Browsing Tag

Digestion

Recipes

Top 4 Bone Broth Benefits + Bone Broth Breakfast Drink Recipe

July 7, 2016

 

BoneBrothBenefitsDrinking bone broth has major health benefits. Like, crazy, amazing how-have-I-never-tried-this-before health benefits. But I gotta tell you, in the beginning, I really didn't want to hop on the broth bandwagon.

I try very hard to make paleo approachable for myself, and for you, my readers. Because if something is too hard or out of reach, I'm not going to keep doing it, you're not going to keep doing it, and we all lose. My guess is that when you hear bone broth, you think laborious, extreme, and a little odd, right? 

Here were my initial thoughts: SIMMER BONES?! WHA? WHY? THAT WILL TAKE LIKE A MILLION YEARS.

But I'm also one of these people that will try anything. And sometimes, when I try it, I can't get enough of it. Can you guess what happened next?

Well, I'm sitting here writing a blog post about my fantastic experience with it, so you can imagine, it went well.

As always, let’s start with the why.

Why are we drinking bones?
There are a ton of nutrients in bones, marrow, skin, feet, tendons and ligaments that we can’t get by eating the meat. But you CAN simmer the bones and bits in a crock pot for a couple of days to get these babies to release their healing compounds.

What are their healing compounds?
Proline
Glycine
Glutamine
Minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb, i.e. Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Silicon, Sulphur

Okay, okay. WHAT CAN IT DO FOR ME?

Reduce Joint Pain and Inflammation
It almost makes TOO much sense. Drinking broth from healthy bones will help strengthen your own bones. Duh! All of that cartilage that you’ve lost over the years – either through general wear and tear or from hard-core soccer/basketball/volleyball/insert high-impact-sport-here injuries, can benefit greatly from readily absorbable collagen and gelatin. (Kari Ferguson, you soccer stud – if you are reading this, I am talking to you 🙂 )

Make Your Stomach Happy
Eating “healthy food” can only help you if your body can absorb it properly. Otherwise, you’re not getting near the amount of nutrients from that kale salad or salmon and asparagus dinner that you should be getting. Bone broth is very easy for your body to digest and absorb. Why? Because it has collagen in it. Which plays really nice with your GI tract and your colon. So the more you drink bone broth, the more it heals the digestive tract, and the better it can take in nutrients from other food.

Prettier Skin, Hair and Nails
You’ve heard of collagen before. You know. The stuff that helps reduce wrinkles, decrease puffiness, and helps grow nails and hair. You can buy it in little fancy jars for a lot of money or you can go to a plastic surgeon to get it injected in your face. OR you can drink it in bone broth.

Immune System Booster
Remember up there when I said it was good for your digestion? For that same reason, it’s an awesome supporter of the immune system. When your food isn’t digested properly (happens more often than you think), undigested particles from food leak into the bloodstream where the immune system detects them. It freaks out and starts attacking healthy tissue and inflames the body. Good gut health = good immune system = less colds, flu and overall sicknesses.

That's not it. There is more. Lots more. Because everything listed above affects other areas of the body. Your stomach is connected to your brain is connected to your emotions. You fix one thing, you fix another. But I thought I'd stop there for today so we can get on to the good stuff.

BoneBrothBenefits_Recipe

My Experience with Bone Broth
The first time I made it, it was really a result of just cooking a whole chicken and the bones were already in my Crock Pot. So I Googled the heck out of it, obsessed over whether I was doing it right, over-thought it, as usual, but eventually ended up with 4 jars of gelatin-like broth for my freezer. I didn't really know what to do with it yet, so I do what I always do when I'm overwhelmed, I put it in my freezer.

Well, a rainy day came. A dull, hungover, stomach-ache, swollen gland, kind of day. Ya. Ugh. I remembered the broth in the freezer and decided to go for it. Every symptom that it has been shown to help, I had. So down the hatch it went, and the results were pretty amazing.

  • My throat immediately felt soothed for the first time that day.
  • My sinuses finally gave it a rest from their inflamed state.
  • I slept like a baby that night.
  • After day two of broth-drinking, my digestion was finally back to normal and that cold that I thought was coming, never arrived.

