Hot showers for colds and why you should eat beef liver...

A few weeks ago I had a minor cold. After taking a nice hot shower I felt much better. It got me thinking on why a shower makes us feel better. Especially when we are sick, but really any time! Have you ever thought about that? I'm sure there is a lot that goes into, the hot water and moisture and all, but the part that I got to thinking about was in relation to the lymph system. Often when we are sick, we cozy down on the couch and don't move much. But then we get up and move into hot water beating against our skin. This no doubt stimulates the lymph to start moving better. On top of that, we are rubbing down with soap, maybe some sort of scrubbie or washcloth. We are massaging under our arms, our neck, etc. all places that have lots of lymph nodes where it can stagnate. Then we are getting out of the shower and toweling down, once again moving muscles that contract around the lymph system and stimulating blood flow from the friction. It is just a theory and probably just half the picture of why it is so helpful, but thought I'd share those ideas!

Now for the recipe that might get you to try beef liver! Why should you eat liver? Liver is the most nutrient dense organ meat. It is full of iron, Vitamin A, folic acid, and zinc. Basically, eating liver is better than taking a multivitamin! One note for buying liver - get it grass fed! The liver can be thought of as the body's main filter. Everything we consume eventually goes through the liver where toxins are removed. Did you know that the liver can repair itself?!

The University of Iowa Health Care says, "The liver is a unique organ. It is the only organ in the body that is able to regenerate. With most organs, such as the heart, the damaged tissue is replaced with scar, like on the skin. The liver, however, is able to replace damaged tissue with new cells. If up to 50 to 60 percent of the liver cells may be killed within three to four days in an extreme case like a Tylenol overdose, the liver will repair completely after 30 days if no complications arise."

Our ancestors prized the organ meats the most, throwing the lean muscle meats to the dogs. Lately there has been so much hype about the dangers of meat. And maybe there is some truth to it considering the way most of our meat is raised, processed, and what cuts we are consuming. But animal products give us nutrients in bio available forms and quantities that plants just can't provide. In purchasing all meat and especially liver, please find a source that is clean and pasture raised. I prefer to get it pre-sliced for ease of working with it.

This recipe also has chickpeas, or garbanzo beans as they are also known. Chickpeas are a good source of molybdenum, manganese, fiber, folate, iron, and protein. (Pst, be sure to check out the links!)