As I mentioned before, this could not be an official blog about Tummies without a recipe for Bone Broth!
What’s the first thing your mom and your grandma did when you got sick? Make a big pot of Chicken soup! Well, there is a reason behind that.
Bone broth is truly a miracle tonic that has been brewing in pots for hundreds of years. Traditional people, even without modern science and fancy labs have known the undeniable healing powers and nutrient boosting effects of bone broth. Dr. Price witnessed traditional people in his travels around the world making bone broth. In fact some cultures even added rocks to the pot to “up the ante” on the mineral content.
What’s in Bones?
***Amino acids! Remember that amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and have numerous roles in the body.***
- Collagen
- Proline
- Glycine
- Glutamine
- Arginine
Collagen:
Collagen is protective and soothing to the intestinal lining and can assist in the healing process for those with Not-So-Happy Tummies. Like those suffering from leaky gut, Inflammatory bowel disease and IBS. Which also means it can indirectly help with Allergies by patching up that gut!
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It holds everything together. Including your skin, muscles, bone, tendons, organs and YES! Your Tummy! I’m pretty sure that the“fountain of youth” is spewing this stuff!
Gelatin is a hydrolyzed form of collagen and is what makes your bone broth “wigley” or gelatinous after it has chilled out in the fridge. It is used for weight loss, bone health and joint health including arthritis. Gelatin is sold as a supplement and the good quality, grass fed stuff is crazy expensive! So don’t trash those bones especially after you have already invested in the good quality meat that they came attached too!
Proline is for Pretty!
Proline is a non-essential (and technically non-amino acid) that can be made in the body as long as the ingredients are available from the diet. Proline along with Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production and is therefore important to Tummy Health and “Pretty” skin, hair and nails. It is plentiful in animal products which is another reason why vegetarians and vegans should be conscience of their amino acid status because they have a higher risk of becoming deficient.
Glutamine is for Gut:
Glutamine is food for the cells that make up your gut lining. It is also a precursor to GABA with is an important neurotransmitter for good mental health. Glutamine is made in the body but can be depleted in times of stress. If you have Tummy issues, especially a chronic inflammatory situation, it is pretty safe to assume you are using more than your normal amount of glutamine and should think about replenishing your body by adding some glutamine rich foods or supplements into your diet.
Glycine:
Glycine is a precursor to glutathione which is your body’s master antioxidant and plays a leading role in liver detoxification. Glycine is also a neurotransmitter that assists with sensory processing and has been used to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia. Additionally, glycine plays an important role in modulating inflammation so if you have a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder, you want to make sure you are getting enough glycine. The body can make glycine but it is in high demand so getting more in the diet will assist your body’s healing process and protect you from depletion.
Arginine (Listen Up Fellas):
Studies have shown that arginine acts as an inflammatory regulator in the gut. Arginine is necessary for Nitric Oxide production thus supportive of the circulatory system. Arginine can become depleted in those with type II diabetes by increasing the enzymes that break it down. This can lead to hypertension.
Arginine also improves sperm quantity and quality! If you’re thinking about an addition to your family…”Say Yes to Bone Broth!”
As always, don’t forget to listen to your body!
Because it is fermentable, the gelatin in the bone broth promotes healthy bowel flora which is a very good thing! But for some people with an imbalanced internal eco-system or some mis-located microbes, bone broth may cause some gassy discomfort and bloating and may have to be introduced slowly or after some nutritional therapy to rebalance the microbiome.
Bone broth does have a high content of histamine so some of the symptoms above could also be due to your body’s already high histamine level and/or the inability to adequately break down the excess histamine. Histamine issues can be as a result of many different imbalances in the body, including genetics and I will write about that another day. I have had my own challenges with histamine and still use caution with bone broth but as I heal I have found that I am able to tolerate more.
Unraveling these mysteries are what Nutritional Therapists are trained to do:)
What else is in Bone Broth? Minerals!! Bone broth is like a Slurp-able Multi Mineral Supplement in a Bowl!
It’s loaded with:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Silicon
- Sulphur and more….
Bone Broth is a fantastic way to get those bone loving, enzyme helping, pH balancing minerals into your body! According to Sally Fallon, the minerals contained in bone broth are presented in a form that is especially easy for the body to absorb. Minerals usually come attached to things (like proteins) and in different forms so your body has to work to make changes necessary to get them into a form that it can absorb and use. This is “giving back” for all the wonderful things your body does for you everyday:)
Remember Bones for your Bones!
