Australian Gelatin, oi, oi, oi!

September 30, 2015 by taranoosa

Peptipro jellies

I first discovered the healing benefits of Gelatin a year or so ago and began incorporating it into my regular diet. I googled recipes, experimented with different methods and blogged about it here and here. Most health-focussed sites were recommending the grass-fed, conscious product Great Lakes. I started purchasing this hard-to-get product through Primal Influence (here on the Sunshine Coast) and eventually attended an informative workshop with the lovely Aimee who runs the business with partner Clint.

The problem was, Great Lakes’ is a product of the USA and purchasing it in Australia is quite expensive. After a while I did start noticing it popping up in local health food stores , but it was at the same price or dearer. I then discovered an online store and started purchasing it there as it was cheaper. I felt a little guilty not purchasing it through a local company and ‘going online’, but with the amount I wanted to use the cost was really adding up. I wondered why, with our large cattle industry here in Australia and with so many organic and conscious beef farmers, there was no producer of Australian grass-fed, quality Gelatin.

Well folks, thank God for instagram. Many a discovery has been made on this little app and one sunny morning last month I logged on to discover a sweet little account called Gelatin Australia. ‘Ooh, Gelatin Australia‘, I wondered, ‘Could it be that they sell AUSTRALIAN grass-fed Gelatin?’.

And that’s the end of my ethical dilemma with purchasing Gelatin online and from overseas. I can now buy my:

→ Grass-fed (but grain-finished)

→ Australia-produced and regulated

→ Australian owned

→ A-grade

→ Sustainable

→ Affordable

beef gelatin from an Australian website and it is MUCH cheaper than the alternative brand.

Please note that I am not necessarily claiming Peptipro to be ‘better’ or ‘higher quality’ than Great Lakes. To me, they are both excellent products. My elation simply comes from being able to purchase an Australian product* as that means I can: save on unnecessary shipping, keep our economy going strong and support local producers in this small country of ours. As an Australian however I do automatically feel more confidence in purchasing products that are produced by our own (highly regulated) industry, and had noted recently that Great Lakes’ had removed the ‘grass-fed’ from their labels (this I find quite interesting). * Both brands produce their collagen formula in countries outside their own.

Please also note that www.gelatinaustralia.com.au does stock both of the mentioned brands.

Purchase it here.

Is all Apple Cider Vinegar created equal?

November 16, 2014 by taranoosa Leave a Comment

So, a woman at work who has had digestive problems just like you said that she started using Apple Cider Vinegar and it has helped her immensly. On your next grocery trip, you pick up a bottle from the salad dressing aisle.

Yeah, so what? What’s wrong with that?

Well, nothing is ‘wrong’ with it. But all ACVs are not created equal, so you could be assisting your health a lot more by buying a quality version.

Common Apple Cider Vinegar claims:

– Assists in the PH/Alkaline balance in your body

– Aids digestion

– Improves your immunity

– Weight loss

– Improves skin conditions

– Promotes good gut bacteria

Are these claims true?

I am not sure- I am not a Nutritionist, nor a Doctor or Scientist. But if you are asking me personally if ACV has helped me, then the answer is yes. I have experienced improved digestion of meals by having it beforehand and it has also provided relief of nausea and soothed a sore throat.

How to use it :

– Regularly, as in on a daily basis.

– Before meals, a few teaspoons diluted in water

– In salad dressings

– In your baking. Many Grain-free bread recipes call for ACV + Bi-carb as their raising agent

What to look for:

– Buy brands that are raw, unfiltered and have ‘the mother’ in the jar (the funny-looking cloudy thing)

– Look for dark-coloured, not light-coloured vinegar. The latter will be filtered and pasteurized.

– I personally use Bragg’s, which seems to be the most popular brand and also the most easily found outside of the grocery store. I have found some dearer brands that were ‘organic’ but did not include the mother, so look for a brand that matches the above criteria.

Luckily for me, my mother went through an ‘Apple Cider vinegar phase’ during my childhood (oh yes, there were many health phases….) and I took a liking to the taste, so I enjoy having it daily. If you are the opposite, hold your nose and know that it is for your own good!

Resources:

http://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/06/02/12-reasons-why-apple-cider-vinegar-will-revolutionize-your-health/

ACV

How long until attitudes change?

July 22, 2014 by taranoosa Leave a Comment

Do you remember, about five or so years ago, when Gluten-free menu options started to be seen on menus? When Gluten-free products started appearing on the supermarket shelves and not just in the local health food store? Around that time I was trialling a gluten-free diet (with success), but I was struggling with the attitudes that still existed, like ‘Doesn’t that taste awful?’, ‘Oh everything is fine in moderation, I say’ and the feeling that Gluten-free food was “weird food” (direct quote from my brother-in-law!).

How times have changed! These days, you will rarely find a restaurant that does not highlight on their menu which items are Gluten-free (GF), Vegan (VG) or Vegetarian (V). The ‘health food’ sections of the supermarkets are brimming with Gluten-free biscuits and sauces and breads and bars and flours and cake mixes. This little industry is a goldmine for producers. No-one blinks an eye if you say you are gluten-intolerant, as so many people realise that they are these days.

Five years later I feel that, in a way, I have evolved a little further in the food journey by embracing a grain-free/paleo lifestyle. I look back with retrospect at all those above mentioned gluten-free products that I spent my money on, that were highly processed and relied on a lot of sugar to enhance the taste. If you need to label things as weird I personally see Paleo as ‘less weird’ than Gluten-free, in that the focus is on real foods like meats, eggs, (some) fruits and vegetables as opposed to processed foods designed to substitute wheaten products. (*Of course we all know that grain-free products are automatically gluten-free).

So how funny to me to find myself in almost the same receiving position of others’ attitudes as I did over 5 years ago! I now get asked all kinds of things, such as ‘What on earth do you eat if you don’t eat grains??’, ‘Do you get hungry- how do you get full?’, and ‘What’s so wrong with grains?’, accompanied by statements like ‘Don’t you know your body NEEDS carbs?’, ‘ Paleo is just another fad’ and ‘Paleo food tastes like crap!’. (And yes, my ever-consistent brother-in-law likes to argue about the accuracy of our Paleolithic diet understanding and now also states that he is “intolerant to Gluten-free food”!)

What should my answer be to these question and statements ????

“No, meat and vegetables taste just fine thanks”.

“I know it is pretty extreme eating bacon and eggs for BREAKFAST, instead of cereal, but it’s really good. You should try it”.

Or perhaps I should just simply explain that I get heaps of carbs through my vegetable intake and that I feel full after every meal? That ‘Paleo’ simply means eating REAL FOOD?

Instead though, I just nod and smile and know that I only have to wait a little while for history to repeat- for it usually does.

Tara Prana

Mother. Teacher. Foodie. Friend.