Name: Hormone Balancing Basil Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 45 Meatballs
Ingredients: 2 Pounds Ground Beef (Grass-Fed); 1 Pound Ground Liver; 3 Eggs (Pasture-Raised); 1/2 Onion (Finely chopped); 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil; 6 Cloves garlic (Finely Chopped); 2 Tablespoons basil leaves (Fresh, Finely Chopped); 2 Tablespoons Walnuts (Finely Chopped); 1/2 Teaspoon nutritional yeast (Bragg's brand); 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour; 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Flakes; 1 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (Naturally Fermented)

Recipes

Hormone Balancing Meatballs

June 28, 2016

I love meatballs. And when I love something, I obsess over it for a good month-ish…

There were the meatballs for breakfast.

Lamb meatballs with sweet potato pasta.

And who could forget the Fertility Feast meatballs?

Meatball-making reminds me of cookie-baking. You roll up all of these fantastic ingredients into tiny little balls, put them on a baking sheet, and fill your kitchen with all the smells, until it's time to pull them out and try one bite of the juicy, herby, spicy, meaty cookie. But unlike cookies, I don’t believe you have to follow an exact recipe. That’s the beauty of cooking after all. A pinch of this, a handful of that – as long as it’s all things you like, it will most likely be delicious.

Besides being addicting, these particular meatballs have so many health benefits, it’s ridiculous. The reason? Because they have liver. Yes, liver. WAIT! WAIT! Before you freak out and close this page, please do two things for me: 1) Read the benefits below. And 2) See how I’m going to make it really easy for you to incorporate the liver into your diet through this awesome recipe.

Ridiculous Benefits Of My Liver Meatballs:

LIVER is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Period.

Greater than 65% of daily requirement of folate for 30-something women.

High in B12, B6, zinc and iron, which helps with…

Depression
Thyroid issues
Low energy

The highest source of vitamin A, which improves…

Thyroid function. It supports thyroid deficiencies so it's perfect for anyone with hypothyroid.
Liver health and detoxification.
Absorption of Vitamin A. We can’t get ANYWHERE close to this amount of Vitamin A from vegetables – not only because vegetable don't have as much, but becasue the body has to convert it to retinol first in order to use it. Unfortuantely, the veggie conversion rate is not good – especially for people with thyroid issues. But with liver, it's already converted and ready to use!

Anti-Fatigue factor:

In a famous study done by Benjamin K. Ershoff, PhD, liver consumption prevented rats from exhaustion, even after swimming for 2 straight hours.
Could have implications for human consumption; many people report feeling energized after eating it.

WALNUTS are high in Omega-3 which has been shown to:

Balance depression, anxiety and mood swings associated with hormonal imbalances
Reduce inflammation and balance insulin

COCONUT OIL is a medium chain fatty acid which:

Is essential for hormone production
Keeps inflammation levels low
Boosts your metabolism
Promotes weight loss

My personal experience with these liver meatballs:

Incredibly satiating – I've tried liver in many different ways and THIS baby finally made me enjoy them.
Improved digestion
More energy
GREAT for fertility

Ridiculously Easy Way To Make It Delicious:

So that you don’t actually taste the liver, we’re going to mix it together with grass-fed ground beef and lots of seasonings and ingredients.
So that you don’t have to touch the liver (too much), I’m going to ask that you ask your local butcher to grind it for you. And if you ask really nicely, they might grind it together with the beef. (Shoutout to Anthony at Local Foods for being the sweetest, most accommodating butcher ever 🙂 )
So that you don’t have to deal with liver often, we’re going to make one BIG batch now so you can freeze them later and have a ready-to-go, highly nutritious dinner any night of the week.

Okay, enough talk. Are you ready to put all your fears aside and try liver???

