GUT GOODNESS BONE BROTH
When I was first introduced to bone broth from the point of view of drinking it, I thought it was a strange concept. I was aware that people added broth to soups and other cuisines but I didn’t know it was used as something to just drink like a casual cup of tea. I sure as hell didn’t know that the benefits of drinking such an effortless concoction could offer an ample amount of health benefits. I was intrigued, wanting to know the background to this so called ‘precious bone broth’ and what it could offer to human health.
Overall bone broth seems rather simplistic and boring. Chicken or Beef bones, vegetables, water, apple cider vinegar all chucked into a big pot and cooked anywhere between 4-12 hours. Isn’t it strange that something so simple and economical to make can offer us such a vast amount of health benefits? Bone broth has made a comeback in recent years yet it’s an incredibly old tradition that our hunter gatherer ancestors were doing before the beginning of time! It was a fundamental part of their diets, and quickly discovered that heat broke down the animal bones and extracted necessary nutrients for human health. As time progressed other discoveries were made that bone broth was brilliant for immunity and the big one - digestive health.
Without going into too much detail and having you fall asleep on me I wanted to give you few key reasons to why bone broth truly deserves its name of being a gut healing goddess and how it could possibly help you like it’s helped me! In a nut shell bone broth supports immunity and has a massive positive impact on our digestive system. This is because it contains healing compounds like collagen which is the main structural protein found within the human body that helps heal your gut lining and reduce intestinal inflammation. Bone broth is also a rich source of gelatin which supports the absorption of nutrients because it seals the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. It also promotes probiotic balance and growth! If you have any signs of leaky gut, digestive trouble, food sensitivities then I would recommend giving bone broth a crack and seeing if it offers you any relief! Not only does bone broth offer benefits to the gut but it supports immunity, healthy glowing skin, more energy, better sleep and its ultra-cheap to make so you have nothing to lose!
HOW TO MAKE BONE BROTH First of all it’s important to purchase chicken or beef bones that are organic, free from antibiotics and hormones to make sure you are putting only goodness into your body! 2kg of organic beef of chicken bones 1 organic onion roughly chopped 1 bulb of organic garlic peeled and roughly chopped 2 TBSPs of organic apple cider vinegar (braggs recommended) 2 organic carrots roughly chopped A handful of organic parsley Any vegetable cuttings you wish to throw in – organic leeks, celery, cauliflower, kale, absolutely anything as it is only going to add nutrients to your brew! I also always add a good amount of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped. Along with fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped making sure some a teaspoon of black peppercorns is added for helping the turmeric absorb. The reason I do this is because turmeric and ginger offer human health a kick of anti-inflammatory goodness!
1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees
2. Place your bones into an oven tray with a little olive oil and roast until golden.
3. If you prefer to miss the first two steps you can start from step four.
4. Add the bones to a large pot or slow cooker. Fill the pot with enough water so it covers the bones.
5. Add the apple cider vinegar – this helps you extract more nutrients from the bones
6. Twenty minutes later add the rest of your ingredients – (I use a slow cook so I can still leave the house)
7. If using a slow cook then I suggest you cook overnight on low. Cooking for as long as possible releases the maximum amount of nutrients from the bones which is going to be the goodness for your gut!
8. When draining the mixture squeeze out any extra liquid and dispose of the vegetables of bones. Strain through a sieve.
9. I pour mine into a big glass bowl and put in the fridge to drink throughout the week!
I hope you have found this of some value and it offers your gut some relief like it has mine! Even if you don’t have gut issues, drinking a nice warm cup of bone broth is a great preventable measure and some extra support for your digestive health!
Yours in good gut health, Bec xx
