The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, is famous for saying, “All disease begins in the gut.”

Through my studies and research, I am convinced now, more than ever, that this statement is incredibly valid. “Gut health” has become quite a hot topic, especially among those interested in holistic health. Intriguingly, unhealthy guts are being attributed to allergies, food sensitivities, anxiety, ADHD, acne, thyroid conditions, IBS, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and more. Even frequent colds have been blamed on an unhealthy microbiome. In fact, it’s estimated that 70% of our immunity comes from the gut, so it makes complete sense! An unbalanced gut can lead to all sorts of inflammation-related conditions.

With the Standard American Diet wrecking havoc on many of our bodies (did you know that 80% of packaged foods have added sugar?!), many people are turning to healing their guts for some relief. One of the “gut superfoods” that I have come across over and over again is bone broth.

What is bone broth?  This traditional food is made the good, old-fashioned way by boiling high quality bones, vegetables, and herbs in water. There’s a reason that it’s been a staple for curing illnesses for thousands of years – it lowers inflammation and builds immunity.  Traditionally prepared bone broth (not Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, which is loaded with additives, GMOs and MSG!) is the real healing prescription for so many reasons!

What are the health benefits of bone broth?  On top of being easy to digest, bone broth is incredibly nutrient dense. It’s loaded with connective collagen and gelatin, making it a wonderful healer for the intestinal lining. It supports the growth of probiotics (the good bacteria that promote gut health), and it also helps fight food sensitivities. It’s a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes available in an easily absorbable form. Bone broth contains more than 19 amino acids, including proline, glycine, and glutamine, which help to repair the intestinal lining. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which help protect the joints.

In addition, it helps maintain skin health and reduce wrinkles, helps support overall brain function, and also supports metabolism. It boosts the body’s detoxification processes. And on top of all that, it tastes delicious and has such a silky texture! No wonder it’s considered a gut health superfood!

Why not drink the grocery store brands?  Unfortunately, not all bone broth is created equal. Prepackaged versions can contain additives, GMOs, and high levels of sodium.  Homemade is always best for nutritional value and taste, especially when quality ingredients are used.

However, if you just don’t have the time to make bone broth yourself, my favorite brand to purchase is definitely Kettle & Fire.  They offer a wide range of options that support skin, joint, and gut health and the company is transparent about the incredible quality of their ingredients.

What do I need to make bone broth at home?  The great news is that it’s really easy and convenient to make your own delicious, healthful bone broth at home with the Instant Pot!  Using good quality bones from organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised animals sets you up to take advantage all of the excellent nutritional benefits.  You want a variety of meaty bones (like chicken carcasses or beef shanks), joint bones (chicken feet or beef knuckle), and marrow bones (unless the meaty bones already have marrow in them).  This ensures that you get a nice gelatinous bone broth that tastes delicious and contains all the nutrients you want.  Likewise, using organic veggies and herbs helps guarantees there are no pesticides or chemicals in your broth.

With a little research, it’s possible to find high quality products.  Check local farmer’s markets or try websites like EAT WILD, the Weston A. Price Foundation, or Local Harvest for listings.  I stand by saying that I always prefer local, small, farm-raised meat, but home delivery options are gaining in popularity too.

With the addition of a few other ingredients, you’re all set to make your own homemade bone broth!

Instant Pot Bone Broth

July 24, 2018

by Nicole

Category Dairy Free DIY Gluten Free Gut Health Immune Support RECIPES Traditional Cooking WELLNESS Wholesome Nutrition

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lbs of organic, grass-fed/pasture-raised meaty, joint, and/or marrow bones
• 2-4 organic carrots, chopped into a few big chunks
• 1 large organic yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp minced organic garlic
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (to help release the goodness from the bones)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 6-8 quarts of water, enough to cover the bones

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients, except water, into your Instant Pot. Using a steamer basket, if you have it, will make straining out all of the ingredients much easier.
2. Fill the Instant Pot with just enough water to cover the ingredients. Make sure not to go past the fill line.
3. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual for 120 minutes.
4. Once finished, release the steam.
5. Strain the ingredients out of the broth with a tightly-knitted wire strainer. Cheesecloth is another option too, depending on how strained you want your broth.
6. Cool down the broth to room temperature by placing it in a larger vessel with ice. Do not dilute the broth with ice and do not allow the broth to become chilled.
7. To store, transfer the broth to room-temperature glass mason jars. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space at the top for expanding when if freezing. Otherwise, you run the risk of the jars breaking.
8. Cap the jars (I like these plastic lids, but make sure you have the right size for your wide-mouth or standard-size jars.)
9. Bone broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you aren't going to use it that quickly, freezing works well too! Place the jars in the freezer, upright. Make sure they aren't touching each other or anything else, otherwise you run the risk of broken glass.
10. To thaw, simply pull out as many jars as you need from the freezer and place in the refrigerator. Or, if you need a quicker option, place the jar in a water bath on the stove, being sure that the water starts out cold and warms up slowly.
11. Enjoy your delicious, nutritious homemade broth in soups, meals, or sip it in a mug!

https://naturallywholistic.com/2018/07/instant-pot-bone-broth.html