The first time I heard about bone broth was during one of my lectures at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  I must admit it sounded a little freaky, but I was intrigued and the more I learned about it, the more I wanted to learn.  At the time, there wasn’t much information on bone broth, and the information there was, was not that easy to find.

Amazingly, in the past few months, it seems every time I pick up a magazine I notice little articles on bone broth, and how all of a sudden, chefs are selling their carefully concocted cups of liquid gold as fast as they can make them.   Wow, just like that.  The tipping point……..well, sort of!
For the past two years anytime I mentioned bone broth, people would look at me like I was a little “out there”,  then when I would ask the meat guys at any grocery store for chicken feet they would literally laugh a little and have that same look.  Yes, chicken feet, it sounds so weird, but they really are a necessary ingredient for a gelatin-rich broth (read: disease-preventive, cancer fighter, healer of skin, digestive and autoimmune disorders, cartilage builder, all-over body strengther and rejuvenator).  Now, the mention of chicken feet isn’t so bad is it?!  If I can clean and prep chicken feet for a bone broth, anyone can and it is a must have in a true bone broth because the feet contain and will release the greatest amount of cartilage and gelatin compared to other chicken parts.  The gelatin is what holds the collagen, glycine, glucosamine and many other nutrients that are life changing in helping the body repair and rebuild itself on so many different levels.  It is the difference between a stock that has cooked a few hours compared to one that has simmered for 24-48 hours.  The  extended time and the addition of cartilage-rich bones is what extracts the powerful healing componets with the gelatin.  The benefits are staggering both in their numbers and properties.  For example, we know the body’s ability to repair connective tissue diminishes with age and ill health.  Bone broth’s rich dissolves of collagen, cartilage, glycine and more gives the body what it needs to heal and rebuild itself.  It helps keep our arteries strong and supple, it nourishes the eyes, heals the gut which heals the mind, it feeds the epidermis and dermis and underlying connective tissue layers to give our skin a youthful plumpness and it soothes the wounded skin of acne and other skin disorders, it works to keep our bones flexible and it strengthens the immune system, just to name a few.  I have not learned of another food source which such vast and powerful healing properties.  Amazing that so much vitality can come from such simplicity. 
I love that bone broth is a traditional, slow food, that has been used as far back as the 12th century for it’s nourishment.  I have never loved learning about history until I saw how it relates to food and it’s medicinal role in early civilizations.  Foods from the Earth have been used for their rejuvenating qualities for thousands of years.  We can learn so much valuable information from traditional cultures and apply their findings to our modern way of living in a way that truly nourishes our body, mind and soul. I’ll post the recipe later today in the recipes section! xxo!