Gelatin’s many roles in the human body make it a supplement worth including on a daily basis.

Far beyond improving skin, nail, and hair health, its nourishment of the human body is profound and broad. Just as it holds ingredients together when cooking, its components help to seal the gut or rebuild tissue.

High in animal protein, this multipurpose supplement soothes, ministers, and bolsters.

Other than gummies and “jello” type treats, there are other ways of incorporating this healing food into our diets.This post describes not only what gelatin does in our bodies, but also what co-factors are ideal for its assimilation.

Gelatin is extremely versatile. It can be incorporated into many daily foods — here are ten!

1. Add it to your tea, butter coffee, or butter tea.

Oh yes, pleasure in a cup. Making a cup of tea is perhaps the easiest way to enjoy gelatin daily — for this reason, our family does it often. Plus, it's delicious.

Simply put 1 inch of room temperature water into your mug. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon gelatin over it. Allow it to dissolve 1 minute. Add boiling water. Add your tea bag or contained loose leaf tea. Steep according to preference. Remove tea and sweeten to taste.

If you have a blender, this treat can be bolstered further by blending in fat, which helps the gelatin to digest better. Try these recipes for coffee lovers and tea lovers.

Gelatin in your tea is also a great way to “get your bone broth” when you're traveling and can't bring bone broth with you. While it doesn't afford all the subtle nutrients that bone broth does, it can be thrown into a suitcase (canister of gelatin + tea bags), providing the gentle healing nourishment that otherwise would be lacking.

2. Fortify cold or warm smoothies.

Since traditional spinach or kale-based raw green smoothies are potentially high in oxalates or cooling to the thyroid and best to be consumed in moderation or not at all, It's best to make yourself the occasional warm or hot green smoothie! These are fantastic. By making warm or hot smoothies, you not only reduce oxalates, but also melt the gelatin you've added, thus creating a smooth and viscous beverage as soothing to your throat as it is for your digestive lining.

 Adding gelatin (not collagen) to my cold smoothies is largely indistinguishable and the warmth of the belly melts the supplement so its healing properties still come into play.

3. Bolster your bone broth.

If you make bone broth, you'll notice that the first batch is quite gelatinous. But once it's been drained off and the bones keep boiling with fresh water, creating a new broth rich with amino acids and minerals, there will be less gelatin. What to do?

Amend.

Add gelatin to your broth like this: place 1/2 an inch of cold or room temperature filtered water in the bottom of your mug. Add 1 tablespoon of gelatin, sprinkled evenly over its surface. Allow it to dissolve on the water's surface for 1 minute, until it becomes wet and translucent. Add a bit more water and stir if necessary. Add very hot bone broth, filling the mug, and stir. This cup of broth is now fortified. It contains the benefits of a long-simmered broth in addition to the healing properties of a gelatin-rich broth.

Similarly, gelatin can be added to leftover soup. Stir up to 1 tablespoon per serving into cold or room temperature soup; then stir, heat, and serve.

4. Use it in baked goods.

Gelatin was first used broadly in baked goods as an excellent and healthy egg substitute. Combined with plantains or other starchy vegetables or roots, it binds well and makes bread-y foods — otherwise impossible without eggs, flax seeds, or factory-made egg-substitute products — possible. A completely healthy egg substitute is a boon.

But those of us who can eat eggs benefit as well. While too many eggs in baked goods can dry them out or make the taste and texture egg-y, using fewer eggs + a bit of gelatin can achieve the perfect balance. Additionally, gelatin adds a nice goo to baked goods. A crock pot cinnamon roll coffeecake, for instance, utilizes both eggs and gelatin. The gelatin gives the refrigerated leftovers a great texture and the warm, fresh cake a lovely stickiness.

5. Swallow gelatin in water or raw milk before going to bed.

Many claim a better night's sleep when consuming gelatin before bed. In this setting, gelatin does not need to be dissolved first. Simply stirred into room temperature water or raw milk, it can be swallowed as you would a powdery supplement. The high protein content is also beneficial to the metabolism when consumed before bed, due specifically to the amino acid arginine. Many body builders use this technique for rebuilding muscle tissue. Full fat raw milk is an ideal beverage into which to stir the gelatin. The milk's fat and protein help the gelatin to assimilate well.

6. Put it in ice cream.

1 to 2 teaspoons of gelatin* added to the blender puree of any ice cream mix will give the finished product a smoother and creamier texture, in addition to boosting the protein and nutrition of a sweet treat. Lower fat milks, such as raw goat milk, really benefit. The gelatin aerates the ice cream and makes it creamier.

*To achieve this effect in ice cream, sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatin over 1/4 cup of the liquid from the recipe, warming it in a saucepan to melt. Using a blender, puree this melted gelatin mixture into the remaining ice cream ingredients.

7. and 8. Sauces and casseroles.

While you're sauteing onions or other veggies for the base of a sauce or casserole, sprinkle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of gelatin, depending on the size of the overall recipe. This will thicken and make any sauce or base more viscous — almost as much as flour thickens a sauce. As the sauce or casserole cools, it will continue to function as a binder and thickener. For this reason, don't add too much.

Sweet sauces, too, can be amended with gelatin. Homemade syrups and caramels need less sweetener when gelatin contributes to their viscosity, adding thick stickiness.

9. Make “Cream of Wheat.”

This is a new favorite among many people. Whether it's just before bed, or when you need a nutrient-dense yet cozy snack for breakfast, or between meals when you're hungry, this porridge — made from just two ingredients — hits the spot.

If you love raw milk, you know how naturally sweet it is. (Lactose can be a good thing!) Simply add gelatin to cold raw milk, whisking it in gradually so it absorbs the milk evenly and doesn't clump. Allow it to set up and thicken for about 10 minutes like you would with chia seed pudding. The gelatin will expand slightly. Add up to 1/4 cup gelatin to 1 cup milk. Drink the milk and use a spoon to eat the porridge. Add condiments if you prefer, like sprouted walnuts, dried fruit, or a drizzle of honey. This is humble health food, a bit nutty, completely wholesome, and it sits well in the belly.

10. Fortify your soaked porridge.

For those who can have grains, soaked oatmeal (or other grain-based gruels) make a great alternative to eggs for breakfast. We like to eat egg-based breakfasts most days. We feel the benefit from all the fat, protein, and cholesterol. Eggs are also versatile and digest well. However, moderation in all things; we also love porridge.

While we can add butter or cream to hot cereal, the one downside to porridge is we don't get the same dose of protein. Adding gelatin changes that. 1 to 2 tablespoons of the powder stirred in adds 6 to 12 grams of protein to each serving. Thus fortified, we feel additionally pleased with our morning “cereal” and the benefits we will reap throughout the day. If you do this, still add plenty of butter and raw milk to your porridge. The protein in the milk and the fat in the butter help the gelatin to be more effective.

Wondering which gelatin I recommend? My favorite is Tripathi Products Unflavoured Gelatin (which also has different flavours such as Raspberry, Vanilla etc) 

You can buy Gelatin from www.justshoponline.in