Have you ever heard of Bone Broth? Some of us in the nutrition world like to refer to this as ‘Liquid Gold’ because it provides some of the most nourishing properties that you could put into your body that aids in inflammation, gut healing, food sensitivities and more. Recently bone broth has become more commonly talked about, and some have wondered if this is just another fad but because of how healing it is for our gut and over all health, we are going to go into detail about why this is something everyone should be adding into their daily meal plan.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made from animal bones and connective tissue, typically from cattle, chicken, or fish. These bones have been boiled into a broth and slow simmered from 12 to more than 24 hours with herbs, vegetables, and spices. Bone Broth has been around since the beginning of time and was a way to utilize every part of an animal, such as hooves, bones, and knuckles, without wasting any precious nutrients.
What is all the hype about?
What people don’t realize about seeping bones to make broth is that with the roasting and simmering process, we are extracting every nutrient out of those bones and into the broth. Its extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, provides a high amount of collagen, anti-inflammatory amino acids and other healing compounds that are only found in bones and other connective tissues. Since our diets are lacking all of these things, this ‘Liquid Gold’ is highly sought after in order to help people with a variety of health issues. This combination of things is crucial for people who struggle with autoimmune problems or inflammatory diseases, but also helps with skin, hair and cellulite . It has been known that bone broth can help heal our intestinal lining from leaky gut and inflammation, while the glycerine in the broth has detoxifying properties and improves brain function.
So whats the difference between broth and stock?
There is actually a huge difference… as stock is simmered for a shorter period of time, which reduces the amount of gelatin being released from the bones. Stock is still good for you (especially when used with cooking), but in order to really gain all the health benefits from the bones, the cooking time needs to be long enough to draw out all nutrients.
Making homemade broth versus buying in the store
We all live busy lives and often will look for the fastest and more convenient source of products. While buying bone broth in the store can be a good alternative for a quick replacement or last minute addition, taking the time to make your own is going to give you the best benefits, and will be most cost effective. Not only is buying bone broth really expensive (if you want a higher quality product) but it also isn’t as nutritionally valued. Store bought bone broth can have many hidden additives/ingredients which is higher cost per ounce. Making your own is a great way to eliminate food waste, and can be made more convenient if you put your ingredients in a slow cooker and let simmer for a day. If you do end up purchasing bone broth from a store, just make sure you look at the ingredients list for any unwanted additives.
Try out this recipe and let. us know what you think:
Ingredients
-1 onion, quartered
-3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
-2 carrots, chopped
-Garlic cloves
-Bones (beef, chicken, fish)
-2 Bay leaves
-2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
-Salt & Pepper to taste
Method
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spread beef bones out on prepared baking sheet. (You can also use leftover bones from roasted chicken/rotisserie as well)
-Roast bones in the preheated oven until browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
-Place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves in a slow cooker. Place roasted bones over vegetables; pour in enough cold water to cover bones. Add apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
-Cook on Low for 12-24 hours.
-Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and discard any strained solids.
-Put into container and store in fridge/freezer. Last for 3 days in the fridge
Try adding this broth into your daily meal plan. This is great to sip on in the morning for something warm, or wonderful for a mineral boost after working out. If you are suffering from the things we discussed above, this is a great addition to your diet that could help drastically change your gut health and inflammation!