Recipes for better living

thumbnail
Bill F, modified 9 Years ago at 2/6/15 10:40 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/6/15 10:40 PM

Recipes for better living

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
Hello,

      I am going to use this thread to compile a list of some of my favorite recipes to cook. I acknowledge that I am only an amateur chef, but I think I'm pretty skilled in the kitchen. Having experimented with a number of diets, I am currently eating primarily under the Perfect Health Diet PHD. I will get into the specifics of how diet has been shown to transform more than just health, but to begin with, I will start with a simple recipe:

Liver and Onions

More than perhaps with any other food, with liver, preparation is key. Soak liver in milk for 24 hours before preparing. After soaking for 24 hours, rinse and pat dry with paper towels, then sprinle with salt and pepper. 

1. Cut onion into small slices.
2. Using a tbsp. of olive oil, allow olive oil to warm in pan, and then slow cook sliced onion for 30-45 mns. on low heat, until it is reduced and caramelized. 
3. Remove onion from pan, and turn heat to med/high, allowing a minute or so for pan to heat up.
4. Liver cooks quick so cook for 2-3 minutes per side. If the sides begin to curl press down with spatula.

And voila! Enjoy. 
Liver is one of the most nutritious foods available, packed with a ton of nutrients that it's hard to find other places. I got my most recent batch from Rain Crow Ranch   http://www.raincrowranch.com/
thumbnail
sawfoot _, modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 3:08 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 3:03 AM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 507 Join Date: 3/11/13 Recent Posts
Thanks for the recipe Bill. Never been a huge offal fan but perhaps I might give this a go.

So, In your opinion, this Perfect Health Diet that you speak of, does it actually lead to transformation of your health (and beyond)?

I ask because I did try tried a modified version of the paleo diet once and I found it had massive effects on my physical and mental well being. I did actually lose a lot of weight, but was more interesting was its effects beyond the mere physical. I found that simply by just being disciplined about an activity (a diet), it had knock on effects in making my life better. I became more motivated, more organised, more active. And I was happier. I think a lot of that was just having a focus, and having a simple activity like cooking (I had to do more food prep while on the diet) was helpful in giving my life some meaning and stop me worrying about the fact that one day I will die and cease to exist and there is no point to my life or the universe. I would also read books about it and frequent Paleo forum boards (just as a lurker), and it was nice feeling I was part of a community though obviously just reading about eating a healthy diet is no substitute for actually eating a healthy diet. And I was just taking better care of myself and making better decisions. The thing is, now that I am no longer on that diet, it feels like those benefits I accrued when practicing the diet might have been just a consequence of what I was doing at the time, which makes me think the diet was not actually transformative. Though I suppose that those experiences while on the diet have left an imprint which inform my personality to this day.
thumbnail
Bill F, modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 3:09 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 3:08 AM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
Hi Sawfoot: Yes, definitely. I was paleo for a while, lost a ton of weight, experienced some of the same benefits but also felt it to be lacking in some areas.

PHD is paleo-ish, but they reccomend a low amount of safe starches. Their book is excellent, and based on several years of study. I really would reccomend checking it out. I've been trying out intermittent fasting lately, which is revealing a lot to me about my relationship with food/craving.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Edit: Soaking the liver in milk is key. It is basically a superfood. I don't know what that means, but I've heard some smart people say, "Liver is a superfood", so Sawfoot, liver is a superfood.
thumbnail
Nikolai , modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 1:54 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 4:32 AM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 1677 Join Date: 1/23/10 Recent Posts
If anyone is feeling sluggish, no energy, low, maybe a little depressed, lethargic  and heavy in the limbs, which isn't so conducive to practicing meditation, you may be deficient spleen qi. If your diet sucks, you overeat at times, maybe have a sweet tooth and can't resist overloading on sugary things, you might be screwing with the flow of qi. This can really screw with your head in my exxperience being chronic spleen qi deficient.

So for any spleen qi deficient yogis out there here are some spleen qi food recipes to get you back on track:


https://www.pinterest.com/nikkiluvslife/spleen-qi-recipes/


Nick
thumbnail
Bill F, modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 10:50 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 10:50 AM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
Thanks, Nikolai, but I think your link is broken. Maybe try editing.
thumbnail
Nikolai , modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 1:31 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 1:31 PM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 1677 Join Date: 1/23/10 Recent Posts
Bill F.:
Thanks, Nikolai, but I think your link is broken. Maybe try editing.


Oops, fixed it. 
thumbnail
Bill F, modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 3:07 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 2:25 PM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
All good. 

"For the happy heart, life is a continual feast" (Proverbs 15:15 NLT)

Easy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
5 lbs. Russet Potato
4 tbsp. butter (I prefer Kerry Gold, stay away from margarine)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Fill pot with potatoes and water rising to 1" above potatoes
3. Bring water to boil, then lower and cover, allow to boil for fifteen or so minutes or until fork tender
4. Drain water from potatoes, then return potatoes to pot
5. Add butter, heavy whipping cream and mash.
6. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Cooking starches in a gentle way (boiling rather than frying) tends to lower glycemic index so this is an especially nourishing, healthy and filling way to get your starches.
thumbnail
Bill F, modified 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 2:27 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 2/7/15 2:27 PM

RE: Recipes for better living

Posts: 556 Join Date: 11/17/13 Recent Posts
Thank you. I took a look. Will try to incorporate some of this stuff. Any general resources you reccomend regarding eating this way?

Breadcrumb