Bone Broth- A Powerful Healing Tool

Bone broth, a highly beneficial, nutrient dense superfood has been used since ancient times and is considered to be one of the most remarkable foods on the planet that is made from simmering animal or fish bones. Its a powerful healing tool, often referred to as “the elixir of life.”

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said over 2,000 years ago… “All disease begins in the gut.” Modern day science is finally coming around and confirming this ancient wisdom.

Sadly, most people remain unaware of how incredibly beneficial bone broth is and miss out on the opportunity to transform their health and life. When you were sick as a child, did your mom ever make a pot of chicken soup and insist that you eat it, telling you that it would make you feel better? Have you ever wondered why?

Homemade bone broth has amazing health benefits and can be a powerful healing tool. It provides a concentrated source of the collagen, gelatin, vitamins, trace minerals, amino acids, and vital proteins your body needs to work at optimal levels and supports gut health, metabolism, lean muscle, joints, the immune system, glowing skin and is anti-inflammatory. Literally, from your gut to your brain, and your ligaments to your muscles, it provides nourishment to every part of your body. Dozens of nutrients are found in bone broth, many of which are difficult to obtain from other commonly eaten foods. Sadly, the only bone broth that most people consume nowadays is commercially processed and comes from a can or carton, contains high amounts of sodium and is nutritionally deficient.

Homemade beef broth is one of the richest, most savory and nutrient packed bone broths you can eat. When you include some larger bones that contain a high amount of cartilage and collagen it will be high in type-1 and type-3 collagen, and especially high in bone marrow and amino acids.

Homemade chicken broths when made using chicken feet, knuckles, skin, giblets or other organ parts, will be high in healthy fatty acids and type 2 collagen. Type-2 collagen is the primary protein found in our connective tissues. Type 2 collagen is primarily found in chicken and turkey broth, and is also the best for repairing and sealing the gut lining.

Fish broth has been used in Asia for thousands of years and tends to be a lighter, milder tasting broth. Its a great source of iodine, calcium, amino acids and healthy fats (especially when you use wild-caught fish).

Easy to digest and very soothing to the entire digestive system, bone broth, when made correctly, will contain gelatin. A report published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that gelatin effectively supports intestinal health and integrity. Studies show that gelatin is beneficial for restoring the strength of the gut lining, helping to grow healthy probiotics (good bacteria) in the gut, fights food sensitivties (such as to wheat and dairy), and supports a healthy inflammatory response in the digestive tract.

If you’re not already adding bone broth to your daily diet I would strongly encourage you to do so. Below you’ll find my recipe and some important tips when making your own bone broth.

SOME TIPS BEFORE YOU START

SOURCE – Use bones rich in connective tissue and preferably from a healthy source. For beef & chicken this means from grass-fed animals, raised on pastures free of toxic chemicals, pesticide, and GMO plants. Check with your local butcher, farmers markets, food coops, and of course online to find healthy sources, preferably organic ones!

• For chicken broth- Use chicken feet for extra gelatin (BEST but hard to find), chicken necks and bones
• For beef broth- Use large marrow bones, knuckle & neck bones, rib bones, oxtail bones, and beef trim (scraps from different cuts of steaks)
• For fish broth- Use fish heads, fins, and backs

SOAK – Add apple cider vinegar to pot last (see directions below), and let pot sit for 1 hour, BEFORE cooking, in order to help draw out the minerals.

SKIM – A frothy/foamy layer will form on top during the first few hours of simmering. This comes from impurities and can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Throw this part away. Check it every 20 minutes for the first 2 hours and remove. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than conventional animals.

SIMMER – Keep a close eye on the broth and once it comes to a rolling boil immediately reduce to lowest setting and simmer. Prolonged boiling can damage the gelatin and prevent it from forming. If you forget, don’t worry, and don’t throw it out. It’s still extremely good for you. See simmering times below.

STRAIN – After you’re done cooking your broth, for anywhere from 8-24 hours, let it cool and then strain to remove everything but the broth. If you want to make your broth more clear, use a piece of cheesecloth or an extra fine strainer, as they will help remove some of the finer particles.

SERVE – Try serving with sea vegetables- KOMBU, dulse or wakame seaweed- all high in B vitamins & iodine; gives soup a really good flavor and is very beneficial for those with thyroid issues. Place a piece of it (my favorite is Kombu) in bowl and add broth!

