"Good broth will resurrect the dead." South American Proverb

Bone broth? What's that a way to make your soups taste good?
Well yes, it is yummy and a whole lot more. "Good broth will resurrect the dead." South American Proverb
Bone broth is one of the most amazing sources of bio-available minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and sulphur as well as many trace minerals lacking in our diets today do to soil depletion. Unlike most vitamins, minerals are not destroyed or altered by heat and thus can be drawn out of bones and concentrated in water by cooking them down. Bone broth also contains collagen, gelatin, chrondoitin sulphates and glucosamine. (The last two known to assist most arthritis. You could also by expensive supplements to recieve these!)  Fish heads and carcasses make a rich broth which contain iodine and other thyroid supporting substances. Gelatin is a hydrophilic colloid, which means it attracts water (digestive juices) to food in the gut thus assisting overall digestion of food. It was studied extensively mostly in France in the first half of the 20th century and was found to be useful in treating peptic ulcers, cancer, jaundice, tuberculosis and many other diseases. Bottle fed babies were found to have less digestive trouble when gelatin was added to their milk. Gelatin also helps the body to use other protein in the diet more efficiently.

Making Broth
I just purchased my very own 4 1/2 quart crock pot. This is the best tool for making bone broth but you can also use a regular soup pot on an electric stove or a woodstove kept burning low could also do the trick. Fish takes about 2 hours to extract much of the nutrients, larger bones such as chicken, duck, deer, bison or beef etc take longer, overnight is probably enough though I prefer to start mine in the morning and let it go overnight so about 24 hours. Adding a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar will help to draw out the minerals. Heating the broth slowly helps bring out all the nutrients and flavors, hence the glory of the crock pot as my new favorite thing. Once it boils reduce the heat to low and just let it simmer. Scummy stuff will rise to the surface and can be artfully skimmed off with a spoon. According to the Weston Price Foundation website (sited below) this contains large proteins called lectins as well as alkaloids and other impurities. Lectins are known for being not so good for the digestion especially if there is the possibility of a leaky gut as they can cause inflammation/allergic response if they end up in the blood stream. You can also add carrots, celery and onions for an even tastier result.

Use Free Range Organically Grown Bones

Bones are not only a resevoir for potent mineral concentration and other nutrients. In the case where a mineral rich diet is lacking, bones will concentrate heavy metals, radiation and toxic chemicals. Many factory farmed chicken bones won't even gel at all (no gelatin). Try to find bones from a local farmer who you know isn't putting any of this stuff in his animals and is giving them a balanced mineral rich diet, such as grass-fed bison, wild fish and free-range chickens. Ideally get deer and other wild meat/bones since these animals are eating the most mineral rich and diverse diet possible. Bones are traditionally...and still... poor man's food, and yet at the same time are one of the most nourishing yummy things!  Even if you are living on a very limited income, you can afford the best bones you can find...in fact many people don't even use their bones (or their brains! ha ha) or just give them to their dogs, so you can probably even get them for free if you ask around in your locale, just say you're "doing an experiment" or something:)

Please comment and let me know what you think and know about bones and bone broth!
Have a beautiful day...and use your bones!

Resources:

http://www.westonaprice.org (Food Features-Broth is Beautiful)
paleodietlifestyle.com/making-fresh-bone-stock
Firemaker Gathering Bone Broth Workshop with the amazing Milota http://www.firemaker.org/



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