*Note: I drank about 5 cups over the two days because I wasn't feeling well. This is more than you'd need on a regular basis.

From that moment on, I used it as my emergency medicine. Only if I was sick was it worth making it.

Low and behold, a few weeks later, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. This time, not because I was sick, but because my muscles were uber sore from a particularly hard workout that included lots of hand stand push ups and pull ups. Broth is supposed to be good for joint pain and muscle aches, right? YUP.

  • It was like I had put muscle relaxer on all the sore parts, but better.
  • I was better the next day, when usually after a workout like that, my muscles are sore for at least two days.

Now, I've crossed over. I am officially a regular morning broth drinker. I figure, why not be preventive? This stuff is AWESOME. Attack the cold, stomach ache or joint ache before they've even really started. A totally in-tact digestive system. Stronger nails and longer hair. Plus, it's also shown to be one of the foods that are ideal for fertility. And you all know how I love my Fertility Food :). What's not to like? And the best part is, it's not nearly as difficult as everybody makes it out to be.

I've spelled it out for you in 9 steps below and given you my tips and notes along the way. But please do one thing for me? If you decide to make it, do it the simplest way possible just to try it. If you want to get more complicated after that, go for it. But all you really need is bones + water + 24-48 hours. Set it on low on your Crock Pot and walk away. Seriously. It's NOT THAT COMPLICATED.

BoneBrothBenefits

Things I’ve Learned After My 17th Try of Making Broth

  1. Most people will tell you to skim the stuff off as you go. You can do this if you want to, but why skim as I go if I’m just going to strain it all out at the end anyway? Seems like unnecessary work to me.
  2. I made making the broth part of my bi-weekly routine. Every other week, I make a big batch (using the recipe below), so I never have to scramble to make it when I really need it. I keep most of it in the freezer so I don't feel forced to use it immediately, and keep one jar in the refrigerator so it's defrosted and ready to drink.
  3. You DON’T have to cook an animal to get the bones. Just go to the freezer section near produce or your local butcher and ask for leftover bones. They always have bones. And they will always sell them to you for cheap. I do recommend sticking to places like Whole Foods or a butcher you can trust to have healthy, grass-fed, GMO-free animals. Remember, the animal you eat matters. If it was healthy, it’s bones will be healthy.
  4. That said, as you cook, make sure to save your bones as you go! I keep them in a freezer bag and just add to it every time we cook chicken drumsticks or steak.
  5. In order to keep the jars from exploding in the freezer (this happened to me multiple times until my husband kindly explained to me the concept of physics), you don’t want to fill the jars all the way to the top. You also don’t want to close the jar top all the way when you first put it in there (you can go back later and screw it tighter). Because liquid expands as it freezes, it WILL expand the glass until it can’t hold it anymore. Eesh.

Alrighty boys and girls. Now it's time to actually show you how to make this golden tonic. But I'm not just going to leave you with a broth how-to. I'm going to leave you with a recipe for how you can actually enjoy it as your morning drink (AFTER coffee, of course).

You ready for the recipe? Let’s do it.

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Much Love,

HealthyStaceySignature

SOURCES:

Why Broth is Beautiful: Essential Roles for Proline, Glycine and Gelatin

 

