When you’re sick, people always say to have chicken soup. That always seemed weird to me especially since chicken soup makes my throat hurt (not the point).
But now that I’m older and doing a little digging into what good nutrition is and how to really take care of a body, I’ve discovered that bone broth (both chicken and beef) are actually REALLY good for you.
This homemade bone broth recipe is super simple and worth the extra effort to keep your insides happy.
Improve Gut Health
I have always had a very sensitive system. I remember being 8 years old and having to wear my teacher’s shirt at school one day because my mom had switched laundry detergent and it made me itchy.
And any little bit of stress and my stomach hurts immediately!
Lately I’ve been dealing with a random assortment of issues that has no known cause…and usually when that happens it means you have a leaky gut.
Leaky gut is when the walls of your small intestine become permeable and things that shouldn’t get out of there…do. It can cause a whole host of issues like asthma, allergies, food sensitivities, autoimmune responses, joint pain, bowel troubles and more. (Go here to see the 7 signs you have leaky gut)
For me…it’s caused most of those issues and is moving on to more serious things so it’s time I get it under control. (Looking back, my IBS diagnosis at 19 was probably this and had I know to cut out trigger foods and nourish my body with specific foods instead of just trying to manage the symptoms…I could have saved myself a TON of pain.)
Bone broth is good for healing your gut, but can also help your hair and nails, boosts your immune system (which is why you eat it when you’re sick), helps reduce inflammation and make you feel fuller therefore eating less. Read this post -> The Top 5 Reasons Why Bone Broth is the Bomb if you need more convincing.
Homemade Bone Broth
Let me warn you…this is not a fast process. Neither the cooking nor the reaping the benefits. This is a long game of doing the right thing every day to take care of your gut, so it can take care of you (up to 70% of your immune system is in your gut).
Also, let me give you another word of warning…don’t try and take the easy route and buy a box of stock at the store and drink that. That stuff has loads of sodium and probably MSG too and will make you blow up like a balloon. So make it yourself or get it from a trusted source.
How To:
Gather some bones. You can use beef bones, chicken bones or whatever you can find (within reason). I typically get an organic chicken already cooked from Target. We have that for dinner and then I put the bones in the InstaPot with whatever veggies (carrots, celery, onions) I have on hand, a few spices (bay leaves, thyme, rosemary…any of those will work), fill it with water (filtered preferably) and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
I know it sounds a little too simplistic, but it really is that easy. I set my InstaPot to slow cooker and cook for 12 hours. Then I do that again to make sure that all the minerals and healthy stuff has had time to soak out of the bones and into the water. And if goes a little longer or shorter, that’s ok too. (Chicken can go for 24 hours but you may want to do up to 48 for beef bones.)
Once it’s cooled, I use a funnel to store it in glass mason jars and put it in the fridge. I try to have at least 1 cup a day.
BTW, the bone broth will develop a layer of fat on top. Just spoon that off before you drink it…not a big deal.
So many of my friends are telling me about many of their health issues that are dismissed when they go to the doctor these days. I want to encourage your to take your health in your own hands. Take care of your gut by nourishing it daily with bone broth (also try kefir for some probiotics).
Are you ready to give homemade bone broth a try?
