune system strong is by choosing the right fuel sources. The majority of our immune system is found right in our guts in the form of bacteria. Though many aspects of a lifestyle will affect our gut flora, food is a big one.

To keep the immune system strong, we need to keep our gut bacteria strong, and to do this, we need to feed them properly.

But what does healthy bacteria like to eat? The simple answer: real food, as natural as it can come. Adhering to a Paleo diet is a great foundation.

A Paleo diet – when done right – is rich in fresh, local produce, ethically-raised animal products, herbs, nuts, and seeds. These foods benefit the immune system by providing an array of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

Antioxidants come in many forms, and their main job is to balance the body from the offsets of stress. When the body is stressed, free radicals form and cause oxidation. Choosing the right foods is one simple way to keep the body protected from the damaging effects of oxidation.

2. Get Enough Minerals

I mention minerals separate from diet because in the modern world, it’s not uncommon to find mineral deficiencies even in the best diet. This could be caused by several different factors, like the health of the soil the food is grown in, a lack of variety in foods, and even one’s personal digestive abilities.

Some research suggests that deficiencies in minerals like zinc, selenium, copper, and iron can lead to immune deficiency. The good news is that there are easy ways to make sure we’re meeting our basic nutrition requirements.

First, we need to stop doing the things that throw our bodies off-balance. Digestive inflammation and inflammatory foods can make it difficult to absorb important minerals like zinc. Switching over to a nutrient-rich diet is the first step toward keeping the digestive system strong.

Then we can look at consuming particular foods rich in the minerals we want for a healthy immune system. Selenium is best found in wild-caught seafood and Brazil nuts (be sure to sprout your nuts first).

Pumpkin seeds and grass-fed beef are rich in iron and zinc. Overall, the best way to go is choosing a Paleo diet with an emphasis on food rotation, variety, wild foods, and optimal digestion.

3. Consider Medicinal Herbs and Spices

Take one trip into a health food or vitamin store, and you will see hundreds of bottles of herbs claiming to boost the immune system. However, can we trust that they actually work?

The truth is, we still don’t know for sure if certain herbs actually raise the level of antibodies and how exactly they impact the immune system. The complexity of the immune system is still one of science’s greatest mysteries, as it ties into endless components. However, this doesn’t mean that the use of herbs should be discredited completely.

Many ancient forms of healing, tracing all the way to Biblical times, acclaim the use of herbs for healing. Some of the most studied and used herbs for immune function include: aloe vera, echinacea, astragalus, ginseng, garlic, and turmeric. These herbs have been used for centuries with renowned benefits. 

As always, speak with your functional practitioner first and remember to seek out the freshest and highest-quality of these herbs.

4. Understand Stress

Stress can dramatically affect both our mental and physical well-being.

Stress comes in many forms: nutritional, physical, mental, emotional, electromagnetic, heat, and more. Stress from a physics standpoint is force counterforce, or one intention against another. This is why you feel stress when you are pushing weights or in an argument.

The way to manage stress is to first identify what the exact stress is. Is it dietary stress from a food intolerance? Is it from too much work and too little sleep? Maybe even a relationship?

Stress is going to be found wherever there is a certain conflict. Remove the conflict – your opposition to the situation – and the stress goes away.

For example, if you are stressed from lack of sleep, confront both sides of the conflict. Why do you need more sleep (not able to concentrate on work, easily irritated by others) and why aren’t you getting it?

Once you pinpoint these factors (more easily said than done), you can start to come up with a solution. If getting more sleep is something you need to work on, get easy sleep tips here.

5. Be Grateful

It is said that our realities are shaped by our own perspective. If it’s beautiful outside, it is because you looked outside, liked what you saw and you decided it was a good day. Being thankful for life’s everyday occurrences is a great perspective. Gratitude has even been associated with better sleep, better mood, and less fatigue.

As Einstein said, “There are two ways to live. You can live as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live as if everything is a miracle”.

6. Focus On Intimacy & Relationships

Trying to scientifically measure the physiological effects of stress from lack of intimacy and healthy relationships is inevitably difficult. This is largely because, as we learned in the previous point, each individual responds to stress differently.

For one individual, more isolation than normal may be required to create balance, while for another, that same amount of isolation may cause disharmony. However, one thing is for sure, if you are feeling isolated and lonely, it’s likely to bring down your immune system.

A study found that lack of social support can result in depression. It’s no easy task to find a true friend or social group and experience intimacy; however, it’s always worth trying. Stay true to your desires and seek genuine social interactions that involve your passions.

7. Detoxify Your Life

I tell my clients when I first consult with them that health is more about what you take out, and less about what you put in. A green juice detox will never make up for a weekend of binge eating. The real secret to a high-quality level of health is to locate and remove what is diminishing it.

