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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Lesson Learned

     I have been suffering from a foot malady this summer and I had to share my "natural" healing experience with you.  I have what seems to be athlete's foot between two of my toes. I always get it in the summer time (when I always wear sandals). A few weeks ago it started getting very bad.  It was swollen, and felt like the infection had spread to my foot.  I had veins near my toes that were red and hot. So, I did a little research to find out what I could do to speed up the healing process.

     The first thing I read is that fresh air helps it heal. Strange that I only get it when I'm wearing sandals.  I wrote down the various ingredients that I had on hand to try and make it better.  I walked around an entire afternoon with a raw onion taped to my foot.  The only difference it made was that I walked in a way that injured my foot and it was sore and swollen the next day.  I have baptized the toe several times in tea tree oil, to no avail.  I walked another day for a few hours with a raw garlic clove stuck between the two toes.  I soaked it in Epsom salts, which only  made my dry cracked heels even drier and "crackier". I applied oregano oil, which only made me smell like a pizza and which also stung in the extreme for over an hour!  I drank lots of comfrey tea, ate tons of vitamin C, and even sprinkled natural pink salt in my shoes (which also burned very badly!!).  The apple cider vinegar really helped with the itching, but just made me feel like a pickle.  This infection was just not going away!
     All the while that I was "suffering", my husband kept telling me to try his favorite remedy: Vick's Vapor Rub.  Well, I would argue that petroleum jelly isn't "natural" and that the salve would keep the foot from getting the fresh air that it needed. I was also afraid that the Mentholatum in Vick's would make it burn like fire and I didn't want to put that on an open wound. Finally, two days ago, I broke down and very precariously put a tiny bit of Vick's on the toe and put a sock over it and went to bed.  I was surprised that it did not sting at all-- making me feel like it wasn't working. :)  However, the next morning, the swelling and redness were noticeably better.  I gingerly added even more the next night, and had even better results the next morning.  I am almost over this infection, that has lasted over a month, in just two nights.
    So, the conclusion?  Experience is the best doctor. I often go to a website called Well Tell Me that is a great resource of experience. People sharing their experience with a certain malady and telling how they dealt with it and what worked for them.  Now, every body is different, and will respond to different methods in different ways, but to know that someone else is out there going through the same thing and having ways to deal with it is very valuable information.  Yes, I did research foot infections through that site, and no, there were no mentions of Vick's vapor-rub!!  I may have to add that!