Two weeks ago I wrote about things we can do when we get sick. One of those things was making homemade bone broth. It occurred to me that I actually make this all of the time, not just when we are sick. I'd like to encourage you to do the same.
Before Modern Medicine
Once upon a time we trusted what our Heavenly Father, Holy Creator of the Universe, Yahweh, put on the earth. He truly provided for all of our needs, including medicine. Plants and animals were put here for us to use for our good. We used them, allowed our bodies to rest, and infections to run their course.
Today our concept of health and wellness is quite different. There is a magic pill for everything, full of things that we don't even know what they are, and we are expected to just take them. Meanwhile the side effects and consequences for taking these magic pills is a higher price than we ever could've imagined.
Make Bone Broth All of the Time
We have so many enivronmental toxins that attack our bodies, and utilizing tried and true safe methods for to preserve our natural immunity is the safest, smartest way to go. Making old fashioned bone broth is awesome prevention against breaking down during cold and flu season. Don't just make broth when you are sick. While it is extremely cleansing, and a wonderful, easy to digest, mineral rich food during illness, when we take advantage of using bone broth year round, that's what builds the way to great health. Instead of waiting until something is broken to fix it, let have a mindset of prevention.
Reasons to Make Bone Broth
- Helps with Leaky Gut Syndrome
- Brings minerals to bones and joints like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur
- Strengthens our immune system
- Gives you beautiful skin and hair
Most of the United States inhabitants are mineral deficient. Unless you are eating an abundance of organic plant foods, clean meats on a regular basis, lots of healthy fats, then the chances are that you are lacking minerals in your body. Many disorders and illnesses are usually caused by simply not giving the body the tools it needs to run properly, vitamins, minerals, good bacteria, and enzymes. When a mineral deficiency is present, you may not notice right away until signs start to become severe or constant. At this point a break down has started to occur, which could've been prevented with proper daily diet.
Magic of Gelatin
The medicinal properties found in real bone broth cannot be found in vegetable stock or store bought chicken and beef varieties. In most cases the kind on the shelves in boxes and cans are made from synthetic chemicals and lots of monosodium-glutamate. If you purchase the organic kind, you're mostly getting a ton of sodium and water. Honestly, if you aren't going to make your own bone broth, don't bother using any.
It is only in homemade bone broth that an abundance of minerals and collagen can be found. Collagen is the lubricant in our joints and bones that lessens with age. Collagen also provides elasticity in our skin (lessens wrinkles and cellulite), and moisture in our hair. This diminishes with our age. Collagen ONLY comes from bones, so this is why veggie broth is not the same. Gelatin comes from the collagen in the bones that is extracted by adding vinegar to the broth to help it be released. So do NOT skip adding the vinegar. Gelatin is the usable food form of collagen after the collagen has been broken down.
According to Dr. Natasha T. Campbell, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and creator of the GAPS Diet, she says due to the gelatin, that bone broth heals and seals your gut. So if you have a digestive disease or disorder, like Leaky Gut, drinking bone broth daily is a must. Gelatin is not a complete protein, however with the amino acids that it contains, they make it extremely healing.
How to Make Bone Broth
The first time I made bone broth I learned from reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Here is my adapted version:
1 Organic, pastured raised chicken
3 Organic Celery Ribs, sliced in threes
3 Organic Carrots, real carrots you cannot cheat with the baby ones, don't peel, cut/chop
1 Whole Onion, cut into quarters
2 Tbsp Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Bunch Organic Parsley, loosely chopped
2-3 Inches of Turmeric Root, if you have it
This is really simple! I soak my chicken in salt water first to clean it a bit. Next I just put everything into a large stainless
steel stock pot, chicken is whole, and veggies as stated above. If the chicken still has the little gibblet pouch inside, yes, I know if you are new to this you are gonna say ewwww, gross, but trust me, don't ditch it. Take out the pouch, remove everything from it, then put the gibblets into the stock pot with everything else. There's a lot of medicine in that pouch.
Then I fill
the pot with filtered water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low for 6-8 hours. FYI: yes, cooking time is really important. Don't skimp on the time. It takes this long for the collagen to be released and then break down. Some resources will tell you 12 hours, and others even 24. Well, I only have one day a week that I'm home this long while I'm awake and I'm busy. I really don't like leaving pots on the stove while I'm asleep. People do use their crock pots. Then my concern would be lead unless you have a lead free crock pot like the Vitaclay. You also won't be able to put as much liquid into a crock pot, so your amount of broth would be limited.
After that I turn off the fire and let it cool. Then I put my
stainless steel mesh strainer over my very large glass measuring bowl.
It has a spout so it makes for easy pouring. I go through it rather
quickly because I use it for all different cooking purposes. I store it
in mason jars. You can freeze it in the mason jars if need be. Then discard the veggies
and use the chicken meat throughout the week.
Ways to Use Your Homemade Bone Broth
As already mentioned, this should be a year long practice, not just for soup when it's cold outside. Now, I loooooove soup, but don't limit yourself. Here are some ideas.
- Okay obviously, soup :)
- Cooking rice
- Cooking quinoa
- Cooking beans
- Add some to a pot to reheat chicken or veggies on the stove to add some extra minerals, prevent drying out, and add flavor
- Add to sauces where water is called for
- Make baby formula with it, yes, that's what I said, babies need nutrients too (I mix the powdered formula with 1/2 the amount required of water plus the same amount of ounces of broth in my niece's bottle when I watch her to help boost her immunity. So if she drinks a 4 oz bottle, then I use 2oz of broth and 2oz of water.)
- Warm it and drink it when you don't feel like eating to get some nutrition
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