Tag: healthy eating

Bone-based broths have a long history as a beneficial food for people recuperating from illness, child-birth or surgery. They are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, rich in flavor and easy for the body to assimilate. Bones used to make stocks are filled with minerals that many of us don’t get enough of, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and others.

Also, bones contain cartilage, collagen and marrow — substances found in no other foods. Collagen is the source of bone broth’s immune-boosting properties.

BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH:

• Heals leaky gut/improves digestion
• Can aid in healing IBS, crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux
• Fights infections such as colds and flu 
• Heals food  intolerances and allergies
• Improves joint health (arthritis)
• Gelatin promotes probiotic balance and growth
• Reduces cellulite
• Boosts the immune system
• Reduces inflammation in the respiratory system
• Detoxifies cells, gut and liver

Gelatin in bone broths contains amino acids arginine, glycine, glutamine and proline.  These amino acids also contribute to stock’s healing properties.

Arginine

• Necessary for immune system function and wound healing
• Needed for the production and release of growth hormone
• Helps regenerate damaged liver cells
• Needed for the production of sperm

Glycine

• Prevents breakdown of protein tissue like muscle
• Used to make bile salts and glutathione
• Helps detoxify the body of chemicals and acts as antioxidant
• Is a neurotransmitter that improves sleep and improves memory and performance
• Anti-inflammatory

Proline

• Helps regenerate cartilage and heal joints
• Reduces cellulite and makes skin more supple
• Helps repair leaky gut
• Anti-inflammatory

Glutamine

• Protects gut lining
• Metabolic fuel for cells in small intestine
• Improves metabolism and muscle-building

BONE BROTH RECIPE

Ingredients:
4 quarts of filtered water
1 whole organic/free range chicken (remember you can use any type of protein)
1 garlic clove (more/less to taste)
2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 Tsp unrefined sea salt (more/less to taste )
1 bay leaf
1 small onion
Fresh  ginger (peeled)
Fresh turmeric (teaspoon dry powder can be replaced for fresh)
3 stalks organic celery

Preparation:

1. Bake the chicken on 325 for 2 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooled off, remove the meat and use as you like.
3. Place the left over bones and water into a crock pot and set the heat to HIGH.
4. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat setting to the LOWEST setting.
5. Add apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, turmeric, ginger, bay leaf  and celery.
6. Allow the stock to cook for a minimum of  12 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary to fully extract the nutrients in and around bone.
7. Turn off the crock pot and allow the stock to cool.
8. Strain the stock through a fine mesh metal strainer and discard bones.
9. If you want to make chicken vegetable soup add your favorite vegetables (for added nutrient value). Continue cooking until vegetables are the consistency you like.
10. Place the cooled stock into covered glass containers for storage in the fridge or freezer.
11. You can also freeze the bone broth in ice-cube trays. Use the cubes anytime you want to add extra nutrients/flavor to a dish you are making.

TIPS:

• Only use animal products that you know are organic, pasture-fed and free of antibiotics and hormones (bones can be purchased at U.S. Wellness Meats).
• If you’re making beef broth or lamb broth, you should brown the meat before putting it into a stock pot.
• Add a bit of apple cider vinegar to your pot to help draw the minerals from the bones.
• When re-heating bone broth, bring it to a boil to kill any bacteria.
• The combination of animal products and vegetables seemed to have synergistic effects, working together to be more beneficial than either alone.
• I have found in my practice that a very small number of clients may not respond well to bone broth at first. When adding something new (whether it is a supplement, homeopathic remedy, food, or even a new personal care product) it is always a good idea to be observant for any changes. Every product, no  matter how great, organic, natural, or wonderful it is reported to be for others, is not necessarily a perfect fit for everyone! It is wise to be observant when adding anything new. If you see any behavior changes (lethargy, hyperactivity for example) or any physical symptoms (cold symptoms, stomach ache, etc.) perhaps bone broth is not a good fit for your child. Muscle testing (also known as applied kinesiology (AK)) is a good way to test for benefit and tolerance. You can learn AK yourself, and many natural health practitioners incorporate it into their practices. I incorporate AK into my client work, testing foods, supplements, remedies, and a tool to help to refine the most optimal healing strategy for each individual. If you are uncertain or see/experience symptoms when you add bone broth, you could use applied kinesiology or work with a  practitioner who does to test if bone broth is best for you or your child at this time.

Sources:

Weston A. Price Foundation

University of Nebraska Medical Center. “Chicken Soup for a Cold”  http://www.unmc.edu/publicrelations/chickensoup_newsrelease.htm (accessed 21 October  2011).