Hormone Balancing Basil Meatballs

CourseDinner, Main Dish

Servings	Prep Time
45 Meatballs	30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
45 Meatballs	30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Hormone Balancing Basil Meatballs

CourseDinner, Main Dish

Servings	Prep Time
45 Meatballs	30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
45 Meatballs	30 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

2 Pounds Ground Beef Grass-Fed
1 Pound Ground Liver
3 Eggs Pasture-Raised
1/2 Onion Finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
6 Cloves garlic Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons basil leaves Fresh, Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Walnuts Finely Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon nutritional yeast Bragg's brand
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Flakes
1 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce Naturally Fermented

Servings: Meatballs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set out three baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on the sauté pan and toss in onion; sauté for 5 minutes-ish.
While that's cooking, chop up garlic cloves, basil leaves and walnuts; Set aside.
Set aside cooked onions and let cool to room temperature.
Whisk eggs in a bowl.
Stir in garlic, basil, walnuts, nutritional yeast, coconut flour and red chili pepper flakes.
Pour mixture into beef and liver; Pour onions in separately.
Get your hands in there and mix it all together.
Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper.
Stick in oven for 10 minutes.
Bonus: Once cooled, stick in freezer ON THE PAN to flash freeze your meatballs. Doing so will keep them in meatball shape so you can stuff them in freezer bags and have them on hand whenever you need them. Believe me, nothing is better than coming home to an empty fridge, and then remembering that you have delicious pre-made meatballs waiting for you in the freezer.
TO RE-HEAT: Warm in pan with a bit of coconut oil, bone broth and/or spaghetti sauce for approximately 10 minutes.

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Recipes

Food & Fertility Series: Episode 1 + Fertile Myrtle Smoothie Recipe

June 22, 2016

I know that when I eat real, unprocessed, high-nutrient food, I will feel great and look great. When I work out on a regular basis, I will have muscle tone and less body fat. And when I get to sleep on time, I will feel clear-headed the following day.

These are all things that I can control. If I do A, then I’ll get B.

Well. It’s time to say goodbye to those days because we’re trying to have a baby (YAY!!!!!). Oh, and did I mention I also just got married? (double YAY!!).

For all of you out there who have experienced this (or are currently experiencing it), you know that you can never have full control over what your body decides to do, or doesn’t decide to do.

Just because I eat this, take this, and time my ovulation just right, there is no guarantee (SCARY).

That said, there are things that I can do (and anybody else out there listening) that can increase my chances dramatically. Read: I’m going to try to control it anyway :).

SO even though we are technically just beginning (now that the wedding is over), I’ve been on a mission the last few months in anticipation of this blessed moment. A mission to read everything there is to read, and try everything there is to try on fertility – the natural way. Which means through FOOD (my favorite).

Thus begins my series on fertility. Essentially, I’m self-experimenting on myself. If I eat this way, will I not only get pregnant faster, but have a healthy pregnancy, and in turn, a healthy baby?

THE FOOD & FERTILITY SERIES:
A 5 part series revealing the food and habits I am incorporating into my lifestyle – one tip at a time. And yes, it will always be accompanied by a recipe. Also, follow along on my Instagram page to see fertility recipes (and just plain ol’ Paleo goodness) posted in real time. Let’s get this party started, shall we?

Tip 1: Start Early
One of the first books I read on natural fertility was, “Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility,” by Kristen Michaelis. There is a TON of good advice in this book. Some of it’s a little out there. But a lot of it makes sense. You just have to be willing to go outside your comfort zone a bit to follow the recommendations.

I will be referring back to this book throughout this series, and I encourage you all to read it if you are also trying to conceive. But I will do my best to give you the Cliff’s Notes right here.

The best advice I got out of it was to START EARLY.

Most people start thinking about fertility WHEN they are ready to have a baby. But, if you think about it, that’s like running a marathon without training for it first. To prepare your body to accommodate and grow a healthy baby for 9 months, you should really start preparing at least 3 months ahead.

Why 3 months?
It takes nearly 90 days for an egg to fully mature before it is ovulated and 72 days for a man’s sperm to form. During that time, outside factors have influence over the quality of that egg (nutrition, oxygenation, proper blood circulation, the balance of the hormones, the mood of the mother, and stress).

Michaelis cites traditional societies that would prepare mothers 6 -12 months in advance for conception. The first half of that time was to help heal and detox the body. The second half promoted maximum fertility.

Multiple studies have linked infertility to malnourishment. And I know that when we hear ‘malnourishment,’ we think starving children in Africa. But it’s very possible for somebody following the standard American diet of 6-11 servings of carbs, a small amount of vegetables and healthy protein, and massive amounts of sugar and processed food, to be malnourished.

