I highly recommend incorporating a good bone broth into your diet. It’s particularly important in Level 1 to make a good bone broth and include it in the soups on the meal plan (even though it’s made from animal bones). Most people get the healing benefits from the bone broth without the adverse effects to the meat. When there are days that we haven’t included a soup, we’ve added it in to just have a straight cup of it warmed up. There are a lot of articles on the healing effects of bone broth and what it can do for your health. In this article from Medical News Today, they talk about the nutritional value (high in iron, vitamins A&K, fatty acids, selenium, zinc, and magnesium, just to name a few). Because of the gelatin in the bone, there’s evidence that it breaks down into collagen in the body. That’s especially good for your joints and skin. We really like that it may reduce inflammation and help heal leaky gut. There’s an amino acid in bone broth called glutamine which has been shown to help heal the intestinal barrier. Breaks in this barrier cause leaky gut. There’s another amino acid in a good bone broth called glycine. It has been shown to help people sleep better along with a whole host of other benefits.
I’ve been making bone broths for a long time. I use them mainly for my soup recipes, but I also include it in other recipes along with just having a warm cup of it on occasion. Interestingly it’s the best thing I’ve found to take care of an upset stomach for me. All I need is a cup of warm broth and within an hour or so my upset tummy usually goes away.
The other great thing about making your own bone broth is you can put so many great veggies, herbs, and spices in your broth that you can personalize it to what works best for you. I’m going to share my recipe and then add suggestions. You figure out what works best for you and your family.
If you don’t have time to make a bone broth then buy a bone broth that is gluten-free, organic beef, or chicken broth in a carton from the grocery store. I’d still like you to find a way to make your own bone broth. You’ll learn it’s very easy to make and really nutritious.
Ingredients
4-5 lbs of bones and cartilage (you can use grass-fed beef bones or pasteurized chicken bones)
4 stalks celery (cut in 1-inch pieces)
1 large onion (cut in quarters)
8 cloves of garlic (I like a lot of garlic in mine)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/4 fresh rosemary, thyme, or other seasonings of your choice.
Directions
Add all ingredients to an Instant Pot, a slow cooker, or a soup pot.
Slow cooker is my favorite method. I put it on at night and let it slow cook for 10-12 hours (I’ve gone as long as 20 hours), and it’s ready in the morning. If you put it in an Instant Pot, then set it on pressure cook for 90 minutes. On the stove top, cook it on medium-low for 8 hours.
When done, pour broth through a strainer to remove bones & veggies (I’ve found I can put the bones in the refrigerator and use them for another broth later in the week). Then you’ll want to pour it through a mesh strainer to get anything else out of the broth.
Use immediately or put in quart jars in the refrigerator for a week. You can also freeze for up to a couple of months.
