Aniracetam

Aniracetam is an amino acid-like compound (sometimes called a smart drug or nootropic) that packs powerful, noticeable benefits.  Studies of compounds in its class have found that they:

• Sharpen memory and learning in healthy individuals
• Boost communication between the right and left sides of the brain, bringing intuition together with logic
• Optimize efficient use of oxygen and glucose in the brain
• Enhance what the brain does naturally instead of causing new/different effects
• Have been clinically proven to be more effective than a placebo

Here are some highlights from ‘Smart drugs & nutrients: How to improve your memory and increase your intelligence using the latest discoveries in neuroscience.'

Human studies have established that aniracetam is a powerful cognitive enhancer. Study participants improved their scores on a number of intelligence and memory tests (Saletu, 1980, 1984)

In animal experiments, aniracetam has been shown to have a protective effect on the brain. Also, one study of 60 geriatric patients in a nursing home found that aniracetam had a significant “revitalizing” effect (Foltyn, 1983)

Precautions: Aniracetam has been tested in too few human studies to establish precautions. Preliminary findings indicate that, like other nootropics, it has little or no toxicity and few or no side effects. 

Dosage: One study found that the maximum cognitive enhancing effects occurred at 1000mg of aniracetam per day. Use of other smart drugs and nutrients concurrently will probably greatly reduce the optimum dosage. 

Aniracetam MUST be taken with a fat source, since its fat soluble. A capsule of fish oil or any food containing fat (almonds, eggs w/yolk, avacado, bacon, salmon, whole milk, yogurt, etc.)

Aniracetam MUST be taken with a Choline source (eggs, butter, beef). Bioavailable Source of Choline.

Choline and aniracetam taken together produce a synergistic effect that causes a greater improvement in memory than the sum of each when taken alone. Combining Choline with aniracetam is said to have a 20-30 times greater effect than taking them alone.

Through research the combination of drugs that seem to work best together to enhance each other’s effects while also having the easiest to follow dosing schedule (1x/day in the AM) include:

Aniracetam 750mg + Choline 500mg + B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) 500mg

This is the protocol I will follow and experiment with to achieve the best results. 

Choline

Choline is the precursor of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in memory). Choline improves memory by increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain. 

Smart drugs recommends a dosage of 3 grams/day in divided dose. It is also found in egg yolk, butter and beef. I will only take 500mg choline in the morning as its effects will be heightened by the aniracetam and I get extra choline from egg yolk, grass fed butter and beef. I also want to make life easier by being able to take 1 dose in the morning.

Smart drugs also recommends taking choline with B-5 (1 gram/day) which helps the choline get converted into acetylcholine.

B-5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Powerful antioxidant and stamina enhancer. Essential for the formation of steroid hormones, making it particularly important for individuals under stress. B-5 is essential for the conversion of choline into acetylcholine. 

Precautions: Large dosages may at first cause diarrhea. This disappears with continued use.

Dosage: Most people start out at 100mg and work up to 250mg-1000mg/day in 3-4 divided doses with meals.  

Here’s what some users had to say:

“Makes music sound better, Body coordination is more fluid, Increased energy, Verbal Intelligence INCREASED!, I feel VERY chilled out. Memory and retention is better, Focus is better, CREATIVITY IS MUCH BETTER!

Side Effects: Suppressed Appetite, Hard to wind down at the end of the night

This stuff gives energy but not in a stimulant kind of way. Hard to explain. Just don't underestimate this stuff's power.”

“I have only found Aniracetam to make me sleepy, which is a common side-effect for some people as far as I can tell.” – May have this experience because they are not getting enough choline.

“ I can attest that aniracetam is a powerfully beneficial substance. I've been taking it for 3 months and can say that life feels simpler than it used to be, and tasks that i used to find tedious are now much more doable. It hasn't directly had much effect on my anxiety, but it's made my attention easier to control which has consequently allowed me to spend less time worrying and ruminating about the past”

“My artistic output has trebled since I began aniracetam.”

“Aniracetam - three to four days for noticeable effects.”

“Some people say they don't need extra choline, some swear they do. I say do whatever works for you. I take small 500mg doses when I take it and it always has an effect for me. Most of the time it's anxiolytic, enhances the thought process (makes it easier) and gives you mostly mental but also a bit of physical energy. My wife uses it sometimes too and has said it removed annoying brain fog that has bothered her for years on and off.”

It seems that people are getting brain fog if they are taking too much and they are getting headaches/fatigue if they are not taking enough choline. 

A search on nursing central revealed over 200 articles/studies on aniracetam.  Below are some of the ones that stuck out. 

The findings of one study indicate that aniracetam (a nootropic compound with glutamatergic activity and neuroprotective potential) is a promising option for patients with cognitive deficit of mild severity. It preserved all neuropsychological parameters for at least 12 months, and seemed to exert a favorable effect on emotional stability of demented patients. Dementia revealed significantly better cognitive performance at 6 months and improved functionality at 3 months. 

One systematic survey that evaluated the clinical outcomes as well as the scientific literature on Aniracetam like compounds found that recent studies demonstrated piracetams neuroprotective effect when used during coronary bypass surgery. It was also effective in the treatment of cognitive disorders of cerebrovascular and traumatic origins; however, its overall effect on lowering depression and anxiety was higher than improving memory.

Results of ‘Neurosci Bull 2006’ indicate H2O2 exposure impaired the viability of neurons, reduced mitochondria potential, and decreased LTP in the CA1 region of hippocampus. These deficient effects were significantly rescued by pre-treatment with aniracetam (10-100 mu mol/L). These results indicate that aniracetam has a strong neuroprotective effect against H2O2-induced toxicity, which could partly explain the mechanism of its clinical application in neurodegenerative diseases.

Administration of aniracetam for 10 days (post-natal days (PND) 18-27), at a dose of 50 mg/kg reversed cognitive deficits in both rat genders, indicated by a significant increase in the number of avoidances and the number of 'good learners'. After the termination of the nootropic treatment, a significant increase in both amplitude and frequency of AMPA receptor-mediated mEPSCs in hippocampal CA-1 pyramidal cells was observed. Significant anxiolytic effects on PND 40 also preceded acquisition improvements in the avoidance task. This study provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of aniracetam in reversing cognitive deficits associated with FASD through positive post-natal modulation of AMPA receptors. (Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33(5):1071-83)

The present findings suggest that aniracetam restores age- and Abeta-induced alterations in membrane fluidity or Abeta-induced increase in [Ca(2+)]i, demonstrating a possible beneficial role of aniracetam in the clinic treatment for senile dementia or Alzheimer's disease. (J Neural Transm 2007; 114(11):1407-11)

Aniracetam, a cognition enhancer, has been recently found to preferentially increase extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), basolateral amygdala and dorsal hippocampus of the mesocorticolimbic system in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Aniracetam enhances DA and 5-HT release by mainly mediating the action of N-anisoyl-GABA that targets not only somatodendritic nACh and NMDA receptors but also presynaptic nACh receptors. (Brain Res 2001 Oct 19; 916(1-2):211-21)

Small Steps to Healthy Eating

I used to be a big fan of the all American diet. After high school it started to catch up to me. College classes during the day lovin' Gardettos, snacking on what was available. Combined with hours upon hours of staring at the computer playing online poker for a job, rewarding myself with Qdoba burritos for each big winning day, it took its toll on me.  Frozen pizzas and taco bell were the norm. I got up to 215 lbs.

That picture was taken July 2008 at mifflin street block party.  After I hit my 'I'm fat lets do something about this' point I started becoming more and more conscious of what I was putting into my body and how it was affecting my health. I slowly started becoming more physically active after years of sedentary behavior. I started by going on half mile run/walks and experimenting with weight lifting. I lost weight quickly by eating smaller healthier meals at more frequent intervals and following the basic dietary guidelines outlined in P90X’s nutrition program with emphasis on cleaning up my diet and eating smaller more frequent meals. I would later get Tim Ferris' book 4-hour body and follow the guidelines outlined in his Slow-Carb Diet. Eventually I set a goal of getting myself to body fat of around 6%.  This is a picture from April, 2011.

Goal accomplished. I had lost weight slowly at first and then got enough momentum to melt it off.  My dietary adjustments and continued exercise helped me lose weight. I got down to 150 lbs and reached my goal of 6% body fat and now it was time to put on some muscle. Although I had lost weight and felt healthier it would still take me until late in 2012 before I was finally able to dial in my diet to the point where I had eliminated my chronic heartburn. This had plagued me since the beginning of high school.  I used to deal with by popping Tums and taking Prilosec. Like so much of modern medicine today these did a great job of addressing the symptoms but did nothing to change the underlying cause. Finally my diet would fix it. In a way I was lucky that my body gave me signals, in the form of heart burn, that it didn’t like everything I was taking in. Much of the time people will continue eating the gut irritating and inflammation causing foods and not realize it’s a problem until it manifests itself as a more serious health condition. It can sometimes present itself in less obvious ways like depression or other cognitive issues that you wouldn’t necessarily attribute to a dietary problem. This really made me realize how important it was to put the right things into  your body.

I also learned that modifying your diet (or anything in life really) doesn’t have to be difficult. You can make slow gradual changes that overtime allow you and your body to adjust to the differences. Start small – Your current diet (or lifestyle) is a reflection of a life time of choices and reinforcement of habits. Expecting yourself to change all the programming overnight is often going to set you up for failure. Be easy on yourself.

Say you’ve been doing some research and you now intellectually realize the benefits of eating a healthier diet. Maybe you started seeing people get massive benefits on the paleo diet and you want to try it. The only thing is you don’t think you can cut out all that delicious bread and cheese you’ve been so accustom to enjoying. On top of that changing your diet can cause your body to go through an uncomfortable adjustment period. You are no longer depending on your usual fuel sources and this takes some time to adapt as your enzymes and cells prepare to use the different ratios of healthier resources that are being consumed.

For example; when I switched from a slow-carb to a full paleo diet I was super hungry for the first week and a half as my body adjusted to its new fuel source. A friend was unsuccessful in changing his diet over from a more American diet to a paleo after experiencing flew like symptoms as his body was ridding itself of toxins and adjusting its energy needs. Your body doesn't always react kindly to such a drastic change. That's why sometimes its best to take continuous small steps in the right direction.

In the case of the paleo diet you are now switching your main fuel source from carbohydrates to fats and proteins. You will require production of different enzymes and your cells will have to adjust to using ketones instead of glucose as their main energy source. In the long run your body will thank you. You will have less insulin spikes so your fat cells won’t be trying to hoard all the energy they can. And since your insulin stays relatively constant you no longer get the post meal crash that makes you want to bring a pillow to work and take an after lunch nap under your desk.

Adjusting your diet quickly works if you can tuff out the 1-3 week period of increased hunger levels and flu like symptoms as your body purges itself of toxins and adjusts. It can be made easier by starting small.  Start by eliminating any uber crap you’re eating and find slightly healthier alternatives to replace them with. If you’re drinking a ton of soda switch to real fruit juice. Eliminate fast food as much as you can and start making your own lunches. Pack a sandwich and some fruit with a buncha nuts to snack on if you get hungry so you can avoid the oily potato chips.

Mmm, doesn’t that feel better. Now take the next step.  Say you are seeing an increasing amount of people around you eating paleo and they are all getting super powers. You want superpowers. But you love bread, and cheese, and soy sauce and peanut butter.


Take a small step. Start by making one meal a day paleo. Easy right? Just replace that breakfast bagel with some delicious bacon and eggs each morning. Or maybe one morning you just have to have that bagel, then mow it and make sure to have a full paleo lunch and dinner that day. Eventually move to having two meals a day be full paleo or having just one cheat item each day. Keep the ball rolling and  get to the point where you only allow yourself 1 day a week to eat whatever you want and save the crap you crave for that day eating paleo 80-90% of the time while still allowing yourself room for some indulgences.  Eventually you will no longer crave food that isn’t 'real' and the momentum you built will snowball into a practice of consist healthy eating.

Now you feel fantastic, you sleep better, you have higher energy levels and you’ve set your future self up to accomplish any other goals it might set in its quest for life experience. It's cool to look back at the progress. I started with half mile run/walks which slowly snowballed into doing CrossFit, having multiple Tough Mudder finishes and doing sprint and olympic distance triathlons. All with small manageable steps in the direction of my goals. Here I am at 180lbs after eating a paleo diet and having a very active summer.

Rev3 triathlon - August, 2012.

Paleo Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Simple delicious meat masterpiece. I make a batch of this every Sunday and eat it throughout the week.

MEAT
1.5 lbs grass fed ground beef
1.5 lbs bulk spicy Italian sausage
(You can substitute really any meat, and you don’t have to use this much if you want it to fit in your pan, this makes a LARGE batch of delicious meat)

Lean: Use 1.5 lbs grass fed ground beef; .5 lbs spicy sausage

VEGETABLES
4 large carrots
2 medium onions
1 head of cauliflower
(again very amount based on side of dish you want to make, this makes a large overflowing casserole pan)

Lean: Add collard greens, cabbage, celery  and any other vegetable you enjoy or feel like experimenting with. Sweet potatoes and spaghetti squash can be substituted or added to the cauliflower mix on the top, delicious.

EXTRAS
Garlic, Italian seasoning, coconut oil, cage free eggs

PROCESS
Chop the carrots and onions as big or small as you want. Saute them in (a ton of) coconut oil until tender (12" deep skillet).  Add chopped fresh garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant and then remove about ½ to 3/4 the vegetables and place in casserole pan.
Add all meat. Cook meat until no longer red. Drain meat. While cooking the meat steam the cauliflower.  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Add meat and vegetables into a baking dish. Let cool for 5 minutes and stir in 3-4 cage free eggs. Pat down flat and add the mashed/chopped steamed cauliflower as a top layer. Toss that baby in the oven for 20-35 minutes. (If I'm on a heavy workout routine I’ll mash up and add a baked sweet potato or spaghetti squash to the top cauliflower layer for some good healthy nutrient dense carbs. I also like to add cabbage to both the cauliflower top and the vegetable inside to balance out the massive amount of meats.)

Enjoy.

The Bulletproof (Paleo) Diet

After years of researching and experimenting with different ways of eating - a 'paleo' style diet wins. It got rid of my chronic heartburn, keeps me at a healthy weight when not exercising and turns up the muscle and performance gains when I am. 

The goal is basically to consume the highest nutrient density foods available and to eliminate the foods that have negative effects on the body. Avoiding things that might cause nutrient deficiencies(legumes), stomach irritation or inflammation (dairy, wheat), hormonal imbalance (soy) or lead to brain fog and cognitive issues (mycotoxins). Its best to eliminate these completely for a period of time and to see how you feel.  Another byproduct of this way of eating is a stabilization of hormone levels. 
 
Most people think fat loss is about calories in and calories out. In actuality fat storage is regulated by hormones, namely insulin. This is why you often run into a plateau regardless of how much you might exercise or limit consumption (which is unhealthy).

Ive done lots of experimenting with my diet over the years. In this blog post I outline my journey from 215 lbs to 150 lbs before adding 30 lbs of muscle and reaching peek physical condition at 180 lbs.

The paleo (bulletproof) diet played a big part in this. Its delicious. Energy levels and clarity skyrocket and it balances insulin levels so your body DOESN’T STORE FAT!

Here's the link to the Bulletproof diet with an illustrated guide along with reasoning and research:
http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/

Here is the summary:

14 Steps To Eating The Bulletproof Diet

1. Eliminate sugar (including fruit juices and sports drinks that contain HFCS, honey, and agave) .
2. Replace the sugar calories with healthy fats from the Bulletproof Diet such as grass-fed butter, ghee, and MCT or coconut oil.
3. Eliminate gluten in any shape or form.  This includes bread, cereal, and pasta.  Do not make the mistake of resorting to gluten free junk food, which can be almost as bad.
4. Remove grains, grain derived oils, and vegetable oils such as corn, soy, and canola.  Also remove unstable polyunsaturated oils such as walnut, flax, and peanut oil.
5. Eliminate all synthetic additives, colorings, and flavorings.  This includes aspartame, MSG, dyes, and artificial flavorings.
6. Eat significant amounts of pastured, grass-fed meat from big ruminant animals such as beef, lamb, and bison.  Pair this with fish, eggs, and shellfish.
7. Eliminate legumes such as peanuts, beans, and lentils.  If you must have your beans, soak, sprout (or ferment), and cook them.
8. Remove all processed, homogenized, and pasteurized dairy.  High fat items can be pasteurized, but they should be grass-fed.  Full fat, raw, whole dairy from grass-fed cows is okay for most people.
9. Switch to grass-fed meat and wild caught seafood.  Eat pastured eggs and some pork, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
10. Switch to organic fruits and vegetables.  This is more important for some plants than others.  See this site for details.
11. Cook your food gently, if at all.  Incorporate water into your cooking whenever possible and use low temperatures.  Do not use a microwave or fry.
12. Limit fruit consumption to 1-2 servings per day.  Favor low fructose containing fruits like berries and lemons over watermelon and apples.
13. Add spices and other flavorings from the Bulletproof Diet.  Favor herb based spices such as thyme and rosemary over powders. Use high quality ones, recently opened.
14. Enjoy your food.  

Key Points

• If you have to have some form of cheat/junk/fake food, have it, and don’t act like you’re “off the wagon”.  The more you venture from the Bulletproof Diet, the less you’ll benefit.  The more you stick to the Bulletproof Diet, well, the more Bulletproof you’ll be.  Small variations are fine and do not constitute failure.
• If you experience allergies, acne, or other negative effects after consuming dairy, switch to ghee as your only dairy, and eat coconut oil and animal fat.
• Do not count calories in an attempt to lose weight.  Eat until satiety and then stop.
• Try not to snack.  Bulletproof intermittent fasting is encouraged, though not mandatory.
• Limit fruit consumption to 1-2 servings per day to avoid high triglycerides.  There are other reasons to limit fruit consumption, but it won’t kill you.
• High healthy fat intake is optimal.  General ranges are 50-80 percent fat, 5-30 percent carbohydrate, and 10-30 percent protein.
• Eat as little polyunsaturated fat as you can.  Supplement with fish oil or krill oil if you don’t consume fatty cold water fish like salmon on a weekly basis.
• If you can’t find grass-fed meat, choose the leanest cuts of grain-fed meat possible.  If you can find grass-fed meat – choose the fattiest cuts possible.
• “I don’t have time” is not an excuse.  Nourishing your mind and body is not optional. Anyone can make soft boiled eggs and Bulletproof Coffee.

PALEO THANKSGIVING!

PALEO THANKSGIVING!

Brining the Turkey

This recipe is from allrecipes.com. Brining creates a more tender, flavorful

turkey.

Approximate cook and preparation time: 5 hours OR 1 hour and overnight

Ingredients

1 gallon (16 cups or 4 quarts) vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup sea salt

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried savory

1 gallon ice water

Process

1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary,

sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt

is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

2. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5-gallon bucket or a

brining bag. Stir in the ice water.

3. Wash and dry your turkey. Remember to remove the innards and save

them for later. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure the

cavity gets filled.

4. Place the bucket or bag in the refrigerator overnight, or put the bag in a

sink filled with ice water for 4 hours. The longer you brine it, the more

flavorful it will be

5. Remove the turkey carefully, drain off the excess brine and pat dry.

Discard excess brine.

6. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch

the temperature gauge.

Roasting the Turkey

This recipe was created by Paleo Plan

Approximate cook and preparation time: 4 hours or so

Ingredients

12-15 pound turkey (for lots of leftovers)

roasting pan

2 Tbs coconut oil, lard, tallow

3 Tbs dried/Fresh, crushed/chopped rosemary

1 tsp black pepper, to taste

½ tsp sea salt (optional)

Process

1. After brining the turkey, dry it off either by air, with a blow dryer or with a

towel.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Mix the salt, pepper and rosemary together in a small bowl. Place the oil and

the spice mixture under the skin of the turkey by carefully pulling up the skin

and using your hands to massage it in.

4. Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast (not touching the

bone, though). Put the turkey in a large roasting pan in the oven breast side

up and allow it to cook for 20 minutes uncovered.

5. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F, cover the bird and cook for about 3 hours or

until the temperature of the bird reaches 165 degrees F. In the last 45

minutes, uncover the bird and allow it to brown.

Roasting the Turkey Option 2

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary, roughly chopped
7 lb Turkey Breast
2 tsp Salt and Pepper, to taste

Process
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Drizzle olive oil over turkey breast, brush to coat.
Separate rosemary from stems, roughly chop and sprinkle liberally on turkey.
Add salt and cracked pepper to taste.
Place turkey in shallow roasting pan.
Cook turkey approximately 25 minutes per pound (turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 170°F).
Periodically baste turkey with juices in the pan, especially toward the end of the cooking.
Let rest for 10 minutes, carve, and serve.

Gravy

This recipe was created by Jim Lytton.

Approximate cook and preparation time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Innards and neck from turkey

4 cups water

4 cups (1 quart) chicken stock

drippings from turkey

5-6 large carrots

5 stalks celery

1 medium onion

2 large cloves garlic

same herb mix you used on turkey

salt to taste (optional)

Process

1. Dice the carrots, onion, and celery and mince the garlic. Save the innards

and the neck from the turkey.

2. Combine the water, stock, vegetables, herbs of choice, innards and neck

in a large pot and heat on medium high until it starts to boil. Turn it down

to low for a couple of hours until it starts to thicken and the meat starts to

fall off the neck.

3. Remove the neck and cut off the meat from it – discard the cartilage and

bone.

4. Place the neck meat back in the pot and blend with a submergible blender

until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender.

5. When your turkey is done roasting, place the drippings (skim off the big fat

globules) into the gravy mixture and incorporate with the blender until

smooth.

6. At the very end, add salt to taste.

Paleo Stuffing

Beef, celery, walnut & apple stuffing

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-thanksgiving-recipes/

Who says turkey stuffing absolutely has to be made out of bread? This version made with lean ground beef, celery, apples and walnuts tastes amazing and is way, way healthier. The ground beef has to be very lean not because we are scared of the fat in any way, but because the fat changes the taste and texture and creates something much different looking and tasting than a traditional stuffing. With the celery, apples and spices used, the aroma and texture will be very similar to the traditional stuffing. Cooked outside the bird, stuffing was traditionally called dressing, but now the names seem to be interchangeable. The usual spices used in a turkey stuffing are often sold in a mixture called a poultry mix and include rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram. Of course, the result will be much better if you chop yourself fresh herbs than if you buy a mix of dried a dried version of them.

Ingredients
1 lb extra lean ground beef;
1 tbsp cooking fat;
4 stalks celery, diced;
1 medium onion, diced;
1 apple, diced;
2 cups finely chopped walnuts;
1 clove garlic, minced;
Generous amount of poultry mix or springs of fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram, very finely chopped;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Process
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
In a large pan, sauté to ground beef and celery with the cooking fat for about 3 minutes. Make sure to crumble the ground beef to small pieces.
Add the diced apple and onion and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes.
Add the fresh herbs or poultry mix, minced garlic, walnuts and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. The meat should still be somewhat pink, it’ll finish cooking in the oven.
Put the mixture in a baking dish and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Comfort Foods Stuffing

http://paleocomfortfoods.com/in-the-kitchen/paleo-comfort-foods-time-for-stuffing/

Ingredients
1 pound ground pork
2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, freshly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
3 cups celery, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
3 granny smith apples, cored and chopped
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
¼ cup turkey stock or drippings from turkey

Process
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, brown pork along with sage, thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well and remove to bowl when cooked through.
3. In the same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add in celery, onion, apples and mushrooms, and cook until onions are translucent and celery and mushrooms somewhat softened. Mix in the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
4.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and turkey stock. Set aside.
5. Combine the pork with the sautéed vegetables in a large baking dish, and pour the egg/stock mixture over.
6. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, uncovering for last 10 minutes to brown the stuffing on top.
(you can – if preferred – stuff your turkey with some of this goodness as well!)
Yields about 6 cups cooked stuffing

Everyday Paleo Stuffing

Ingredients

1 lb mild Italian pork or chicken sausage, casing removed (I used chicken sausages from my local butcher)

4 ½ cups mushrooms, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

4 carrots, diced

1/2  cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon diced fresh sage

½ tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

½ cup dried cherries, finely chopped

½ cup slivered almonds

½ tablespoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Process

Preheat oven to 350. In a large soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.  Add the sausage and brown.  Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, chicken broth, cherries, almonds, sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Mix well, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the veggies begin to absorb the chicken broth.  Transfer to a large glass baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary

Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1 inch cubes;
1 large sprig of picked rosemary leaves;
3 tbsp lard, duck or goose fat;
5 cloves garlic, skin still on, but smashed;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Process
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
In a pot filled with salted cold water, place the sweet potato cubes and bring to a roiling boil. As soon as it boils, drain the potatoes in a colander and let steam and dry a bit in it.
Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, grind the rosemary leaves somewhat.
Heat a roasting pan on the stove top of medium-low heat, add the fat, rosemary, sweet potato cubes and season with salt and pepper. Without cooking anything, mix everything well together.
Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until crispy and tender. Stir the potatoes occasionally during the cooking process for an even cooking.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
15 -20 white button mushrooms, wiped clean with a paper towel and stems and gills removed
2 cups cooked crab (claw) meat, canned or fresh and finely chopped (I used canned and it was surprisingly good!)
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, finely diced
3 tablespoons minced chives
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup paleo mayo (Paleo Mayo 2 – 1 egg, 2tbls lemon Juice, 1/2  tea dry mustard, ¼ cup light olive oil)
black pepper to taste
Mix together the crab and all remaining ingredients.  Stuff each mushroom with heaping  tablespoons of the crab mixture.  Bake on a baking sheet greased with olive oil for 15 minutes @ 350.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts




http://beta.primal-palate.com/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Organic, melted
6 cloves Garlic, minced
8 cup Brussels Sprouts
2 tsp Salt and Pepper, to taste

Process
Preheat oven to roast at 400°F.
Rinse Brussels sprouts and cut off ends.
Place in glass baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes.
Add minced garlic, give a final stir, and roast sprouts for 10 more minutes.

Paleodietlifestyle Pumpkin Pie

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-thanksgiving-recipes/#s10

This recipe calls for pumpkin puree. You can either buy canned pumpkin puree, making sure it’s the only ingredient or you can roast some fresh pumpkin in a 350 F oven for about an hour to make your own puree.

Crust
1 cup pecans;
1/2 cup hazelnuts;
4 tbsp melted grass fed butter, ghee or coconut oil (room temperature);
A pinch of sea salt;

Filling
1 can fresh or canned pumpkin puree, nothing added (about 1 3/4 cups or 1-14oz can);
2 eggs;
1/2 cup local raw honey;
1/2 cup coconut milk;
2 tsp cinnamon;
1/4 tsp ground cloves;
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger;

Process
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Process the nuts in a food processor to almost a flower consistency. Be careful not to process too much and get a butter instead.

In a bowl, mix the ground nuts with the butter or coconut oil into a thick dough, spread the crust mixture in a pie pan and bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust bakes, mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
Add the filling evenly on the baked crust and bake for an additional 45 minutes.