If you’ve been here for a while, you already know my love affair with all things gelatinous runs deep. I’ve sung the praises of bone broth before (you can read that post here), and it remains a staple in my kitchen — simmered slowly until rich and jiggly, ready to turn into soups, stews, sauces, or even a cozy mug of salted broth as a delicious snack. But beyond broth, I make it a point to include gelatin and collagen in my diet every single day.
Recently, a client asked me whether red meat is inflammatory — a great question and one that deserves a little nuance. I’m a big believer in eating animal proteins daily for hormonal balance and overall health, but too much muscle meat on its own can create imbalance if not paired with the gelatinous parts of the animal. Traditionally, when people raised and prepared their own animals, they practiced nose-to-tail eating — nothing went to waste. Half of an animal’s protein is collagen, found in skin, bones, and connective tissues. By eating the whole animal, our ancestors naturally consumed a balance of amino acids.
You see, muscle meats are high in amino acids like tryptophan, cysteine, and methionine, which in excess can contribute to inflammation and even suppress thyroid function. Gelatin and collagen, on the other hand, are rich in glycine — a calming, anti-inflammatory amino acid that supports sleep, gut health, blood sugar balance, and even healthy estrogen metabolism (as biologist Ray Peat has discussed). In short, gelatin helps bring your protein intake back into balance — protecting your tissues, calming your nerves, and nourishing your metabolism. And this has a knock on effect on our hormonal health, because our hormones are so tied into our nervous system and gut health.
So how can you get more of this good stuff into your life? In summer, I love making jelly with fresh fruit juice. Throughout the year, I’ll stir a scoop of gelatin or collagen into coffee or tea. I will also add collagen or gelatin into meat sauces such as bolognese ragu’ to balance out the amino acid profile.
And now that the weather’s cooling down, there’s no better excuse to make a batch of homemade marshmallows. Forget the dry, overprocessed versions from the store — these soft treats are actually functional food! The gelatin supports your skin, joints, gut, and metabolism, while the sugar helps lower stress hormones and promotes restful sleep. A couple of marshmallows melted into hot chocolate might just be the most delicious way to wind down for the night and aid restful sleep.
(BTW, if the thought of sugar makes you quiver in fear, head over to my other blog post about the importance of carbohydrates for hormonal health and optimal body composition.
So without further delay, here is a delicious homemade Marshmallow recipe I hope you try:
INGREDIENTS
- 3 TBSP gelatin powder bloomed in ¼ cup water
- 1 cup honey or maple syrup (OR 1 cup sugar dissoved in 1 cup water)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD
- Sprinkle the gelatine over ½ cup of water in a large bowl. Leave for 10 minutes to ‘bloom’ (i.e. absorb the water.
- Add the vanilla extract to the gelatine.
- In a saucepan, warm up the sweetener and heat until it starts to bubble (do not overboil!)
- Start whisking the gelatine in the large bowl and begin drizzling the syrup into the bowl, turning up the whisker speed to high
- Whisk this mixture until it becomes a whipped marshmallow consistency. This can take up to 5-10 minutes.
- Pour your marshmallow whip into a square dish which has been greased with some coconut oil and put it to set in the fridge.
- Cut the marshmallows into squares once set.
- You can also dust the mallows with cornflower or potato starch to stop them from sticking together.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy!
My favourite gelatin is Saturee’s best Bloom Gelatin. You can use the code LINDA for a discount if you’d like to try it!
Further reading:
Ray Peat: Gelatin, Stress and Longevity
