Hello lovelies, as you read this, I hope you are well and successfully braving the winter months, managing to keep those winter chills at bay. However, if you are one of the unlucky ones that has succumbed to the dreaded flu, then you will be delighted to hear that help is on its way. As a holistic health coach it is my passion to share formulas that have worked for me and aided me along my path to healing. One of the key players in restoring my health and boosting my immunity has been bone broth, it’s has been a life saver for me and something that I frequently turn to to support my body in times of stress.

Bone broth can sound a bit icky, but it has in fact been around for generations. We all remember our childhood days of being sick and our grandmothers serving up warming and hearty chicken soup. That was always her go to remedy for helping our body recover. That delicious nutrient broth was a go to remedy in many households when a quick influx of goodness into our body was needed. Sadly it is a tradition that has been forgotten over the years in favour of pharmaceutical drugs that have little affect in actually healing our ailments.

So why drink bone broth?

Bone broth is making a reappearance into our diet all thanks to Weston A Price and the Paleo diet. However, bone broth was actually used long before this by our ancestors and involved using every part of the animal that you can’t eat directly; from the bones to the feet, neck, tendons and ligaments, nothing went to waste. The animal parts can be boiled down and gently simmered over a few days to release healing compounds such as collagen, glycine and glutamine that have tremendous healing affects on the body. They contain essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and silicon which can easily be absorbed into the body. The bones and connective tissues also contain amino acids chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine which are known inflammatory reducers and are wonderful at easing conditions such as arthritis and endometriosis. It’s been discovered that bone broth is also an amazing tool for healing leaky gut syndrome and for speeding up recovery time if you are suffering with a cold or the flu. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, it’s also loaded with anti ageing collagen which is stored in the tendons and provides the perfect aid for youthful glowing skin and is more affective than most anti ageing skin care products on the market.

The wonderful thing about the broth is that it contains many nutrients that are so easily absorbed that our bodies have to do little work at digesting it, which is a win win if you are chronically sick or have sluggish digestion. it is also a perfect transition food if you are coming off a vegetarian diet and wish to integrate more animal proteins. 

A truly remarkable healing broth that contains so many wonderful properties, which include:

  • Boosts immune system
  • Treats leaky gut syndrome
  • Improves joint health
  • Anti ageing
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Aids digestion

The broth itself is super easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for up to five days. I like to divide mine into smaller class containers and freeze for convenience for days when I am feeling under the weather or want to create a delicious stock using the broth.

I recommend making broth from the bones of organic grass fed, or pasture raised animals. These animals are far healthier, having led a natural life with access to the outdoors and are free from toxic growth hormones. These factors are going to guarantee a healthier, happier animal which in turn means a more nutrient rich bone. I would recommend using organic vegetables as they contain a lower amount of pesticides and are naturally more nutrient dense than commercially farmed produce.

You will need:

3-4 lbs of beef marrow or lamb bones, plus 1lb of meaty bones

or

2 good sized chicken carcasses (feel free to add in feet and necks too)

1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar

5 litres of clean filtered water

3 celery stalks

4 carrots

2 onions

1 teaspoon natural salt

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

1 garlic bulb

3 bay leaves.

Method

While the recipe requires a lengthly cooking process (24-72 hrs), the preparation time is very short. This magical elixir will take you minutes to prepare and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Step 1  Add the bones or carcasses into a large slow cooker or saucepan, add the water and apple cider vinegar and leave to sit for 30 mins. This will allow the vinegar to begin extracting the minerals from bones.

Step 2  Add the vegetables, salt and pepper, bay leaves and bring to a boil, skimming any scum that may gather on the top.

Step 3  Reduce to a simmer and cover, leaving for 36-72 hours (turn off overnight if you aren’t comfortable leaving it on turn back on and simmer all day). Topping the water levels up if they begin to drop.

Step 4  During the last 30 mins of cooking, add the remaining herbs for extra flavour.

Step 5  Let the broth cool and then strain, making sure all of the marrow is taken out of the marrow bones and into the broth.

Step 6  Add sea salt to taste and drink the broth as is or store in fridge up to 5 to 7 days or freezer up to 6 months for use in soups or stews.

Enjoy

Until next time

Alison