I follow a Functional Medicine Approach to Gut Health: Remove, Replace, Re-inoculate, Repair.
What that means to me a little more specifically is
- Eating a nutrient dense diet, including little to no sugar and lots of fermented foods. Also making sure you aren’t consuming foods your body is intolerant or sensitive to.
- Adding into your body, things it may need to heal and thrive, such as supplements.
- Making sure your gut has lots of diversity and good bacteria.
- Lifestyle modification to manage stress, make sure your body is moving and you are getting optimal sleep.
In today’s article I am going to focus on repair by utilizing bone broth.
Bone broth is different than stock, however many confuse them. Stock is often not made from bones at all, whereas bone broth is the broth that is made by cooking animal bones (and often veggies and herbs for added flavor) in water. The bones release amazing compounds into the liquid and then the liquid can be drank or cooked with to obtain the benefits.
Bone broth can be very healing for not only the digestive tract but also joints, cartilage, bones, nails, hair, skin and teeth due to the gelatin and collagen that it contains.
Lets dive a bit deeper into some of the known effects.
Bone broth is rich in the protein collagen, which comes from the bones tendons, ligaments and connective tissues. When those items are cooked, the natural collagen present becomes gelatin. The broth is also rich in 4 amino acids: proline, glycine, arginine, glutamine. These amino acids have amazing benefits for your entire body, not just your gut health!
Let’s check out the specific amino acids and their reported benefits.
Proline:
- Supports healthy skin
- Reduces cellulite
- Wound healing
- Regenerates cartilage and growth tissue
- Vital to joint health
- Helps repair gut lining
Glycine:
- Supports making of bile acid
- Helps stimulate stomach acid production
- Aids in liver detoxification
Arginine:
- Promotes human growth hormone
- Boosts metabolism
- Assist in weight loss
- Promotes healthy libido
- Assists in proper kidney function
- Assist in wound repair
Glutamine:
- Restores integrity of intestinal wall
- Enhances immune system
- Generates glutathione (an antioxidant)
- May help curb sugar cravings and reverse insulin resistance
- Fuel for small intestine
Bone broth is not only great for digestion but also liver detoxification. The glycine found in bone broth helps to make two important antioxidants: glutathione and uric acid, which are essential for detoxifying the liver.
Incorporate this into your diet:
The goal is to consume at least 8 ounces a day and I use a company called Kettle and Fire. They have three flavors of bone broth and they are all shelf stable which is great. I don’t mind just drinking a warmed up mug full with a sprinkle of salt and fresh lemon juice. I know that may not be something you all want to do regularly – but at least give it a try before you knock it!
Other ways to consider
- Make a simple soup with some fresh veggies and avocado slices. Try this for an easy breakfast, yes breakfast, or lunch.
- Try one of their already prepared soup options.
- Anytime you have a recipe that calls for stock or broth, substitute with bone broth or at least 50:50.
- Add to grains when cooking instead of plain water.
- Use as the base for your daily smoothie. I have a free guide you can download here that walks you through ideas for building a nourishing smoothie. Consider using bone broth as your liquid base or again 50:50 with another liquid to start out.
A note about products on the market:
As with anything else that becomes ‘ trendy’, more and more companies start making their own version. While I think other companies bone broth might be better and provide some additional nutrients compared to traditional stock (which is usually mostly water and herbs), it is important to understand a lot of the benefits you get are if using bone broth that is made from well sourced animals. Your body takes in what the animals take in. And of course the process used and what is mixed with the broth is vital!
Kettle and Fire products are made from 100% grass-fed beef bones and organic chicken bones with a mix of organic veggies, spices, and apple cider vinegar. The chickens and cows are also not given antibiotics or hormones and no additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients are used in the broths. The broths are simmered for a long time (beef: 20 plus hours and chicken: 10 plus hours) to ensures that the nutrients and amino acids in the bones break down to create the highly nutritious bone broth. The finished products are also gluten free, non GMO, dairy and soy free.
If you want to try Kettle and Fire, use the code EMBRACEWELLNESS for 10% off!
If you missed the article on collagen, check that out as well!
Giveaway and special offer: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED
Make sure you head over to Instagram to enter to win the giveaway. Kettle and Fire has offered to give away 6 cartons of their broth, 2 of each flavor (beef, chicken, chicken and mushroom). Winners will be chosen Friday March 22nd.
**Some of the content in this post was provided by Kettle and Fire. I do however, always do my own research and only endorse products we use and love.
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