Traditional cultures placed a special emphasis on very nutrient-rich foods during this pre-conception phase…

Andes Mountain Tribes: Fish eggs
Gaelic Fisherman in Scotland: Fish heads stuffed with oats and chopped liver
Hunter-Gatherers all around the world: Liver, glands, blood, marrow, and adrenal glands from animals

These cultures were eating 10-20-30 times more of these vitamins than we eat today. When analyzed, it shows that these foods contain high amounts of vitamins A, D, and K2, folate, B6 and B12.

I’ll get to more of the reason these nutrients are so good for pregnancy in our next Food & Fertility post. But for now, I want you to understand why preparing the body in this way is way more important than you may even imagine.

Now & Later
According to the Fetal Origins Hypothesis, foods eaten in pregnancy can significantly increase a baby’s risk of contracting chronic diseases later in life. In 2010, the culmination of these studies appeared in Time magazine with the following considerations:

What makes us the way that we are? Why are some people predisposed to anxiety, heart attacks, diabetes, or high blood pressure?

It is possible that the quality of nutrition you received in the womb (pollutants, drugs, mother’s health, stress level, state of mind) could have influence on your health as an adult.

This thought and others is the basis for a new-ish field of science called Epigenetics. Epigenetics means the nutrition or other environmental factors can influence the behavior of genes without actually altering DNA.

This means that what we eat as adults can change our health. But only so much. What we eat in the womb, however, can have a huge impact because that’s when our genetics are the most malleable.

Fact: Baby girls are born with all the eggs that they will ever have.

This means that, according to epigenetics, your health was determined by what your mother ate, what her mother ate, and what HER mother ate.

My point? WHAT YOU EAT NOW – whether it’s years, months or weeks before you have a baby – MATTERS.

WHOA. I know. Blows your mind a bit. I realize that some of these claims are controversial. And that it may cause you to freak out a bit (the last thing I want during this crucial time). But it was all based on scientific research, and I thought it was worth sharing.

The good news is WE HAVE CONTROL OVER THIS. And the control, as always, lies in our food.

Get started below with my delicious Fertile Myrtle Smoothie recipe. And while you are waiting for post number 2, check out my Instagram page to find tons of fertility recipes I've been posting.

Like what you read today? See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

Can't get enough of all this healthy stuff? Then sign up for the newsletter where it says "Enter Your Email" at the top of this page. Too much of a commitment? That's cool. I also have a sweet Facebook page, deep-thoughted Twitter page, food-pornish Instagram handle, and recipe-filled Pinterest page.

Much Love,

Fertile Myrtle Smothie

This thing is no joke. It will give you butt loads of energy. Whether you're trying to conceive or not, hormone balance is a good thing for all of us. And every ingredient in here is intended for healthy hormone balance. Maca = Supports normal hormone production; stimulates and nourishes the hypothalamus & pituitary / Bee Pollen = Combats fatigue, increases energy, potent aphrodisiac 😉 / Goji Berries = Reduces inflammation, calms nervous system, treats female infertility and increases male sperm count

CourseSmoothie

Servings	Prep Time
1 person	10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 person	10 minutes

Fertile Myrtle Smothie

CourseSmoothie

Servings	Prep Time
1 person	10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 person	10 minutes

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1 cup kale
1 teaspoon maca powder
1 cup coconut water
1 teaspoon bee pollen
drop Vitamin D
1 inch turmeric root
1 inch ginger root
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash cayenne
2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen
1 teaspoon goji berries

Servings: person

Instructions

Add all ingredients to your high-powered blender
Pulverize for approximately 1 minute.

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Healthy Body

Dry Body Brushing

November 11, 2015

For the last two months, I have been learning a whole lot about the human body (and OH what a body it is) through the tutelage of Carnegie Mellon University. No, I’m not a full-time student again (I wish). But I am working on becoming a certified health coach (Drop the mic – I know).

Lucky for me, my program has partnered with CMU for the science portion of the material. Which I LOVE because I know I'm getting a top notch education.

My time spent with this program is the same reason I haven’t been quite as consistent with my posts as I'd like to be. But DON’T WORRY. It’s only because I want to be a better blogger for you all. And maybe, eventually, a health coach to some of you. [Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.]

