Bone broth is an ancient food remedy that has been around for thousands of years. I'm sure you remember your grandma telling you to eat chicken soup if you were coming down with a cold or feeling sick, right? Well, most soup nowadays is full of processed noodles and antibiotic filled meat that will probably end up doing more harm than good. But, the idea that soup heals you has its roots in truth.
Bone broth is normally made from cooking quality animal bones like chicken, turkey or cow for more than 24 hours in hot water. It's normally done in a slow cooker with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and some other spices. I've added my personal recipe down at the bottom for you all to try. The nutrition here comes from the bones breaking down over the prolonged cooking period. Animal bones are extremely nutrient dense but it's hard for us to access those nutrients because, lets face it, eating an entire chicken bone is kind of difficult. So, what brothing does, is it breaks down those bones so that the nutrients seep into the water for us to ingest.
I recommend that everyone add bone broth into their life, especially during the winter months, and here's why ::
1. It heals a leaky gut :: The gelatin in bone broth helps repair your intestinal lining which makes it easier to digest your food and absorb nutrients. This leads to less bloating and better weight management because you are getting all of the nutrients from your food.
2. It give you amazing hair, skin and nails :: The collagen in bone broth helps promote new hair growth, stronger nails and glowing skin. It's even been shown to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles!
3. It aids in weight loss :: Bone broth is packed full of nutrients that your body is craving. When you give your body the nutrients that it's starving for, your cravings are seriously reduced. Drink some bone broth mid-day to help stave off late afternoon snacking or sip on some before bed so that you aren't tempted by treats at night.
4. It's a de-stresser :: Bone broth is rich in glycine and magnesium which has been shown to help reduce anxiety. When you reduce your anxiety, your cortisol levels also drop which helps you feel calmer and also lose weight.
5. It's great for fighting infections :: According to a study done by the NIH, the anti-inflammatory nutrients in bone broth have been shown to decrease inflammation from upper respiratory tract infections and then also decrease white blood cell counts. Both of these will help you feel better faster.
6. It can help you sleep :: Since the glycin and magnesium from bone broth is so relaxing, it's also a wonderful sleep aid. Drink some before bed to help you get a restful night sleep.
Bone Broth Recipe ::
One whole organic chicken (if you buy it with the meat on then pull the meat off at hour 8 which I explain below. If you buy just the bones then there's nothing to pull off and you can cook it straight through)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
Salt
1-2 TBSP turmeric (optional)
Instructions ::
Add all ingredients to a crock pot and cover chicken with water.
Add apple cider vinegar, a dash of salt and turmeric if you'd like.
Cook for 8 hours on high or until meat is cooked all the way through.
Pull as much of the meat off of the bones as you can and store in a separate container. This meat is perfect to add to salads or as a snack. If you just buy the bones then there is no need for this step. Just keep cooking the bones.
Continue to cook chicken bones on high in slow cooker. Broth will be ready after about 12 total hours but you can keep this cooking for 4-5 days, as long as the slow cooker is always on. The longer you cook the bones the more they will break down and make the nutrients readily available to you in the broth.
I'll just scoop my broth straight out of the slow cooker and into a mug to drink. You can also use the broth as the base for a soup or to cook your quinoa or rice.
I almost always have a bone broth going in my slow cooker. It's something that I try to start on a Sunday and then just keep it cooking through Wednesday or Thursday.
** You can buy chicken, turkey or beef bones at your local grocer and then cook those to make a broth. I suggest that if you are making a beef broth you start with just the bones, no meat.
Sources :: Mind, Body, Green by Dr. Petrucci, Benefits of Bone Broth by Dr. Amy Myers, National Institutes of Health Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro.