Author: Nicole Recine RN, MSN, CDE
A Paleolithic way of eating can be an excellent introduction to real, whole foods. Enjoy improved health and vitality as your body and mind begins to run on what it was built to consume. What is a Paleo diet? In short, Paleo dieters attempt to mimic a way of eating that is based on the types of foods thought to have been eaten by early humans. There are many variations, but most are comprised of primarily meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, while excluding processed, nutrient-devoid, food-products. Because Paleo-type diets eschew refined carbohydrates, they can be a good starting point for those with Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome who are looking to decrease the carb content of their diet.1
Organ Meats Are Nutrient Dense
A key aspect of this type of diet is the practice of eating the whole animal rather than only lean portions of muscle meat. The lean muscle meat is usually the most nutrient-poor portion of the animal, while many of the vitamins and minerals are concentrated in the organs, fat, collagen, bones, and other connective tissue. Primitive, hunter-gatherer cultures made use of the whole animal, often feeding the lean portions to their pets. They saved the fatty cuts and organs for themselves, since they knew these were the most nutrient dense parts.2 They particularly valued the organs because they knew that organ meat such as liver, kidney, and the adrenal glands brought about good health. Organ meats are exceptionally nutrient dense, being particularly rich sources of fat-soluble vitamins. Liver is also an excellent source of B12, folate, choline, and Vitamin C.
In western culture, we have become accustomed to eating only the muscle meat from animals. For some, venturing into consuming offal can be intimidating. It can take some time and effort to acquire a taste for organ meat. Fortunately, US Wellness Meats has made this transition easier with their ready-to-eat organ sausages. USWM organ sausages have become a staple in my diet because they are both delicious and convenient.
3 Varieties of Organ Sausage
There are three varieties, each with a different flavor and nutrient profile depending on the organs used. They are all blended with beef, which makes them slightly milder than pure organ meat sausage or pate. All three varieties of organ sausage are sugar-free.
- Beef Head Cheese is a blend of beef, beef heart, and beef tongue. It has the highest fat content of the three because it includes beef tongue, which is a very fatty organ. It is 75% fat and 25% protein, making it ideal for high fat, ketogenic diets. Head Cheese can be a great way to start eating organ meat, as this blend does not contain liver, which can contribute a strong flavor.
- Beef Braunschweiger is the mildest of the three sausages. It is a 60/40 mix of beef and beef liver. It is slightly higher in protein than head cheese and can also be a great addition to a ketogenic diet. The Braunschweiger is 61% fat, 35% protein, and 4% calories from carbohydrates. There is less than 1g of carbohydrates per 28g serving. The carbohydrates come from naturally occurring carbohydrates in beef liver. Beef Braunschweiger topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, bacon or an egg can make an easy lunch or breakfast.
- Liverwurst is the leanest of the three sausages. I love the taste of liver, and this is my favorite blend. It is a 50/20/15/15 of beef, beef liver, beef kidney and beef heart. It is 53% protein, 44% fat, and 3% carbohydrate. Again, there is less than 1g of carbohydrates per 28g serving size and it comes naturally from the liver portion of the blend. USWM Liverwurst makes a very convenient breakfast or lunch and is an easy way to begin acclimating yourself to the flavor of liver.
US Wellness Organ Sausages Are Premium Quality
USWM organ sausages are superior to store bought brands. Why? First, they are all made from pasture- raised, 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef. Additionally, they contain no unnecessary additives or fillers. Most store bought brands of liver sausage and head cheese contain sugar, dextrose, nitrates, stabilizers binders, flavor enhancers, and/or fillers such as hydrolyzed soy protein. Hydrolyzed soy protein is a source of free glutamate that has been linked to migraines, and various nervous system disorders. These additives may make the product more palatable to the average consumer, but they are not healthy.3 This is why USWM organ sausages are far superior even to other brands. You and your family will benefit in the long term by learning to enjoy real, minimally processed food made from healthy animals.
About The Author:
Nicole Recine is a nurse practitioner that specializes in diabetes. Nicole was a featured speaker at the 2017 KetoCon. Watch her KetoCon presentation.
Sources & References
1 Manheimer, E. W., van Zuuren, E. J., Fedorowicz, Z., & Pijl, H. (2015). Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(4), 922–932. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.113613
2 Price, Weston A. (2009). Nutrition and Physical Degeneration (8th ed.). Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation.
3 Shanahan, Catherine MD. (2010). Food Rules. Bedford, NH: Big Box Books.
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