Why we all need Bone Broth and how to make it.

Hi All

One of the things that I recommend for everyone when we start talking about nutrition and health is bone broth.  I come from the North East of England and everyone here remembers (or still has) Sunday roast dinner.  Unfortunately, nowadays, the bones from the roast are mostly thrown away, but no,

STOP

...the bones contain the most nutrient dense part of the meat.

Bone Broth has been found to be THE number 1 thing for helping with the following;

*Treating leaky gut syndrome - by sealing the lining of the gut (which is semi-permeable)

*Improving joint health - due to the large amounts of glucosamine and collagen, both great for joint health and reducing inflammation.

*Boost immune system - there has been clinical trials for those drinking chicken broth that they didn't catch colds and when they did they didn't last as long.

See, it really is chicken soup for the soul!

Bone Broth contains;

*Calcium - we all need strong bones, and just about every bodily function requires calcium in some shape or other.  If you have any bone conditions such as osteoporosis then bone broth is a great way to get calcium.

*Collagen - one of the best natural sources, great for skin, hair and nails.  Fights the ageing process!

*Gelatin - great for building strong bones and also to help the joints move against each other; gelatin is also great for gut health, thereby supporting the immune system (80% of which is housed in the gut).

It also has a massive benefits in that it reduces inflammation throughout the body, this is due to its mixture of amino acids, fats and other digestible minerals.


How to make a bone broth

It's so easy to make.

2-3kg beef bones, chicken carcasses, lamb bones (pick these up from the butchers for free).  If you get raw bones, make sure you roast them in the oven before putting into the broth.
1 x lemon squeezed
2 x handfuls of any onions, leeks, carrots or celery
1 x tbsp black peppercorns
1 x bay leaf

Any other herbs and seasoning.

1. Place the bones and other ingredients in a cooking pot and pour over cold water until it covers it.

2. Add a couple of caps of apple cider vinegar, and leave for one hour (this breaks the bones down)

3. Scrape off the top oily top.

4. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, lid on, for at least 6 hours for chicken and 12 for beef or lamb, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. (I like to put mine in a slow cooker, and leave for 48 hours)

5. Strain the liquid. Use immediately or leave to cool before storing.

You can freeze it, unfrozen it lasts for about 5 days in the fridge, just heat a cup up every morning.

You can also add vegetables to it and make normal soup, or use it as stock in stews, casseroles etc.

It's so easy to make and so nutritious.  Why wouldn't you want to do it?

Let me know how you get on!

Green Smoothies. Why we should all have them in our lives and how to make them.

Hi All

I love a green smoothie - they're a great and easy way to start the day, packed full of nutrients and they enable you to get a healthy kickstart to the morning.  You can mix and match the fruit that you put in, and add little extras such as seeds or nuts to make sure that you get your daily dosage of micronutrients, they also boost your immune system.  With all of those benefits why wouldn't you want them in your life - they're also highly portable too!

Green smoothies are also great to have post workout - your body needs carbohydrate and protein to replenish depleted stores, so add a little bit of protein power to your smoothie as well, and voila - a perfect post workout drink.

Remember to aim for optimal health you have to replace stores of glycogen (sugar) from naturally occurring sources (I'm not talking about a chocolate bar and a high energy drink here), which will allow your liver to process them quicker and restore your muscle balance.

Green Smoothies are a great addition to your daily regime

Here's a great recipe;

1-2 cups spinach
1 cup of water (or almond milk, coconut milk - whatever liquid you choose)
Half cup of strawberries
Half cup mango
Half cup protein powder (unflavoured or vanilla depending on your taste)

You can also add some fresh mint if it's in season.

If you're new to the Green Smoothie idea, here's another recipe for you to try;

1 cup of water (or other liquid as above)
1 banana peeled or avocado (with skin and stone removed)
Half cup of strawberries or raspberries
1-2 cups spinach

Again play around with the fruit, adding an avocado or a banana will give the smoothie that smooth texture, without either of these you will get a more 'juice with bits in' texture.  If you prefer your smoothies thick then don't add as much water, if you want them a bit more watery then add more.  Just play around with the ingredients until you find a one that suits you.

Here's some other things that you can add to your smoothie for an extra health kick;

Green Smoothies are healthy and portable

*Nuts
*Seeds
*Ginger
*Turmeric

To make my smoothies, I use a Nutribullet, I've gone through various juicers and blenders in my time, but I've found the Nutribullet to be super easy to use and most importantly - super easy to clean! (I have spent hours trying to get bits of kiwi out of a juicer - frankly I have better ways to spend my life).

So here are the basics, choose one from each apart from the fruit - choose two from that column (for the green smoothies always choose spinach or kale as one of the fruit options);

Base	Liquid	Fruit	Extra
Avocado	Water	Mango	Ginger
Banana	Coconut Milk	Apple	Turmeric
	Almond Milk	Pineapple	Nuts
	Soya Milk	Kiwi	Seeds
		Strawberries	Coconut Oil
		Raspberries	Protein Powder
		Blueberries
		Spinach
		Kale
		Cucumber

I also love to add a spoon of 'healthy greens' as can be found at the below link;

Organic Green Blend

Once you've made your smoothie, drink as soon as you can, if that's not possible they'll keep in the fridge for a couple of hours (don't be surprised if they change colour a bit).

Happy juicing, let me know how you get on with yours!

Jill x