Inspired Preparation

I feel the need to write something quickly about keeping your efforts in prepping as a matter of prayer and allowing God to inspire you in the decisions you make.

I'm not sure how many of you that stumble upon my blog believe in God, that's fine if you don't.  I do.  I believe that He lives and loves us and wants us to be successful in all things.  

I'm convinced because of my own experiences that if you listen to your heart, gut, intuition...you name it, you'll be led to opportunities that will allow you to prepare even during difficult times.  It's my personal belief that this is God communicating with you through subtle thoughts and ideas.

A couple of recent examples in my life:

1.  I've been feeling VERY impressed to buy and save anything made from cotton.  So, for about two months now I'm picking up socks, t-shirts, underwear, towels and sheets.  No big deal.  However, I was actually kidded/mocked by people--who keep food storage-- for my new focus.  I was a bit offended but just kept on doing my thing.  Not a couple of days later, an email came through on a yahoogroup to which I belong from a lady that is a seamstress.  She talked about the prices of fabric climbing quickly just in a couple of weeks.  At the end of her post, she made the suggestion to get out and start putting away anything made from cotton because the prices on fabric would rise to 150-200% by this summer and commercial ready-to-wear clothing would shortly follow.  HELLO!  I felt so very grateful that I had been listening to my "inner voice".  

2.  Right after this email came in from this seamstress, I got a flyer in the mail from Joann's Fabric announcing a great big sale.  I emailed the seamstress and she put together that great document about what types of fabric, notions and patterns to stock.  Again, a great blessing for me and for you because she allowed me to post it on my blog.

3.  At the end of last week, I offered up a silent and silly prayer that I'd be ok if God let me rest a week from buying anything major for preps.  He laughed, actually it was more of a chuckle really. :)  I felt impressed to stock up on soap.  Different types of soap.  Laundry detergent as well as the type of soaps one can use to make homemade laundry detergent, and of course, body soap.  Lo and behold--sale big sale on laundry detergent at the local grocery store this week.  So, needless to say, I'm stocking up.  

Everyone's circumstances are different.  I encourage you to listen to your own "inner voice".  You'll hear the whisperings.  Act on them.  It may be an idea from someone else.  It may be that you just happen to run into an unadvertised sale or a store is clearancing out winter items or something like that.  I've had that happen to me a lot recently as well.  Stay within your budget.  But I can guarantee you that if you're purposeful and grateful, your blessings will increase and you'll be astonished at your abundance.  That I know for a fact because I'm living it.  Oh, you'll still have trials....that's the fun part. Maintaining your purpose and dealing with a few challenges.  God's got your back though.  Believe it!

Oh and it doesn't always have to be about buying something.  Could be you find some canning jars for free on Craigslist or Freecycle--that's happened to me a bunch of times.  Could be some fine and dandy person teaches you how to can or garden or sew or knit or make soap.  Keep your options open.  And always remember to be grateful and pay it forward.  We're all here to love and help one another.  You just might be the answer to someone's prayer.

Good luck.  I'd love to hear your experiences with inspiration when it comes to prepping.  

Essential Sewing and Clothing Repair Supplies

This is a guest post by a friend of mine from a yahoo group to which we belong.  She's fluent in all things sewing and fabric.  This is a SPECTACULAR post about what basics one should have on hand to be self-reliant in providing clothing and mending for your family.  Thank you so much Anne!

Essential Sewing and Clothing Repair Supplies

By Anne Lawver

www.dailypreparedness.com

            When we hear the term ‘home storage,’ our minds automatically go to neatly arranged rows of edible commodities lovingly stored. However, being truly prepared and living providently should include the ability to not only feed, but also to meet our family’s basic human needs including clothing and shelter.

            For centuries, the great bulk of human clothing was produced within the home. If not in the home, then by skilled craftsman who lived and worked nearby. Garments were made to order and, until the invention of the sewing machine, sewn completely by hand. Today, most clothing is purchased from a retail outlet that acquires the clothing from any number of sources. If that supply source were cut short, or if your ability to purchase new clothing were curtailed, you would need to prolong the life of existing clothing by making appropriate repairs and/or create new clothing and household wares yourself. Additionally, a few basic sewing supplies and a dose of knowledge will allow you to make simple repairs, small alterations and even produce clothing, useful items and decorative touches for your home.

            Regardless of your desire, or lack of desire, to sew, everyone should stock and maintain an adequate sewing storage. If you take a few moments to hunt for sales, your sewing home storage can be purchased at less than half retail price. Your sewing storage should ideally include at least the following:

1. A good pair of sewing scissors that are used ONLY for fabric. An 8 to 11 inch pair of shears is a good purchase. Mark them clearly FOR FABRIC ONLY and store with sewing supplies.
2. A small pair of pointed sharp scissors sometimes referred to as embroidery scissors.
3. Good quality sewing machine needles that come packaged in a hard plastic case. Needles packaged in paper or thin plastic are often bent during shipment and selling. Even minor bends & chips can cause problems with the stitches and your machine. Schmetz is a widely available and reliable brand of needles. Choose needles that are sizes 10, 12 and at least one package of denim needles. Even if you do not have a sewing machine, store one package of each. Sewing machine needles are very sharp and strong. They can be used to hang signs, framed art work, remove stubborn splinters and even pierce a nail that has blood building up under it (of course, the needle would need to be sterilized and you should understand how to perform such a procedure before attempting.
4. Hand sewing needles. Again, it pays to buy quality needles in a variety of sizes. Be certain to purchase short and long needles as well as one leather needle.
5. Closures such as buttons, snaps, zippers, hook & eyes, etc. If you are disposing of clothing with buttons, clip the buttons off and store. Learn how to properly sew on a button!
6. Elastic in ¼”, ½” and 1” widths. Clear elastic is a good additional choice as it can be sewn through and is very strong.
7. Safety pins in a variety of sizes.
8. Straight pins
9. Measuring tape
10. 24” ruler or yardstick
11. Iron on patch material. This is sold with the notions and is fabric with an adhesive on the back that is activated by an iron. You can mend clothing, re-enforce wear spots. Etc. with this type of patch.
12. Heat activated adhesives. Stitch witchery’ and/or ‘steam-a-seam’ as well as ‘wonder under’. These heat- activated adhesives are sold on rolls or by the yard and allow you to hem clothing, make small repairs, make your patches or embellishments, etc.
13. A variety of 22” zippers. You can always shorten a zipper, but it is impossible to make one longer.
14. Ribbons designed for sewing, which can be used to strengthen seams, create drawstrings, add embellishments and tie back hair.
15. Velcro (hook and loop tape). Do not purchase sticky back Velcro as it will be nearly impossible to sew through by hand or machine. The sticky substance does not stand up well to the pressure of the Velcro being pulled apart. If you need to attach the Velcro to a hard surface, gorilla glue or a similar substance works better than the adhesive supplied on the sticky back Velcro.
16. Thread—again, don’t buy the cheapest you can find. Forget the thread in small packaged sewing kits. You want a thread that is tightly wound and never appears ‘fuzzy’ or frayed. If in doubt, run your fingernail over the thread on the spool and see if little ‘fuzzs’ appear. Stick with Gutterman, the newer Coats & Clark or Mettler, which are all readily available. At a minimum, store white, beige, light grey and black in all-purpose thread. Many hand quilters sew all of their patchwork using only those colors as they blend in easily. Also store several spools of white hand quilting thread, which should NOT be used in a sewing machine. Hand quilting thread is sturdier than regular thread and can even be used to suture wounds – again only if you know what you are doing!
17. A rotary cutter can make cutting fabric faster. If you purchase a rotary cutter, you will need a sturdy ruler and a cutting mat. Consider purchasing a cut resistant glove (Fons & Porter sells a great one) to protect the hand that is holding the ruler. Rotary cutting blades are incredible sharp and can cause serious injury.
18. A good quality seam ripper. Two of my favorite ones are either a curved blade seam ripper or one that has a metal handle with replaceable blades. If you cannot find either of those, or wish to purchase a less expensive one, Dritz makes a small seam ripper that usually has a blue handle. It is one of the best inexpensive seam rippers. A good seam ripper is very sharp, so use caution and store away from children.
19. Sewing patterns to include: (Look for patterns without button-down fronts, complicated seaming or set – in sleeves. A raglan sleeve is the easiest sleeve to put in)

• A general women’s wardrobe pattern to include at least a simple skirt, elastic waist pants, simple blouse and jacket
• PJ, scrub or other pattern for men, children and women
• Simple dress for women and children. Some nightgown patterns can be adapted to make simple dresses, especially for children. As you look at patterns, remember you are not looking for your favorite fabric, just the basic line of the pattern.
• T-shirt for children and adults. Again, check the sleepwear section as many pj tops are simple t-shirts
• Basic butcher-style apron. Wearing an apron when you cook and clean is the best way to preserve your clothing.
• Baby layette pattern—multi-sized and including at least a day gown, t-shirt, pants, bib and diaper cover
• Loose fitting jackets for children and adults.

