The Benefits of Bone Broth for Health and Beauty

For over 3 years I have been a BIG fan of bone broth, and my closest friends and family members will tell you that I'm always recommending it to people and sharing my love of it. I'm excited to share the vast benefits of this ancient super food and my personal recipe. Why do I love it so much? Well first of all it's delicious and very soothing to eat and because of its amazing nutritional value.
Some of the various benefits is has include the ability it has to  help heal leaky gut, it aids in restoring healthy digestive function, supports joint and bone health,  helps to overcome food intolerance's and allergies, and helps make your hair, skin and nails look beautiful! This is due to the extensive micro and macro nutrients found in bone broth.

It has recently become more popular, and is a staple in the Paleo and Keto diets as the nutrients are super easy to absorb and have proven healing benefits.

What is Bone Broth?
Bone Broth is a food that has been made by people from around the world for centuries from the various parts of the animal such as the bones and marrow, ligaments, tendons, feet and neck. These parts of the animal are not usually eaten by most people, but when they are simmered over a period of a few days the nutritional value of the broth that is made is incredible! It is only in modern times that we have discarded these parts of the animal, but our ancestors did not waste any part of the animal whatsoever and knew that this food was healing to our bodies. This is why it has been passed down from generation to generation. So there is a very valid reason why our mom's and grandma's always recommended us to eat chicken soup when we were sick or feeling under the weather! Research has shown that it reduces inflammation in the respiratory system and boosts the immune system.

Broths can be made from beef, chicken, fish, lamb and other wild game.
Bone Broth or stock that is store bought is usually devoid of nutrients and I personally recommend making it yourself at home by using organic and free range sources, or purchasing bone broth from a health food store fresh or  frozen form vs the synthetic ones found in boxes. This ensures you will obtain the full benefits and nutrients from a slow cooked broth.

The Benefits and Nutrients of Bone Broth:
When bone broth is made from scratch at home, the simmering process releases the healing properties within the bones into the broth that is made. Bone broth contains collagen, antioxidants & minerals that have been thoroughly studied and shown to benefit our digestive, nervous and immune systems. So what are the specific healing properties this super food contains?
Here is a break down of the nutrition found in bone broth:

1. Amino Acids
Bone broth contains a bounty of amino acids. Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life. It is the gelatin in bone broths that contain amino acids such as proline, glutamine, arginine and glycine.

Proline has been found to help repair leaky gut and regenerate cartilage and joints. It can reduce the appearance of cellulite and premature aging.

Glutamine is the main nutrient used by small intestinal cells and helps to protect the gut lining. It improves the metabolism and aids in muscle building.
*I love to have a cup of this post work out!

Arginine is necessary for proper immune system function and the release of human growth hormone.  It also helps regenerate damaged liver cells by aiding detoxification.

Glycine is an amino acid that is beneficial to the nervous system because it's a neurotransmitter that can help memory fucntion and sleep. It optimizes digestion and bile production. Studies have found it to be a vital nutrient for healthy liver function and is a potent anti inflammatory. Consuming glycine helps your body produce glutathione which is an antioxidant.

2. Collagen & Gelatin
When the bones are cooked, the matrix called collagen is broken down and turns to gelatin, which is exactly what protects intestinal cells.
Gelatin decreases inflammation which helps to maintain healthy gut cells and lines and soothe the walls of the intestines and digestive tract. For people with leaky gut and food sensitivities such as to dairy and gluten, this is especially important as it improves tolerance. You are what you absorb- not what you eat. You want to ensure your gut lining is intact to optimize proper absorption of macro and micro nutrients obtained by diet and supplements. Bone broth can actually repair the lining of your gut if it has been compromised, which is essentially what leaky gut is. This can be caused by excess inflammation, poor diet, stress and medications. Consuming bone broth helps in the maintenance of a healthy gut flora which is vital in order to have a healthy nervous, digestive and immune system. Up to 70% of your immune system is in our gut so nourishing it is ESSENTIAL!

Collagen is the most abundant protein found in your body and important type of Amino Acid for the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails. Collagen is the most abundant protein in skin, making up 75-80% of the organ. This is why it's so important eat collagen to maintain the elasticity and health of your skin as after your 20's the production of collagen decreases rapidly. Consuming collagen can help slow down the signs of premature aging such as wrinkles and fine lines, improve the appearance of firmness and keep grey hair at bay a little longer. Nails are also strengthened and may grow faster! Since I have increased my consumption of collagen in my diet, I have noticed a major improvement in the health of my hair and nails. They both grow a lot faster and are much stronger than they were before. My hair has never been this long while being colour treated, as it would break easily but now is strengthened.

3. Minerals
Bones contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and silica. These minerals are all beneficial electrolytes and are necessary for a multitude of bodily functions and bone health. It's much easier for your body to absorb nutrients in this form because it doesn't require digestion, making it more bio available.

How To Make Bone Broth
1.The way that I make bone broth is very easy and simple because I use a crock pot. All I do is add all of the ingredients and cover with water. I then put the crock pot on the low heat setting, place the lid on and leave it on for up to 24 hrs. By doing it this way I don't have to stir it or check on it. As long as it's kept covered and on low heat it's good to go and I'm sure that I'll get the most nutrition out of the bones and veggies. Always make sure that you are using organic and pasture fed animal products that are free of hormones and antibiotics to ensure your broth is as healthy as it can be.

2. For beef and lamb broth you want to brown the meat bones first on a stove top to optimize the flavour. This isn't necessary for poultry.

3. Make sure you use a good combination of animal parts such as chicken feet and necks if making it poultry based. This is what I use the most when making my broths as they are inexpensive and produce a collagen rich broth.

4. When the broth has been cooled down you can remove the top layer of fat that can lay on the surface.

5. Use a strainer to strain the fluid into a container for storage and discard the remaining ingredients or keep the veggies to add to soups or purees.

6. When refrigerated it can be stored for up to 5 days and when frozen it can be kept up to 3 months.
It's a perfect ingredient to add to sauces for the added nutrients and flavour. Make into ice cubes and add to recipes that need water.

RECIPE:
*All ingredients are organic.

- 2-4 lbs. Beef, fish or chicken bones.(depending on size of crock pot decide accordingly)
- 2 medium to large onions.
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 3 long carrots cut in halves
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 tsp. of turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 2 tbs. of apple cider vinegar (the acidity helps to extract the nutrients)
- handful of parsley. Don't add this until the last 2 hours of simmering to prevent overcooking it.

TIP: Add some Organic Miso Paste to this to add flavour and add extra fermented foods to your diet.