Now more than ever, it is essential to look to foods that can strengthen your immune system, fight infections, help you process toxins, and give you the energy and stamina you need to power through your day. That's why it's essential to include "nutrient-dense" foods in your diet.

"Nutrient-dense" is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot lately. We often hear about kale, berries, and nuts being nutrient-dense. While these foods are amazing for you and are full of phytonutrients, the most nutrient-dense food out there is beef liver, with chicken liver coming in right behind it. Yep! It is by far the most "nutrient-dense" food on the planet, ounce for ounce. Eating foods like this will help you strengthen your immune system, support hormone balance, prevent future disease, and help heal underlying dysfunction that may already be there.

If you do some digging, I bet all of your grandparents ate organ meat regularly. It was a wise tradition that was passed down for ages, until recent years. Our ancestors knew how valuable organ meats were. In fact, the "white meat" we often go for now, was what was given to the dogs, while the organ meats were the first to be eaten. So what did they understand that we have forgotten and what finally convinced me to take the leap and include this in my diet...

When you look at nutrient-dense foods, you are looking for foods that have the highest concentrations of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and phytonutrients per bite. Beef liver takes the prize here. It is high in vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, Folate, Copper, and Iron. All key players in supporting your immune system.

• Liver is nature's most concentrated source of vitamin A ( the most important vitamin in strengthening your immune system). Vitamin A in vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes, must be converted from beta-carotene into Vitamin A. Many people can't make the full conversion and thus have deficient levels of Vitamin A. The meat and organs of animals are a much more bioavailable source for most of us. 

• Liver contains all the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12 (for energy)

• It is one of our best sources of folic acid

• Contains a highly usable form of iron

• Liver contains trace elements such as copper, zinc, and chromium; and is our best source of copper - all key players not only in immune health but also hormonal health. 

• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor

• High in CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardiovascular function

• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

(List adapted from Weston A. Price Foundation)

The liver is our body's master filter, responsible for sifting through all the toxic material that comes into our bodies. But, it is merely that, a filter. It does not store the toxins, only neutralizes them, and then shuttles them out. It is, however, a storage unit for all the important vitamins we spoke of earlier. So when you're eating liver, you're not eating the toxins - only the stored sources of vitamins they contain that will help support your health. To this end, as always, the quality of meat (and organ meat) you choose is crucial. Look for grass-fed, grass-finished sources. You are what you eat and what you eat, eats! 

One more thing, in case you're not convinced yet. Because liver is such a concentrated source of vitamin A (which is retinol), it is a powerful player in helping to reverse skin problems like acne and to prevent aging. It's like eating Retin-A. That's worth its weight right there!

So let's say I've convinced you that liver needs to be a part of your diet, but you still can't get over the fact that 1) you'll be eating liver and 2) you can't stomach the taste! I get it - I'm not the biggest fan either. This is the method I've come up with, and I swear, you and anyone else, will NEVER know it's in there. Aim to eat 4oz, one to two times per week. That's all you need! 

How To Prep Liver Cubes

1. Rinse your liver in fresh water and pat dry with a paper towel

2. Place liver in a food processor

3. Process until the liver looks like a mousse 

4. Spoon mixture into an ice cube tray then freeze

That's it! Now you have cubes ready to add (hide) into anything you'd like. My favorite ways to sneak it in include:

• Meatballs

• Spaghetti

• Pot pies

• Hamburgers 

• Stews

• You can even grate the frozen cube over any rice dish 

Be creative - I promise you, you will never know it's there, but still reap all the benefits.