Pareto’s Law says that 20 percent (or less) of our input determines 80 percent (or more) of our output. What 20 percent of what you do is causing 80 percent of your health concerns? While coaching clients and myself, I’ve learned that there’s one main vice that supports all of the other symptoms.

I suggest taking an honest look at your own actions and finding out what that vice may be for you. From there, find out what your quality of your health would be like if you removed that one thing. It’s likely different for everyone, but the results will be the same – improved health.

Once you locate and remove the main imbalance – could be a physical, mental, or emotional stress, a certain food craving, etc. – in your life, the rest will wash away. This is the key to detoxifying: removing the bad so we can welcome in only the best of the best.

8. Create Balance

Life is a balancing act. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, practitioners look at the body as a whole and seek to balance the different qualities of the body in terms of heat, air, earth, and water. What we learn from these ancient practitioners and even modern science is that some stress can be good – this is called eustress.

Eustress actually improves our resistance to stress. Take exercise, for example. When we exercise, we create a stress. To a certain point, this is eustress, or good stress.

However, if we don’t look at the big picture – our sleep, diet, etc. – we can easily overdo things and over-exercise. Then, what started out as a good form of stress turns sour.

To create balance in your life, you can replace distress (bad stress) with more eustress. A few ways to do this are to exercise daily, practice deep breathing, think positively, meditate, laugh, and express yourself verbally or artistically.

Want to strengthen your immune system and avoid falling sick? Watch this video – Make Your Immune System Bulletproof Now

Written by Nick Kowalski

Author Bio:

Nick Kowalski is a Transformational Coach, fitness model and unconditional lover. You can find more of his writing on his blog NicksFit. His mission is to inspire the transformation toward love consciousness. Follow him on Instagram for more living in love inspiration and transformational mindset motivation!

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

What Is Ghee, 7 Natural Benefits + How to Use Ghee

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

When it comes to ghee on a Paleo diet, there’s a bit of confusion on whether it’s OK to eat. So, what is ghee, exactly? Here’s the lowdown on this unique dairy product.

Since ghee is a dairy-based food, which is typically a Paleo no-no, it’s easy to assume that it causes the same tummy troubles as milk or butter. However, ghee is quite different from other dairy products, and offers many natural health benefits.

Rest assured that ghee isn’t your regular stick of butter, and here’s why.

What is Ghee?

Ghee is often made from cow’s milk and also referred to as clarified butter. While similar, clarified butter and ghee are slightly different. Unlike clarified butter, ghee is cooked to a point of caramelization after all the milk solids and water have been separated from the liquid fat.

Is Ghee Paleo?

Since ghee is sourced from dairy, many people wonder why it’s Paleo-approved. This is because when ghee is made, the milk solids are separated from the fat, so the end product has very little milk solids. That also explains why ghee has more of a golden color than regular butter.

Ghee is also free from lactose and casein, making it a better option than butter for people who are lactose intolerant. Casein is a protein in milk that many people have a hard time tolerating, and can result in bloating and indigestion. Studies also link dairy products containing these proteins to an increased risk of cancer.

So, is ghee Paleo? Yes, so long as you are sticking to a high-quality, grass-fed, and organic product that is free from other vegetable oils and added ingredients.

7 Natural Benefits of Ghee

Ghee Supports Digestive Health

Since ghee doesn’t contain lactose and casein, those with mild lactose sensitivities usually have no trouble with ghee. Ghee is also rich in butyric acid, which can help support gut health by reducing intestinal inflammation, easing conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Ghee Promotes Healthy Weight Loss

Similar to coconut oil, ghee contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that can help aid in weight loss. Studies show that MCTs are more helpful in reducing waist circumference and bodyweight when compared to long-chain triglycerides.

Ghee Supports a Healthy Pregnancy

One of the little-known benefits of adding ghee to your diet is its ability to help support a healthy pregnancy. Ghee is rich with DHA, an essential fatty acid that plays a super important role in supporting fetal development of the nervous system, immune system, brain, and eyes.

Ghee is Rich in Essential Vitamins

Ghee is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K – all of which play a crucial role in overall health. Vitamin D is needed for hormone and mood balance, vitamin K transports calcium to our bones, and vitamin E prevents free radical damage in the body. Vitamin A is also important for both vision and immune health.

Adding ghee to your diet can be a great way to make sure you are getting these important vitamins in your diet.

Ghee Has a Higher Smoke Point Than Butter

Because it has a higher smoke point than butter, ghee is an excellent choice for high-heat cooking. This is important because cooking oils beyond their smoke points can cause the oil to oxidize, releasing free radicals that can cause a cascade of inflammation.

