Taking the “Latin” out of Gelatin. Meet this underdog of a superfood!

 

 

Providing way more than simply the squish in your marshmallow, or the jiggle in your jelly, gelatin has some astounding health benefits!  This product needs to be incorporated into our diets on a much more frequent basis.  It is yet another long lost friend to the low carber!  Welcome ye old, new friend.  You have “blended” in for far too long.  Today you will shine like a star!

What exactly is Gelatin?

I found this insightful article from a very well informed lady @ savorylotus.com

Gelatin is flavorless, translucent substance taken from the processing of animal connective tissue and bones to extract collagen,  an insoluble fibrous protein.  It is derived by the selective hydrolysis of collagen from the skin, the connective tissue and/or bones of animals.  Once extracted and powdered, gelatin dissolves in hot liquids and becomes more solid as it cools.  Gelatin contains half of the 18 essential amino acids, needed for survival.

I know this may sound totally GROSS to some folks, but just think about it for a minute. In times past,  when an animal was used for the purpose of food, people used as much of the animal as possible.  The organ meats were consumed.  The bones were cooked down into broth.  Not only was this essential for survival for folks but also showed reverence and respect for the gift of food given to them.  It is only recently that we have moved to just eating the muscle meats, missing out on all the nourishment that the rest of the animal can provide.

According to  Dr Ray Peat, many a degenerative and inflammatory disease can be corrected by introducing more Gelatin into the diet.  All you avid researchers, please read this article on Gelatin, stress, and longevity.

So what are those perks we can expect from this underrated animal bone and connective tissue powder?

Over to you Savory Lotus:

 

1. Gelatin is loaded with protein  ~ With 6 grams of protein per tablespoon, it’s a great way to add more protein to your diet.  Even though it is not a complete protein, it helps the body fully utilize the complete proteins that are taken in.
2. Gelatin improves digestion ~   It naturally binds to water and helps food move through the digestive tract more easily.
3. Gelatin can help heal food allergies and intolerances ~  Adding gelatin to your diet can heal the lining of your stomach and digestive tract.  And since food allergies/intolerances are thought to come from a “leaky gut,” the idea is that when you heal your digestive tract, you no longer have proteins and toxins that create health issues “leaching” into your body.
4. Gelatin is good for bone and joint health ~ Gelatin contains lots of amino acids important in helping to prevent the weakness and degeneration of cartilage in joints.  Gelatin, with it’s anti-inflammatory properties, has  also been shown to reduce  the pain and inflammation of arthritis.
5. Gelatin helps your body release toxins ~ Glycine, an amino acid found in gelatin, assists the liver to efficiently remove toxins from our system.
6. Gelatin gives you better hair, nails, and teeth ~ Gelatin contains keratin, which is a very strong protein found in your hair, nails, teeth and skin.
7. Gelatin improves the elasticity of your skin ~ Gelatin is essentially cooked down collagen.  Consuming it will help improve the look and feel of your skin much more effectively then hard- to- absorb collagen facial creams.  Gelatin actually stimulates your body to produce more collagen.
8. Gelatin helps speed up wound healing ~ One of the amino acids found in gelatin is glycine, which is highly anti-inflammatory.
9. Gelatin can improve your quality of sleep ~  Clinical studies have shown that not only do people sleep better when consuming the amino acid glycine, they report less daytime drowsiness and better cognitive function.
10. Gelatin can help with weight loss ~ Gelatin is thought to increase the production of Human Growth Hormone and to boost metabolism.  And with it’s nutrient-dense content, it also helps with satiety (keeps you full.)

Mind blowing stuff hey! I feel like a whole new world has opened for me with yet another great nutritional playground to explore!

So how do we incorporate gelatin into our diets without buying the “sugar spike” powdered jelly from the store shelves?  It is quite simple actually…

1. You make stocks from a variety of meat bones. You can make them, freeze them and add them to soups, stews, cauli – mash, etc.

{This weekend I made roasted Pork belly and I simply removed the rib bone before carving the belly and boiled it in water and with some of the left over caramelized pan veggies (Leek, Brinjal,) and added 1 small carrot and a bunch of celery. Then I boiled it until the in between rib meat just came of off the bones. About two hours.  (Top up the water as needed)  This way all the gelatin is extracted from the bones and forms a gelatin – rich broth! Use any bones, from chicken to rich marrow bone.}

This is my pork rib, smoky brinjal, leek and celery soup after I introduced it to my blender!

2.  Stir 3 Tbsp Gelatin into a tin coconut cream, bring to a boil and add vanilla extract, allow to cool slightly  and whisk for a few minutes. Chill and enjoy.  This  makes a beautiful “lite” mousse.

3.  Make fruit jellies.

{Get yourself a good source of Bovine Gelatine, try to watch out for colourants and preservatives.  In all honesty, I still need to find my own feet within a brand.  Just get started. I made these blackberry fruit jellies for my kids.  I added some vitamin C to them.  Just making vitamin time a bit more fun. You can use any berry as base – Strawberry is naturally the sweetest}

 

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen berries

2 Tbsp Xylitol

1/2 Cup water

2 Tbsp Gelatin (Bovine)

2 tsp Vitamin C powder

Method:

1. Bring the berries, water and xylitol to a boil. Stir in the Gelatin and allow to boil and reduce for 4 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Whisk with a stick blender. Stir in the vitamin C and pour into latex moulds or a lines bread pan.

3. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes.  Pop out or cut into squares.

More  GELATIN ideas…

4.  Stir a Tbsp or two Gelatin into your mushroom or cream sauce.  This way it also acts as a thickener.

5. Make Marshmallows!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Xylitol

4 Tbsp Gelatin

2 Tbsp Rosewater or vanilla essence

a single drop of food colouring. If you can get ahold of natural food colour from your health shop even better. (optional)

6 Tbsp desiccated coconut.

Method:

1.In a small saucepan add the xylitol to 2/3 cup of warm water.  Stir and allow to dissolve.

2. Add the Gelatin to 1/2 a cup of cold water and stir into the xylitol syrup.

3. boil mixture for about 4 – 5 minutes.  Stir frequently.

4. Allow mix to cool to room temperature.

5.  In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the mixture with an electric mixer till almost double in volume.  Add the colour and flavour.

6. Whisk for 8 – 10 minutes or until soft peaks form.

7. Pour into a lined rusk pan or a square or rectangular glass oven dish.

8. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

9.  Cut into squares with a knife dipped in water.

10 Cover with coconut and store in an airtight container.

 

You can experiment with flavour combinations to your hearts content.  The rosewater however gives it a nostalgic mix between “klapper ys” and turkish delight!  Sooooo good!

Makes awesome hot cocoa toppings too…

Happy old fashioned “gelatining” you guys! Bring back the 1970’s cucumber rings I say!

Low carb is Lekker in that kitch kinda way!

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