I want to start with this simple (and true) statement: YOU can do THIS! Practically with your eyes closed. Not even kidding. You just need a few ingredients, a big pot, a stove and time. That’s it.

First, let’s start with the Why: Bone broth is extremely healing, especially for those who have gut issues, joint pain, allergies or brain related issues like ADHD and Autism. The primary benefit of bone broth is its ability to rebuild the gut lining and connective tissues in the body; collagen and various minerals being released from the bones and connective tissues are responsible for these regenerating qualities. Check out this post by Paleo Mom to read more about the specifics of why it is so healing. And if you want a little more in general on the topic, check out this post by Wellness Mama. I’ll just say that I have had digestive issues for most of my life and have found that just one day of consuming bone broth significantly calms my symptoms. It’s really that powerful.

There are many recipes out there, but I’m going to give you one for a chicken bone broth that you could do in your sleep (in fact, it does most of its cooking while you do just that — sleep!). You can also make a bone broth from beef bones or fish bones and shells. With beef bones you will want to roast them in the oven for a bit before you boil/simmer them with veggies and herbs and spices, and then you’ll want to simmer it for up to 48 hours. Yes, 48 hours. Chicken and fish take less time to leach out all the yummy goodness.

For my chicken bone broth recipe I use a whole chicken, but you can use bones from an organic chicken you roasted the day before or you can go to the market and ask for bones. If your market (or online source for organic, free range chicken) has chicken’s feet, grab some of those, too. No, I’m not kidding. It ups the collagen game in your broth. All in the name of healing substances, I promise!

You can consume bone broth on its own as a warm beverage of sorts or you can make any type of soup you like. Either way, you will get the healing benefits of bone broth. 1 cup per day is all most need to start seeing benefits. Incorporating bone broth into your regular diet is a powerful way to bring healing to digestion, immunity, joints and a number of other health concerns. Experiment with it and see how you feel!

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