BoneBrothBenefits_Recipe
Bone Broth + Breakfast Broth Recipe
Print Recipe
I invented this Breakfast Broth recipe after realizing that I wanted to incorporate Bone Broth into my morning routine. However, I needed to make the gelatin-like substance a little more appetizing first thing in the morning. So I added some pizazz and came up with this beauty. A little spicy, a little sweet, super satiating, and of course, ridiculously good for you.
BoneBrothBenefits_Recipe
Bone Broth + Breakfast Broth Recipe
Print Recipe
I invented this Breakfast Broth recipe after realizing that I wanted to incorporate Bone Broth into my morning routine. However, I needed to make the gelatin-like substance a little more appetizing first thing in the morning. So I added some pizazz and came up with this beauty. A little spicy, a little sweet, super satiating, and of course, ridiculously good for you.
Ingredients
  • 2 Pounds Bones Beef, Chicken, Whatever you can get your hands on
  • 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Crock Pot-Full Of Water Enough to cover the bones
Sweet & Spicy Breakfast Broth
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Put bones in your Crock Pot
  2. Pour Apple Cider Vinegar over the bones
  3. Fill up pot with enough water to just cover the bones
  4. Put Crock Pot on low for 48 hours
  5. Strain the broth through a strainer or a funnel
  6. Pour into jars, leaving 1-2 inches of space at the top
  7. Put jars in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight
  8. Scoop the fat off the top of the jars
  9. Put in freezer until you are ready to use (I keep one jar in my fridge at a time that's defrosted and ready to go)
Breakfast Bone Broth Recipe
  1. Scoop 1 cup of bone broth into a mug
    BoneBrothBenefits_Recipe
  2. Add a spoonful of coconut oil
  3. Sprinkle in turmeric, cayenne, pepper and sea salt
  4. Heat in microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds
  5. Add in a tablespoon of Vital Proteins collagen and raw honey
  6. Stir it up and sip it up!
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Healthy Body

Happy Stomach Series: Part 1 – Don’t Drink The Water (With Food)

July 6, 2014

Digestion fascinates me. As soon as I really began to accept and understand its process, it became even more blaringly clear to me that the foods we eat directly impact our health. 

Excessive gas, bloating, constipation and heartburn should be obvious indicators that our bodies are “off.” But for whatever reason, we accept these horribly uncomfortable symptoms as part and parcel of breakfast, lunch and dinnertime. 

My guess is that it’s because processed foods have been part of our diet for so long that we assume a bloated, achy stomach is just how we are supposed to feel after our meals. Guess what? It’s not. We HAVE TO do a better job at listening to our bodies better to figure out when something is wrong.

After quite a bit of research and self-testing, I have come to realize that we can all live in a world of gas-free post-lunch hours, great digestion after every meal, and all around lighter bodies. I believe this is totally possible if only people would make a few key changes to their diet.

I will embarrassingly admit. I had a pretty shitty digestion system (pun intended, haha…awkward). For most of my adult life, I would only go every few days. As you can imagine, I felt bloated most of the time. And certain foods would just wreak havoc on my stomach (I’m looking at you cheese pizza). If I had to guess, I would say I’ve been uncomfortable since junior high. But like most people, I came to accept it as normal.

As I got older and wiser, I started taking small steps to improve my digestion. I began taking a probiotic. I went from going twice a week to every other day (Holy shit! Big improvement – pun intended again…still awkward). And as soon as I eliminated dairy from my diet as a vegan, my stomach was so very thankful. (We'll talk more about why these things helped in future posts).

But it wasn’t until two or three months ago, that I came across a podcast called Super Nutrition Academy Health Class that I began to think differently. The show, hosted by holistic nutritionist Yuri Elkaim, reports on the latest news and views in health and nutrition. The episode that caught my attention featured two guys who run a website called the SCD Lifestyle – an online resource for naturally healing digestive disease.

Their interview on this podcast – although brief – opened my mind to a whole world of natural solutions for shoddy digestive systems. I realized that things that I eat and do on a regular basis – even though I live a healthy lifestyle – were actually negatively affecting my digestion. No matter how healthy I ate, there were certain foods and habits that didn't sit right with me. I also found out that a lot of the typical cures we have for bad digestion (i.e. antacids, ginger ale, prescription meds), are actually making the problems worse. As usual, our bad digestive symptoms can be best cured with nutrition. 

I have since implemented a lot of holistic nutrition changes into my diet and have seen amazing results. I had no idea how good I could feel until…well, I felt really, really good. Since my digestion has improved, my skin is clearer, my hair grows faster, my eyes are brighter, my energy is higher, my stomach is flatter, and my body is lighter. Now that I know how “good” feels, I never want to go back. More than anything, I want to help other people who suffer from bad digestion to realize how good they can feel.

Digestion is a ridiculously deep topic so we are only going to scratch the surface today. But because I’d really like to get my point across, I am going to make this post the first in a string of digestion suggestions. I shall call it, dadadadaaaaaa….

