Although I write about many Nourishing Traditions techniques, I certainly don’t agree with everything in the book. I like to cross check research and make my own decisions. I’ll leave my total allegiance for my Church…

In that light, I have a lot of appreciation for a company like Radiant Life, who supports Nourishing Traditions practices and is recommended in the book itself, but who aren’t afraid to say to me, “You know, we don’t follow NT recommendations on everything.”

Krill Oil Supplements

They were talking about krill oil, which is highly recommended over cod liver oil by folks like Dr. Mercola (I would link to his post on the subject, but he always asks you to subscribe to his email before even reading anything, so phooey on that).  Fallon and crew maintain that fermented cod liver oil is the best (only?) way to bother with an omega-3 supplement plus Vitamins D and A. While I’m still enjoying (verbage used loosely) the FCLO, I also appreciated having another option for omega-3s, especially in pregnancy.

My FCLO is taken on a spoon, and sometimes I just don’t have a minute to grab a spoon and whatnot, so a capsule is a nice backup. The krill oil does smell a little fishy in the bottle (fair warning), but I haven’t noticed any fishy burps.

I’m so happy to see that Radiant Life harvests their krill in a very environmentally-friendly manner and makes sure there aren’t contaminants in the capsules. Benefits to krill oil supplements include omega-3s, which are more easily assimilated than most fish oils, as well as EPA and DHA and antioxidants. The DHA makes me particularly happy, because I know I’m building baby’s brain right now, and those are really important. Read more here.

Desiccated Liver

Now doesn’t that sound lovely? We recently talked about including more organ meats in one’s diet and why, as well as ways to hide beef liver in meals. Many readers lamented the fact that they don’t have a good farm source of liver available locally. Ordering it in a bottle is one solution!

I already told you about Dr. Ron’s liver capsules, which are from New Zealand cattle, and Radiant Life’s version are grassfed in Argentina and are hormone and chemical free. Although Radiant Life also offers capsules, their customers told them they were often opening the capsules to pour the powder into meals or smoothies, especially for children who can’t swallow pills. Their 180g of powdered, desiccated liver is equal to almost 4 pounds of fresh, raw liver.

But how did it go in food?

First, I have to admit that I’ve been pretty poor at incorporating this product into our lives. I’m always remembering I have it right after we eat a meal that would be a good candidate for a spoonful. Reading the reminder about liver being the best source of folic acid gives me new motivation, however (although folic acid is most important in the first trimester, and I’m 17 weeks, it’s still a key nutrient).

I put some powder in a beef stew, sprinkled on after it was already in the bowl. It got right past the kids, who ate it without a care in the world. I have to admit I could taste the liver flavor, so I might be more likely to include the powder in something more seasoned, like taco meat, refried beans or even spaghetti.

I made my poor husband try some too – some days he wishes I weren’t a real food blogger, you know – and he was not a fan. He said he could totally taste it, no good. I’m a little nervous about adding powder to an entire meal, but I still think I’m going to try it sometime in something spicy. I just kept forgetting! Shucks.

Even though I’m sort of a failure so far (I’ll keep working on it – baby steps, right kitchen stewards?), I appreciate that this is a great product, particularly for people who either don’t have a good source of liver or just can’t remember to or don’t want to incorporate it in ground beef meals. As easy as it is to forget to add frozen, ground up liver while cooking, at least you can add this powder at any time, even into leftovers once served. Read more about the benefits of liver and FAQs here.

Coconut Oil

If I run out of coconut oil, my kitchen pretty much stops functioning, which is a little crazy considering I didn’t even know what it was just over 2 years ago. I have yet to find a brand I didn’t like, and good coconut oil is really about how it’s harvested and processed. Radiant Life’s is excellent:

This coconut oil is produced in the Philippines, Thailand and Mexico from fresh coconuts opened within 48 hours of being picked from the trees, and immediatley processed into oil! The oil is extracted by centrifuge, without using any heat in the process, with no solvents, bleaches or deodorizers. This retains all the nutrients, including enzymes.

You can read about the health benefits of coconut oil at KS, and see more about Radiant Life’s fantastic version here.

Want to Win Some?

Five winners can get a package including all three of these products by entering the giveaway – click HERE to see the offer and a coupon code for Radiant Life Catalog.

Don’t you just love discovering all these small, niche companies with me? It’s a joy to introduce them to you.

And a Winner!

Last week’s giveaway, also from a small company specializing in healthy products, offered $100 gift certificate to Trilight Health. Out of 173 people and 611 total entries, the winner is…

Beth! (57bebe@…)

I literally threw up my hands in joy when I saw the winner’s name, because Beth is a super reader and commenter and always has so much to add to the conversation. Woo hoo! Love it when long-time readers get chosen randomly to win!

Five readers were also sent a product of their choice for review, which you can look for in early to mid-April. Don’t forget about the coupon code (a really good one!) for $10 off an order of $39.95 or more PLUS free shipping: use “Kitchen10″ – I’m thinking about ordering a large size of Lympha Rub, which seriously stopped my 5-year-old’s incessant, sleep-stopping cough with one drop. I’m still sort of sitting here in awe and thanking God for this product! Shop here if you’ve been tempted.

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I’d love to see more of you!  Sign up for a free email subscription or grab my reader feed. You can also follow me on Twitter, get KS for Kindle, or see my Facebook Fan Page.

If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Disclosure: I received products for free from Radiant Life for my review, which never changes my opinion. It would take a team of wild horses (and a lot more than liver!) to do that! I am an affiliate of Dr. Ron’s. See my full disclosure statement here.