Up until now the only gelatine I knew was what comes in packet jelly mixes at the supermarket, a sugary chemical cocktail that kids love!  Jellies in our house were a school holiday or birthday party ‘treat’ (I use that term treat loosely as a sugary chemical bomb isn’t really a good way to treat ourselves now is it?).    Gelatine also came in the form of ‘natural’ lollies for the kids.  But I used to feel grossed out by gelatine, all those bones and hooves, we’ve all seen the Facebook visual right.  Now I am super excited to have jelly back on the menu and I am going to tell you why I’ve done the 180 on the gelatine and why you could consider it to…
 
Gelatine used to be part of primal diets and it is basically dehydrated broth powder made up of bones, cartilage, collagen and minerals.  You may have heard of the benefits of bone broths already and I certainly have and I have been trying to incorporate them into my gut healing protocol.  In case you are unsure why it’s good to incorporate gelatine into your primal diet here is a list of what gelatine does for you (thanks Grass Fed Girl)

• Skin Health – as gelatine is a rich source of collagen, which makes the skin strength and firmness
• Anti aging – as our collagen levels drop after our 20’s this helps to top them up, bring on the radiant youthful skin
• Wrinkles – Proline is an amino acid that is abundant in gelatine and helps keep up youthful skin
• Teeth, nails and hair – gelatine contains beneficial minerals that are lacking in the Standard Australian Diet. Gelatine delivers loads of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous which build strong nails, teeth and hair.
• Stretch marks – gelatine helps prevent them as it improves the skins elasticity and functioning.
• Cellulite – is caused by a breakdown in collagen, which can be made worse by nutritional deficiencies. Gelatine helps get rid of cellulite as it contains collagen – did I say that already?
• Liver detox – gelatine is rich in GLYCINE which the body needs a lot of to help with the detoxification process from exposure to chemicals and our toxic environment. People without enough glycine will not produce enough glutathione which is crucial for the body’s Phase II liver detoxification and fat burning ability.
• Weight loss – this wobbly stuff is full of protein which makes people feel full.
• Digestion – the amino acid Glycine can help increase hydrochloric acid in the stomach which is essential for digestion and the assimilation of nutrients. Although a lot of people suffer from acid reflux the majority of us are in fact deficient in hydrochloric acid which happens as a result of stress, aging and when we don’t eat mindfully (e.g. in front of the television, or driving, you don’t do that do you?) As a side note all of you heartburn sufferers may benefit from increasing your hydrochloric acid.  If you suffer from other digestive issues further down the GI tract it may be a result of not chewing enough and lack of hydrochloric acid in your stomach.
• Leaky gut – (my reason for eating this stuff but researching the other reasons makes it even more appealing!!) Gelatine helps to heal the gut lining and can even nourish Celiac patients who are malnourished from gluten reactions.
• Strong bones – forget the milk – bones are living structures that can be built up or broken down daily by our nutritional choices.  Gelatine contains highly bioavailable calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals which helps build a healthy bone matrix.
• Arthritis Support – gelatine contains Chondroitin which has long been used as a supplement to ease arthritis suffering. Ditching grains as part of your primal lifestyle will also help your arthritis.
• High metabolism – the amino acids help to build muscle and the glycine also helps regulate insulin sensitivity keeping us from storing abdominal fat.
• Adrenals – when are bodies are under stress they need more minerals and amino acids, which gelatine delivers and may even help to rejuvenate the renal organs which are the kidneys, adrenals and bladder, which help us deal with the stress hormones such as cortisol.
• Hormone balance – as mentioned above this wonder stuff contains glutathione which helps remove excess oestrogen which is a risk factor for female cancers.
• Wound repair – thanks to the glycine and arginine found in connective tissues.
• Allergies – gelatine can help alleviate allergic reactions and sensitivities because it helps repair inflamed and porous gut linings (see above leaky gut).
• Lowers inflammation – because of the low fat message of old a lot of people get too much lean protein in their diet, this imbalance can be remedied with gelatine (and healthy fats) if added to meals.  Lean protein in excess can be inflammatory but gelatine provides proline and glycine that balance it out.

So now you’re sold you are wondering where can I buy this stuff and how can I make some of that good looking Jelly? Well you can buy Buy here and quote code ZVN 935 for a discount off the already doable price of around $21 delivered, and one container makes a lot of jellies and lollies. I have mucked around with various recipes and had my super critical critics be the judges (my kids) and after many disasters I am pleased to bring to you the best recipe so far.  I have adapted this from Pete Evans Family Food book on page 277

Jellies

Ingredients

• 500g punnet of organic strawberries (hulled)
• half a cup of rice malt syrup
• juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons of natural strawberry flavouring essence (I used the Queen Brand) – optional but
• boosts the flavour to rival shop bought jelly
• 1-2 tablespoons of Great Lakes Gelatine

Method

1. Place the strawberries, rice malt syrup and lemon juice in a saucepan with 500ml water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Strain.
2. Pour 3 tablespoons of water into a small cup, sprinkle in the gelatine, stir until all covered with water and soak for 2 minutes. Stir the gelatine through the strawberry mixture until dissolved. Pour the mixture into individual cups or bowl to set, will take about 4 hours.

The best Gummy Bear recipe I have found so far is from Mommypotamus which I have adjusted slightly.

Gummies

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Great Lakes Gelatine
• 1/3 cup of lemon/lime juice
• 3 tablespoons of rice malt syrup
• Teaspoon of Natural Lemon/Lime/Strawberry/Orange Flavouring Extract (optional but if you want them to taste like shop lollies then do it)
• Non toxic, vegetable based food colouring (I haven’t found any yet but can’t wait to try)

Method

1. Whisk lemon/lime juice, rice malt syrup and gelatine in a saucepan until there are no lumps
2. Heat over a low heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly
3. Add food colouring and flavouring
4. Pour into moulds (or a tin if you don’t have moulds and you can chop up later)
5. Freeze for 5-10mins
6. Pop out of moulds, they come out reassuringly easily!

Are you going to try these easy peasy super nutritious recipes?  If so I would love to hear about how it goes.