One of the most common questions, if not THE MOST common question that I get asked via my social media accounts and blog is, “How do you make your bone broth?!”
It’s been over three years now (this article was posted in 2016) since I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and it’s been two years since I went back to school to earn a second degree, a Bachelors in Health & Wellness.
That journey coincided with the AIP/PALEO and ultra-healing diet and lifestyle change as well. Most importantly though, BONE BROTH, has been the most lucrative aspect in my healing and a key player in not only reversing my autoimmune antibodies level, but completely healing all of my food allergies!!!! (Health really does begin in the gut!!!)
First of all, your skin says A LOT about your true health status. It’s basically a window to the inside… skin conditions, changes and blemishes can all be indicators of imbalances and stressed areas of the body.
Personally, when my autoimmune issues started up years ago, the first symptom was that I thought I was developing acne. After months of research, different dermatologists, and trying a plethora of topical creams, NOTHING WORKED. I had these small, sometimes painful “bumps”, they were mostly skin-colored, some were red, and they were all over my forehead and on both sides of my nose.
It wasn’t until I started focusing on my diet and adopted the Paleo/Auto Immune Protocol lifestyle, “AIP”; (which removed gluten, grains, dairy) AND began my homemade bone broth routine, that I figured out what these “bumps” were – basically an allergic/autoimmune reaction (via Leaky Gut Syndrome). Not even two weeks in to this lifestyle and my face MIRACULOUSLY started to clear up and even started to appear “glowing” and is now so smooth, smoother than it had ever been before.
WHY? Well, most people, including some conventional physicians, do not realize that somewhere around 80 percent of our immune system is within our digestive tract. Hence why making a “healthy gut” a major focal point, is key, if you want to reach/maintain optimal health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/
It’s actually pretty common for people who eat gluten, grains, drink alcohol and take antibiotics (which would be most Americans) to have “leaky guts”; where things like toxins, microbes, undigested food particles and more, can escape from your intestines and travel throughout your body via your bloodstream. Your immune system marks these “foreign invaders” as pathogens and attacks them. (This is why my face showed inflammation/bumps).
Most of my (positive) skin changes I give credit to the homemade bone broth. This is because BB (bone broth) contains super valuable minerals (in a form that your body can easily absorb and use). These include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur chondroitin, glucosamine, and a variety of trace minerals. Further, it contains gelatin and collagen. Collagen is the protein from the connective tissues of animals. It’s super abundant in bone, marrow, cartilage, and ligaments. Protects and soothes the lining of digestive tract, which can aid in the healing of IBS, crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux.
The breakdown of collagen in bone broth is then what produces gelatin. Gelatin, was one of the first functional foods (ancient China). It promotes probiotic balance and growth, offers bone-building minerals that are easily absorbable by body, and can help prevent bone loss as well as reduce joint pain.
Bone broth can also increase our body’s production of collagen, which can in return, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and banish or reduce the appearance of cellulite.
However, if you don’t want to sip on a daily mug of BB, you can also make bone broth in to a meal (soup) by adding avocado, cilantro, green onions, and lemon or lime. Even sautée veggies or prepare rice in it!
** NOTE: You may see grocery stores jumping on the Bone Broth bandwagon, but don’t be fooled. Most commercialized “bone broth” being sold, are mass-produced and don’t contain all of the benefits above (if any), so do some research. Making homemade bone broth is SUPER easy. Plus, you can get a Crock Pot and let it do all the work for you!
BUY GRASS-FED, SMALL-FAMILY-OWNED FARM BONES— HERE!
(^^you can get a discount with the code “HEATHER5” on orders above $100)
*I like to get different types of bones including, shank, oxtail, chicken, etc. The farm that is linked above, actually has bone marrow bones as an option to order, as well as “chicken backs/stock bones” and they create an absolutely delicious stock!!
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE AT HOME, YOU CAN ALSO BUY FROM THIS BRAND IN WHICH I TRUST THAT MAKES IT JUST AS CLEAN AND NUTRITIOUS AS HOMEMADE: LINKED HERE (discount code for first time orders is “HEATHER”)
Here is a reel from my Instagram as to how I drink it from the above brand.
MAKE AT HOME:
The easiest way I have found to make bone broth at home, is using a crockpot.
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Add the bones leftover from a whole roasted chicken, or whichever bones that you purchased from a butcher/small farm like- bones linked here.
- Then top with filtered water until covered (about 12 cups). (This should reduce down by about 1/3 or 1/2, leaving you with 6-8 cups of bone broth.)
- Next, add in a bit of salt, pepper and any other herbs to season the broth (you can add more later to taste).
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Then add a few splashes of apple cider vinegar, this breaks down the collagen and pull trace minerals in to the broth. You can also sub lemon juice for this.
- *optional: add veggie scraps like carrots, celery, onion. Also can add a few bay leaves as well.
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If doing on the stovetop–bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for at least 10-12 hours, or until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. The more it reduces, the more intense the flavor will become and the more collagen will be extracted. Otherwise, I choose the High heat setting on Crockpot for first 2 hours, then I switch it to Low for remainder of time or overnight.
- Strain and discard the bones. Either use immediately or store in glass jars and freeze up to 1-2 months or more. Just be sure to leave a couple inches at the top of the jar to allow for expansion in the freezer. *will gelatinize when refrigerated– you want it to!
x. Heather