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!

FEATURED RECIPES BEEF AND BEAN BURRITOS Total Time: min  Effort: Easy View Recipe CAMPBELL'S® CHICKEN CHEESE STEAK SOUP Total Time: min  Effort: Easy View Recipe CREAMY CHICKEN PASTA Total Time: min  Effort: Medium View Recipe SERVING IDEAS • For more flavorful dishes, use Swanson broth instead of water, when simmering vegetables, rice, potatoes or pasta • When roasting, baste with Swanson broth for moist, tender, flavorful meats • Swanson broth also makes a great soup starter • Visit SwansonBroth.com More Campbell Soup Collections - Classics can be used as an ingredient in many flavorful dishes. See our selection of delicious recipies made with Campbell Soup Collections - Classics. Details PREPARATION Do not dilute. Pour contents into saucepan. Heat slowly until hot, stirring occasionally. STORAGE Shelf Life: 2 YEARS; USE BY DATE ON THE TOP OF EVERY CAN Storage Temperature:  HANDLING GUIDELINES PROMPTLY REFRIGERATE ANY UNUSED PORTION IN A SEPARATE CONTAINER. POINT-OF-SALE MATERIALS Campbell has a wide variety of merchanding and POS support options to suit your establishment requirements.  Customizable POS options are available via Print-on-Demand system. GETTING STARTED To find out more about our POS & Merchandising Support options, contact your Campbell's representative OR call (800) TRY-SOUP (879-7687) and ask about how your operation can benefit from our POS & Merchandising support. MERCHANDISING SUPPORT Campbell's is your trusted business partner and has the tools to help build a highly-profitable operation: from equipment, merchandising items to paper & reusable cups and lids.  Visit our Branded Solutions section for more info. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES - Branded Solutions Brochure (PDF) • Download - Current Promotions • Details FEATURES AND BENEFITS Swanson(R) broth is the perfect ingredient for all of your favorite recipes! Bring everyday cooking alive with mouthwatering flavor that's 99% fat-free.Swanson broth also means that you won't have to spend hours creating a mealfrom scratch. Just open a can and savor the rich, wholesome taste of Swanson broth. PACKAGING DETAILS Pack & Size:   12/ 49- 1/ 2 oz. Case Weight:   42.62 LB Cube:   0.918 FT Case Size:   17 IN x 12.875 IN x 7.25 IN (L x W x H) UPC:   0-51000-09772-9 SCC-14:   10-05100-00977-26

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Foods that heal: Avocado

     On my journey into new areas of health and healing,  I have found a new favorite food.  I had very seldom eaten avocado in the past.  Occasionally I would have some in a dip or guacamole, but I never considered it health food.  With my new diet that I have been on, I have been encouraged to eat avocado.  So, let's explore the benefits of this fine food!

     At one time, doctors discouraged the consumption of avocados due to their extremely high calorie content. An average avocado contains over 730 calories and packs a huge dose of fat, at 30 grams per serving.  What we are beginning to understand is that these kinds of calories and fat are good for you and your brain!  Remember, your brain is made up of fatty tissue and needs fat to keep it healthy.   Many health conscious  moms are now using avocado regularly in their infants diets because of the super healthy nutrition found in them.
     The fat content in avocados actually helps your body function in a more efficient way. Those who suffer from diabetes related illnesses often  tend to develop high levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat that may contribute to heart disease.  When you replace bad carbohydrates with good fats, especially those found in avocado, the dangerous fats in your bloodstream tend to decline. Also, the oleic acid found in this fruit  helps to control many of the symptoms of diabetes. In addition, the oleic acid can also help your body get rid of excess cholesterol!
     Avocados are high in potassium, which is great for helping those who suffer from high blood pressure. In fact, one serving of avocado contains about 15% more potassium than a banana!
     One of the tricks in dealing with avocados is determining when they are ripe. When you find them at the grocery store, choose ones that feel very firm, almost hard.  I bring them home and store them in the fridge.  I keep one on the counter until it feels soft underneath the tough, leathery skin.  Then I halve it, take out the pit and the skin peels off very easily. 
     Since I have been trying to include avocado in my diet, I have tried many different recipes to make it palatable, instead of just a chore to eat. I have made many recipes for guacamole and avocado dips, which were good, but who wants to eat dip all the time?  Well I happened upon a recipe for a healthy version of the shamrock shake--of all things!  And the main ingredient? Avocado, of course, to make it a beautiful shade of green, and fill it with all sorts of nutrition.  The added bonus: my kids love it!  I am so pleased to find a good way to use this amazing fruit.  Enjoy!