The Happy Stomach Series

Throughout this series we are going to cover the top tips that have helped me have better digestion, regular “goes” (yeah, I’m going to be immature and call it that), and an overall lighter feeling. I can confidently say that following these guidelines has given me a renewed, rejuvenated, healthy, happy stomach. This four part series, starting with this post, will include:

  1. DON'T DRINK THE WATER – The one time to step away from our beloved H2O
  2. FERMENTED FOODS ARE AWESOME – Fill your stomach with good bacteria
  3. PROCESSED FOODS WITH SUGAR ON TOP – Eating fake food is bad for your shit
  4. WHAT'S UP WITH GRAINS AND GLUTEN – Why some of us just can't handle it

Let's get started, shall we?

PART 1: DON'T DRINK THE WATER

We’ve all heard the old adage that you should drink more water to improve your digestion. And we all have become accustomed to accepting ice-cold water at a restaurant to sip with our meal. Your stomach hurts? Drink water. The more, the better. But for the first time in my life, I am questioning this sound advice. Before you close my page thinking that I am crazy, hear me out.

Water is fantastic. It keeps your organs and tissues moist, it contributes to blood flow, and it helps remove toxins from your body. Without it, we wouldn’t function. But I am here to tell you that, from my research and personal experience:

Not drinking water during meals can immensely improve your digestion.

WHY:
We have natural digestive enzymes in our body. For one, the saliva in our mouth breaks down food as soon as it touches our tongue. For two, the gastric juice in our stomach aids digestion, kills bacteria and allows the stomach to contract and pulverize our food.

When we eat, our body releases these gastric juices.  But if we’ve added too much water, it thinks it doesn’t need to release as much. Instead, it waits for the water to be absorbed into the stomach lining before it releases more acid for the food that is still in there. This, in effect, delays the digestion process, and could even cause some of the food to be absorbed through the stomach lining before the digestive juices have done their pulverizing duty.

That doesn’t bode well for the rest of the digestive process. You see, food has to pass through something called the pyloric sphincter before it gets to the small intestine. This baby refuses to open when the insides of the stomach don’t have enough acid. It’s because the body knows that the undigested food will cause more problems further down. So instead, the food sits in the stomach and putrefies, producing gas, pressure and heartburn. 

WHAT TO DO:
Put half an hour before your meal and an hour after your meal between liquids. If you do this, you are giving your body the time it needs to create its own enzymes, attack the food and digest in its natural process.

Note: Not all waters are treated the same. One of the biggest culprits is that infamous ice water our server is always bringing to our table. Every time your body drinks really cold water, it needs to use energy to bring the water to body temperature. Whether you think about it or not, your body needs all the energy it can get to work on digesting your food.

If you feel you need to drink water with your meals, go for warm water with lemon, tea or small sips of room temperature water. BONUS: Add a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to your room temperature water for an extra digestive boost.

MY EXPERIENCE:
Being the dutiful health nut that I am, I would drink water during meals like I was getting paid $100 a sip. At lunch, I’d tote around my plastic tumbler, sipping in between every bite at the cafeteria table, and taking big gulps immediately after I was finished.

As soon I discovered this tip, I decided to try it for ONE DAY DURING ONE MEAL to see what would happen. I literally felt a difference immediately. I was floored by the results.

Normally after lunch, I feel stuffed and bloated. I sit at my desk, pop a ginger candy to calm my stomach, and gulp water, hoping it will go away. As usual, I wait for hours (and sometimes the next day) before I actually digest my food.

This time, after I was done eating, I didn’t feel bloated at all. I actually found myself drinking more water throughout my day because I was more than ready for it after my hour was up. I snacked less because I was fulfilled and satisfied in between meals, no longer having weird cravings because I couldn’t tell if I was full and because I was too busy drinking water. Most importantly, I immediately started going on a daily basis after my meals.

I can’t say enough good things about this trick. It’s something I highly recommend to anybody who complains about indigestion after meals. However, per my last post, I strongly encourage you to do your own research and see for yourself. There are a lot of resources that claim that this idea is bullshit – that water most definitely assists and improves the digestion process. But none of that matters to me because this works for my body.

See if it works for yours and let me know the results in the comments section below!

Next up in the Happy Stomach Series: PART II: FERMENTED FOODS