Vinegar Friday -- the benefits of bone broth

TGIVF!!

Here it is, the first Friday of a new month already. That means it's Vinegar Friday! Today, we're talking food, but it's about a whole lot more than tastiness.

A few months ago, someone posted someone on Facebook about bone broth. I don't remember who it was, but the post piqued my curiosity. After all, "bone broth" sounds a little bit creepy.

After reading about it, however, and doing my own research, I thought it was certainly worth a try. I'd been suffering with a flare up of my fibromyalgia since September when I was extremely ill with a kidney infection. This past winter didn't help with all the fluctuations in barometric pressure we were experiencing here in Pittsburgh. Everything in me hurt. Literally. At times, I found myself unable to walk up the stairs at the end of the night. That was scary for me. My husband and I started discussing the possibility of installing a chair lift. Not something I ever wanted to consider. As it was, I simply avoided steps as much as I could. It was just too painful.

I read that bone broth could ease my fibro symptoms, and hey, I was ready to try nearly anything, as long as it wasn't a pharmaceutical drug that would just cause other symptoms. 

I bought an organic chicken and made my first batch of the magic potion. The first day, I drank four mugfuls. Then I drank another one or two every day for a week. By the end of the week, I was pain-free. I kid you not! I had zero pain. None. 

Hmmm. Could it be? I continued to make the broth, using only organic chickens, as the last thing I wanted was antibiotics and other nasty stuff infusing my new favorite.thing.ever. And the pain-free days, and nights, continued. I was a new woman!

Then I had to go away for a conference and was gone for five days. I wondered what five bone-broth-free days would feel like. Unfortunately, I found out. On the fourth day, I started up the steps at my friend's house and stopped dead. The pain was back and climbing the steps took a real effort. That was enough to convince me that bone broth is the miracle I had been praying for.

But what does all this have to do with vinegar? Simple. The key to making bone broth that is effective at treating the symptoms of fibro is apple cider vinegar. Just one to two tablespoons per batch is all it takes. What the vinegar does is leach the minerals from the bones. Minerals like

• calcium
  
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• silicon
• sulfur
• other trace minerals

Additionally, the cartilage and tendons in the chicken bones contain other beneficial elements, like glucosamine and chondroitin sulphates. Do any of you buy any of these as supplements? By drinking bone broth, you'll be blessing your body with all of this naturally, without paying the high cost of supplements. That's one of the things I love about making my own bone broth.
There is a downside, however. While you're cooking your broth, you'll be tortured by the smell of it -- I find I'm hungry all day when it's cooking because it smells soooo good.

I just learned that there is more benefit if you add the vinegar to cold water and let the bones soak for about an hour before turning on the heat. This will soften the bones and pull more of the minerals and gelatin from the bones. Adding chicken feet or knuckles will add even more benefit, so ask your local butcher if he has any to spare.

Of course, I use unfiltered organic raw vinegar in my broth. After it's cooked, it lasts for five days in the fridge or for months in the freezer. You can boil it for a second time after four or five days and it will keep for another five days in the refrigerator. Mine never lasts that long.

I not only drink it, but I also use it to cook rice and vegetables. I haven't made soup with it yet, but certainly plan on doing so. I just enjoy drinking it so much, I haven't doctored it up much.

So now, I hope you're wanting the recipe. Click here for directions on how I make my bone broth.

Keeping it tasty and healthy with vinegar,

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The above information is based on my experience and not on any medical data. There has been some concern about exposure to lead while drinking organic bone broth. Please click here for more information about that if you are concerned.

As a mother and grandmother, I am constantly researching healthier living options, which include being proactive in preventing diseases and conditions. My use of homeopathic remedies has spanned decades and is the reason I'm thrilled to be a Hyland's HealthMaker. Let's not just treat our health conditions, let's do everything we can to prevent them.