STORE – Set aside enough broth for using over the next 2-3 days and freeze the rest. Use WIDE-MOUTHED canning jars to freeze. DO NOT screw lids on tightly and be sure to leave at least 2-inches of space from the top of jar to allow for expansion, otherwise jar may break and your broth will be ruined. You want the broth below the area that tapers at the top. I suggest trying it first with one bottle to make sure you’re doing it right, before you freeze all of them so that you can make sure your jars won’t break.

TOOLS NEEDED

Large stock pot
Strainer
Cheesecloth (optional)

RECIPE
2 pounds of bones roasted bones- rich in connective tissue, from a healthy source. (this usually equals 2-3 chicken carcasses)
2 chicken feet- rich source of extra gelatin
1 gallon PURE FILTERED water (appx.)
2 large onions, or 4 small
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2-4 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Note- ratio of onions to carrots and celery should be 2 to 1.

ADD DURING LAST 30 MINUTES
Add fresh parsley, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary…

1 bunch of parsley- helps chelate or pull minerals (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
Peppercorns to taste
Rosemary- fresh sprig or 1 Tbsp of dried
1 tablespoon or more of celtic salt (mineral rich)
Add additional herbs if desired. Consider turmeric, ginger, rosemary & yes, and even cinnamon!

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 425°. Place bones in a roasting pan and roast for at least 35-45 mins. This roasting or browning is a caramelization process and makes the broth very flavorful and delicious.

Meanwhile, rough chop vegetables into large chunks.

Place roasted bones in a large stock pot, add cut up vegetables, apple cider vinegar and just enough water to cover all.

Next, you’ll want to add a little bit of water to the roasting pan and then use a wooden spoon to scrape pan and remove the little bits of flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan. It will make your broth taste amazing. Note- do not use metal spoon or spatula as it can leave little metal shavings. Add this watery, flavor filled mixture to your stock pot and cook.

IMPORTANT- After filling pot but BEFORE boiling, let everything sit in the pot for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the cool water. The acid in the vinegar helps draw out the nutrients in the bones.

Place pot on stove and turn to high. Bring pot to a rolling boil and be sure to pay CAREFUL attention during this stage, and remove scum as it surfaces.

Once it has reached a rolling boil, reduce to the lowest setting possible and let it simmer, keeping the temperature around 205° to 215° and simmer until done. The reason for this is that higher temps can actually destroy some of the nutrition in it and prevent the gelatin from forming. Your goal is to make this broth as nutrient dense as possible. See simmering times below.

Add remaining ingredients during last 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer or cheesecloth to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a gallon size glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.

SIMMERING TIME FRAMES

Beef broth/stock: 48 hours
Chicken or poultry broth/stock: 24 hours
Fish broth: 8 hours

HOW TO USE BROTH

Homemade broth can be used as the liquid in making soups, stews, gravies, sauces, and reductions. It can also be used to saute or roast vegetables.

Try to drink at least 1 cup per person, per day, as a health boost. One way to do this is to make an “egg-drop” soup out of it. Whisk an egg and add to 1-2 cups of broth.

During times of illness try drinking just the broth and eliminate food. Its a great way to nourish and support the body and is very easy to digest making it easy for the body’s energy to go toward healing. It can even shorten the duration of the illness.

LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

I challenge you to start making your own bone broth. Drink at least 1 cup a day for at least 2-3 months and see if you don’t notice an overall improvement in your family’s health and general well-being. Oh, and don’t forget to give some to your fur babies (cats & dogs), they well receive the same benefits too. After all, they’re part of the family too, right?

My goal is to encourage and support you in living a healthy lifestyle, which includes and goes beyond using therapetic-grade essential oils. I hope you’ve been inspired to start making your own homemade bone broth, as it is incredibly health boosting, inexpensive and easy to do. Our ancestors were wise and not only included bone broth in their diets but other health boosting foods too. Cultured foods like kefir, kombucha, and cultured veggies. We would be wise to follow their lead and start eat them also. There are way to many people suffering from digestive problems which I believe leads to degenerative and autoimmune disease. Lets start making healthy choices… begin with kicking toxic chemicals to the curb. Reduce stress. Start eating real food and change poor eating habits. We can’t afford not to!

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