Ghee has a smoke point of 485°F, whereas butter has a smoke point of 350°F. This makes butter only suitable for low to medium-heat cooking.

Ghee Contains Healthy Fats

Since ghee is pure butterfat, it is a very rich source of healthy dietary fat that contains both short and medium-chain triglycerides. We know that medium-chain fatty acids play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight and supporting energy levels, but short-chain fatty acids are also beneficial for overall health as well.

Short-chain fatty acids help to suppress inflammation, and can even help prevent the formation of cancer in the gut and other organs.

Ghee Supports Brain Health

Nearly 60% of the brain is made up of fat, and the brain needs lots of healthy fat to function properly. Essential fatty acids (like DHA) are fats that we must obtain from our diet since the body cannot synthesize these fatty acids on its own. These fats are great for mental development and for the overall integrity and health of the brain.

How to Use Ghee

One of the great things about ghee is the fact that it can easily be swapped in for butter in any recipe. Try using ghee for Paleo-approved baking recipes, or use it as your primary cooking oil when making things like omelets and stir-frys.

Mild, nutty ghee can be added to your diet in a number of different ways. Here are some delicious ways to add it to your meals:

• Use it to sauté veggies and meats
• Swap it in baking recipes instead of butter
• Spread on baked savory goods
• Mix into your morning cup of coffee
• Drizzle over roasted vegetables

The Importance of Buying a High-Quality Ghee

Ghee is great, but just like everything else, quality is king. Make sure that you stick to high-quality ghee made from grass-fed butter, which ensures that the cows were not fed an inflammatory diet of grains, corn, or soy. Choose organic ghee to ensure that the milk came from cows that were not treated with antibiotics.

Another thing to look out for is added ingredients. Check the label to make sure that the product only contains pure ghee and is free from added vegetable oils or sweeteners.

Some excellent organic and grass-fed ghee options include the following brands:

• Ancient Organics Organic Ghee – Grass Fed
• Viva Naturals Organic Ghee – Grass Fed
• Fourth & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee

How to Make Ghee

While ghee is widely available in stores and online, the best way to enjoy it will be to make it yourself. Don’t worry, it’s fairly simple.

If you’re feeling up to the task, check out our easy, homemade ghee recipe here. 

The Bottom Line

If you like butter, consider giving ghee a try. It’s free from the milk proteins that can cause digestive issues, and since it’s pure fat, you get that buttery taste with none of the health problems.

Use it to cook, bake, or as a healthy topping to your favorite baked goods. You’ll get a flavor boost while providing your body with important vitamins and healthy fats that support a healthy digestive system.

Watch these 2 videos below –

Butter vs Ghee WHICH IS BEST? (+ How to Make Your Own Ghee at Home!)

5 Ways to use GHEE on (Healthy) Hair & Body!

Written by Rebecca Jacobs

Author Bio:

Rebecca Jacobs N.C is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, specializing in digestive and women’s health. She takes a holistic approach to wellness, doesn’t believe in “dieting,” and believes that healthy eating must be delicious. Rebecca is also a recipe developer and creates healthy alternatives to traditionally unhealthy foods.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

3 Immune-Boosting Recipes to Keep Your Body Healthy and Strong

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

The Ultimate Immune-Boosting Soup to Fight Colds

There’s something about a flavorful soup that makes eating your veggies easy.

This vibrant, immune-boosting soup is one of those loaded-with-vegetable recipes that makes healthful eating a cinch.

The key to this soup’s fragrant, slightly spicy taste is turmeric. It also gives the soup its immune boosting properties! Be sure to add a little black pepper to the recipe to help maximize the absorption of turmeric, turning this soup into an anti-inflammatory powerhouse.

This one-pot immune-boosting soup recipe is very simple – all you need to do is tenderize the veggies, let it simmer in vegetable broth, and blend it until smooth. Make sure to simmer the soup at a low heat, as overheating the ingredients will make them bitter. The longer you can simmer at a low temperature, the better!

The recipe adds coconut yogurt, which thickens the soup and balances the flavor of the turmeric. Try topping your bowl of immune-boosting soup with more coconut yogurt for swirling as you eat!

The recipe is large enough to feed a crowd. It is also great for meal prepping or storing in the freezer for an easy lunch or dinner. Serve your soup with a side of Paleo bread and your belly will be satisfied!

Tip: Want to make your own coconut yogurt? Try this homemade recipe here.

Recipe by Megan Olson

Tools:

• Pot
• Blender
• Ladle

Ingredients:

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup leeks, diced
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut yogurt
• 6 cups organic vegetable broth
• ½ t turmeric
• ¼ t black pepper
• ½ t ground ginger
• ½ t dried thyme

Instructions:

1. Heat extra the virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.

• Add the broccoli florets and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes until the broccoli becomes tender, then add all the remaining ingredients.