20. Fabric! Even if you never intend to sew, a small stash of basic fabrics is an essential ingredient in a prepared home. Consider purchasing on sale, at garage sales, through freecycle or donations the following:
• Flannel. Look for tightly woven 100% cotton that is at least 43” wide. White is your best choice if you are simply going to store it. Flannel can be used for diapering, blankets, lining jackets for warmth, pillowcases and nightware. Flannel sheets purchased on the clearance rack can be a great source of extra wide flannel at a very reasonable price. Be certain to check after-Christmas clearances. I was able to find a set of king-sized flannel sheets for 95% off—the set cost me $2.
• White cotton lawn, batiste, broadcloth, shirting and/or ‘bottom weight’. These fabrics can be used for nearly all clothing needs, including baptisms, blessings and burials. Again, cotton flat sheets, if new or nearly new, are another good source of wide cottons. I would not rely on worn sheets for new garments, as sheets wear very unevenly. You do not want to spend valuable time and resources creating a garment that may wear out in one spot and be perfectly fine in another.
• Denim. Recycle old jeans as well as buying yardage when you can find a great deal. Denim comes in many weights and should be 100% cotton.
• Wool sold by the yard as well as re-purposed wool sweaters and garments. Wool is naturally flame retardant, can shed water (depending on weave), breathes and if felted (which merely means shrinking it excessively) will not ravel. Felting old wool pieces and then sewing with the newly created fabric is quite ‘in’. Felted wool makes wonderful hats, slippers, baby booties, jackets, quilts and decorative items. There are multiple websites with excellent free tutorials on felting.
• Polar fleece—though many new sewing enthusiasts gravitate to fleece for its comfort and ease of sewing, please note that it is HIGHLY flammable. Not only will it burst into flames, it will explode into blobs of molten synthetic. 

           21. A basic sewing ‘how to’ book. If you can find a copy of the book “Let’s Sew” by Nancy Zieman, it is a great basic guide to the beginnings of sewing. Originally written for 4-H children, it is a good reference source.  You may also find classes and willing tutors through the American Sewing Guild, which has groups throughout the country: www.asg.com

          

           Always watch for sales and coupons to acquire fabrics at discount prices. All fibers, but most significantly cotton, are rapidly increasing in price. There are several good online sources for fabric, including www.fabric.com (always check their clearance section, especially the ‘everything’s a $1.95 section) and www.voguefabricsstore.com (they carry many high end fabrics, but also have closeouts). Both of these sites will get designer bolt ends of better quality cottons and wools, then discount them sharply. One way to identify a fabric intended for use in the production of retail clothing, especially higher end retail lines such as Ralph Lauren, is the width of the cotton. Cottons sold in stores such as Wal-Mart and JoAnn’s are usually 45” wide. Many of the shirtings, silks and cotton/polyester blends at www.fabric.com & www.voguefabricsstore.com will be 54” to 60” wide, which is the ‘normal’ for commercial bolts.

            Other good sources for fabric include garage sales, thrift shops and freecycle. Be certain you learn a little bit about fabric quality and pricing before paying too much for fabric!

            Finally, acquire a few basic sewing skills. Sewing isn’t hard and is actually good for you! At least learn the basics of hand stitching, such as sewing on a button, a snap, hemming a skirt and sewing a running stitch. It takes only a few dollars and a bit of time to create simple and fun children’s clothing. One of the easiest dresses to make is to simply add a skirt to a little girl’s t-shirt.

The Ultimate Way to Season Cast Iron

I found this in the January 2011 issue of Cooks Illustrated magazine and thought I'd pass it on.

For years we've seasoned cast-iron in the test kitchen by placing it over medium heat and wiping out the pan with coats of vegetable oil until its surface turns dark and shiny.  

When a pan starts to look patchy, we simply repeat the process.  But when we heard about a new method that creates a slick surface so indestructible that touch-ups are almost never necessary, we were intrigued.  Developed by blogger Sheryl Canter, the approach calls for treating the pan with multiple coats of flaxseed oil between hour-long stints in the oven.

We carried out Canter's approach on new, unseasoned cast-iron skillets and compared them with pans treated with vegetable oil--and the results amazed us.  The flaxseed oil so effectively bonded to the skillets, forming a sheer, stick-resistant veneer, that even a run through our commercial dishwasher with a squirt of degreaser left them totally unscathed.  But the vegetable oil-treasted skillets showed rusty spots and patchiness when they emerged from the dishwasher, required reseasoning before use.