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Add to blender:
1 3/4 cups milk (I use non-pasteurized, fresh milk. You can also use almond, rice or coconut milk)
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 1/2 to 3 Tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
1 cup ice cubes (I used about 8 cubes)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract ( I used a few drops of peppermint oil)

Combine in blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Variations:  We tried it with orange oil instead of the peppermint.  The result tasted just like an orange dreamsicle (though green!).  I have also added berries or yogurt to make it more like a smoothie.
    

Butter is Better

     I read this today and had to share.  I avoid margarine as much as possible, mostly because I detest the flavor and texture.  I love using butter in all baking and it is perfect slathered on a warm piece of homemade bread.  Remember that balance is the key to healthy living. Yes, butter is fat, but it is good, God-made fat. Wouldn't you rather eat something that was present in the Garden of Eden and specifically made for consumption by mankind than to fill your body with oils and chemicals that taste terrible and have drastic effects on your health?  Read on:

     "Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.
It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings....

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..
Very High in Trans fatty acids.
Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny micro-organisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to butter them up')!"

     Yes, there are supposed "good" versions of margarine, but they are still fake versions of the real thing.  Remember, those of you that think that no-fat or low-fat is good, your brain is made of fat.  If your body does not consume enough fat, your brain will suffer.  Have you ever seen a fat alzheimers patient?  Brain scans of those who suffer from alzheimers show that the brain has literally disappeared or disintegrated.  Beware of what you eat.  Balance your life with a little bit of butter, your body and your brain (and your tastebuds) will thank you!

Foods that Heal: Apples

     In continuing our "Foods that Heal" series, I have been studying up on the benefits of apples.  My mom always said "Apples are the most portable nutrition", and they are.  They are wrapped up in the perfect convenient packaging, easily carried with you to eat and toss the core.  Let's look at some of the benefits of this super food.

     Of course, the old adage is "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", and it is so true, but what else does an apple a day keep away?

AN APPLE A DAY:
  
*keeps the orthodontist away-- I had the worst crooked teeth as a young girl.  I remember a huge gap between my two front teeth, due to the fact that one of them came in completely sideways.  I carried a lunch to school every day, faithfully packed by my mom every morning, and every single day there was an apple in there.  Mom always checked up on us each evening to make sure we ate all of our lunch.  I honestly believe that eating raw, hard to chew vegetables and fruits help align your teeth.  Sinking your teeth into that apple and pulling a bite off pulls those teeth and lines them up!

*keeps the Prilosec away-- We have an epidemic of giant proportions in our country. People are suffering from acid reflux, and are told by the doctor that their body is producing too much acid.  Actually, the opposite is true.  Your stomach has a "door" on the top of it.  It opens to let in food when you eat and is supposed to close.  Your stomach produces acid so that the food can be digested.  Fresh, raw fruits and vegetables aid in the digestion process, and your stomach knows this!  If it does not have enough raw enzymes to assist in digesting your food, the "door" stays open until you send some down.  If the "door" doesn't close, then the acid comes up in your throat and gives you that burning sensation.  Many who suffer with this problem would benefit greatly just by simply eating a whole apple about half an hour before eating a meal. (By the way, if you were to go to the drug companies websites and read about these types of medications, you would discover that, besides having harmful side effects, the companies state that this type of drug is not to be taken for more than 14 days.....hmmm, seems like everyone is on it permanently.)



Ad from a magazine.  Of course, a doctor will tell you otherwise!

  (This type of drug turns off some of the acid producers in the stomach, causing a worse problem where the food is not digested and therefore you receive no nutrients.)

