GUT FRIENDLY BONE BROTH
We’ve been fighting a different level of immune health issues collectively as a family for almost two years. It had been an endless cycle of one person getting really sick and then passing it along to another family member and before long it passed through all of us, then it started all over again. Because sickness has been a big part of our life these part few years, I made an effort to grow my knowledge about foods that help encourage a healthy gut. A couple of dear friends introduced me to kefir and homemade fermented vegetables. I got some kefir grains and veggies and started making some of my own. While I know that supplements like these aren’t the cure all for health issues, they have been incredibly helpful for our family.
This recipe is just the a repeat of the recipe that I found on Jenny McGruther’s blog: “Slow Cooker Bone Broth.” You can find a bunch of other great tips, recipes, and other health related posts on her website as well.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (or the frame of a roasted chicken)
2 sweet bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup white wine
12 cups water
Instructions
Place one whole chicken or the frame of a roasted chicken into your slow cooker with sweet bay, black peppercorns, and wine into your slow cooker. Cover with filtered water and cook on low for 12 hours.
Strain the broth, and then shred and reserve the remaining meat. Use it right away or pour into jars and store in the fridge up to 1 week.
The gelatin in the broth (the type of chicken you use is important) provides the nutrient building blocks for enterocytes (cells lining the gut) to form, and the bacteria provides the right environment for their formation. Both are essential. Without them, the gut lining is weak and can’t break down food and allows food into the bloodstream where the body has to fight it.
All of this is so fascinating to me, but I’ve also learned that the world of health is much bigger than I could have ever imagined. I've always been the person who has taken an interest and preferred a “healthier” diet - whether it’s foods, supplements, or different forms of exercise, it’s been a part of an intentional route. These last two years have accelerated the desire to learn more about building a healthy gut and why it’s important. I still have so much to learn and I’m just scratching the surface when it comes to healthy gut eating. But I would love to learn with you and hear about some of the things you’ve tried and implemented into you routine.
| Credits: Author - Jacintha Payne; Photography - Ali Marsh |
