Thursday, January 31, 2013

Goal: Eat More Liver

It's the end of January, have you been sticking with your 2013 resolution or goals.  Remember, goals should be SMART.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

Instead of just saying "I'm going to lose weight."  or  "I'm finaly going to get healthy."  or  "I'm going to go to the gym more."  You need to pick specific ways in which you are going to achieve your desired results.

I'm going to lose weight by meeting with a nutritionist this month to help me create a meal plan I can stick with.

I'm going to to stop drinking my morning diet soda, and replace it with sparkling water.

I'm going to go to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings to lift weights for 45 minutes.

So what is my 2013 goal?  I've been doing a lot of reading lately...hazard of the job, and the benefits of liver keep popping up.  From MarksDailyApple, Nourishing Traditions, to The Gaps Diet, they all tout the benefits of liver.  Therefore my 2013 goal is to eat liver (at least 1 ounce) 2x each month.  So far, I've only used chicken livers since a local market carries free range livers for $2/pound.  Last fall I pureed a whole pound into my chicken patties.  They turned out dry since liver is very lean and too irony tasting.  The beginning of January I bought another pound and just lightly fried them in coconut oil, then layered them with waxed paper in a tupperware to freeze.  While I'm not a fan of the iron flavor or the crumbly texture.  I figure it's good for me, so I'm going to do it.  I cut a few up on a salad, and have tried them in my eggs.  So far I think the eggs are the winner.  I can mask the taste and texture with plenty of veggies and hot sauce.

Why liver?  Liver is an edible multi-vitamin  One ounce of chicken livers (2-3 livers) contains: 75% DV Vitamin A, 40% Folate, 79% B12, 18% iron, 33% Selenium.

However, when I'm out of my chicken livers I'm going to have to step up my game and buy beef.  1 ounce will give you: 146% DV Vitamin A, 18% Folate, 388% B12, 10% Iron, 204% Copper, 13% Selenium.

Vitamin A: Potent antioxidant, great for people with acne or digestive issues
Folate: Needed for cell replication and prevention of spinabifida
B12: Prevents neuropathy and depression
Iron: Carries oxygen in the blood
Selenium: Potent antioxidant that protects against cancer
Copper: Needed for Iron utilization and enzymatic reactions in the body

3 comments:

  1. Weight Watchers had a recipe simmering liver in tomato juice...........many years ago. Clients were asked to eat liver once a week. Always nice to read your columns!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the idea Cindy. I might have to try that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, I remember eating livers once a week when starting WW about 30 years ago. My favorite was liver and onions. Tomatoes was a good addition, too. Chicken liver stir fry was easy. As a kid my mom loved liver and onions! Evie

    ReplyDelete