Why did the new treatment work so well?  Flaxseed oil is the food-grade equivalent of linseed oil, used by artists to give their paintings a hard, polished finish, and it boasts six time the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as vegetable oil.  Over prolonged exposure to high heat, these fatty acids combine to form a strong, solid matrix that polymerizes to the pan's surface.

Although length, seasoning with flaxseed oil is a mainly hands-off undertaking.  We highly recommend the treatment:

1.  Warm and unseasoned pan (either new or stripped of seasoning*) for 15 minutes in a 200-degree oven to open its pores.

2.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Place 1 TB flaxseed oil in the pan and, using tongs, rub the oil into the surface with paper towels.  With fresh paper towels, thoroughly wipe out the pan to remove excess oil.

3.  Place the oiled pan upside down in a cold oven, then set the oven to its maximum baking temperature.  Once the oven reaches is maximum temperature, heat the pan for one hour.  Turn off the oven; cool the pan in the oven for at least two hours.

4.  Repeat the process five more times, or until the pan develops a dark, semi-matte surface.

* To strips a cast-iron pan of seasoning, spray it with oven cleaner, wait 30 minutes, wash with soapy water, and thoroughly wipe with paper towels.

Sale Seasons

A friend sent me this list from an about.com article she read.   I have always taught during my coupon classes the importance of planning ahead.  This is a great list to do just that.  I always pick up my ketchup and other condiments in May/June because they're on sale and usually have coupons to match.  I buy at least a year's worth.  That way I don't have to worry about it for quite a while.

I encourage each of you to do the do the same.  Could be some really good deals on different types of food and next year's Christmas gifts in the next couple of weeks.  

Oh, and I've already seen Easter displays up at the stores.  WHAT!!!

January
Food: 
Chocolate (Christmas clearance) 
Soda 
Diet foods 
Frozen finger foods

Non-food: Linens 
Electronics 
Cameras 
Computers 
Small appliances 
Air conditioners 
Carpeting and flooring 
Furniture 
Winter clothes 
Toys (on clearance after the holidays) 
Bicycles 
Christmas gift wrap 
Christmas decorations 
Athletic shoes 
Exercise equipment 
Motorcycles 
Houses 
Boats 
Motorcycles 
Anything from thrift stores

February
Food: 
Chocolate (post Valentine’s Day) 
Steak (post Valentine’s Day) 
Seafood (post Valentine’s Day) 
Oatmeal

Non-food: 
Big screen TVs (before the Super Bowl) 
Cameras 
Motorcycles 
Boats 
Air conditioners 
Tools 
recliners

March
Food: 
Frozen foods

Non-food: 
Boats

April
Food: 
Candy (Easter clearance) 
Eggs 
Ham 
Cheese 
Mustard 
Ready-made dough 
Dinner rolls 
Frozen pies 
Cake mix 
Cake frosting 
Pie crusts

Non-Food: 
Electronics 
Vacuums 
Cookware 
Tires and other car care supplies

May
Food: 
Hotdogs 
Ground beef 
Hamburger and hot dog buns 
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish) 
Salad dressing 
Chips 
Ice cream 
Popsicles 
Frozen pies 
Soda 
Bottled water

Non-food: 
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils) 
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid) 
Vacuums 
Cookware

June

Food: 
Ice cream 
Popsicles 
Soda 
Bottled water 
Iced tea mix and bags

Non-food: 
Tools (around Father’s Day)

July
Food: 
Hot dogs 
Ground beef 
Hamburger and hot dog buns 
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish) 
Salad dressing 
Chips 
Ice cream 
Popsicles 
Soda 
Bottled water 
Iced tea mix and bags

Non-food: 
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid) 
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils) 
Furniture

August
Food: 
Cereal 
Breakfast bars 
Peanut butter 
Jelly 
Lunch meat 
American cheese 
Yogurt 
Chips 
Snack cakes 
Cookies 
Ice cream 
Soda 
Bottled water 
Iced tea mix and bags 
Drink boxes

Non-food: 
Pool supplies 
Outdoor toys 
Outdoor furniture 
Bathing suits 
Summer clothes 
Summer shoes

September
Food: 
Cereal 
Breakfast bars 
Peanut butter 
Jelly 
Lunch meat 
American cheese 
Yogurt 
Chips 
Snack cakes 
Cookies 
Hot dogs 
Ground beef 
Hamburger and hot dog buns 
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish) 
Salad dressing 
Canned fruits and vegetables 
Soups 
Broth 
Frozen pies 
Soda 
Drink boxes

Non-food: 
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid) 
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils) 
School supplies 
Large appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers) 
Cars 
Lawn mowers 
Grills 
Trees, shrubs and bulbs

October
Food: 
Canned fruits and vegetables 
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries) 
Soups 
Broth

Non-food: 
Large appliances 
Lawn mowers 
Grills 
Tires and other car care supplies 
Jeans 
Trees, shrubs and bulbs

November
Food: 
Turkey 
Butter 
Cheese 
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, cooking oil) 
Pie crusts 
Ready-made dough 
Dinner rolls 
Frozen pies 
Cake mix 
Cake frosting 
Pie filling 
Spices 
Nuts 
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries) 
Oatmeal 
Candy (Halloween clearance) 
Marshmallows 
Soup 
Broth

Non-food: 
Aluminum foil 
Plastic wrap 
Disposable baking pans 
Cookware 
Electronics 
Tools 
Carpeting and flooring 
Trees, shrubs and bulbs

December
Food: 
Ham 
Butter 
Cheese 
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed 
milk, cooking oil) 
Pie crusts 
Ready-made dough 
Dinner rolls 
Frozen pies 
Cake mix 
Cake frosting 
Pie filling 
Refrigerated cookie dough 
Spices 
Nuts 
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries) 
Oatmeal 
Soda

Non-food: 
Disposable baking pans 
Aluminum foil 
Plastic wrap 
Electronics 
Computers 
Carpeting and flooring 
Tools 
Toys 
Winter clothes 
Cars 
Motorcycles

Night Canning

A couple of weeks ago, I bought 140 lbs of ground beef and chicken tenders.  I had three pressure canners going at one point.  Two of them, my big ones, I used outside on my Camp Chef stove.  I have two Camp Chef stoves. One with two burners and the other has three burners.  I've also used my turkey fryer burner on which to can.  

Below you'll see a couple of pictures of my late night.  Actually I think it was only about 8 or 9 pm when these were taken.  You can see the jars of beef and chicken behind the steam from the first picture. It was quite chilly outside.  That did help the jars cool down quite fast.

This picture is of my Presto pressure canner.  Sad story:  The canner had 13 minutes left to process.  I asked my 11 year old son to go out and check on the pressure gauge for me.  He came back and said it was close to 15 lbs pressure.  I told him to turn it down a bit.  Well, he turned it down too much and the pressure went below 10lbs pressure, so we had to start the WHOLE THING over again.  Brought it back to 10lbs pressure and set the timer for 75 minutes.  UGH!!  

The rest of the sad story is that I ruined my canner.  With it being on the heat for nearly three straight hours caused it to bow out and I had to throw it away.  It was a great canner.  I highly recommend the Prestos.  I got that one specifically because it's made to go on glass top stoves, which I have.  So, I'll have to get another big Presto before the next big canning venture.

This picture is of my All-American canner cooling down after a batch.  The beef next to it are also cooling and because it's so cold outside, you can see the steam rising from them.

I do recommend having some sort of alternative way of cooking and canning.  If the power goes out, the meat I have in the freezer won't be lost because I'll be able to thaw it and put it in the jars and can it.  Plus, just being able to cook something hot and soothing in case of an emergency will be quite a blessing.  Make sure you have plenty of propane to run it.  

I canned 40 lbs of the chicken = 33 pints.

Canned 40lbs of ground beef = 43 pints (3 didn't seal)

I froze the other 20 lbs of chicken.  Cooked up 20 lbs of ground beef and put in freezer in 1 lbs freezer bags.  Made the other 20 lbs into meatloaves.  I think I got nine meatloaves.

List of Skills

Lately, I've been impressed to compile a list of skills that one would need to live a self-reliant life.  I certainly don't think I'll ever be able to learn all of these, but there are definitely many that I could focus on and broaden my horizon.  I challenge those of you reading the blog to pick one on the list that interests you and start learning about it.  Seek out books, look on the internet, make a new friend that can teach you and then, practice, practice, practice. 

These are not all of my ideas, but a compilation from many from the yahoogroups I belong to.  If you have others that you think should be added to the list, please let me know.

Preserving Food

Canning

Dehydrating

Root Cellaring

Fermenting

Meat Preparation

--cleaning preparing wild game/fish

Preservation w/out power

--smoking

--curing

Domestic Skills

Soap Making

Candle Making

Sewing

Knitting

Crocheting

Quilting

Laundering clothes/using a clothesline

Shoe/moccasin making

Grinding Grains

Bread making

Alternative ways to cook

Cooking

Baking

Gardening

Sprouting

Planting

Soil Preparation

Irrigation

Mulching

Pest/disease Control

Harvesting

Seed Saving

Three season garden

Prep for winter

Medical Care

Pandemic/biological response methods

Disease control

First Aid

CPR

Burn & would care

Home nursing

Alternative Medicine (essential oils, herbs)

Outdoor Skills

Building shelters

Fishing techniques

Trapping/snaring

Hunting

Shooting

Foraging for wild edibles

Fire making

Collecting (downing/cutting/splitting) firewood

Animal Husbandry

Knife Sharpening/use of a chain saw

Mechanical Skills

Basic home repairs

Basic carpentry

Mechanic

Metal worker, including blacksmith

Electrical

Plumbing

Misc. Skills

Alcohol for fuel making

Windmill/wind generator & solar power

Water collection/purification/safety

Various sanitation disposal method

Communications (ham radio & other methods)

Firefighting and other safety techniques

Alcohol for fuel making

Scrounger/gatherer

A love for learning

Seeking God’s guidance

Bartering

Ham Radio

Gelatin for Health

I recommend reading this article of the health benefits of using gelatin. Also, I recommend reading the comments below the article.

http://zentofitness.com/gelatin/

The Hidden Power of Gelatin

Most of us have heard about Gelatin- its probably what comes to mind when you think of either baking or gummy bears. What not many people know about Gelatin is that is can actually be a very good addition to your diet, with a host of health benefits:

• Improving Hair, Skin and Joint/tendon health

• Soothes the Digestive tract

• Contains many essential and non-essential amino acids including Arginine and Glycine

• A natural Anti-Inflamatory

• Stimulates the immune system

• Regulates Hormones

So what is Gelatin? Gelatin is the an animal product found naturally in the hoofs, bones, skin etc basically the collagen of animals. I know this sounds disgusting but what we forget is that in the old days gelatin was a key part of our diet and was used in a load of recipes when baking and it even comes off the bones naturally in things like Bone Broths. Sadly we do not each many of these dishes anymore leaving gelatin sorely lacking from our diet.

One of the first and most substantial things Gelatin can do is improve your skins and hair health. Our skin is made of Collagen and this requires Vitamin C for our bodies to produce. Alternativly we have the option of eating more gelatin rich foods or gelatin which will help your skin become smoother, firmer and clearer over time. This benefit also transfers over to your hair which will start to look shinier and stronger within weeks of eating gelatin on a regular basis.

As mentioned earlier Gelatin contains Arginine and Glycine. This is important as it is one of the few protein sources to contain large amounts of these amino acids.

Arginine can have a metabolism boosting effect, more importantly though is the benefit of Glycine which has two main functions -- Firstly it helps build muscle and secondly it converts glucose to energy rather than fat. This is key as the more things in our diet that prevent lipolysis and promote fat oxidation the better. Glycine is especially good at soothing and rebuilding the digestive tract therefore I highly recommend it to anyone with things like ulcers or a leaky gut. It even helps absorb calcium in the gut and has been shown to have a calming effect soon after ingestion.

I decided to write this post as I have started integrating Gelatin into my diet recently and have noticed some great results. For one my joints have definitely gotten a lot more supple and my digestion feels a lot better, so the stuff has definitely done some healing. The dry skin I normally have on my elbows has also gone. On top of this it is and easy to integrate into the diet……

You only need around 1-2TBSP’s per day or a few times a week. This is pretty easy to mix into stuff as it has no flavour and just adds a slight gooey gelatinous texture to whatever you are eating, which definitely isnt a bad thing. Here are a few ideas:

• Smoothies (this is really easy and goes unnoticed)

• Oatmeal (Again due to the naturally gooey texture goes unnoticed)

• Soups and Stews

• Vegetable Curries (adds a nice protein boost)

• Yoghurt

You can get creative though and try it with a host of things. It is a pretty safe to experiment with as it holds no flavour…….

Which type? Go for the powdered type which you can find pretty easily in the baking section of most food stores. If you go to an organic/health food shop you will be able to find some kind of Organic non-hydrolyzed version which is the best type to go for. I haven’t seen it myself but have heard there is also a vegetarian version you can get which is made from seaweed gelatin, rather than from animal source (obviously this would not hold the same benefits).

So if you see an opportunity to use gelatin then give it a try - in smoothies, soups or your morning oatmeal…..