*keeps the inhaler away-- Apples have been known to promote healthy lung function. It has been found that good lung function was associated with high intakes of vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, citrus fruits, apples, and fruit juices. However, those who studied these facts, after they took into consideration factors such as body mass, smoking history and exercise the only food that seemed to make a significant difference was apples. It was found that eating five or more apples a week was linked to a slightly better lung function. So, keep those lungs functioning correctly by including apples in your diet!

*keeps the fat away-- Okay, now I have your undivided attention!  The skin of raw apples contains pectin, which when eaten, forms a gel in your stomach.  This gel inhibits the absorption of fats and  also helps to suppress your appetite and make you feel full! Plus, when your stomach has the proper amount of digestive enzymes, the digestion process will be more efficient, eliminating bloating and belly aches.  My kids know that the cure for a tummy ache is some raw apple! Another benefit of having good digestive processes is that the problem of bad breath is also reduced!

*keeps the yellow teeth away-- Another area that we are constantly reminded of the advertising industry is that of having beautiful, white teeth.  Apples help keep your teeth white by helping your body begin the digestive process in your mouth.  Eating an apple helps your strengthen your saliva with the enzymes in the apple.  Strong saliva washes over your teeth and helps to dissolve the plaque that can turn your teeth yellow.

*keeps away the cataracts, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, etc.-- There are so many other benefits to eating apples.  Try one today, or better yet, one with each meal.  They are sweet, and delicious, so why not incorporate them in your everyday eating routine? Apples are also antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory, and they contain lots of fiber to keep things running smoothly.  We could all benefit from at least one apple a day!
    *By the way, it was not an apple on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Eve ate in the garden, causing her to sin!!  But perhaps, apples were what grew on the tree of life!!

Storing up for the future

     If you knew that there was a crisis on the horizon, what would you do?   Think back to 1999.  Did any of you stockpile food and water just in case there was a computer glitch in 2000?   If there were some way to know if there was going to be an economic meltdown in a year, would you do anything about it?   Most of us would start some kind of action plan to start storing up supplies and necessities just in case.  If our favorite snack or cosmetic item or shoe brand were going out of business, we would try our best to find all we could locate to have a stash for future use.  It makes me think of Joseph in Genesis.  He knew about the famine coming and gave a plan to store up so that there would be plenty in the hard times.
     I believe that our bodies do the same thing.  If we are not getting enough of something in our diet, then our body starts "storing" it in different ways and in different areas.  Here are some examples:

*Water: Do you retain water?  Ever had water on the knee?  Most obesity is a majority of water retention.  If overweight people started drinking their 2 liters of water a day, they would see a huge change in  just a short time because they would lose the water that their bodies had been storing up for so long.  I once knew a girl who had been told by her doctor that she was allergic to water.  She was very young, and rather obese as a result. I cannot imagine what that doctor had been thinking.  The human body is made up of over 70% water, how could one be allergic to it???

*Calcium: Have you ever had kidney stones or heel spurs?  The body stores up calcium in these ways.  A doctor will tell you that you have them because you are getting too much calcium.  I doubt that any person living today gets too much calcium.  And, on a side note, if you are taking calcium, TUMS is not a reliable source of calcium.  There are only certain types of calcium that your body will use, and it needs other nutrients in order to use it.  Eating rocks and bones is not a good way to get calcium!

*Fat: Okay, those of you who struggle with weight issues, don't take this to mean that if your body is storing fat, then you should go buy some Krispy Kremes or something.  However, it may mean that you are not getting the right kinds of fat.  Your body needs fat.  Your brain is made of fat.  (Another theory of mine: have you ever seen a fat Alzheimer's patient?  Me neither. Pictures of brain scans of Alzheimer's patients reveal a brain that looks like it had dissolved.) The right kinds of fats (olive oil, coconut oil, animal fats) will help you lose weight!  A great book to read on this subject is Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Mary Enig.

     Most doctors believe that if your body is storing something up, then that means that you are getting too much of that thing.  However, I believe the opposite is true.  You are just storing up for the future, because there is a limited supply of what you need.  Think it over!