Why Bone Broth is a Good Idea (+ My Special Recipe)
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
Bone broth is a traditional way of making this saying true. This way of using bones has been used for centuries - as a way to heal the body AND to use every single part of the available food.
When we are interested in going the natural route and avoid using the pill to take care of our period, we need to make sure we intentionally nourish our body with the things it needs to self-regulate and self-heal.
Many many symptoms we experience every month are due to a deficiency of some important nutrient or our digestive system’s inability to take care of our health. For example: cramps, fatigue, bloating, etc.
To counter this, I have just the solution for you. Bone broth!
We don’t have to go back so far in time when most of our ancestors needed to save every single part of food they could. Even if your ancestors were rich and lived in abundance, their servants would use everything they could.
They knew that even the bones of the animals they ate contained so much goodness that it could be considered medicine. And when you don’t have access to a doctor, that knowledge is gold.
Today we don’t need to worry about avoiding sickness at all costs - or at least less than they did. But it doesn’t mean we can forget about these golden source of natural medicine.
We could change the saying from “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” to “a cup of bone broth a day keep the doctor away”, and that would certainly be closer to the truth.
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Through the glycosaminoglycans in bone broth, your body can restore your gut and intestinal lining and protect your joints with collagen and elastin synthesis.
Our body recognizes the bone broth’s glucosamine as similar to our own (many people with bone issues need to supplement with glucosamine but are unable to absorb it when it is clinically made as it is too different from our own natural source), and can use it to restore joint and bone health. It’s main job is to build cartilage.
Another key ingredient found in bone broth is hyaluronic acid. This helps to retain water and keep skin, tissues, joints, eyes, and vagina well hydrated. It also slows down bone loss and helps build bone density.
Chondroitin Sulfate is an anti-inflammatory (and also helps with joint health and flexibility)
The main nutrients found in bone broth are magnesium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorous
The famous collagen! Bone broth is full of it - and it helps with multiple things: it provides tissue health, heals and seals the gut, promotes skin and hair strength and flexibility, etc
The main benefits of bone broth are to build bone health, heal gut health, and nourish the body with bioavailable nutrients.
For women who have estrogen dominance, bone health is a must. It can protect and reduce risks of osteoporosis during menopause. If you are unsure if you have estrogen dominance, you can book a call with me to see what your symptoms indicate.
So let me show you how I make my extra medicinal bone broth
What you need to do in advance to prepare:
Save your bones. Whenever you have chicken or any other meat where there are bones, save them! Put them in a bag and freeze them. If you don’t eat the skin, save it too!
Save your veggie scraps. Onion ends and skin, carrots, potatoes, squash, leek, etc. Any type of vegetable goes EXCEPT the brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, etc. Anything that will go super mushy in your broth - it will make it taste quite bitter). The great thing about this is that you won’t eat the vegetables, so it’s the perfect occasion to use all of your scraps. Just like the bones, simply freeze them.
When you feel like you have a good amount of bones and vegetables in your freezer, it’s time to make a broth.
INGREDIENTS:
The bones and skin you collected
Your vegetable scraps
As desired, you can add a whole onion cut in 4 pieces. I really love onion and its benefits, so I always add one extra in there
¼ cup of vinegar per batch (this is the most important ingredient - it’s the one that breaks down your bones and makes them digestible)
Medicinal Herbs (a handful of each, or as many as you have, or simply one. Adjust to availability and preference), dried or fresh: I use stinging nettle, sage, thyme, and Holy Basil. You can use other medicinal herbs if you know them and have them readily available. Each batch of broth has the potential to boost a specific aspect of your health.
Bonus: Medicinal mushrooms, such as chaga, reishi, turkey tale, etc. Seaweed, and/or more culinary herbs
INSTRUCTIONS:
Put all the ingredients in a big pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, and let it simmer for at least 12 hours - can go all the way to 24 hours. Make sure the ingredients are always submerged with water - add some if needed.
If you don’t want to stay at home for 12 hours, you can simmer it for as long as possible, then cover it and keep it warm (you can wrap a warm duvet around it and make sure it stays well covered). You can bring it back to a simmer after a couple of hours, and do this a couple of times over the span of two or three days.
Filter the broth and throw away the veggies, herbs and bones. Keep the bouillon. Make sure to write what it is and the date! You will forget 100% when you look in your freezer in 6 months.
I separate the broth in portion sizes and freeze it, so I can simply get one out whenever I need it. Mine tastes actually really good as is, so I will simply drink it in the morning.
You can add it to soups, sauces, ramen, stews, etc at will, and be creative with the different ways you want to use it.
Let me know how you like it!.
If you want to dive deeper into strategies to support your health and hormones naturally, book a time with me. All new comers get a free 30-minute consultation, and all current clients get a discount on all available offers. So feel free to reach out!
Stay radiant!