Your bones are made out of the same things that you get from “Bone” Broth so it’s kind of a no-brainer that taking in that good collagen and minerals like calcium and phosphorus will supply your body with raw materials that it needs to keep your bones healthy and strong! This is also true of the cartilage that cushions your joints. Bone broth is a must for someone healing from a structural injury or surgery like a knee or hip replacement.
The moral of the story is “Don’t throw away those bones!”
How to make:
Have your heavy bottomed stock pot ready.
You’ll need roughly 2 LBS Good quality Bones! You can use a whole chicken carcass left-over from you roasted chicken (that’s normally what I do). And any other bones saved from other meals like rib bones or pork chop. If you can find some good quality, grass fed beef marrow bones, knuckle bones or shanks those are the best!! The joints and cartilaginous parts are great to include because they contribute a lot of that super healing gelatin! You can add chicken feet to the broth to bump up the gelatin content. Fish bones can be used to make bone broth too!
**Tip: If you roast your bones in the oven prior to making the soup it will add depth to the flavor but it’s not required.**
Toss your bones into a large heavy bottom stock pot with roughly a gallon of water or enough to cover the bones along with 2 tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar. Let your bones rest in the water for about 30 minutes before turning on the heat so the ACV can do it’s magic of leaching out the minerals. Vinegar reacts with calcium that’s why it’s used to help color your Easter Eggs!
Once the bones have finished their soak, turn on the heat and bring to a boil. I usually Chop & Drop my carrots, onion and celery into the pot while the water is heating up. Think Mirepoix! You can add your bay leaves at this time as well as your Sea Salt and Pepper. You could use whole peppercorns if you like. They will be strained out at the end.
Once the water has come to a boil, cover the pot and turn down to a simmer. Check the pot after about an hour to see if there is any scummy stuff floating on top of the broth. If so, you can skim that off with a spoon.
You want to let your bones simmer for a looooong time. Some people let theirs’ go for days. If you have a crock pot, it works great because you can set it to low and go about your business. I like the Wellness Mama’s simmering schedule:
- Beef broth/stock: 48 hours
- Chicken or poultry broth/stock: 24 hours
- Fish broth: 8 hours
Sally Fallon likes to toss in her parsley during the last 30 minutes of simmering to add a mineral boost to the broth. It also adds a nice flavor.
When the simmering is done I usually pluck out the big bones with tongs and strain the broth through my fine mesh metal strainer and store the final product in glass jars. You can freeze broth to be used for another day. I’ve seen people put it in ice cube trays so they can pop out a cube here and there for cooking. If you want to freeze in glass jars, make sure they can stand up to the freezer! I’ve broken a couple jars that way and had to throw away my precious broth! I let the liquid cool off and even refrigerate overnight before putting in the freezer. Do not freeze in plastic containers. You don’t want “BPA” in your broth.
Enjoy!
If you liked this article and would like to read more about the many benefits of Bone Broth check out this article at HealthAmbition.com
Ingredients
- 2 lbs good quality bones
- 1 gallon of water or enough to cover bones
- 2 tbs ACV
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots roughly chopped
- 3 stalks of celery roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Put bones in the pot
- Cover with water and ACV
- Allow to soak for 30 minutes
- Bring pot to a boil
- Chop and Drop Veggies
- Add Bay leaves and Salt & Pepper
- Cover and reduce heat to simmer
- Allow to simmer for 8-48 hours
- Remove bones & strain out solids
- Store in glass jars
- Enjoy!
Post By:
Hollie Donelson, NTP
Happy Tummies of The Lowcountry, LLC
167 A Bluffton Rd.
Bluffton/Hilton Head, SC 29910
843-227-1042
Please note. I am not a Doctor. The content on this site is not intended as medical advice. Always check with your doctor before starting any type of health or nutritional protocol especially if you are being treated for or have been diagnosed with a medical condition.
References:
https://www.healthambition.com/benefits-bone-broth-digestion-arthritis-cellulite/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262881.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11396606
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycine
https://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/glutamine
https://examine.com/supplements/arginine/
https://menfertility.org/improve-sperm-quality-with-arginine/
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/broth-is-beautiful/#sthash.QJgt3MSR.dpuf
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-how-harmful-are-bisphenol-a-plastics/
I have always heard about bone broth and it being a healthy tonic due to the ingredients it has with its antioxidizing properties and being good for the gut. Thank you for the recipe as well. Will definitely give it a try!