Our most recent lesson was on all of the body’s wonderfully marvelous I-can't-believe-we-were-born-this-way systems. But for whatever reason, the one that intrigued me the most was the Lymphatic System.

What is the Lymphatic System, you ask?

Short answer: The Lymphatic System is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials.

Long answer: Our bodies don't function without our environment. Breathing, eating, pogo-sticking – we need our environment to do all of that. However, in those exchanges, we have to be careful of foreign invaders that might enter the body during such activites. And sometimes, we have to remove them before they cause any real damage.

That's where the lymphatic system comes in. It works together with the cardiovascular system to transport excess fluids away from body tissues. Once fluid enters the lymphatic system it is called lymph. Lymph travels through lymph vessels and passes through these neat pockets called lymph nodes which filter and clean the lymph. On top of that, the lymph ALSO transports absorbed fat from the digestive system to the body cells.

Okay, now we got the definition down, let's get to why I thought it was so interesting.

When the lymphatic system gets congested, it can't eliminate waste efficiently. If it can't eliminate waste efficiently, your body doesn't respond well. It can become inflamed (soreness, stiffness, bloating, excess water weight, breast swelling or soreness with cycles, swollen glands, extra belly fat, headaches, constipation), and sometimes, if it's serious enough, lead to disease.

On the other side, though, when things are working as they should, we’ve got smoother softer skin, better digestion, increased circulation and hard-working kidneys. Woohoo!

I was curious. What can we do to make sure our lymphatic system is working at its best so we can not only avoid inflammation, but so that we can have the increased benefits of an ideal system?

Low and behold, near the end of the unit, I saw this:

The lymph doesn’t move on it’s own. You must move it through activities like exercise, massage and dry body brushing.

Huh? What’s dry brushing? Is it expensive? Is it time consuming? How do I do it? I want one!

The answers…are below.

What is dry body brushing?

Dry body brushing is exactly as it sounds. It literally consists of taking a brush (a natural one; not a synthetic one) to your body, and brushing it towards the heart in long stroking motions, stimulating the process of lymph circulation. One third of your body's toxins are excreted through the skin. Dry brushing, therefore, helps to unclog pores and excrete toxins that become trapped in the skin.

Is it expensive?

NO. It’s the cost of a natural bristle brush with a long handle (so you can really get back there). I bought mine at Whole Foods for $6.

Is it time consuming?

No. You can do it really quick – like 5 minutes quick. Or, if you have a little more time, you can spend a leisurly 20 minutes brushing your entire body. I highly reccommend doing it in the morning before you shower, as it can be pretty invigorating to the skin and the entire body. Whoo. What a rush.

How do I do it?

I took my lesson from reading a few different blogs, and watching this Youtube video. Here's the gist:

1. Starting at the feet, brush up in long strokes, brushing a few times with each section of skin. With every stroke of the brush, follow with the other hand to keep the lymph flowing up.

2. THIS IS KEY: Always brush up towards the heart/chest where the lymph system drains.

3. Next, go to your arms. Start at your hands, brushing towards your heart/chest. Pay close attention when you get to your armpit, as there are more lymph nodes in your armpit than in other areas of your body.

4. Tummy, next. This time do circular movements. This is where it's really going to help your digestion.

5. Lastly – and my personal favorite – your back. Brush upwards towards your heart and love every moment of that scratch-my-own-back experience. Feels aaahmazing.

My experience.

As of this writing, I've only been doing dry brushing for about a week. But I can say, without a doubt, that my skin is already so much smoother and softer. Which, at this time of the year, is a miracle for my dry-as-a-bone skin. Secondly, I have started to notice a difference in my KP – a skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris that causes rough patches and dry red acne-like bumps on the skin. I've lived with this ugly thing forever and tried EVERYTHING to eliminate it but nothing works. If this dry brushing thing does the trick, it is TOTALLY worth it for that alone. Lastly, I notice an immediate burst of energy after I do it – which is why it's ideal to do first thing in the morning. Oh, and I almost forgot, it just feels so damn good.

