“Good broth will resurrect the dead.” Bone broth is an incredibly healing traditional food with myriad health benefits, and it’s so soothing and calming. I always recommend broth to weight loss clients and those with digestive concerns. Broth made with chicken bones blocks the migration of inflammatory white cells, making chicken broth an invaluable tool to boost immunity during cold and flu season. Broth can improve digestion and metabolism too, as I’ll explain. I rant on and on about the positive effects of bone broth, so I decided to dedicate a whole blog post to broth so I can sing its praises while contributing a recipe. Following this recipe is important, because when I’m discussing broth, I am most certainly NOT talking about the stuff you buy in cans or in a box from the grocery store. Not only has it not been properly prepared, many brands contain additives and MSG (look for key words like ‘natural flavor’ or ‘autolyzed yeast extract’ in the list of ingredients).
First, the benefits. Bone broth, when properly prepared, is very rich in the minerals we are so sorely lacking in our diets. Even if you’re eating a solid plant-based diet (half your plate should be veggies of all kinds!), modern farming practices have left the soil that even the best organic crops grow in depleted of the key minerals we need. Minerals are critical for good cardio function, stress response, and enzymatic reactions in the body. Broth is calcium-rich, and many folks (especially those of us who avoid dairy, which isn’t even the greatest source of calcium. Get calcium from your leafy greens!) are concerned with not getting enough calcium. Broth is also rich in magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, potassium sulfate, flouride, collagen, glucosamine, chondroiton, and other trace minerals.
Broth contains both collagen and gelatin, two super healing components. Collagen nourishes joints, tendons, ligaments, skin and bone, and it improves skin elasticity–drinking broth makes skin smooth and supple and may reduce cellulite! Collagen also contains arginine and glycine, two important amino acids. Arginine is said to improve metabolism, making it useful for weight loss, and glycine helps muscle recovery. Glycine may also improve digestion by increasing gastric acid secretion. Broth can be a useful tool for healing leaky gut syndrome (it also contains a bit of glutamine, which is an essential component the body uses for leaky gut repair). Read more about leaky gut here
Gelatin is quite a superfood as well. It improves skin and hair, nails, also improves joints, helps reduce cravings, making it useful for weight loss, and improves digestion and muscle tissue.
As you can see, broth is an incredible weight loss tool–the high mineral content can help combat sugar cravings. Try sipping it in the afternoons when the 3pm sugar cravings hit. Broth is also incredibly nourishing for the digestive tract, making it invaluable for reducing intestinal inflammation from foods like gluten, sugar, and dairy, and for leaky gut healing, as mentioned earlier. I often use it with my vegetarian clients who are just starting to re-explore the world of meat. They often have fatty acid or amino acid deficiencies, so broth works well for them.
So, how do you make it? Here is the easiest method, using a crock pot. The longer and lower you simmer your broth, the better, as more minerals will be extracted, and the flavor is richer.
Bone broth–crock pot method
1 lb bones of pastured animals (I use a variety of lamb, beef, and chicken bones. I’ll save them in a container in the freezer until I have about a pound or more. You can also save egg shells and use those.)
2 organic celery stalks
1 organic onion, chopped
6 cloves organic garlic
filtered water
Sprigs of thyme/rosemary/sage as desired
Add sea veggies for more trace minerals–kombu and kelp are great for this
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (important for the extraction of minerals)
Directions:
Put all ingredients in slow cooker, then pour enough filtered water to cover everything. Set to low and let it cook for 10 up to 24 hours. Strain broth and store in glass containers (preferably). In the fridge, you’ll notice a layer of fat form–don’t skim this. It seals the broth and keeps it fresh. Drink it between meals, a couple times daily, in the afternoons when sugar cravings hit, or in the evenings after dinner if you’re a night eater.
If you don’t want to use the crockpot, just put everything in a large dutch oven on the stove and let it simmer as long as possible. Same method. Read more about broth and digestive healing here
Mary Vance, Certified Nutrition Consultant
www.maryvancenc.com
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