The aroma from my crockpot fills the house each Sunday afternoon. Something about my house smelling like home cooked soup takes me back to my childhood. As I wipe down the counters and pour another cup of tea, I carefully lift the lid (again) to have yet another little taste.
Like many of you, I am a creature of habit.
I like my daily/weekly rhythm. I enjoy cooking my favorite meals regularly, hikei my favorite trails in Boulder County often, Jason and I have our favorite restaurants around town, and I try to keep up with my most effective and nourishing self-care practices each week.
While trying new things is also part of my adventurous personality, I do it in smaller increments these days so I don't throw myself too far off from what I know works and feels good.
This past year, I have added a weekly broth making routine. Each Sunday morning I get my trusty crockpot going with some delicious broth ingredients. Sometimes I make an alkalizing veggie broth (more to come on that one) and often times slow cooked bone broth. I drink it regularly throughout the week and I have noticed some key benefits which I want to share with you today.
Last week I posted the photo above on my Instagram page. I was pleasantly surprised to find more likes and comments than usual. Many folks requested the recipe, many folks wanted to know more about bone broth, so as promised, here you are:
7 REASONS TO DRINK BONE BROTH + MY FAVORITE RECIPE
While you may have heard a lot about bone broth, tasted it at a local health food store, or from your grandmothers soup pot, you may not realize that not only is it super simple to make, but it is also a medicinal nourishing tonic that can make a really big impact on your health.
Bone broth is becoming so popular amidst recent health and wellness trends for a few very important reasons.
1. METABOLIC SUPPORT
Bone broth is chock full of gelatin. There have been many studies on the health benefits of gelatin throughout history showing it's healing power for ailments from ulcers, to diabetes to tuberculosis. In the case of your metabolism, a regular dose of gelatin in your diet, especially from homemade bone broth, has been shown to be extremely satiating and metabolically stimulating, as well as decreasing the need for overall protein and fat in the rest of our diets by up to 50%. Metabolically speaking, bone broth keeps your blood sugar stable and keeps you in the fat burning zone.
2. DIGESTION
One of the most effective and healing ingredients in bone broth are the amino acids – glutamine and proline. If you suffer from food allergies, leaky gut syndrome, autoimmune symptoms, or IBS, bone broth is for you. Glutamine is one of my favorite supplements for healing digestion, digestive inflammation while rebuilding and strengthening the digestive wall (which gets thinned during digestive illness). A regular dose of bone broth will do wonders for your digestion.
3. JOINT HEALTH
Bone broth is also full of glucosamine and chondroitin. Both of these nutrients are specifically helpful for joint pain, inflammation, arthritis symptoms, and mobility.
4. IMMUNITY
Bone broth is a mineral superfood! Your immune system functions on minerals. All of the bone broth minerals specifically feed your immune system for a stronger healthier you. Who knew our grandmothers' chicken soup really was a cure all!
5. SKIN REPAIR AND HEALTH
One of the main ingredients found in bone broth is collagen. The main nutrient we need for healthy skin, hair and nails is collagen. Collagen helps to maintain the skin's natural elasticity (good bye wrinkles) while promoting smooth and supple skin.
6. PROTEIN AND FAT NUTRITION
Bone broth is full of assimilatable natural protein and fat. Glycine, found in the protein of bone broth, stabilizes your blood sugar, boosts energy production, increases satiation and builds muscle mass.
7. DETOXIFICATION AND CLEANSING
While most of us could use a little liver love in the world today, bone broth is an easy tonic to include in your daily regiment to support your liver and kidneys in a gentle yet effective cleansing. The high amounts of glycine in bone broth are incredibly effective in aiding the body in its natural ability to detoxify regularly.
There are many, many ways to cook bone broth. Some are plain and simple, while others get more creative and complex. This favorite of mine is somewhere right in the middle. This one is simple, yet full of some of my favorite spices and flavors. Try it as a soup, sauce for your favorite stir-fry, or a warming beverage right out of your favorite mug.
Questions, comments, requests, recipes? Please tell me all about them in the comments below. If you know someone who would benefit from this information please feel free to share it with them using the button below.