Today I am reviewing The Gelatin Secret – The surprising superfood that transforms your health and your beauty, written by my affiliate partner Sylvie McCracken.
When first starting on GAPS, most of us do what we're told to do with good faith. We don't know every little nitty-gritty detail for why. But if you are anything like me, it can help immensely to stay on board if you know why you are doing something.
As an example, why is it so important to ingest broth and soup on a regular basis? Ideally several times daily, especially if you are doing GAPS Introduction or fairly new to GAPS. I know it's easy to slack off after awhile, so this review is going to be a refresher course in why we need to consume plenty of broth and soup.
One of the main components in broth, stock and soup is gelatin [affiliate link]. Some people swear by adding chicken feet to their soup that it is super gelatinous. And we know broth to be a super food.
Sylvie covers everything you would ever want to know in The Gelatin Secret, and I know you'll be inspired to stick to ingesting gelatin on a more consistent basis.
In The Gelatin Secret's Introduction, Sylvie explains what gelatin is, she breaks out the basic components of collagen, explains how gelatin is made, reveals how bone broth is a source of gelatin, tells us why we should eat gelatin, how to choose the best gelatin, and then goes into detail of how gelatin nourishes each part of your body. Each of the following bullet points is explained in detail:
- Why gelatin is good for your bones (which are mostly made up of collagen which is a type of protein).
- Why gelatin is good for your joints (which are made up for cartilage, ligaments and muscles. The connective tissues are primarily made up of collagen).
- Why gelatin is good for your gut.
- How the glycine in gelatin can help regulate blood sugar levels and help you lose weight.
- How gelatin can inhibit sugar cravings and reduce appetite.
- How gelatin boosts muscle formation.
- How gelatin can help with brain function, it can help us to manage stress and get better sleep.
- How gelatin can help balance cortisol levels.
- How gelatin helps with skin health (acne, wrinkles).
- How gelatin helps hair growth.
- how gelatin can help with cellulite.
- How gelatin helps our nails grow stronger.
- How gelatin helps our teeth.
Sylvie goes into detail in her e-book about all of these areas of the body that can be helped by broth, and it is very informative and interesting.
Next Sylvie shares recipes starting with a guide for making gelatin-rich bone broth with a helpful troubleshooting guide. All of the recipe include gelatin from side dish recipes, soup, condiments and sauces, “Jello” recipes, gummies, dairy-free ice creams, dairy-free smoothies, dairy-free puddings and custards, all the way to marshmallows!
As far as being GAPS legal, not all recipes are as written, so pay attention as you may need to make substitutions. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I know for myself personally, I have definitely slacked off on making broth and ingesting gelatin. I am feeling it all over my body, in the form of aches and pains in my joints. I know better, but it is just one more thing to do that sometimes goes on the back burner, so to speak. Reading Sylvie's e-book has inspired me to get back on the gelatin bandwagon so that I can eliminate some of these nuisance aches and pains.
Sylvie recommends Great Lakes commercially produced gelatin.
The lime green can works best in smoothies, since it does not gel. However, I have found if you don't have this non-gelling type, you can usually use the regular gelatin, you'll just need to mix it into warm water first and allow it to dissolve. Otherwise, it will clump into weird little hard pieces. This is the brand she recommends: Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate, and this is the non-gelling version in the lime green can.
Then there is the red can, derived from grass-fed beef, and Kosher. This version forms a gel when mixed with water and is great for making jelled treats.
Finally, the porcine version, derived from pigs. Sylvie notes they may not be eating a 100% natural diet, but it is the cheaper option.
Get your copy of The Gelatin Secret today!
