Taking Stock

According to a South American proverb, “Good broth will resurrect the dead.”

That pretty much sums up what a good bone broth can do for health. I am a huge believer in it and have made bone broth from my childhood until present day. My mother taught me how and I have taught my children how to make it, too. Here’s why.

Stock or broth made from the bones of grass-fed animals as well as wild fish, herbs, vegetables and spices helps to build and even rebuild the body. Homemade stocks and broths contain valuable minerals (pulled from the bones during the cooking process) that the body can absorb more easily, and they’re known to boost your immune system (chicken soup, anyone?). Plus, you get calcium and other critical ingredients like magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and other trace minerals. This matters because most North Americans are chronically demineralized — we never get enough.

But one of the most critical nutrients derived from homemade bone broth soup is protein, which is released through the cooking of the bones from the various architectural parts of the animal like tendons and cartilage. Such nutrients include chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine and other amino acids in readily digestible form.

My mother taught me that a good bone broth is only as good as how well it congeals into gelatin, which is a therapeutic nutritious food that’s mostly protein. It’s a functional food because it contains high amounts of the amino acids proline and glycine. Gelatin in this format is highly nutritious and readily digestible so for those with weakened digestive systems thanks to allergies and gut dysbiosos (an imbalance in the digestive tract), a bone broth soup full of gelatin is highly nutritious and healing.

Make your own bone broth using the recipe below and up your protein intake just in time for your next workout.

Bone Broth Soup

Yield: 10 cups stock

• If possible, use the bones of grass fed animals only. (I aim for about two pounds of bones per gallon of water.)
• Place them in a big stock pot and cover with water.
• Add 1/4 cup raw, apple cider vinegar. (The apple cider vinegar draws nutrients from the bones.)
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer.
• I usually add one or two whole onions, two carrots, a whole head of unpeeled garlic and about six celery stalks. The more flavor the better. I don’t even peel the onions because the skins impart a nice golden color to the stock.
• I also make a little cheesecloth bag and fill it with black peppercorns, bay leaves and lots of herbs like fresh parsley and rosemary and toss it into the soup.
• Let the stock simmer for about four hours to complete the process of drawing all nutrients from the bones. If there are some parts that have tendons and skin, you will be pulling collagen and chondroitin from these and they will now be in your stock. These are proteins as are the proline and glycine.
• Remove the stock from heat and let cool.
• Strain into a storage container or a few Mason jars with tight-fitting lids and refrigerate.

If you made a good stock by the morning it will be completely gelatinized, which means it’s full of protein. Yum!

Use this beautiful stock as a base for other soups, sauces or even by itself.

Let me know what you think!

Eat clean for health and for life,

Tosca Reno

P.S. Remember, I am always listening over at toscareno.com.