Surf & Turf: A New Class I’m Taking

In the coming months, as my husband and I begin really focusing on trying to conceive our second child, we’re focused on maximizing the nutrient density of everything we put in our bodies.  And for us, and for many of you, that means that our primary focus will be on minimizing grains and concentrating on high quality animal foods: meat and fat, but also, on seafood and organ meats – both foods prized by traditional societies for newly married couples and women of child-bearing years.

With my first child, I was a vegetarian during much of my pregnancy though my body intelligently craved salmon and I eventually complied.  Now, five years later, one of my greatest regrets (and I’m not one for regret) is that while I followed a whole foods diet during my first pregnancy, I did not necessarily follow a nutrient-dense, traditional diet.  Moving forward, I’m committed to not making that mistake again.

Humans evolved on a diet high in nutrient-dense animal foods with special emphasis on seafoods and plenty of organ meats.  Now, two hundred thousand years later, our diets are focused on grains and refined sugars and we’ve come so far from our roots.  It’s no wonder that so much of the population suffers from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and depression.  It’s no wonder that so many people, like me, suffer from infertility and polycystic ovarian disease.

I’ve been fortunate to find traditional foods, and others yet have enjoyed great success with a grain-free diet, with paleo and primal lifestyles and still others have found success going gluten-free or following the GAPS diet.  It is essential to heal the gut and to focus on high quality animal foods.

The only problem is that, coming from a vegetarian background, my repertoire of meat recipes is, albeit, limited.  Don’t get me wrong: I can roast and braise my way to success with the best of them, but preparing those nutrient-dense organ meats is something I could use a real lesson in.  This August, I’m taking the Surf & Turf cooking class by Ann Marie of Cheeseslave.  While good cooking is at the heart of Nourished Kitchen, it never hurts to take a lesson here or there or to brush up on my techniques.  Besides, I like to support my fellow working mothers – the very I people I know are putting their hearts and souls into helping people find health through real food.

While the cooking aspects of the Surf & Turf class are incredible (she’s going to provide over 100 recipes with video instruction for 37!), what is even more valuable to me as a woman looking to overcome a struggle with infertility and achieve optimal health (a constant journey for many of us) is that Surf & Turf moves beyond a cooking class; rather, it’s a course in the value of high quality animal products.  She’ll include information from leading experts like Julia Ross and Dr. Nicholas Gonzales, illustrating why lack of high quality animal protein is implicated in depression, cancer and a myriad of other diseases.  That is extraordinarily valuable information.

And for those struggling with budgetary constraints wondering how, on earth, they can possibly buy wild-caught seafood and grass-finished meats, she provides information on mitigating the costs of a nutrient-dense diet.

I’m really looking forward to the class, and if you’re struggling with cooking a nutrient-dense diet of traditional foods, or if you’re a paleo/primal eater and want more creative recipes, or if you’re on GAPS and you’re looking for grain-free substitutes for bread, this class really offers an important and valuable opportunity for you.

It’s $120 – that’s less than $10 a class with lifetime access to the materials so that anytime you’re stuck for a nutrient-dense protein to serve for supper, you can look up the recipe again.  Anytime you need to review her lesson on shucking oysters (oh! how I need that!  My husband nearly lost a finger shucking our last batch after I miserably gave up.), you can.  It’s brilliant.  You can click here to register or get more information.

The Surf & Turf Class Schedule

Lesson #1: Protein & Fat: Why You Need It
Lesson #2: Shopping & Stocking Up
Lesson #3: Grilling: Setting Up an Outdoor Grill
Lesson #4: Seafood: Raw & Lightly Cooked
Lesson #5: Seafood: Broiled, Fried & Braised
Lesson #6: Bone Broth: Making Stock from Scratch
Lesson #7: Soups & Stews
Lesson #8: Roasting, Braising, Reductions Sauces & Gravies
Lesson #9: Pan Frying & Deep Frying
Lesson #10: Sandwiches & Salads: Meat-Based Salads & Grain-free Breads
Lesson #11: Organ Meats 1: Heart, Tongue & Bone Marrow
Lesson #12: Organ Meats 2: Liver Four Ways
Bonus Lesson: Appetizers, Side Dishes & Snacks

Or watch as Ann Marie explains the class, its value and what you’ll learn.

Remember, by signing up you’re supporting two real foods, working mothers at once:  Notice of Disclosure. Photo credit.