Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Foods that Heal: Bone Broth

     Ahh, that steamy bowl full of good health.  I have been reading lately about the benefits of real broth and the ways that it can improve the function of  the body.  Hardly anyone makes real broth any more. We have been tricked into thinking that the bones and fat are not good for you, and that  convenience foods are healthy.  Years ago, when an animal was butchered for meat, people would use every single part of the animal's body.  Not a single part was wasted.  I was recently reading "Little House on the Prairie" to my children. We read a chapter about the entire Ingalls  family coming down with what was known as "fever -n- ague", now believed to be a mosquito borne illness.  Laura remembers waking up while sick to see a neighbor lady tending the family, and the only thing they ate was broth.  Now, this wasn't the canned stuff that is sold at the store.  This was real, honest to goodness, bone broth.  In this book, the family's main fare consisted of prairie chicken and rabbit, so it was most likely made from one of those.  They roasted the animal, ate the meat, used the feathers or fur, and made broth from the bones and feet.   The family recovered from the illness, and I'm sure, the broth contributed to their health!
     Knowing the difference between the canned version of broth and the real McCoy is very important.  If you were to pick up a can of "broth" at the store you would find ingredients like mono sodium glutamate and chemicals that are added that are more harmful than good. They also remove the most important ingredient: fat.  Most broths on the shelf tout "Fat Free" on the label, but we have discussed before the importance of good fat in your diet!  You need a balance of good things to keep you healthy, and real bone broth contains these important ingredients.
     Real bone broth is very easy to make and very inexpensive, almost free!  Some of the most healthful recipes use only the scraps of things that you would normally throw away after a meal.  For instance, after serving your family a roasted chicken or roast beef, save the fat, bones and leftovers, throw them into your crock pot, cover with water and a splash of vinegar and leave on low for several hours or up to 2-3 days.  You may have to add more water in the process, but the result will be a mineral rich broth that you can use by itself or add to soups and other recipes. As you make it more and more, you may find other vegetable scraps that may add flavors that you like.  Eating some of this nutritious liquid every day can fend off many illnesses and heal many problems.
     Let's explore some of the benefits and ailments that can be healed by consuming bone broth on a regular basis:


- bone broth contains gelatin, a colloidal substance that attracts digestive juices to itself and prevents gastrointestinal bugs from attaching themselves to the intestine and causing damage.  If you make bone broth, you will notice that, when refrigerated, it solidifies and turns to a gelatin-like substance.




 -bone broth contains minerals such as calcium, silicon, sulphur, magnesium and trace minerals that are in a form that is easily assimilated into your system.  During the cooking process, the vinegar helps to draw out the minerals from the bones, and these minerals are essential to proper human nutrition

-gelatin can also detoxify the blood.  Bone marrow is where the blood cells are produced, and drawing out the nutrient rich marrow can help increase red blood cell and hemoglobin counts and help to increase the absorption of calcium

-broth also contains Chondroitin Sulfate, which is used as a supplement for joint pain. It lines the blood vessels and plays a role in lowering cholesterol and heart attacks

-bone broth also keeps you looking young.  It contains a key ingredient for healthy skin.  This ingredient is the backbone for helping your body produce collagen and therefore improves the smoothness of skin.  Why pay mega bucks for collagen in a cream, when you can make your own for almost nothing?


   There are so many other benefits of bone broth, there is no doubt in my mind that it is one food item that should be consumed in some way every day, whether alone in a mug first thing in the morning, or as the basis for a  delicious soup in a meal. I made my batch this week and am going to keep it up to improve the health of our family.
     The best recipes for bone broth include vinegar (apple cider), because it helps to draw the nutrition from the bones.  I have found it difficult to break the bones before adding them to the crock pot.  I have read that you can use the same bones over and over again until they dissolve completely!  It may help to ask at your local butcher shop for some soup bones.  They would be very inexpensive and already cut up to expose the nutrient rich marrow. I have also read that chicken feet are a very healthy part to use to make bone broth.  Interesting. 
     I have not included any recipes for bone broth in this post.  You can google the topic and find many different and delicious recipes or just experiment with your own. All in all, bone broth can benefit anyone and bring healing to many ailment. Try it for a time and see, you may be amazed at how simply and inexpensively you can heal!


 


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