The 'Multivitamin' Missing from Your Diet

June 23, 2022

Guest blog (by Chef James Barry)

What if I told you there are whole foods that exist in nature that are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet and most of us aren’t getting them in our diets.

As a nation, over 92% of the population is deficient in one or more nutrients. Yet, it isn’t a lack of calories that is the issue, because 73% of men and 63% of women in the US are overweight or obese.

While I don’t subscribe to a ‘magic pill’ that will save the world, I do believe organ meats, also known as offal, are the closest food we have to being “Mother Nature’s Multivitamin.”

How Our Ancestors Ate

Food choices matter. Our ancestors ate more nose-to-tail and did not have as many chronic health issues as we face in modern society. Usually when we talk about how our ancestors ate, we refer to our paleolithic ancestors, but I’m referring to our grandparents and parents for those of a certain age. Most people born in the 1940s and earlier ate organs regularly.

Compared to kale, the same 100 gram portion of beef liver has over 17 times more phosphorus and over 9 times more iron. In fact, in a side by side comparison between blueberries, kale and red meat, beef liver is the only item that checks every box of the measured nutrients and vitamins. There are no “zero” amounts when it comes to organ meat.

Besides being an excellent source of quality protein, organs have an abundance of vitamins, and minerals – Vitamins A, B (all the B vitamins particularly B12), C, D, E, and K. Essential minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

And different from synthetic vitamins and minerals, organ meat nutrition is bio-available which means it is easily absorbed into the body. The body recognizes the whole food, takes what it needs and can release or detoxify what it doesn’t.

Organ meat nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body.

And let’s not forget the idea of ‘like supporting like’. There is an ancestral concept that the part of the animal you eat supports that same part in you. When we eat liver, those nutrients and vitamins support our own liver. Spleen supports our spleen, heart our heart. This makes sense, since each organ is designed for a specific function. It is bountiful with the specific vitamins and minerals that optimize that organ.

Organ-Specific Vitamins

CoQ10

Are you familiar with CoQ10? Heart is high in preformed CoenzymeQ10 which is vital for energy production and prevention of oxidative stress and cardiovascular health. It’s also higher in collagen than regular meat which is important for healthy connective tissue.

Vitamin A

Liver is one of nature’s most concentrated sources of Vitamin A (also known as Retinol). Vitamin A is shown to be important for maintaining reproductive health, your eyesight, your immune system and it supports your skin health.

Folate

Kidney is high in folate which plays a role in making and repairing DNA and producing red blood cells.

Iron & Vitamin C

Spleen has more than 5x heme iron than liver plus its high in Vitamin C. Our bodies also use iron to carry oxygen from the lungs to various parts of your body, such as muscles.

Yet, modern society seems to think offal is awful. From associating organs as tasting ‘icky” to not knowing where to source them or how to cook them, these barriers keep us from benefiting from these superfoods.

As much as I like to eat healthy, even I have trouble stomaching liver meat.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get the benefits of organ meats without having to touch, taste or cook them?

Hi, I’m Chef James Barry, and I’ve been the personal chef for celebrities like Tom Cruise. I met Dr. Pedre at a recent conference and he was immediately intrigued with my food-based product.

“Pluck’s organ-based seasoning enhances whatever you are cooking with an Japanese-style umami flavor that is also rich in nutrients that will benefit your body.”

I created Pluck, organ-based seasoning, to make getting organs into your diet as simple as salting your food. Pluck has 5 freeze-dried, powdered organs – liver, kidney, heart, spleen and pancreas- sourced from 100% grass-fed, pastured cows and is combined with organic spices and herbs that help offset that “ick” taste associated with organs. What you get is an all-purpose seasoning that when sprinkled on food, increases the flavor and the nutrient-density.

It doesn’t get easier than that, which is why we call Pluck the “gateway” to getting organ meats into your diet. It tastes delicious, no handling or cooking knowledge required and kids love it. Simply add Pluck to everything you eat and reap the superfood rewards.

Don’t stop there. Eating nose-to-tail is the key to getting those vitamins and minerals missing from the standard American diet.

4 Steps to Easing Organ Meats Into Your Diet

Sourcing: Look for 100% grass-fed, pastured animal organs. Local Farmers Markets are great places to look, join a meat share to save money or get it shipped to you from an online source.

Step One (Easiest)

Use Pluck Seasoning . Sprinkle it on all your foods. reap the benefits of five organs -Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Heart and Pancreas. Think microdosing + frequent use = accumulative effect.

Step Two

Purchase a beef liver. It will come frozen. Keep it frozen and grate it into your ground meats. Grate up to 4 tablespoons of liver for a 1lb of ground meat.

Step Three

Purchase chicken hearts. They are mild, close to muscle meat and you can finely chop them up (like you would mushrooms) and add them to a spaghetti sauce or curry. Once again, keep the ratio to no more than 2 tablespoons per 2 cups of sauce.

Step Four

Make organ meats the star of the plate. Try a recipe like liver and onions, or tongue tacos. Loads of organ meat recipes can be found on the recipe page of eatpluck.com.

Best of all, when you start adding organ meats to your diet, you’ll notice a reduction in your grocery bill. Organ meats are not as expensive as muscle meat. Reap the nutritional reward and save money. It’s a win-win for your health and your wallet.

Embrace the “Multi-vitamin” as made by Mother Nature. Animal organ meats are whole foods you want in your diet. Don’t let preconceived notions of taste or cooking know-how stop you from benefiting from offal.

For more information on how to get Pluck, go to eatpluck.com . Save 15% on your first purchase by using code: HAPPYGUT15 at checkout.

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