I didn’t grow up on bone broth. In fact, I had never heard of it until I started following the Paleo and Primal blogs, and suddenly bone broth references were everywhere. I guess you could say I was raised on a simple diet of foods that were quick and easy to prepare since both my parents worked full time. My mom always made sure that we had a warm, home cooked meal on the table, but it was typically meat loaf, pasta or chicken, often accompanied by canned beans, rolls and a salad. While her intentions were always the best, my mom didn’t venture far from the staples as my brother was a super picky eater.

So here I am, well into my 30’s before I even knew what bone broth was, let alone how amazing it is for us.

Here’s a quick rundown of the many benefits of bone broth which I’ve learned from the many amazing health practitioners I now call friends:

Promotes healing: bone broths have been used in treating gastro-intestinal disorders, such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, leaky gut and diarrhea.

Digestive aid:  aids in the digestibility of grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and meats (especially helpful for those of us with weak digestive systems)

Mineral – rich:  contains highly absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and fluoride

Gelatin and Collagen: promotes bone and joint healing in addition to supporting digestion.

Protein:  adds easily digestible protein to your diet.

Amino acids: glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and lysine are formed, which is important to detoxification and amino acid production in the body.

Joint support: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid are produced in the broth and aid in muscle and joint support.

Immune system: promotes the uptake of vitamins and minerals and helps supports the immune system.

If you haven’t yet read about the many healing properties of bone broth, check out this post from Underground Wellness for a perfect review of why bone broth rocks. Sean from  Underground Wellness does one of the best jobs of breaking down why healing our gut is so important, and what has happened to so many of us due to the modern diet and lifestyle.

He writes, “To make a long story short, the intestinal lining is supposed to be permeable in order for nutrients to pass through. However, this lining can become too permeable due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress, long-term contraceptive use, as well as bacterial and fungal overgrowths. Just think of poking huge holes in your window screens at home. Yes, the good air will pass through, but the flies, gnats, and mosquitoes will too.

This is how leaky gut — or gut hyperpermeability — works. Undigested food particles can slip through the gut lining and pass directly into the bloodstream. No bueno! When this happens, the immune system freaks out and starts attacking the very foods you eat — we call these food sensitivities. Over time, this can turn into an autoimmune issue by which your immune system thinks your thyroid — or any other tissue, for that matter — looks like the piece of steak molecule it’s been fighting off for the past few years. In other words, your body starts to attack itself.”

I know first-hand what Sean means; I’ve been diagnosed with about a dozen food allergies, an auto-immune condition called Hashimotos (the one he mentions where our body attacks the thyroid) and recently finished a Candida cleanse to clear up the gut permeability that Sean describes above. I’ve written several posts about my journey with Candida, Hashimotos,  and dozens of posts and pages about food sensitivities in case you want to explore them. In fact, these conditions are much of why I started this site; in hopes that I can help you all to figure out why you’re sick, and to feel better too.

As Sean with UW states,  according to Dr. Thomas O’Bryan, autoimmunity will soon be the number one cause of death in this country, and gut hyperpermeability is a big reason why. Scary news, folks!

So, on that note, let’s get back to the incredible healing powers of bone broth. I make our broth from the bones and veggie scraps from our meals. In fact, I never throw them away anymore, and always have bone broth in the fridge and freezer.  It’s super easy to make if you just follow these simple instructions:

  • Throw all bones and veggie scraps in a large pot and fill to the top with water
  • Simmer for 24 hours (some people say up to 48 hours is ok too), making sure to keep the pot covered and fill extra water as needed
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Turn off heat and strain the broth from the pot
  • Let cool and store in glass containers in the fridge, keeping the extra in the freezer*

* Note that bone broth will store in the freezer for several months

I use bone broth as a base for anything that calls for water, meaning I don’t boil it to prepare something, but rather, I add it to something like rice, beans, or a recipe that calls for stock.

So now that you have your bone broth, you can make this recipe, which is one of my favorite soups! I use whatever type of bone broth I have on hand, and my favorite way to enjoy this is to turn on the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a yummy soup at the end of the day. Soup warms my belly and soul, and the bone broth base is life changing for me. I promise you will feel like a million bucks after sipping this broth based soup!

 

Bone Broth Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Bone Broth Soup

This soup is versatile, and you should make it to suit your individual preference. In other words, if you like it loaded with veggies, you might want to cut back on the broth amount or increase the veggies. In this picture, you can see some rice noodles which I added for our son's benefit.

Have fun with this - there's no wrong way to make it!

Ingredients

  • Approx 12 cups bone broth
  • 2 lb bag whole, unsliced carrots
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 2 squash
  • Bunch of boy choy
  • cilantro & lime to taste

Instructions

  1. Pour bone broth into slow cooker or large pot.
  2. Peel and cut carrots into 1 inch pieces.
  3. Chop onion in thick slices, about 2 inches thick (across).
  4. Cut squash and zucchinis into thick slices, about 2 inches thick (across).
  5. Add veggies to the stock and turn pot on to low heat, being sure to leave bok choy out.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Let simmer for up to 2 hours on low heat.
  8. Add bok choy about 5 minutes before you plan to serve the soup.
  9. Pour soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
  10. Enjoy!
  11. Note - you can add cooked rice noodles and cooked chicken right before serving to make a delicious noodle soup!

Notes

I like to add asparagus too, though you need to add them into the pot about 15 minutes before you plan to serve it so the asparagus doesn't get too soggy.

http://inspiredeats.net/bone-broth-soup/

Broths are used in many recipes we feature, and while I’m familiar with making a traditional broth from veggies, I’ve never tackled a bone broth.  But it’s been on my mind a lot lately; I know of the many health benefits, and I noticed recently that the local Central Market here in Austin is selling bone parts to use in broths. And though I know how healthy it is, I have to admit, I was a bit turned off by the idea of tackling it from the bone angle. I guess I’m one of those meat eaters who would rather not think about where the meat came from.

Yet, when I heard  Bobby Flay teaching Savannah Guthrie  how to make a homemade bone broth on the Today Show, I figured it’s time to get it done already. Hey, if Savannah, who openly jokes about only cooking things which come in a container that needs to be opened can do it, then I can certainly handle it!

Here are a few reasons to add bone broth to your diet.

Bone broth…

Is Mineral Rich. Fortifies the immune system. Enhances digestion. Nourishes all body parts related to collagen (joints, tendons, ligaments, skin, mucus membranes, and bone).

Chinese medicine practitioners use bone broth to strengthen the kidney, support digestive systems and build blood. Bone broth feeds the body with collagen, which is the building block of cells to bones, ligaments, cartilage and the brain.  Bone broth is excellent for people with food sensitivities and gastrointestinal disorders because it’s  safe and tolerable for the body, and packs a powerful nutrient punch.

Simply put, bone broth is homemade stock made from animal bones. You can use whole turkey, chicken or fish carcasses or parts of lamb, pig, venison – or any other animal of your choosing. The point is to simmer the bones (typically from one animal) in water for hours or days. The longer you cook it, the more nutritious it gets.

So what kind of bone should you use?

Any kind will do, just make sure that all bones are sourced from animals that are organic and grass-fed or pastured and free-range. Remember, everything that the animal ate, how it lived, and where it lived all factor into the health benefits of your broth. 

You can purchase bones ready to cook, or you can collect bones from meals and store them in your freezer until you have enough to build a good stock. Remember to only use bones from animals that are grass-fed or free-range. Also, make sure the bones, especially large bones, are cut into small pieces. This reduces cooking time and allows more material to become a part of the broth.

How to: Cook Bone Broth

 

Cooking Suggestions

1. Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water.

2. Add two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or wine to water prior to cooking. This helps to pull out important nutrients from the bones.

3. Fill stock pot with filtered water.  Leave plenty of room for water to boil.

4. Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least 6 hours. Remove scum as it arises.

5. Cook long and slow. Chicken bones can cook for 6-48 hours, and beef bones can cook for 12-72 hours. A long and slow cook time is necessary in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around bone.

After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top which protects the broth beneath. Discard this layer only when you are about to eat the broth.

Here’s Bobby Flay’s version.

You can check out Bobby Flay’s recipe from the Today Show and the video where he tries to teach Savannah how to make a basic bone broth, though they never quite get to that point in the segment. It’s still a cute video to watch for those of us who are equally as challenged in the kitchen as Savannah.

Enjoy your broth with any number of recipes that we feature on this site, or sip it on it’s own. The benefits of bone broth are many and varied!

 

Bobby Flay's Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • 3 lb chicken
  • 3 lbs chicken bones (carcasses)
  • 1 large Spanish onion (with skin left on), halved
  • 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 2 large stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Small bunch italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Use enough cold water to cover chicken by 2-inches in a large stock pot.
  2. Combine all, bring to a boil, reduce to a low and simmer for 3 hours, skimming the surface occasionally.
  3. Strain though a chinois lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl.
  4. Let cool to room temperature — cover and refrigerate.
  5. When chilled, fat rises to top — remove this fat layer. Or, buy a grease separator and skip that step.
  6. Put the stock into a large saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce slightly to intensify the flavor.

Notes

Tips: Discard all solids. Do NOT allow the stock to boil, only simmer or it will become cloudy. Never salt a stock — it is a base for other recipes — add salt when you use it in other recipes Skim the scum that rises from the chicken with a small ladle every 30 minutes or so to keep the stock as clear as possible. Using a combination of bones and whole chicken will give a rich flavor and great body. The meat will add flavor and the bones will add gelatin to give the stock body.

http://inspiredeats.net/how-to-make-your-own-bone-broth/

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