There's nothing quite like the healing power of homemade bone broth. Even my son knows this and when he catches a cold its the first thing he asks me for. Not only does the homemade version taste better but the nutrient content is drastically higher than the store bought version not to mention free from additives.

Bone broth is a powerhouse of nutrients and is a great thing to add to your family's menu throughout the colder seasons.

Aside from the feel good quality of comfort food that bone broth provides, there are many other reasons why you should be consuming this miracle liquid daily. Here are my 5 top reasons for recommending bone broth to my clients:

Immune Boosting - Bone broth is one of my favorite ways to boost my family's immune system especially as the seasons turn cooler. Your grandma was on to something when she would make up a big batch of chicken soup when anyone would get sick. Homemade bone broth is full of vital vitamins and minerals that help boost the immune system. The amino acid Cystein is also found in bone broth and works to help thin mucous. Bone Broth is also full of collagen which helps to heal and repair the body. You can also add anti inflammatory and immune enhancing herbs and spices to add further benefit and speed recovery time.
Healing and nourishing to gut - the collagen and minerals in bone broth help to repair and nourish the gut. When the gut is damaged it prevents proper absorption of vital nutrients needed to stay healthy. When you nourish your gut with bone broth the body is better able to absorb the nutrients you are consuming.
Promotes strong bones, healthy skin and hair - the rich source of collagen and calcium make this the perfect bone and skin formula. It can help strengthen the bones as well as the elasticity of the skin providing a glowing youthful look to the skin.
Anti-inflammatory - Packed full of glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, and gelatin, this broth helps to reduce inflammation and support joints and bones, and even help repair damage to tendons and ligaments.
Reduces need for animal protein - This may sound unimportant to many but I see so many clients with digestive weakness and being able to still receive the benefits of animal protein without having to try to digest them is an amazing part of the healing and repair process for many. The body requires a huge amount of energy to digest animal protein but at the same time the amino acids provided from these foods are what the body needs to heal and repair and carry out many other vital functions in the body. Bone broth provides the same nutrients as animal protein without the added need of digesting them.

So let's get to it! You know why you should be drinking bone broth or using it to cook with but how in the world do you make it? That's the first thing people ask when I add this amazing food to their program. Below is my favorite way to make it and you can use whatever kind of bone you prefer.

You can use thick bone marrow filled beef bones for a rich beef broth or some prefer the good ol fashioned chicken broth like I do. I prefer to make batches of both and freeze so I have on hand for whatever I need them for.

You can make bone broth two ways. For the usual recipe you can use raw or for a much richer version you can roast first then make broth. That's the way I prefer to make them. The broth tastes 100 times better to me when I have the time to make them that way. Today I am going to give you the recipe for roasted chicken broth but you can do the same thing for beef by just substituting beef marrow bones.

I have a big family of growing boys and like to roast 2 whole chickens at a time so that I have meals to feed them for a couple days and then have a huge batch of broth to use and freeze for other meals.

Remember that quality counts. Since you are using the whole bird you will be getting your money's worth so make sure you purchase good quality free range organic birds and vegetables.

Let's get cookin!

What you need:

1 large roasting pan

Large slow cooker

2 whole free range fryer chickens

2 Tsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar (do not skip this step!!!)

2 whole onions 1 red 1 yellow

10 small red potatoes

6 stalkes of celery

12 whole carrots

2 small lemons cut in half

10 garlic cloves

10 peppercorns

Pink Sea Salt and ground pepper

A good amount of fresh herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf etc.

How to make roasted chickens for dinner:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Start by roasting your chicken. Take 2 whole chickens rinse and pat dry reserving gizzards for broth. Then massage chicken with good olive oil, sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cut red onion in wedges and lay across bottom of roasting pan. Lay roasting chickens on top of onion and stuff 2 halves of lemon and 2 smashed garlic cloves in each chicken cavity. Cut 6 carrots in large chunks, and the red potatoes in quarters and lay around chickens.

Roast for about 30 minutes then reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for about another 30 minutes until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken reads 165 degrees in both chickens. Remove from oven and cover and let sit for 15 minutes.

Serve for dinner and strip meat off of bones and reserve any extra in containers for leftover meals throughout the week.

How to make Broth:

Take stripped carcasses from both chickens and the reserved gizzards and the raw vegetables left over from list of ingredients, herbs, and apple cider vinegar and place in slow cooker. Leave skins on onion and garlic as there are nutrients in the skins as well. Cover with cold filtered water (about 12 cups) and cook on low for 24 hours. Check half way though as you may need to add more water. When cooked remove bones and veggies and strain out any leftover chunks. Let cool and store a few days worth in mason jar in fridge and freeze the rest.

The best way to freeze is to pour in silicone muffin tray and when frozen pop out and store formed cubes in freezer bag in freezer.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! This recipe goes a long way and you can even take the meat from one of the chickens and half the veggies and potatoes and freeze for another whole night's dinner. Or you can shred the chicken and save for soup to make with your fresh broth or to use in tacos and salads. There are so many options.

Leave a comment and let me know what creative ideas you came up with for yours!!

As always.....In good health and happiness,

Brandy Augustine PhD