Wobbly Wonder – Gelatine – A high protein product
Gelatine is a traditional food, rich in the amino acids glycine and proline and made from collagen and very affordable.
My teacher Ray Peat PhD believed that diets today were abundant in muscle meats such as beef and lamb that are lower in collagen and gelatine. Adding a little additional gelatine to these foods can ensure you ingest a wide range of amino acids.
Glycine is involved in many processes throughout the body and has been studied for its calming, and anti-inflammatory effects. Dr. Peat valued glycine for supporting the body during stress and he suggested making gelatine foods a regular part of the diet. He himself consumed gelatine daily.
Glycine has a calming effect on the nervous system so eating some gelatine before sleeping may improve sleep quality. I did calculate how many store bought jelly cubes would be necessary to eat to have a sleep effect but was disappointed that it was such a large amount. If you’re eating the cubes directly and aiming for approximately 10 g of gelatine, you would need to eat 17 cubes which would be a large amount of sugar. 10 g of powdered gelatine offers considerably more gelatine but without the sugar.
Good sources of gelatine are fresh or store bought bone broths, slow-cooked meats, skin (pork and chicken) and other collagen-rich foods. Powdered gelatine is perhaps a more convenient choice and the powder can easily be added to soups, sauces, desserts or warm drinks.
In short, gelatine is a simple way to add more glycine and collagen-derived amino acids to the diet, particularly for people who often eat muscle meats, and for those who may be losing collagen with the ageing process, and those using fat loss injections.
Gelatine (spelt gelatin in the USA) sheets and powder are widely available.
The sheets are clearer, more transparent, neutral with no aftertaste and good bloom strength (bloom is the 5-10 minute pre-soak).
Most supermarkets offer gelatine sheets.
The powder is convenient, slightly cloudier than the sheets and can leave a slight aftertaste. It is sprinkled over cold water that adds to the water in any recipe.
100 grams (g) of dry gelatine powder contains more than 85 g of protein.
Use 5-10 g gelatine with a serving of muscle meats.
Sports Drink
Add 2-6 tablespoons gelatine powder to a pint fresh orange juice with a pinch sea salt (and honey if desired) for sports sustenance.
Bone Broth
Local butchers or farm shops may sell you very cheap bones for stock, or chicken carcasses/feet. I would add to a slow cooker and cook on low overnight before straining and making soup.
Gummy or Jelly Sweets
1x cup (240 ml) fresh orange juice (or most fruit juices except kiwi and pineapple)
3x tablespoons (30g) of powdered gelatine
A little honey or vanilla (optional)
Pour a small amount of your cold recipe liquid (about 1/4 cup) into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine evenly over the top. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes to absorb the liquid and “bloom”.
Pour the remaining liquid and your honey or flavouring into a small saucepan over low heat. Warm it gently, but DO NOT let it boil or become scorching hot.
Add the bloomed gelatine mixture to the warm liquid. Whisk continuously on low heat until the gelatine completely melts and the liquid is smooth.
Fill your sweet molds. Take your pan off the hob. Use a small pouring jug to carefully transfer the warm liquid into silicone gummy bear molds.
Chill until set in the fridge for 20 to 60 minutes until completely firm.
References:
“Gelatin, Stress, Longevity” https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml
https://www.researchgate.net/publication 396849291_Gelatin_Production_Properties_Applications_Nutrition_and_Ethical_Considerations
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