Sunday 27 July 2014

Bone Broth

I mentioned on my FB page that last weekend we, myself and my little man in particular, were doing a lot of healing. I posted a photo of my staples for the weekend, which included chicken bone broth.
 
My Healing Staples
                  
I have had quite a few people ask me this week about bone broth, its healing benefits and how I make it. Given we are in the middle of winter and there are so many yuk bugs hanging around and hitting families hard, I thought it might be helpful to share my knowledge of bone broth.
 
I'll start by saying that bone broth is nothing new, and definitely nothing fancy! It is just another of those great nutritional traditions that were part of our grandparents everyday diet, that has simply got lost along the way.
 
What Is Bone Broth?
 
Well essentially it is stock. But somewhere along the way we stopped making our own stock and started buying it in cartons or cubes, along with a whole heap of unwanted preservatives, additives and colouring! It is all the nutritional goodness from bones (beef, chicken, lamb, fish) extracted through a slow and gently cooking process.
 
Why Drink Bone Broth?
 
Although I have indicated that it is great to drink bone broth when unwell as it helps to boost the bodies natural healing abilities. It is also extremely beneficial to the body to drink bone broth even when well. The reason is that bone broth is so nutritionally rich and healing that it will enhance vitality when well and be helping the body to heal (which is occurring at all times - not just when we feel sick!).
 
So to put it as simply as possible, the reason bone broth is so good for our bodies, is because the bones, the marrow and the cartilage attached to the bones are all made from collagen, which is a protein molecule that contains the amino acids, Proline and Glycine.  Proline and Glycine are essential for connective tissue function, which is the biological glue that holds our bodies together. Without them we would literally fall apart. These two amino acids are essential for healing microscopic wounds throughout the body and they also suppress inflammatory activity. This is especially important for individuals with chronic inflammation or auto-immune conditions.
 
Proline and Glycine have been found to be extremely beneficial in healing the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (stomach, small intestine and large intestine). The integrity of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is vital for a healthy body. If the gastrointestinal tract lining is damaged then the balance of good and bad bacteria within the GI system becomes compromised, which significantly impacts on the immune system and its ability to function optimally.
 
Bone broth is filled with nutrients so not only are you getting your gut repaired, you are increasing your nutrition intake in a very absorbable form.  Bone broth is nutrient rich with valuable nutrients including collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glycosamino glycans, proline, glycine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. These all help with the development of healthy joints, bones, ligaments and tendons as well as hair and skin. These nutrients are considered beauty foods because they help the body with proper structural alignment and beautiful skin and hair. Rather than buying expensive skin care and hair products and mineral supplements to help with aching joints, just make bone broth and a part of your regular diet - it's an awful lot cheaper and completely natural!

Therefore, the healing ability of bone broth on the lining of the GI tract is of vital importance to the overall ability of the immune system to function and therefore the body to heal from any illness or ill-health. Bone broth nutritionally helps to calm an overactive immune system while also supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells. This is why it is such a great healing food to have when the body is encountering stress from bacterial or viral infections as well as digestive disorders and leaky gut syndrome.
The gut is readily able to absorb the amazing nutrients found within bone broth. Even the most damaged gut will be able to absorb the nutrients and so this is a very important food for children, people suffering from impaired gut function after illness, surgery, chemo, radiation, the elderly and anyone suffering from a digestive upset.  
 
It is so important to have these nutrients going into our bodies regularly.
 
So..... How Do You Make It?
 
You can make broth / stock with chicken, beef, lamb, fish - whatever bones really. I tend to stick with chicken stock as its flavour is more subtle and to be honest I can't stand the smell of beef bones boiling!
 
Because we are drawing nutrients out of the bones of these animals - it is highly recommended that you use organic bones. We are doing this process to put amazing nutrients into our bodies - not heavy metals and other toxins that have been absorbed by the animal whose bones we are using.
 
Organic = $$$'s I hear you cry!
 
Yep, I get it, buying organic can be expensive, but I've found that's not the case when making bone broth. Yeah sure an organic chicken is going to set you back $20-$30, however I have found a number of organic produce retailers are selling whole organic chicken carcases for around $3 each. While there is only a scrapping of meat on them, its not the meat we are after - its great quality nutritionally rich, toxin free bones and that's what you are going to get!
 
Chicken Stock
I put one or two carcasses in my slow cooker and pour just enough filtered water to cover them. I then put in about 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar as it helps to breakdown the bone and extract the nutrients more quickly.
 
Chicken Bones
Next, I place a few chopped up veggies into the slow cooker with the carcase - maybe a carrot, some celery, an onion, a pinch of sea salt. If you want to add extra flavour add some herbs egs. parsley, bay leaf, thyme.
 
I put the slow cooker on low and let it cook for 12-24 hours. The longer you leave it to cook the more gelatinous your stock will be as more nutrients will be extracted.
 
Simply strain the broth into a glass jar and store in the fridge (for up to a week). 
The Finished Product!
 
Typically the broth will end up with a rich layer of fat on top of it - don't discard this. It is also extremely nutritious and is a good sign that its good quality stock / broth!
 
It Doesn't Look So Pretty....But That Layer of Fat Is Full of Healing Goodness!
 
 
You can then use your bone broth as stock in soups, risotto, casseroles etc. Or, as we do, simply heat it up (not in a microwave - you will kill all those lovely nutrients with radiation) and drink it by the cupful.
 
If you haven't used broth before as a healing remedy, I recommend you start by drinking only small amounts as it is very nutritionally rich and healing. If there is an imbalance in the bacteria in your gut, it will start to restore balance by 'killing off'  the bad bacteria - this isn't always pretty and may include diahorrea and stomach aches - but rest assured it is your bodies way of restoring balance and healing your gut! Short term pain for the longer term gain!
 
* I typically keep my broth in the fridge for up to a week - I tend to have used it all by then anyway! You can also freeze it and keep it in the freezer for months.
 
I hope you are keen to give it a go. I would love to hear how you go!







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