• Cover the pot and simmer at a medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook another 30 minutes. (Note: Do not simmer at a higher heat as the soup will become bitter).

• Remove the pot from the heat and let the soup cool for 10 minutes.

• Carefully pour the soup into a blender. Blend on high until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and enjoy!

Easy Fire Cider Recipe (Gut-Balancing + Immune-Boosting) by Jennafer Ashley

To make your batch of Fire Cider, you’ll first need to decide which method is best for you.

For same-day cooking, you can combine all ingredients (except for the honey) inside a crockpot and set for four hours on low.

If you have a little more time to spare, option two allows you to combine the ingredients into a quart-sized jar and store in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks.

Follow the same process for both methods during the last steps of straining and adding in the honey.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one month and take one tablespoon every few hours whenever you feel the onset of flu symptoms or need to restore your gut balance while traveling.

Fire Cider Recipe Crockpot Method

Tools:

• Crockpot
• Quart-size jar with lid
• Strainer

Ingredients:

• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 head of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 t ground turmeric
• 1/8 t black pepper
• 2 T raw honey
• 16 oz. apple cider vinegar with “the mother”

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except raw honey) in crockpot. Cover with lid and cook on low for four hours.

• Strain liquid into a jar and stir in honey. Secure the lid and store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Fire Cider Recipe Traditional Method

Tools:

• Quart-size jar with lid
• Strainer

Ingredients:

• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 head of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 t ground turmeric
• 1/8 t black pepper
• 2 T raw honey
• 16 oz. apple cider vinegar with “the mother”

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except raw honey) in a quart-sized jar. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 weeks.

• Strain liquid into a jar and stir in honey. Secure the lid and store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Immune-Boosting Mixed Green Spring Soup

Recipe by Jennafer Ashley

Put your springtime greens to good use with this one-pot soup you can have ready in minutes!

If you’re looking for a fresh way to use up those hearty spring greens, this brothy soup has you covered. It’s full of immune-boosting antioxidants and essential vitamins to keep you nourished throughout the day. Plus, it’s versatile enough to enjoy with any kind of protein (like chicken or beef).

Add as Much Produce Power as You’d Like

When it comes to spring soup, there’s a bounty of seasonal veggies to choose from. Tougher greens like chard, kale, and collard greens give this soup nutritional substance. However, you can also add in other greens (like celery, leeks, or zucchini) if you want to switch things up a bit.

We bump up the overall staying power of this soup with hearty parsnips. They make a great low-carb alternative to white potatoes and can be easily paired with other root vegetables like carrots, turnips, or rutabagas.

Complement Your Soup with Savory Herbs

For this recipe, we use ingredients that infuse mouth-watering aromas with the zesty tang of fresh lemons. White onion and garlic make the perfect combination to sauté in buttery ghee, as it intensifies the broth’s flavor and overall richness.

Fennel is full of herby anise flavor, and is equally delicious raw as it is cooked. While we utilize the bulb in this recipe, its seed and wispy fronds are also edible and can be added to other dishes, like salads, meatballs, and coleslaw. Other great herbs to add include fresh thyme, a sprig of rosemary, dill, or fresh basil.

Helpful Tips to Get Started:

• Sauté your veggies with ghee. Ghee is ideal for high heat cooking and won’t burn easily like butter or other cooking oils.

• Make your bowl even more filling. While this recipe comes with plenty of versatile options, you can also add mustard greens, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes for even more nutrition.

• Swap out herbs. Try herbs like thyme, rosemary, or dill to pack in even more springtime flavor.

Nutrition facts: 9 grams of protein,18 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fat

Tools:

• 5-quart Dutch oven

Ingredients:

• 1 T ghee
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet white onion
• 2 cups chopped parsnips
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1/2 cup sliced fennel bulb
• 10 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped collard greens
• 2 cups chopped Swiss chard
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Melt the ghee over medium heat in a Dutch oven and add in the onions and parsnips.

• Cover and cook for 10 minutes, tossing in the garlic and sliced fennel halfway through.

• Pour in the chicken stock and allow the soup to come to a boil, about 10 minutes.

• Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the greens, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper.

• Let the ingredients simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, then serve hot and enjoy!

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Written by Megan Olson

Author Bio:

Megan is the author of the gluten free website, Skinny Fitalicious where she creates easy, low calorie recipes. Megan is also a nutrition practitioner specializing in weight loss. When she’s not in the kitchen or coaching clients, she’s in the gym teaching group fitness. To view more of her work, visit Skinny Fitalicious.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook