DID YOU KNOW WHEN ANIMAL’S HUNT, THE FIRST ORGAN THEY EAT IS LIVER?
Coincidence? I think not. Instinctively they know it is the most nutrient dense part of their hunt.
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In just 3 oz of beef liver, we get over 200% of our RDI of B12 and a slew of other b vitamins. In fact, it is considered the most nutrient dense source of b vitamins when It comes to food.
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It is also considered a powerhouse of vitamin A (retinol not beta carotene) which is ESSENTIAL for eyesight, immunity, thyroid function, and vitamin D conversion, coming in hot at 15000 IU, which is double the amount we need a day! Note that most people need to be reaching for more retinol rich foods than beta carotene because over 30% of people carry the BCMO1 gene which slows the conversion of beta carotene into retinol in the body thus leaving them susceptible to not getting enough.
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Also, did you know you can find vitamin C in non-plant foods? Yup! Beef liver is one of them where you get 33% of your RDI.
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In addition, vitamin K2, another lacking nutrient in our society today is also found in this piece of meat. The RDI varies greatly for the conventional medical model of what seems to be enough vitamin K2 specifically has yet to be set. On average, vitamin K in general is set to about 120-145mcg, but the difference between K1 and K2 still stand. K1 is found in leafy greens, particularly used by the liver to activate blood-clotting proteins, and K2, typically found in full fat dairy and animal meat, is used by other tissues to protect against over calcification. A serving offers 9mcgs.
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Lastly, Liver is also very mineral dense offering 4 times the RDI of copper, which we all know is essential for mitochondrial function, mobilizing iron in and out of tissue, transporting electrons, hair growth, thyroid function and balancing other minerals like zinc, selenium and manganese that are also found in liver!
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Sounds to me like this is basically a superfood.
Spirulina move the eff over!

BONE BROTH IS EXTREMELY MINERAL RICH.
In fact, it’s nutrient dense in general, but the great source if minerals and amino acids is what t is known for.
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As you know, protein is an essential building block for nearly everything for our bodies use the amino acids found in protein to build and repair tissue, as well as make enzymes, hormones and other chemicals to utilize as cellular signalers. They are also building blocks to bones, muscles, skin, cartilage and more. The main amino acids found in bone broth are glutamine, glycine and proline.
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Glutamine plays an important par in regulating the immune system, gut function, as well as providing nitrogen and carbon to different cells in our body so we can properly synthesize energy.
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Glycine has an endless amount of benefits, but for hormonal health in particular, is critical for liver detoxification, calms the nervous system in reducing stress hormones, and helps with tissue recovery.
Proline is similar to glutamine where it helps form collagen and regenerate cartilage, damaged skin, our gut lining, etc.
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This goes hand in hand with my second point, which is that true bone broth contains that gelatinous film, which is collagen, which has been shown to be extremely beneficial in regenerating the body. As we know, gut health plays an important role in hormone regulation, especially if we aren’t capable of absorbing particular nutrients from our food to produce or synthesize hormones.
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B vitamins are also abundantly found in this food, which are energy supportive, but also vital for liver function where our thyroid hormone is converted, where excess hormones are filtered out, and where toxins need to be bound to bile and removed out of the body.
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Lastly, bones in themselves are made up of more than just calcium, hence why bone broth seeps minerals as it is cooked. Nutrients like boron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus all come out which can help replenish lost or used up minerals if one is living in a stressed out state.

EGGS ARE GREAT FOR EGG HEALTH.LITTERALLY.
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Choline is the star of the show here, a critical nutrient to have during fetal development, particularly for the brain where it can influence the neural tube closure as well as avoid any issues with cognitive function.
Conversely, even if you aren’t looking to get pregnant, there is more than just choline in this food that can be helpful for one’s hormones.
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The array of b vitamins, particularly vitamins B2 and B12: Riboflavin is important for synthesizing red blood cells, maintaining glutathione levels (our master antioxidant) and metabolize essential fatty acids that has been shown to be supportive for anyone with depression and migraines. B12 is also helpful for producing hemoglobin, supports immune function, DNA synthesis, nerve health and regulating homocysteine levels, an amino acid that we produce when we are at risk of a heart attack.
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Speaking of amino acids, eggs are a perfect source of protein, particularly of the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is the precursor to adrenal hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, as well as thyroid hormone thyroxine. Feeling wired, overly stressed, or suffering with adrenal function or thyroid issues? PROTEIN is the answer and eggs have what you need!
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Note: it also helps with melanin production, a skin pigment that prevents us from burning when out in the sun, as well as developing grey hair!
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Funnily enough, retinol also helps with this process of keeping hair rich and skin healthy. Eggs contain retinoids like lutein and zeaxanthin which are essential for eye health and immunity too.
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They also have a substantial amount of saturated fat which are essential in the production of hormones (all hormones are made form cholesterol), digestion and having an antimicrobial effect in the gut, protecting us from pathogens.
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Ironically, all saturated fats also come with a bit of vitamin E, which is amazing because vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects us from free radicals, cellular aging and mitigates the effects of high estrogen.
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Lastly they are also mineral rich containing selenium and zinc!

GOT MILK?
I sure do because dairy is probably nature’s most PERFECT food.
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I know most of you will be like “Nooo, dairy causes inflammation, mucus, has hormones in it” and I’m just going to stop you right there and direct you to my Dairy Highlight. ANY food can be inflammatory if we do not have the energy capacity, enzymatic processing and bacteria to break it down, there a ton of foods out there that contain hormone traces (not just dairy), and mucus is solely created in the body as a protective mechanism when it can’t digest something.
This is not the dairy’s fault. This is your metabolism on the fritz.
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Now why is dairy so beneficial, especially for hormonal health?
Well, for starters, it contains an array of minerals such as calcium, iodine, magnesium, potassium and selenium. The calcium and the iodine are pretty important here, for calcium is a calming mineral for the nervous system. If we are over stimulated, we can develop anxiety and the body can become stressed. This is one of the reasons why people feel calmer after consuming milk, the calcium content relieves their nervous system from stress. Conversely, iodine is an essential mineral for thyroid function, and ironically enough, selenium is found in the food too, which is how these two work synergistically.
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In terms of vitamin content, because there is a substantial amount of fat in unprocessed dairy, you can find fat soluble nutrients like retinol, vitamin D and K2 specifically. K2 is such an important vitamin for it ushers calcium into our bones in teeth, preventing over calcification of the arteries, but also plays a role in insulin sensitivity, works together with vitamin D to decrease levels of parathyroid hormone (a stress hormone), reduce excess estrogen levels and helps with dopamine production (making us happier!).
Check out my vitamin K2 post and Your Hormones in my Vit & Min highlight.
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Lastly, dairy contains all 3 macros necessary for blood sugar regulation. We need a bit of cholesterol from our foods to make hormones, the carbs for the energy, and the protein as the necessary building blocks and production of certain hormones and enzymes. 

FRUIT HITS YOUR THYROID’S SWEET SPOT.
Why?
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Because fruit contains fructose, a sugar that is very interesting, for it does not require an insulin spike to enter the cell. It enters the blood stream right away, thus providing energy much more seamlessly as sucrose or glucose would. With the ease of entering the cell, fructose has been shown to be more beneficial for  thyroid health, for it is directly absorbed into the liver, which helps with energy production. If you’ve been following, the liver is the prime location where most of your inactive thyroid hormone, T4, is transformed into active thyroid hormone, T3. With energy more readily available, this can help increase the metabolism and overall thermogenic effect.
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Speaking of thyroid, fruit is also very rich in potassium which is an essential mineral that is responsible for sensitizing our cells to UPTAKE thyroid hormone. Without this sensitization, our cells will lack the ability to get the energy they need to function. Potassium’s other function comes to the adrenals, working synergistically with sodium to help regulate the production of aldosterone and cortisone.
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Vitamin C then comes around, which is also vital for adrenal health.
Ever have the need to eat something sweet when you’re really stressed? That’s because your body is burning through that vitamin C via the adrenals. Reaching for something like an orange, kiwis, or make yourself a good old Adrenal cocktail (recipe on website!) should help lower the stress hormones and mitigate the effects of stress.
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Lastly, fruit, especially when ripened, is not as difficult to digest when compared to other plants like leaves or legumes. If you’re someone who has slow motility and cannot handle difficult to digest carbohydrates that contain high levels of cellulose or fiber, fruit is much easier to break down. This could be helpful for someone dealing with gut issues, for it will relieve the colon’s stress from having too many indigestible fibers to break down, thus helping with bloating and the potential of dealing with any overgrowths.

• OYSTERS ARE AN APHRODISIAC FOR A REASON.
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  It’s not because they’re sexy, but it’s because they contain high levels of zinc, which is an essential mineral that directly affects the thyroid. The way it works is that it’s a mineral that helps synthesize TRH (thyroid releasing hormone), which subsequently turns into TSH. From there, as we stimulate the thyroid, we produce T3 and T4, in hopes of having most of the T4 converted to T3, which is vital for the energy of our cells. Low libido as well as infertility, has been chronically linked to low thyroid function.
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  Conversely, zinc and copper work synergistically, and it’s so ironic how nature has minerals that work cohesively in the same foods, all packaged together so we don’t have to worry about imbalances!
  Copper is considered a co-factor for many enzymatic reactions in the body and is found in nearly every single tissue in us, meaning most of our bodily functions and systems depend on this mineral.
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  Now oysters aren’t the only sources of zinc and copper. The majority of shellfish, like crab and lobster, also contain a substantial amount too, but oysters seem to be the best.
  These seafood sources are also abundant in iodine and selenium, which directly impact thyroid health too. 70-80% of our iodine is stored in our thyroid, and also acts as an immune modulator against fungi, yeast and viruses. It works with selenium, another mineral found in these foods, because it is required for the enzyme that deionizes T4 to active T3. Our thyroid is the second most abundant source of where selenium is stored, aside from our skeletal muscles and also helps keep oxidative stress at bay.
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  This is important, especially in today’s world where we are surrounded by stress. Mitigating that to the best of our ability will help keep our nervous system calm so we don’t push the body into a chronic state of stress and where energy begins to deplete.
  Lastly, shellfish is a great source of bioavailable protein, which as mentioned in previous posts, literally makes up part of nearly every cell in our bodies by helping produce enzymes, hormones and other chemical signalers that affect metabolism.