A big part of being healthy away from home is building health while you are AT home. This is our time to recover, recharge, and refuel and we could all be better at fully utilizing this time. In doing this, we can ensure that we have a solid foundation and healthy stores to draw on when we’re out and about. That’s what this new series is all about; easy little things we can do at home to help us rebuild after a stretch of travel, or to build us up before.
In the last post, we talked about intestinal permeability. Whether this looks like a food allergy, sensitivity, or even autoimmune dysfunction, this can really put a negative lens over an otherwise positive and fun trip. It can make long drives very uncomfortable. It can put us in a fog as we run from meeting to meeting. It’s made drumming almost impossible for me at times with joint and tendon pain. But there’s hope! We can seal up and rebuild our intestinal membranes through simple diet shifts, healing foods, and supplementation, and we can get back on with our lives, forgetting that “new normal” and feeling strong, focused, and healthy again.
One of those healing foods I mentioned is bone broth. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “that’s just another hippie food fad.” I thought the same thing when I was prescribed bone broth for the first time last year. I even allowed my roommates at the time to have 1 free hippie/foodie jab each before they had to keep quiet about it. But the truth is, there are really TONS of benefits to this nutrient-dense beverage.
Bone broths have been a staple to tons of traditional cultures for thousands of years. Those cultures, all over the world, were deeply connected with nature and knew the immense sacrifice that the slaughtered animal made for them; to waste anything would be to dishonor the animal. What’s more, in their infinite, innate wisdom, they were aware of the healing properties of this broth.
The huge plus here is that the nutrients found in the broth are easy to digest and already in a highly bioavailable form – meaning it’s super easy for our bodies to absorb those nutrients and put them to use. On the subject of small intestine permeability, bone broth is a rich source of collagen, gelatin, glycine, and glutamine; all essential for optimal gut health. As your gut heals, you’ll begin to ward off those pesky allergy symptoms while also enjoying a stronger immune system and healthier skin.
Bone broth also contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which are helpful in protecting and rebuilding the health of the joints. You can also find calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, and a bunch of other minerals essential to your bodies various functions; from maintaining bone health to aiding the flush of toxins.
So whether you’re trying to seal a leaky gut, boost your immune system, bring life back to your skin and hair, or just enjoy a warm, hearty beverage (I like to add pasture-fed butter or a raw egg yolk to mine), I hope you’ll give this miracle tonic a chance! It’s a great addition to any recharging, rebuilding routine.
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Recipe:
- A couple pounds of bones (beef, chicken, or even fish – pasture fed and free of hormones and antibiotics)
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 yam
- 1 yellow onion
- 6-8 cloves garlic
- Filtered water
- 1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
First, you’ll want to get high quality products. You can find good bones at your local butcher shop or the frozen meat section of your local co-op. If you’re using beef bones, start out by roasting them for about 25 to 35 minutes at 350-375F. While the bones are roasting, chop all the veggies in largish, 1-inch chunks. Put everything in a stew pot, crock pot, or slow cooker and fill with just enough water to cover everything. Bring the water to a boil. Once you’ve reached boiling, reduced heat to a low simmer. After you reduce the heat, you might notice a film starting to form at the top. You can feel free to remove it. Simmer on low heat for at least 12-24 hours for chicken bones and 24-48 hours for beef bones. Keep in mind, the longer you cook the broth, the more flavorful and nutrient-rich the finished product. Once it’s complete, strain the broth into glass containers and refrigerate or freeze until use. The broth keeps for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
Whole On the Go 