Bone broths – it’s the latest “buzz” right now – and I have to say I am super happy about it! I’ve known about bone broths for years and truly think it’s one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. It’s by far the #1 food I tell my clients to start incorporating into their life immediately as they embark on their journey to optimal health.
Fact of the matter is, it’s actually been used for many, many years. Our ancestor’s would use bone broth or stock made out of every part of the animal. It was also prescribed as a treatment for colds. Remember when Grandma would make us chicken soup when we were sick??? Good ol’ Grandma knew what she was talking about. Chicken soup aids the repair and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine, heals the nerves, improves digestion and assist the healing process when we’re sick.
Bone broths are known to heal the gut, which as you may know, I am all about healing our guts. Why, you ask? Good question! 70-75% of our immune system is located in our belly so we need to be sure our guts are working at optimal health. Many of us are low in hydrochloric acid which is the acid located in our intestines that is needed to activate pepsinogen into the enzyme pepsin. These enzymes help in digestion by breaking the bonds linking amino acids, a process called proteolysis. The digestive system is such an amazing and complex process. Bone broths, when properly prepared (recipe below) is the most nutrient dense food out there.
As explained by Sally Fallon: “Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calciumbut also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”
Bone broths contains collagen and natural occurring glucosamine. This aids in digestion, helps with the healing of digestive disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, maintains and builds cartilage, supports and cushions our joints. It supports our immune health as it has amino acids glycine, proline, glutamine and arginine that all fight against inflammation and support a healthy immune system. Arginine is needed to assist with wound healing and building a healthy immune system. It helps with the rebuilding of damaged liver cells. A Harvard study showed that some people with auto-immune disorders experienced a relief of symptoms when drinking bone broth due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It has tons of gelatin, which is the breakdown of collagen and has many health benefits – helps with food allergies, its bone building and helps with acid reflex.
Dr. Campbell McBride, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome says that gelatin helps “heal and seal” the gut, and in doing so is helpful for reversing leaky gut syndrome and digestive problems. This leads me to my favorite benefit of all: GUT HEALTH! As I previously mentioned, the gelatin in the broth aids in the repair of our gut lining, especially for those who have IBS, Crohns or leaky gut, it assists with the growth in good bacteria, supports healthy digestive function, helps with constipation and bone broths are easily digestible. This is fantastic for us as we are absorbing all the healing befits of the broths. And it’s soothing to the gut and soul. When I drink my broth from my chicken soup, especially when I’m not feeling well, it really does soothe me and makes me feel warm and comfy cozy.
Here’s a few ways I use bone broth:
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- – Sautéing veggies
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- – Steaming fish dishes
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- – Faux mashed potatoes (made with cauliflower)
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- – Soups and chilis
- – Sip in a mug
Try making bone broth a regular staple in your routine. You can make chicken, beef or fish broth. For my newbies, I recommend chicken first. Then once you got that down, you can try others. I encourage you to give this bone broth a try. You can always just sip a cup a day of broth too! My fur baby loves it as well.
Simple Broth Recipe:
Use either chicken or beef bones. Go to your local butcher or health foods stores – most butchers these days are informed about bone broths.
Ingredients:
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- – Bring out the crock pot
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- – 1 whole free range organic chicken – all parts
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- – 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar – this brings out the minerals and nutrients
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- – Vegetables such as celery, carrots, sweet potato, onion and parsley (preferably organic since you’ll be simmering them for hours)
Instructions:
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- – Place chicken or beef bones in crock pot or stock pot
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- – Cover with filtered water and add vinegar –bring to a boil. Remove any “scum” that is on the surface (these are impurities and should not be eaten)
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- – Remove the chicken, leaving the stock in the pot. Let cool and take the meat off of the bones. Place your meat (including the skin and soft tissues) into a storage container in the fridge and return everything else (bones and all other parts) to the crock pot.
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- – Add more filtered water to the pot, add your veggies, herbs and add some Himalayan sea salt. Bring this to a boil, lower heat and simmer for as long as possible, at least 6 hours, but 36-72 hours is optimal. The longer you simmer, the more medicinal your broth will be.
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- – Strain all the solids from the broth, pour into jars, and store in the fridge.
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- – Use within 5 days. If you want it to keep longer, place it in the freezer.
References:
Sally Fallon –Nourishing Traditions
Nutritional Therapy Association
Dr. Francis Pottenger
GAPS Protocol