Interested in giving it a try with me? Awesome. Dry body brushing buddies! (high five)

Or maybe you just think somebody else might benefit from Dry Body Brushing. See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

Much Love,

Pumpkin Spice Latte: Paleo Style

September 28, 2015

I am constantly asking you. No, BEGGING YOU for new topic suggestions. But most of the time you just smile and say, "What you're doing is great, Stacey. Keep it up."

And to that I say, "Blah, blah, blah. Ham sandwich."

So when my good friend Michelle came up to me to request a "Healthy Stacey" Pumpkin Spice Latte, I was ecstatic. Being the nerd that I am, I actually dedicated a Saturday morning to the recipe-making process. I lit pumpkin candles, put on John Mayer, and tinkered with all my favorite fall ingredients.

Michelle, my friend, I now invite you to light a pumpkin candle, put on your new knitted UGG boots, and curl up on your porch with a mug and a blanket. This one's for you.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Remember the controversy over Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes last year? Remember how ridiculous it was that people would expect a latte from Starbucks to be good for you anyways? Oh, maybe that was just me. Starbucks – I love you. And I have no problem with getting a pump of pumpkin in my coffee during the season. But if you're home on a cool Fall morning, and you've got a little time, THIS recipe is the way to go. It's all whole, real ingredients. Not one thing to feel bad about. In fact, I've listed at least one benefit to every single ingredient (although there was always more than one).

Serves: 2

(Tip: Double the recipe without the coffee so you can have pre-made pumpkin spice latte mix for the next day or two)

Ingredients:

1 Banana
Contains high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin — the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter. Using a banana also replaces the need for sugar, and adds a subtle sweetness and even more creaminess.
1/4 cup of Coconut Cream (not coconut milk, coconut cream – BIG difference) – I use this brand
Doesn't require bile acids for digestion. Because of this, drinking coconut cream lightens the burden of your immune system so that your body can concentrate more on other critical tasks like repairing cells and tissues.
1/2 cup of Pumpkin Puree – I like this brand
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, you should consume between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day. But most Americans don't get more than 10-15 grams. Guess what pumpkin has tons of? FIBER. 7.1 grams per serving. 'Tis the season to digest your food more quickly and absorb your nutrients with lots and lots of PUMPKIN!
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice seasoning (contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice) – BIG fan of the Spice House
All of these spices are good for you, but most notably cinnamon spice is a superstar (loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties). It's so good in fact that people with diabetes are often prescribed cinnamon pills to lower their blood sugar.
1/2 inch of Ginger Root (I like to give it a little kick; please leave this out if pumpkin & ginger sounds disgusting to you)
I add ginger to as many things as I can, not only cause I like the spiciness of it, but because it is SO good for you. It reduces pain and inflammation, increases circulation, and reduces exercise-induced muscle pain and soreness.
1 cup of Organic Coffee – I love Equal Exchange, and Thrive has it for a great price
As long as it's not consumed in excess, coffee is not bad for you. It is loaded with antioxidants, and if you choose organic, you are eliminating all of the chemicals and pesticides that are part of what makes drinking coffee so bad in the first place.
1/4 cup of Coconut Cream (for froth)
See first Coconut Cream for benefits

Directions:

Brew up some strong coffee so it's ready for you when you're ready for it.
Toss the banana, the first 1/4 cup of coconut cream, pumpkin puree and seasonings (and ginger, if you choose) in your blender.
Pour your concoction in a pan and heat it up on the stove. Put it on medium heat and stir. Be careful not to overheat and burn it. Eck.
In another pan, pour in your second 1/4 cup of coconut cream and put it on stove. Take a fork and start stirring furiously to get it nice and frothy. (If you have a frother, that would be much more efficient. Obviously, I do not so this was my work around).
Once pumpkin mixture is sufficiently hot, and cream is sufficiently frothy, turn off stove and pour in 1 cup of coffee. Stir together.
Fill up your favorite fall mug with mixture until it's 3/4 of the way full.
Then pour froth over it.
Sprinkle a little more Pumpkin Spice on the top to make it pretty.
Sip and smile. It's fall, y'all.

Like what you read today? Think somebody else would like the secret recipe to a healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte? (Honestly, who wouldn't?). See those cute little social shapes underneath this post? They're for sharing! Click one to post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or comment right here on the blog. I would love to hear from you.

Much Love,